Milan Tolentino

Tolentino played shortstop for USA Baseball’s 18U National Team during the World Cup and excelled, making plays to both sides and in on the ball while showing exceptional body control and glovework. He came out to lofty expectations this spring but got off to a slow start before the season shut down. Tolentino is an accomplished defender, but his bat raises questions. He has a sound approach at the plate with loose hands and has the ability to slap the ball the other way. However, he lacks present power, struggles with pitches on the inner half and doesn’t sting the ball as often as evaluators would like, raising concerns about whether he is strong enough for pro ball. Tolentino is a smart, instinctive player who reads the game and understands situations better than most players his age. His father, Jose, played 15 years professionally, including a year in the majors, and is now the Angels' Spanish language radio broadcaster. Milan's older brother Patric was a catcher in the Indians' system for two years. Tolentino is a below-average runner whose foot speed has some evaluators projecting him to second base, but his instincts allow him to handle shortstop for now. Those who like Tolentino’s glove, instincts and bloodlines consider him a potential second or third round pick, but others think he should go to college and get stronger. He is committed to UCLA.