| AB | 37 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .162 |
| OBP | .373 |
| SLG | .378 |
| HR | 2 |
- Full name Engelth Alberto Urena
- Born 08/17/2004 in Santo Domingo Centro, Dominican Republic
- Profile Ht.: 5'11" / Wt.: 196 / Bats: R / Throws: R
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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BA Grade/Risk: 45/Extreme.
Track Record: Ureña signed in 2022 for $275,000 as part of the same class that brought Roderick Arias into the system. Until 2024, however, his career had been limited to just 37 plate appearances. A broken hand cost him most of his pro debut, and left knee surgery wiped out all of his 2023 season. Fully healthy for the first time in 2024, Ureña produced a dominant season and ranked top-three in the Florida Complex League in slugging (.564), OPS (.984) and home runs (8).
Scouting Report: There’s little doubt about the impact in Ureña’s bat. He produced a 90th percentile exit velocity of 102 mph and a max EV of 108.5 mph. His miss, zone-miss and chase rates were all below 20%, though he struggled a little bit on breaking balls. Scouts noted he was an excellent barrel-finder and his power played to all fields. The most pressing question is where he’ll wind up playing. Catching seems like a long shot thanks to below-average blocking and receiving and an inaccurate arm that allowed him to go just 2-for-18 catching baserunners. He played more games at first base (18) than catcher (12).
The Future: Ureña will move to Low-A in 2025. If he can prove himself against more advanced pitchers, he might set himself on a similar path to the one blazed by former Yankees farmhand Agustin Ramirez in recent years.
Scouting Grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 50 | Run: 30 | Field: 40 | Arm: 40. -
BA Grade: 50/Extreme
Track Record: Urena inked for $275,000 as part of the Yankees’ 2022 signing class--the jewel of which was shortstop Roderick Arias--and then made a quick impression in the Dominican Summer League, but a broken hand meant Urena played just 11 games. The damage was worse in 2023, when surgery on his left knee kept him off the field all season long.
Scouting Report: When healthy, Urena has shown the skills necessary to be the latest in the Yankees’ line of offense-first catchers. He showed a taste of those skills in 2022 when he homered in his first professional at-bat. The blast became even more impressive when the team found out afterward that he’d done so with a broken hand suffered earlier in the game. The lack of reps has also cost Urena much-needed development time on defense, where he was already raw thanks to an amateur career spent mostly as an outfielder. He showed an above-average arm but needs to continue to polish the rest of his defensive skills in order to stick at the position.
The Future: If Urena returns healthy in 2024, he should make his stateside debut in the Florida Complex League, where he’d be part of another wave of talented prospects working their way through the Yankees’ lower levels.
Scouting Grades Hit: 55 | Power: 55 | Run: 40 | Field: 40 | Arm: 55 -
BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
Track Record: When the most recent international signing period opened, most of the ink around the Yankees' class went to infielder Roderick Arias, but the club is excited by Urena's potential as well. A broken hand limited Urena's season to just 11 games, but he still homered three times in 31 at-bats.
Scouting Report: Urena showed his combination of power and strength immediately upon commencing his pro career by homering to the opposite field in his first official at-bat. The feat became more impressive after the game, when x-rays revealed he'd broken his hand on a foul ball behind the plate in the top of the first inning. The injury cost Urena two months, but he returned in time for 10 more games and two more home runs. The Yankees value Urena as one of the best potential hitters in their lower minors and believe he has a chance to hit for a mixture of average and power. Urena is new to catching, having converted from the outfield roughly two years before signing. He's an excellent athlete with an above-average arm but understandably has some catching up to do when it comes to receiving, blocking and the finer points of the positon.
The Future: Urena's next step will likely be stateside in the Florida Complex League, where he'll work to achieve his ceiling as an offensive-minded everyday catcher.
Scouting Grades Hit: 55. Power: 55. Speed: 40. Fielding: 40. Arm: 55.
Scouting Reports
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BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
Track Record: When the most recent international signing period opened, most of the ink around the Yankees' class went to infielder Roderick Arias, but the club is excited by Urena's potential as well. A broken hand limited Urena's season to just 11 games, but he still homered three times in 31 at-bats.
Scouting Report: Urena showed his combination of power and strength immediately upon commencing his pro career by homering to the opposite field in his first official at-bat. The feat became more impressive after the game, when x-rays revealed he'd broken his hand on a foul ball behind the plate in the top of the first inning. The injury cost Urena two months, but he returned in time for 10 more games and two more home runs. The Yankees value Urena as one of the best potential hitters in their lower minors and believe he has a chance to hit for a mixture of average and power. Urena is new to catching, having converted from the outfield roughly two years before signing. He's an excellent athlete with an above-average arm but understandably has some catching up to do when it comes to receiving, blocking and the finer points of the positon.
The Future: Urena's next step will likely be stateside in the Florida Complex League, where he'll work to achieve his ceiling as an offensive-minded everyday catcher.
Scouting Grades Hit: 55. Power: 55. Speed: 40. Fielding: 40. Arm: 55. -
BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
Track Record: When the most recent international signing period opened, most of the ink around the Yankees' class went to infielder Roderick Arias, but the club is excited by Urena's potential as well. A broken hand limited Urena's season to just 11 games, but he still homered three times in 31 at-bats.
Scouting Report: Urena showed his combination of power and strength immediately upon commencing his pro career by homering to the opposite field in his first official at-bat. The feat became more impressive after the game, when x-rays revealed he'd broken his hand on a foul ball behind the plate in the top of the first inning. The injury cost Urena two months, but he returned in time for 10 more games and two more home runs. The Yankees value Urena as one of the best potential hitters in their lower minors and believe he has a chance to hit for a mixture of average and power. Urena is new to catching, having converted from the outfield roughly two years before signing. He's an excellent athlete with an above-average arm but understandably has some catching up to do when it comes to receiving, blocking and the finer points of the positon.
The Future: Urena's next step will likely be stateside in the Florida Complex League, where he'll work to achieve his ceiling as an offensive-minded everyday catcher.
Scouting Grades Hit: 55. Power: 55. Speed: 40. Fielding: 40. Arm: 55.
Career Transactions
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FCL Yankees placed C Engelth Urena on the 7-day injured list.
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C Engelth Urena assigned to FCL Yankees.
