Luis Guanipa

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Atlanta Braves #22 prospect in 2025
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/Extreme.
  
  Track Record: Guanipa signed for $2.5 million as the top international prospect in Atlanta’s 2023 signing class. He played well in the Dominican Summer League in 2023, then made his stateside debut in 2024. He was solid in the Florida Complex League but struggled after a promotion to Low-A Augusta, where he hit .184/.250/.200 with a 25.7% strikeout rate and 8.1% walk rate.
  
  Scouting Report: Guanipa is a filled-out righthanded hitter who lacks much physical projection on a 5-foot-11, 188-pound frame. He has solid bat speed and employs a closed-off stance that includes a low handset and some moving parts, with a lower half that too frequently leaks out to the pull side and is often unbalanced in his finish. Guanipa does a decent job making contact, but he’s overly aggressive against all pitch types and chases out of the zone far too frequently. While Guanipa has real hitting questions, his secondary tools are strong. He’s a plus runner who has lots of range in center field and, between his speed and instincts, he should develop into a plus defender—if he’s not one already. While Guanipa will track down plenty of balls in the gaps, his arm is a fringe-average tool and his throws lack the carry that creates fear for baserunners.
  
  The Future: Guanipa’s speed and defense give him big league viability in a reserve role, but he’ll need to make significant offensive strides to unlock more. He’s still young and will play the 2025 season at 19 years old.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 30 | Power: 40 | Run: 60 | Field: 60 | Arm: 45.
• 
  Ranked Atlanta Braves #19 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 50/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Signing Guanipa was another sign of a return to normalcy in the international market for the Braves, whose penalties from international signing violations set back the lower levels of the system for several years. Atlanta signed Guanipa for $2.5 million as one of the toolsiest players in the 2023 class, and he had a respectable Dominican Summer League debut, where he slashed .238/.361/.384 with four home runs and 20 stolen bases.
  
  Scouting Report: In terms of pure tools, Guanipa likely has the highest upside of any prospect in the Braves system. He’s a double-plus runner, who explodes out of the box and can cover plenty of ground in center field, and he also has twitchy hands in the box that leads to great bat speed and plus raw power. Guanipa’s exit velocity data for a 17-year-old is impressive, and he has significant home run potential as he continues to refine his offensive approach. In the DSL, he made a solid amount of contact with good swing decisions, though he might have to continue quieting some of the moving parts in his swing--which he’s already done to an extent. Guanipa’s arm strength is fringy now but could get to average.
  
  The Future: Guanipa’s talent is enticing, but he has a long way to go before scouts have conviction in his ultimate role or his pure hitting ability.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 70 | Field: 50 | Arm: 45
• 
  Ranked Atlanta Braves #12 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Guanipa, who hails from Venezuela, was the Braves top signing in the international free agent period that opened on Jan. 15.
  
  Scouting Report: There are few players in this class who can match Guanipa's combination of power and speed. He has a strong, compact frame with explosive athleticism, which is evident in the way he moves in center field with plus-plus speed, albeit with a below-average arm. That explosiveness also shows up at the plate, as Guanipa generates impressive bat speed combined with significant strength gains over the last two years that has led to plus raw power. Guanipa often trains at the professional stadium in Margarita, and he shows the ability to hit balls out of the park to all fields. While his swing once had a bigger hitch to it, he has toned that down, showing more fluidity and better balance in the box.
  
  The Future: Guanipa will make his debut in the Dominican Summer League.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 45. Power: 60. Speed: 70. Field: 50. Arm: 40

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Guanipa, who hails from Venezuela, was the Braves top signing in the international free agent period that opened on Jan. 15.
  
  Scouting Report: There are few players in this class who can match Guanipa's combination of power and speed. He has a strong, compact frame with explosive athleticism, which is evident in the way he moves in center field with plus-plus speed, albeit with a below-average arm. That explosiveness also shows up at the plate, as Guanipa generates impressive bat speed combined with significant strength gains over the last two years that has led to plus raw power. Guanipa often trains at the professional stadium in Margarita, and he shows the ability to hit balls out of the park to all fields. While his swing once had a bigger hitch to it, he has toned that down, showing more fluidity and better balance in the box.
  
  The Future: Guanipa will make his debut in the Dominican Summer League.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 45. Power: 60. Speed: 70. Field: 50. Arm: 40
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Guanipa, who hails from Venezuela, was the Braves top signing in the international free agent period that opened on Jan. 15.
  
  Scouting Report: There are few players in this class who can match Guanipa's combination of power and speed. He has a strong, compact frame with explosive athleticism, which is evident in the way he moves in center field with plus-plus speed, albeit with a below-average arm. That explosiveness also shows up at the plate, as Guanipa generates impressive bat speed combined with significant strength gains over the last two years that has led to plus raw power. Guanipa often trains at the professional stadium in Margarita, and he shows the ability to hit balls out of the park to all fields. While his swing once had a bigger hitch to it, he has toned that down, showing more fluidity and better balance in the box.
  
  The Future: Guanipa will make his debut in the Dominican Summer League.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 45. Power: 60. Speed: 70. Field: 50. Arm: 40