Rainer Nunez

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Toronto Blue Jays #26 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 40/High
  
  Track Record: Nunez signed in 2017 out of El Niche's Academy in the Dominican Republic for $350,000 and quickly moved off shortstop to third base in his professional debut in 2018. In 2019 he moved from third base to first base. He spent two seasons in the Florida Complex League before making his full-season debut with Dunedin late in 2021. He returned to Dunedin to begin 2022 and hit .299/.328/.482 with 19 doubles and 15 home runs over 93 games. He was promoted to High-A Vancouver in early August and finished his season on a high note by hitting .321/.379/.491 with four home runs over 27 games. Nunez finished his season with Estrellas de Oriente of the Dominican Winter League and led the LIDOM with seven home runs.
  
  Scouting Report: Nunez is a bat-first prospect with a balance of average bat-to-ball skills and plus power. While Nunez's natural strength and ability to punish mistakes in the zone is noteworthy, it's often dragged down by his inability to differentiate balls from strikes. In fact, Nunez ran one of the highest whiff rates among Blue Jays prospects at a full-season level, and chased pitches outside of the zone over 43% of the time in 2022. Nunez's swing has several moving parts: he has a deep knee bend, a unique hand motion in his load where he extends the fingers on his bottom hand before swinging and a long powerful swing bath that sweeps through the zone. He hits for plus power, and advancements to his pitch recognition skills could go a long way toward tapping into his power ceiling. He is limited to first base only with below-average defensive ability and well below average speed.
  
  The Future: Nunez has a plus skill in his in-game power hitting ability but will need to refine his overzealous approach to carry the heavy offensive demands of everyday first baseman.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 40. Power: 60. Run: 30. Field: 40. Throw: 50.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 40/High
  
  Track Record: Nunez signed in 2017 out of El Niche's Academy in the Dominican Republic for $350,000 and quickly moved off shortstop to third base in his professional debut in 2018. In 2019 he moved from third base to first base. He spent two seasons in the Florida Complex League before making his full-season debut with Dunedin late in 2021. He returned to Dunedin to begin 2022 and hit .299/.328/.482 with 19 doubles and 15 home runs over 93 games. He was promoted to High-A Vancouver in early August and finished his season on a high note by hitting .321/.379/.491 with four home runs over 27 games. Nunez finished his season with Estrellas de Oriente of the Dominican Winter League and led the LIDOM with seven home runs.
  
  Scouting Report: Nunez is a bat-first prospect with a balance of average bat-to-ball skills and plus power. While Nunez's natural strength and ability to punish mistakes in the zone is noteworthy, it's often dragged down by his inability to differentiate balls from strikes. In fact, Nunez ran one of the highest whiff rates among Blue Jays prospects at a full-season level, and chased pitches outside of the zone over 43% of the time in 2022. Nunez's swing has several moving parts: he has a deep knee bend, a unique hand motion in his load where he extends the fingers on his bottom hand before swinging and a long powerful swing bath that sweeps through the zone. He hits for plus power, and advancements to his pitch recognition skills could go a long way toward tapping into his power ceiling. He is limited to first base only with below-average defensive ability and well below average speed.
  
  The Future: Nunez has a plus skill in his in-game power hitting ability but will need to refine his overzealous approach to carry the heavy offensive demands of everyday first baseman.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 40. Power: 60. Run: 30. Field: 40. Throw: 50.
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 40/High
  
  Track Record: Nunez signed in 2017 out of El Niche's Academy in the Dominican Republic for $350,000 and quickly moved off shortstop to third base in his professional debut in 2018. In 2019 he moved from third base to first base. He spent two seasons in the Florida Complex League before making his full-season debut with Dunedin late in 2021. He returned to Dunedin to begin 2022 and hit .299/.328/.482 with 19 doubles and 15 home runs over 93 games. He was promoted to High-A Vancouver in early August and finished his season on a high note by hitting .321/.379/.491 with four home runs over 27 games. Nunez finished his season with Estrellas de Oriente of the Dominican Winter League and led the LIDOM with seven home runs.
  
  Scouting Report: Nunez is a bat-first prospect with a balance of average bat-to-ball skills and plus power. While Nunez's natural strength and ability to punish mistakes in the zone is noteworthy, it's often dragged down by his inability to differentiate balls from strikes. In fact, Nunez ran one of the highest whiff rates among Blue Jays prospects at a full-season level, and chased pitches outside of the zone over 43% of the time in 2022. Nunez's swing has several moving parts: he has a deep knee bend, a unique hand motion in his load where he extends the fingers on his bottom hand before swinging and a long powerful swing bath that sweeps through the zone. He hits for plus power, and advancements to his pitch recognition skills could go a long way toward tapping into his power ceiling. He is limited to first base only with below-average defensive ability and well below average speed.
  
  The Future: Nunez has a plus skill in his in-game power hitting ability but will need to refine his overzealous approach to carry the heavy offensive demands of everyday first baseman.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 40. Power: 60. Run: 30. Field: 40. Throw: 50.