| AB | 1392 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .287 |
| OBP | .33 |
| SLG | .453 |
| HR | 35 |
- Full name Hector Junior Rodriguez
- Born 03/11/2004 in Santo Domingo Centro, Dominican Republic
- Profile Ht.: 5'8" / Wt.: 186 / Bats: L / Throws: R
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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BA Grade/Risk: 45/High.
Track Record: Rodriguez was a speedy second baseman when he signed with the Mets. He was traded to the Reds in the July 2022 Tyler Naquin trade. He made an excellent first impression with the Reds at Low-A Daytona, and then was the Dominican Winter League rookie of the year for the 2023/2024 season. His 2024 season was a little rougher, but he still led Dayton with 24 doubles and seven triples.
Scouting Report: If the ball doesn’t bounce before the plate, Rodriguez may swing at it. But he has such exceptional barrel control and hand-eye coordination that he’s also likely to make contact. He hit balls off his shoestrings and others at eye level in 2024. Despite his extremely aggressive approach (his 57% swing percentage is 12% above the MiLB median), he also rarely swings and misses. There remains a worry this approach won’t work once pitchers figure it out, and Rodriguez’s low walk rate is starting to impact his production. Rodriguez stings the ball when he connects, even if he’s undersized. Defensively, he’s fringe-average. Once a speedster, he’s now an average runner.
The Future: Rodriguez is a lefthanded hitter who is hard to sneak a pitch by, but since he doesn’t get on-base at an exceptional clip, doesn’t play great defense and has stopped being an impactful baserunner, the demands on his bat are going to be exceptional.
Scouting Grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 40 | Run: 50 | Field: 45 | Arm: 50. -
BA Grade: 45/High
Track Record: The Reds acquired Rodriguez and righthander Jose Acuna from the Mets in the July 2022 Tyler Naquin trade. A second baseman and third baseman in the Dominican Summer League, he moved to the outfield after coming stateside and has hit no matter where he’s played. He’s a .306 career hitter whose 10 triples in 2023 were tied for third-most in the minors.
Scouting Report: A one-time switch-hitter, Rodriguez’s decision to focus on hitting from the left side has paid off. His 2023 season was nearly impeccable. He led the Florida State League in slugging percentage, triples and extra-base hits. As dominating as his season was, there are concerns as to how sustainable his success will be at higher levels. Rodriguez swings at everything. MiLB hitters generally swing at 46-47% of the pitches. Anyone who swings more than 50% of the time is extremely aggressive. Rodriguez swings 63% of the time, and he chases pitches as much as almost anyone in the minors. His exceptional hand-eye and barrel control allowed that approach to work in Class A, but he’s going to need to significantly improve his zone awareness against more experienced pitchers. Rodriguez once had blazing speed but he’s slowed down to be above-average to plus. The converted infielder is still learning how to play the outfield, where his routes are rarely direct.
The Future: Rodriguez has the tools to play in the majors. To get there, he’s going to need to get significantly better in the outfield and learn to keep the bat on his shoulder from time to time. He should be one of the key players on High-A Dayton’s team.
Scouting Grades Hit: 55 | Power: 40 | Run: 60 | Field: 45 | Arm: 50 -
BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
Track Record: With rules tweaks, MLB is trying to bring speed back into the game. The larger bases, limited number of pickoff throws and pitch clocks all combined to boost stolen bases around the minors in 2022, and those rules are coming to MLB in 2023. That's great news for speedsters like Rodriguez. The Reds acquired him and RHP Jose Acuna from the Mets for Tyler Naquin.
Scouting Report: Rodriguez was battling for the Florida Complex League batting title before the trade. He is a pesky top-of-the-order hitter who sprays line drives, but also can turn ground balls to shortstop or third base into infield hits. With a level swing from both sides of the plate, he feasts on high fastballs. He plays all-out seemingly all the time. There's very little home run power potential, but that's not Rodriguez's game, he chases out of the zone too much, but he makes contact both in and out of the zone. Defensively, the Reds are going to give him every opportunity to acclimate to center field. He's quite raw out there right now, as he played second and third base in 2021. Some evaluators say he will most likely end up in left field.
The Future: Rodriguez has the makings of a fourth outfielder. But with his extreme contact ability, he could end up exceeding those expectations and clear a path to a role as a regular.
Scouting Grades: Hit: 60. Power: 30. Field: 50. Run: 70. Arm: 45.
Scouting Reports
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BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
Track Record: With rules tweaks, MLB is trying to bring speed back into the game. The larger bases, limited number of pickoff throws and pitch clocks all combined to boost stolen bases around the minors in 2022, and those rules are coming to MLB in 2023. That's great news for speedsters like Rodriguez. The Reds acquired him and RHP Jose Acuna from the Mets for Tyler Naquin.
Scouting Report: Rodriguez was battling for the Florida Complex League batting title before the trade. He is a pesky top-of-the-order hitter who sprays line drives, but also can turn ground balls to shortstop or third base into infield hits. With a level swing from both sides of the plate, he feasts on high fastballs. He plays all-out seemingly all the time. There's very little home run power potential, but that's not Rodriguez's game, he chases out of the zone too much, but he makes contact both in and out of the zone. Defensively, the Reds are going to give him every opportunity to acclimate to center field. He's quite raw out there right now, as he played second and third base in 2021. Some evaluators say he will most likely end up in left field.
The Future: Rodriguez has the makings of a fourth outfielder. But with his extreme contact ability, he could end up exceeding those expectations and clear a path to a role as a regular.
Scouting Grades: Hit: 60. Power: 30. Field: 50. Run: 70. Arm: 45. -
BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
Track Record: With rules tweaks, MLB is trying to bring speed back into the game. The larger bases, limited number of pickoff throws and pitch clocks all combined to boost stolen bases around the minors in 2022, and those rules are coming to MLB in 2023. That's great news for speedsters like Rodriguez. The Reds acquired him and RHP Jose Acuna from the Mets for Tyler Naquin.
Scouting Report: Rodriguez was battling for the Florida Complex League batting title before the trade. He is a pesky top-of-the-order hitter who sprays line drives, but also can turn ground balls to shortstop or third base into infield hits. With a level swing from both sides of the plate, he feasts on high fastballs. He plays all-out seemingly all the time. There's very little home run power potential, but that's not Rodriguez's game, he chases out of the zone too much, but he makes contact both in and out of the zone. Defensively, the Reds are going to give him every opportunity to acclimate to center field. He's quite raw out there right now, as he played second and third base in 2021. Some evaluators say he will most likely end up in left field.
The Future: Rodriguez has the makings of a fourth outfielder. But with his extreme contact ability, he could end up exceeding those expectations and clear a path to a role as a regular.
Scouting Grades: Hit: 60. Power: 30. Field: 50. Run: 70. Arm: 45.
Career Transactions
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Cincinnati Reds invited non-roster OF Hector Rodriguez to spring training.
