Daniel Vazquez

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Kansas City Royals #21 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Vazquez was Kansas City’s top international target in 2021 and signed for $1.5 million. He began his career later that summer in the Dominican Summer League. Instead of the customary second-year assignment to the Arizona Complex League, Vazquez was moved from extended spring training to Low-A Columbia in 2022, where he struggled at the plate and hit just .195/.262/.229. Vazquez returned to Columbia in 2023 with added strength and a couple more inches of height and improved his slash line to .223/.330/.288.
  
  Scouting Report: Vazquez has a glove-over-hit profile, but he also flashes raw power potential and above-average bat speed after adding more strength. One of his development goals was to get more balls in the air. His groundball rate dropped from 52.2% in 2022 to 41.4% in 2023. Vazquez shows the ability to recognize pitches but gets out of his approach at times. He cut down on strikeouts and drew more walks in his second year at Columbia. Vazquez has good actions at shortstop, projecting as at least an above-average defender. There’s a path to plus defense with more consistency, improved footwork and fewer mental mistakes. He flashes a plus arm, with good zip and carry on his throws, which get to their targets on a line.
  
  The Future: Vazquez has the ability and tools to become an elite defender. Whether that’s as a starting shortstop or a utility infielder will depend on how his hit tool develops.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 45 | Power: 40 | Run: 55 | Field: 55 | Arm: 60
• 
  Ranked Kansas City Royals #25 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: Vazquez signed with the Royals for $1.5 million during the January 2021 international signing period and appeared in 32 games with the Royals’ Dominican Summer League team. He then participated in both Kansas City’s Dominican and Arizona instructional leagues, and scouts who saw him stateside were impressed with the young shortstop.
  
  Scouting Report: Vazquez certainly looks the part, with a wiry, athletic frame and long levers. He impressed with his actions at shortstop, soft hands, and whippy action from a plus throwing arm. He’s agile on the field with good lateral movement. Defensively, Vazquez profiles as a starting shortstop, although he needs plenty of reps and to add more strength to his frame. Little has come into focus so far at the plate for Vazquez. He showed nice rhythm and timing and a propensity to battle deep into counts. Vazquez utilizes a high leg lift timing mechanism, and his swing produces a line drive stroke now, although he could one day hit 10-15 homers a year as he grows into his body.
  
  The Future: It will be several years before the Royals really know what they have in Vazquez. He’s expected to spend the 2022 season in the Arizona Complex League.
  
• 
  Ranked Kansas City Royals #14 prospect in 2021
  TRACK RECORD: When he began to be scouted, Vazquez was a skinny 5-foot-9 shortstop who lacked strength, but he has shot up to 6-foot-2, 158 pounds and has turned into one of the top players in the class from the Dominican Republic.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Even before his growth spurt, Vazquez had good actions on both sides of the ball, attributes that are still intact. He has significant physical upside with a lot of space left to fill out his lean, wiry frame as his tools continue to improve. Vazquez has a good bat path from the right side, keeping the bat in the hitting zone for a long time with good contact skills and a line-drive approach. While other hitters his age often get pull happy, Vazquez stays through the ball well to drive the ball to the middle of the field. The strength projection in his frame suggests a player who could grow into 20-plus home run power in the future. He's a below-average runner, and while projecting speed gains is tricky, he has the body type and athleticism where he could still get faster. Even if he doesn't, he has the ability to stay at shortstop, with easy actions, good footwork and body control, ranging well to both sides and coming in on the ball. He flashes a plus arm already that could tick up a grade once he gets stronger.
  
  THE FUTURE: There’s plenty of projection left with Vazquez, but with his baseball acumen and growth spurt, he has a chance to be an impact player both at the plate and in the field.

• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Vazquez signed with the Royals for $1.5 million during the January 2021 international signing period and appeared in 32 games with the Royals’ Dominican Summer League team. He then participated in both Kansas City’s Dominican and Arizona instructional leagues, and scouts who saw him stateside were impressed with the young shortstop.
  
  Scouting Report: Vazquez certainly looks the part, with a wiry, athletic frame and long levers. He impressed with his actions at shortstop, soft hands, and whippy action from a plus throwing arm. He’s agile on the field with good lateral movement. Defensively, Vazquez profiles as a starting shortstop, although he needs plenty of reps and to add more strength to his frame. Little has come into focus so far at the plate for Vazquez. He showed nice rhythm and timing and a propensity to battle deep into counts. Vazquez utilizes a high leg lift timing mechanism, and his swing produces a line drive stroke now, although he could one day hit 10-15 homers a year as he grows into his body.
  
  The Future: It will be several years before the Royals really know what they have in Vazquez. He’s expected to spend the 2022 season in the Arizona Complex League.
  
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: When he began to be scouted, Vazquez was a skinny 5-foot-9 shortstop who lacked strength, but he has shot up to 6-foot-2, 158 pounds and has turned into one of the top players in the class from the Dominican Republic.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Even before his growth spurt, Vazquez had good actions on both sides of the ball, attributes that are still intact. He has significant physical upside with a lot of space left to fill out his lean, wiry frame as his tools continue to improve. Vazquez has a good bat path from the right side, keeping the bat in the hitting zone for a long time with good contact skills and a line-drive approach. While other hitters his age often get pull happy, Vazquez stays through the ball well to drive the ball to the middle of the field. The strength projection in his frame suggests a player who could grow into 20-plus home run power in the future. He's a below-average runner, and while projecting speed gains is tricky, he has the body type and athleticism where he could still get faster. Even if he doesn't, he has the ability to stay at shortstop, with easy actions, good footwork and body control, ranging well to both sides and coming in on the ball. He flashes a plus arm already that could tick up a grade once he gets stronger.
  
  THE FUTURE: There's plenty of projection left with Vazquez, but with his baseball acumen and growth spurt, he has a chance to be an impact player both at the plate and in the field.
• January, 2021 Scouting Report
  The 2019 international class for the Royals centered around Erick Peña, a Dominican outfielder who got $3,897,500 and ranked as the No. 3 player in the class. This year, the Royals are planning to spread their money around more, with Vazquez their top target for a bonus expected to come in between $1.5 to $2 million. Vazquez has continued to grow taller and stayed lean over the past year while training with Jaime Ramos, showing a promising mix of athleticism, strength projection and good actions on both sides of the ball. He has a short, line-drive swing with good contact skills and gap power that should grow as he gets stronger, along with smooth actions and good body control in the field.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: When he began to be scouted, Vazquez was a skinny 5-foot-9 shortstop who lacked strength, but he has shot up to 6-foot-2, 158 pounds and has turned into one of the top players in the class from the Dominican Republic.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Even before his growth spurt, Vazquez had good actions on both sides of the ball, attributes that are still intact. He has significant physical upside with a lot of space left to fill out his lean, wiry frame as his tools continue to improve. Vazquez has a good bat path from the right side, keeping the bat in the hitting zone for a long time with good contact skills and a line-drive approach. While other hitters his age often get pull happy, Vazquez stays through the ball well to drive the ball to the middle of the field. The strength projection in his frame suggests a player who could grow into 20-plus home run power in the future. He's a below-average runner, and while projecting speed gains is tricky, he has the body type and athleticism where he could still get faster. Even if he doesn't, he has the ability to stay at shortstop, with easy actions, good footwork and body control, ranging well to both sides and coming in on the ball. He flashes a plus arm already that could tick up a grade once he gets stronger.
  
  THE FUTURE: There’s plenty of projection left with Vazquez, but with his baseball acumen and growth spurt, he has a chance to be an impact player both at the plate and in the field.