- Full name jose vazquez
- Born 12/28/1982 in
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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A converted first baseman, Vasquez is one of the more intriguing prospects in the Rockies system. He's far from a polished player but has awesome power potential. Vasquez hits the ball a long way and does it with an easy swing, but he doesn't hit the ball often enough. He has 291 strikeouts in 203 pro games and led his league in whiffs in his first two years as a pro. He was on pace to make it three in a row, but a nagging hip injury bothered him throughout 2002. Vasquez must learn to recognize offspeed pitches to have a chance to translate his raw potential into results. He hasn't adapted quickly to the outfield, though his throwing has improved. Vasquez figures to return to low Class A this year. -
Vasquez has big league power right now. He just doesn't make big league contact. He hit .402 when he put the ball in play at Casper in 2001, and his home runs were monster shots. The problem is that he struck out 96 times in 228 at-bats and had a streak of 23 consecutive games with at least one whiff. Vasquez does draw some walks, so he just needs to tone down his all-or-nothing swing and find a happy medium. To his credit, he wants to learn. Vasquez is working to become a decent left fielder but has a ways to go, particularly with his throwing. He does have some arm strength but isn't particularly accurate. He did cut his errors from 11 in 29 games in 2000 to two in 30 contests last year. Vasquez most likely will return to extended spring training in 2002 before heading to short-season Tri-City. He's not ready for full-season ball yet.
