Yoeilin Cespedes

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Boston Red Sox #6 prospect in 2025
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/High.
  
  Track Record: Cespedes stood out as an amateur in the Dominican Republic because of his bat speed and high exit velocities. He received a $1.4 million bonus from the Red Sox when he signed in 2023. After a standout pro debut in the Dominican Summer League and a late start to the 2024 campaign due to a quadriceps strain, he was one of the elite offensive talents in the Rookie-level Florida Complex League in 2024. Cespedes earned a late-June promotion to Low-A Salem. However, a broken hamate in his left hand required surgery and ended his season before he could appear in a game.
  
  Scouting Report: The compact and powerful Cespedes leaves nothing on the table when he swings. He drives hard off his back leg and then lets his bat rip through the zone—sometimes stepping in the bucket—in a made-to-pull act of aggression. The result is loud contact that, even as an 18-year-old, produced exit velocities in the 110 mph vicinity. Though he’s not selective and will swing at fastballs above the zone and breaking balls below it, Cespedes has the bat-to-ball skills to make hard contact all over the strike zone and, to this point, even when chasing pitches in the shadow zone. He’ll need to tighten his swing decisions at least slightly to avoid struggles in the upper levels. If he does so, he could be an average-or-better hitter with above-average power. Though he’s split time between second base and shortstop, his limited range likely will push him to second or third base, where he can provide sure-handed, if unspectacular, defense.
  
  The Future: Cespedes will open 2025 in Low-A Salem, with a chance to force his way up to High-A midseason as he tries to reinforce his credentials as a potential bat-first, everyday infielder.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 60 | Run: 40 | Field: 45 | Arm: 50.
• 
  Ranked Boston Red Sox #10 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 55/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Cespedes was the most prominent Red Sox international addition in their 2023 signing class. Boston signed him for $1.4 million based on his compact swing that served as the basis both for atypical contact skills nd high exit velocities among the signing class. In his pro debut in the Dominican Summer League in 2023, Cespedes added to the high regard for his offensive potential, hitting .346/.392/.560 with six home runs and a modest 11% strikeout rate while showing defensive improvement at shortstop. He ranked sixth among qualifiers with a .346 average in the 50-team DSL.
  
  Scouting Report: Cespedes holds little back in a violent swing that generates tremendous bat speed and yields impressive exit velocities. As a 17-year-old, he generated a max exit velocity of 107 mph and registered with a 90th percentile EV of 101 mph. Despite the aggressiveness of his hack, Cespedes showed relatively advanced pitch recognition for the level and made impressive swing decisions that accounted for his strengths. These qualities suggest significant offensive potential with average-to-plus abilities as both a hitter and power hitter and daydreams of an eventual contributor in the top half of a lineup. Cespedes spent the year at shortstop but most evaluators believe he’ll eventually end up at either second base or third base because of the limits of his range and the likelihood that he’ll get bigger.
  
  The Future: Cespedes will be tested in the U.S. in 2024, likely opening in the Florida Complex League with a chance to spend part of the year in Low-A Salem. While the Red Sox will want to continue his near-term development at shortstop, he’ll likely start to get greater exposure to other infield spots to ensure playing time.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 55 | Power: 55 | Run: 45 | Field: 45 | Arm: 50
• 
  Ranked Boston Red Sox #24 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Cespedes signed with the Red Sox out of the Dominican Republic on Jan. 15, 2023, and received one of the higher bonuses in the class.
  
  Scouting Report: Cespedes is on the smaller end of the scale relative to most big bonus prospects, but scouts highest on him love his hitting ability. Some scouts consider him one of the best pure hitters in Latin America for this year, with excellent hand-eye coordination that leads to a high contact rate. He has an aggressive approach that he will have to rein in to become a more selective hitter, but he still has the bat-to-ball skills to make contact with pitches in the zone or off the plate. There's some surprising power for his size, too, with home run power in games.
  
  The Future: Cespedes is an offensive-minded shortstop who could fit at second or third base. He should make his pro debut in the Dominican Summer League.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 50. Power: 45. Speed: 50. Field: 45. Arm: 50.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Cespedes signed with the Red Sox out of the Dominican Republic on Jan. 15, 2023, and received one of the higher bonuses in the class.
  
  Scouting Report: Cespedes is on the smaller end of the scale relative to most big bonus prospects, but scouts highest on him love his hitting ability. Some scouts consider him one of the best pure hitters in Latin America for this year, with excellent hand-eye coordination that leads to a high contact rate. He has an aggressive approach that he will have to rein in to become a more selective hitter, but he still has the bat-to-ball skills to make contact with pitches in the zone or off the plate. There's some surprising power for his size, too, with home run power in games.
  
  The Future: Cespedes is an offensive-minded shortstop who could fit at second or third base. He should make his pro debut in the Dominican Summer League.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 50. Power: 45. Speed: 50. Field: 45. Arm: 50.
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Cespedes signed with the Red Sox out of the Dominican Republic on Jan. 15, 2023, and received one of the higher bonuses in the class.
  
  Scouting Report: Cespedes is on the smaller end of the scale relative to most big bonus prospects, but scouts highest on him love his hitting ability. Some scouts consider him one of the best pure hitters in Latin America for this year, with excellent hand-eye coordination that leads to a high contact rate. He has an aggressive approach that he will have to rein in to become a more selective hitter, but he still has the bat-to-ball skills to make contact with pitches in the zone or off the plate. There's some surprising power for his size, too, with home run power in games.
  
  The Future: Cespedes is an offensive-minded shortstop who could fit at second or third base. He should make his pro debut in the Dominican Summer League.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 50. Power: 45. Speed: 50. Field: 45. Arm: 50.