Victor Arano

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #19 prospect in 2018
  Arano signed with the Dodgers in 2013, then in August 2014 went to the Phillies along with second baseman Jesmuel Valentin in the trade for righthander Roberto Hernandez. The Phillies moved Arano to the bullpen in 2016 and he took off in that role. In 2017, elbow soreness kept Arano on the disabled list until the end of May, then he pitched well in his major league debut as a September callup. Arano has a diverse repertoire from his days as a starter, but as a reliever he's mainly a two-pitch guy. His fastball sits at 93-95 mph and can touch 96. He mixes two-seamers and four-seamers with the ability to get swings and misses up in the zone. Arano leans heavily on his plus slider, throwing it even more frequently than his fastball when he got to the big leagues. It's an 83-85 mph pitch that he can bury down in the zone and get hitters to chase off the plate with sharp break and two-plane depth. He sprinkles in an occasional changeup and a rare curveball, but he mostly throws fastballs and sliders in relief. Arano throws strikes and misses a lot of bats, which gives him a chance to pitch high-leverage innings. He should open 2018 in Philadelphia's bullpen, where he has a chance to be one of their best relievers.
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  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #17 prospect in 2017
  The Dodgers signed Arano from the Mexico City Red Devils in 2013, then in Aug. 2014 traded him and infielder Jesmuel Valentin to the Phillies for righthander Roberto Hernandez. The Phillies kept developing Arano as a starter in 2015, but last season they moved him to the bullpen and he flourished, racking up 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings between high Class A Clearwater and Double-A Reading. Arano has an unusual profile for a relief prospect given his diverse repertoire with good pitchability for his age, but he's looked more comfortable out of the bullpen than he did as a starter. His fastball jumped to 93-95 mph and can touch 97 with tight spin to get swings and misses up in the zone, mixing both four-seamers and two-seamers. Arano's slider is his out pitch, giving him another above-average weapon to miss bats. His changeup has good separation off his fastball, but he doesn't use it or his curveball as much now that he's a reliever. Arano is an excellent strike-thrower who should continue to move quickly and could reach the majors in the second half of 2017, with a chance to eventually pitch high-leverage innings.
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  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #23 prospect in 2015
  After plucking Julio Urias and Victor Gonzalez from Mexico, the Dodgers went back to the well in 2013 and inked Arano, then watched him put together a fine season in the Rookie-level Arizona League that year. He built nicely on his debut at low Class A Great Lakes in 2014 before joining the Phillies, along with second baseman Jesmuel Valentin, in the August trade that sent righthander Roberto Hernandez to the Dodgers. The Phillies don't deny their excitement over acquiring Arano, whom they believe is loaded with upside. Evaluators who saw him in instructional league saw an 88-92 mph fastball that he could command to both sides of the plate, and he's reached 94 in shorter relief stints. He backs the fastball with a sharp 11-to-5 curveball in the 74-80 mph range and a sinking changeup in the mid-80s. He'll head to high Class A Clearwater in 2015 to work toward achieving his ceiling of a back-end starter.
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  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #29 prospect in 2014
  After signing lefthanders Julio Urias and Victor Gonzalez out of the Mexican League in August 2012, the Dodgers went back to the same Mexico City club to purchase the rights to Arano in April 2013. Arano, who pitched for Mexico's 16U national team in 2011 at the World Championship, showed advanced feel for pitching in his 2013 debut in the Rookie-level Arizona League. He has good command for his age of an 89-94 mph fastball, with the ability to work down in the zone and keep the ball on the ground. He has good feel to spin a hard, high-70s curveball, an average pitch that he can use to finish hitters. He has a mid-80s changeup, but it's not a reliable pitch yet, and he has trouble keeping it around the strike zone. Arano has a thick, heavy build that he'll have to work to keep in check as he gets older. He could develop into a back-end starter, with a jump next year to the low Class A Midwest League possible, though the Dodgers could hold him back in extended spring training and send him to Rookie-level Ogden instead.