Tony Blanco

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #30 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 45/Extreme
  
  Track Record: The son of former big leaguer Tony Blanco, Blanco Jr. was born in Boston and raised in the Dominican Republic. He signed for $900,000 in 2022 and spent two years in the Dominican Summer League. Blanco Jr. made his stateside debut in 2024, hitting .321/.391/.543 with four homers and a 29.3% strikeout rate through 25 games in the Florida Complex League.
  
  Scouting Report: Blanco only turned 19 in May, yet the 6-foot-6, 283-pound behemoth already has double-plus raw power. His 112.3 mph 90th percentile exit velocity was the highest of any minor league hitter with at least 50 plate appearances through the end of June. Blanco has wicked bat speed and is capable of launching balls to any part of the park with relative ease, and there’s reason to believe he could even get a bit stronger. With Blanco’s titanic power comes considerable swing and miss, especially in zone, although he has made some strides in his approach compared to 2023. Blanco was signed as an outfielder, but has already moved to the dirt and split time between first base and designated hitter so far this year.
  
  The Future: Blanco’s contact questions and defensive profile create a tricky path up the ladder. He has the kind of power, though, to at least entertain a ceiling as a hulking, mashing first baseman one day. His early performance in the complex league is an encouraging sign.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 40 | Power: 70 | Speed: 30 | Fielding: 45 | Arm: 50

• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  While Blanco Jr. originally looked headed to the Rays, he ended up signing with the Pirates instead. He is the son of Tony Blanco, a Baseball America Top 100 prospect two straight years who played briefly for the Nationals in 2005 before moving on to Japan, where he hit at least 30 home runs in three seasons. Blanco Jr. is even bigger with an enormous 6-foot-6, 240-pound frame, with the combination of strength and bat speed to produce plus raw power that could be plus-plus in the future. Scouts highest on Blanco Jr. see him as a potential masher in the middle of a lineup, though others had more concerns about his pure hitting ability. At his size, there's some risk Blanco ends up at first base, though he's only a slightly below-average runner right now so he can start in right field, with arm strength that has improved to above-average with a quick release.