Ronald Bolanos

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Kansas City Royals #18 prospect in 2021
  TRACK RECORD: Bolaños originally signed with the Padres in 2016 for $2.25 million after a decorated amateur career in his native Cuba. The Royals acquired him as part of the trade for reliever Tim Hill prior to the start of the 2020 season. Bolaños spent most of the year at the alternate training site and made two abbreviated starts in Kansas City.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Bolaños is a big-bodied righthander with four pitches, highlighted by a fastball that sits 93-95 mph and can get into the upper 90s. He gives hitters different looks by adding cut, sink or rise to his heater. Bolaños' best offspeed pitch is a tight-spinning curveball. He's working on throwing it harder as it's often too soft of a pitch. He gets plenty of spin on his mid-80s slider and infrequently adds a high-80s changeup with cut action. Bolaños needs to smooth out his delivery to get better control of his diverse repertoire.
  
  THE FUTURE: Bolaños could thrive in a middle relief role but will continue to get chances to make it as a starter. He stands a good chance at opening the 2021 season in the Royals bullpen.
• 
  Ranked San Diego Padres #13 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: Bolaños initially developed as an outfielder in Cuba's junior leagues but converted to pitching and took to it quickly. He earned a spot on Cuba's 18U national team in 2014 and led the team with 15 strikeouts over nine scoreless innings at the Pan American Championships. The Padres signed him for $2.25 million in Aug. 2016. Bolaños struggled with his control his first two years in the U.S., but he improved his strike-throwing in 2019 and jumped from high Class A all the way to the majors.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Bolaños is a power-armed righthander with a heavy fastball that sits 94-96 mph, but he has tremendous feel to manipulate the baseball. He'll throttle his fastball anywhere from 89-98 mph and add cut, sink or rise to it, keeping hitters wildly off-balance and unsure what they'll see pitch-to- pitch. Bolaños fastball operates like multiple different pitches, but he also has an above-average, high-spin curveball in the mid-70s he lands for strikes and an average mid-80s slider with an above-average spin rate. Bolaños has a lot of moving parts to his delivery and has yet to fully harness his lively stuff, resulting in fringe-average control.
  
  THE FUTURE: Bolaños needs to improve his control to remain a starter, but he has a solid fallback as a power-armed reliever.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Texas League #20 prospect in 2019
  Bolaños started strong in the California League before moving to the Texas League on June 4. He tied for sixth in the TL in strikeouts from the time he joined until his major league debut on Sept. 3. Armed with a heavy, mid-90s fastball, Bolaños can touch 98 mph while manipulating the pitch to either cut or sink at its lower velocities. His fastball ranged from the upper 80s to the upper 90s, keeping batters wildly off-balance. "It seemed like he rarely threw two fastballs the same,” one Texas League evaluator said. "He can sink it, cut it, (or) throw a straight four-seam right past you. It’s hard when he can throw 88-98 (mph) and you don’t know what the ball is going to do.” Bolaños complements his fastball with a mid-70s curveball, low- to mid-80s slider and mid-80s changeup that are all at least average. He has a lot of moving parts in his delivery, especially from the windup, which contributes to his fringe-average control and may force him to a relief role.
• 
  Ranked California League #16 prospect in 2019
  Scouts liked Bolaños last year even though he struggled to a 5.11 ERA at Lake Elsinore, and he rewarded their optimism this season. Bolaños spent the first two months back in the Cal League, moved to Double-A and June and jumped straight into the Padres' rotation in September. His 2.85 ERA and .193 opponent average ranked third among Cal League starters when he was promoted. The Cuban flamethrower brings electric stuff with a 94-96 mph fastball that touches 98 mph with ride up in the zone. His tilting slider flashes plus at 83-85 mph, and he slows hitters down with a looping 72-75 mph curveball. He also has a low- to mid-80s changeup. Bolanos’ concentration occasionally lapses and he’ll start innings at lower velocities, but when things get tough he finds his best. Bolanos’ fastball command and control of his secondaries need work and may eventually move him to relief. His big arm will play regardless.

• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Bolaños originally signed with the Padres in 2016 for $2.25 million after a decorated amateur career in his native Cuba. The Royals acquired him as part of the trade for reliever Tim Hill prior to the start of the 2020 season. Bolaños spent most of the year at the alternate training site and made two abbreviated starts in Kansas City.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Bolaños is a big-bodied righthander with four pitches, highlighted by a fastball that sits 93-95 mph and can get into the upper 90s. He gives hitters different looks by adding cut, sink or rise to his heater. Bolaños' best offspeed pitch is a tight-spinning curveball. He's working on throwing it harder as it's often too soft of a pitch. He gets plenty of spin on his mid-80s slider and infrequently adds a high-80s changeup with cut action. Bolaños needs to smooth out his delivery to get better control of his diverse repertoire.
  
  THE FUTURE: Bolaños could thrive in a middle relief role but will continue to get chances to make it as a starter. He stands a good chance at opening the 2021 season in the Royals bullpen.
• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Bolaños originally signed with the Padres in 2016 for $2.25 million after a decorated amateur career in his native Cuba. The Royals acquired him as part of the trade for reliever Tim Hill prior to the start of the 2020 season. Bolaños spent most of the year at the alternate training site and made two abbreviated starts in Kansas City.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Bolaños is a big-bodied righthander with four pitches, highlighted by a fastball that sits 93-95 mph and can get into the upper 90s. He gives hitters different looks by adding cut, sink or rise to his heater. Bolaños' best offspeed pitch is a tight-spinning curveball. He's working on throwing it harder as it's often too soft of a pitch. He gets plenty of spin on his mid-80s slider and infrequently adds a high-80s changeup with cut action. Bolaños needs to smooth out his delivery to get better control of his diverse repertoire.
  
  THE FUTURE: Bolaños could thrive in a middle relief role but will continue to get chances to make it as a starter. He stands a good chance at opening the 2021 season in the Royals bullpen.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Bolaños originally signed with the Padres in 2016 for $2.25 million after a decorated amateur career in his native Cuba. The Royals acquired him as part of the trade for reliever Tim Hill prior to the start of the 2020 season. Bolaños spent most of the year at the alternate training site and made two abbreviated starts in Kansas City.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Bolaños is a big-bodied righthander with four pitches, highlighted by a fastball that sits 93-95 mph and can get into the upper 90s. He gives hitters different looks by adding cut, sink or rise to his heater. Bolaños' best offspeed pitch is a tight-spinning curveball. He's working on throwing it harder as it's often too soft of a pitch. He gets plenty of spin on his mid-80s slider and infrequently adds a high-80s changeup with cut action. Bolaños needs to smooth out his delivery to get better control of his diverse repertoire.
  
  THE FUTURE: Bolaños could thrive in a middle relief role but will continue to get chances to make it as a starter. He stands a good chance at opening the 2021 season in the Royals bullpen.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Bolaños initially developed as an outfielder in Cuba's junior leagues but converted to pitching and took to it quickly. He earned a spot on Cuba's 18U national team in 2014 and led the team with 15 strikeouts over nine scoreless innings at the Pan American Championships. The Padres signed him for $2.25 million in Aug. 2016. Bolaños struggled with his control his first two years in the U.S., but he improved his strike-throwing in 2019 and jumped from high Class A all the way to the majors.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Bolaños is a power-armed righthander with a heavy fastball that sits 94-96 mph, but he has tremendous feel to manipulate the baseball. He'll throttle his fastball anywhere from 89-98 mph and add cut, sink or rise to it, keeping hitters wildly off-balance and unsure what they'll see pitch-to- pitch. Bolaños fastball operates like multiple different pitches, but he also has an above-average, high-spin curveball in the mid-70s he lands for strikes and an average mid-80s slider with an above-average spin rate. Bolaños has a lot of moving parts to his delivery and has yet to fully harness his lively stuff, resulting in fringe-average control.
  
  THE FUTURE: Bolaños needs to improve his control to remain a starter, but he has a solid fallback as a power-armed reliever.
• December, 2018 Scouting Report
  Scouts liked Bolaños last year even though he struggled to a 5.11 ERA at Lake Elsinore, and he rewarded their optimism this season. Bolaños spent the first two months back in the Cal League, moved to Double-A and June and jumped straight into the Padres' rotation in September. His 2.85 ERA and .193 opponent average ranked third among Cal League starters when he was promoted. The Cuban flamethrower brings electric stuff with a 94-96 mph fastball that touches 98 mph with ride up in the zone. His tilting slider flashes plus at 83-85 mph, and he slows hitters down with a looping 72-75 mph curveball. He also has a low- to mid-80s changeup. Bolanos’ concentration occasionally lapses and he’ll start innings at lower velocities, but when things get tough he finds his best. Bolanos’ fastball command and control of his secondaries need work and may eventually move him to relief. His big arm will play regardless.
• December, 2018 Scouting Report
  Bolaños started strong in the California League before moving to the Texas League on June 4. He tied for sixth in the TL in strikeouts from the time he joined until his major league debut on Sept. 3. Armed with a heavy, mid-90s fastball, Bolaños can touch 98 mph while manipulating the pitch to either cut or sink at its lower velocities. His fastball ranged from the upper 80s to the upper 90s, keeping batters wildly off-balance. "It seemed like he rarely threw two fastballs the same,” one Texas League evaluator said. "He can sink it, cut it, (or) throw a straight four-seam right past you. It’s hard when he can throw 88-98 (mph) and you don’t know what the ball is going to do.” Bolaños complements his fastball with a mid-70s curveball, low- to mid-80s slider and mid-80s changeup that are all at least average. He has a lot of moving parts in his delivery, especially from the windup, which contributes to his fringe-average control and may force him to a relief role.