Laz Rivera Stats & Scouting Report — College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects

Full name Laz Rivera
Born 09/20/1994 in Miami, FL
Profile Ht.: 5'11" / Wt.: 185 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Tampa
Drafted in the 28th round (837th overall) by the Chicago White Sox in 2017 (signed for $1,000).

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Track Record: Rivera’s college career saw him bounce from Miami as a freshman to Chipola (Fla.) JC as a sophomore and then to Tampa for his next two seasons before the White Sox popped him in 2017. He hit well wherever he went, posting a .988 OPS among his three schools before turning professional.

Scouting Report: Rivera is part of the new breed of infield prospect who hits first and asks questions later, a la Brandon Lowe and Nick Solak with the Rays. He brings above-average bat speed and a short path to the ball, which he used to post excellent numbers at both Class A levels. He’s an aggressive hitter who crushes fastballs but needs to work on not chasing offspeed pitches. He played almost exclusively at shortstop, though his 40-grade arm profiles better at second base. He has the hands and actions to stay up the middle, but his arm and fringe-average speed will probably push him to the right side of the diamond.

The Future: After a stint in the Arizona Fall League, Rivera is likely headed to Double-A Birmingham.