Yowill Espinal
| AB | 999 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .216 |
| OBP | .282 |
| SLG | .28 |
| HR | 9 |
- Full name Yowill Espinal
- Born 04/01/1991 in Santiago, Dominican Republic
- Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 170 / Bats: R / Throws: R
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
-
Espinall is part of the Royals' renewed push to find talent in the Caribbean. He signed in 2007 for $250,000, while AZL Royals double-play partner Guelin Beltre signed for $230,000. The two likely will climb the ladder together for several years. Espinal makes the Top 30 ahead of Beltre on the basis of his superior physicality. Unlike many young Dominican signees, Espinal already has some stockiness and strength which should give him average power to go with his above-average speed. Like many young Dominican signees, he has to improve his plate discipline--he walked only twice in 204 at-bats in his pro debut last summer. He shows average range and a plus arm at shortstop, but he's not as flashy as Beltre and may outgrow the position and end up as an offense-first second baseman. Espinal broke the hamate bone in his hand, ending his season early and causing him to miss instructional league. He should be ready for spring training, however, and has an outside chance of earning a spot in low Class A.
Minor League Top Prospects
-
The Royals invested more heavily in the draft and the Latin American market this year than they have in the past. Espinal, who inked for $250,000 out of the Dominican Republic, was the best of their international signees. Despite his less-than-impressive numbers at the plate, league managers loved Espinal. Brewers skipper Tony Diggs compared him to Alcides Escobar, who didn't hit much in the lower minors but has improved since reaching Double-A and has become one of the game's top shortstop prospects. Offensively, Espinal has good pop for a middle infielder and above-average speed, though developing better plate discipline will be critical. He walked just twice and struck out 42 times in 204 at-bats. A solid defender, Espinal has at least average range, good hands and a plus arm. He played nearly every day for the Royals despite having just turned 17 in April. He showed improvement later in the summer, batting .289 in August after hitting .207 in the first two months.
