Manuel Soliman
| AB | 386 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .199 |
| OBP | .318 |
| SLG | .288 |
| HR | 5 |
- Full name Manuel Emilio Soliman
- Born 08/11/1989 in La Romana, Dominican Republic
- Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 185 / Bats: R / Throws: R
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Soliman signed with Minnesota as a corner infielder, but after hitting .199 in two seasons in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League, he agreed to give pitching a try. In his 2010 U.S. debut, he finished second in the Appalachian League with 74 strikeouts. He led the Twins system with 120 whiffs last season. Soliman has a live arm and mostly works at 88-92 mph with his fastball, touching 94. His fastball straightens out when he elevates it, making him prone to homers. His hand speed allows him to spin the ball well, giving him a curveball that's solid at its best and also the potential to add a bit more velocity. His changeup is below-average but has potential. Soliman's inexperience shows on many levels, from repeating his delivery to fielding his position to setting up hitters. He didn't earn a spot on Minnesota's 40-man roster after the season, but he proved too raw to be lost in the Rule 5 draft. The Twins will promote him to high Class A for 2012. -
The Twins signed Soliman as a third baseman, but it clearly wasn't working out. He hit just .199/.318/.288 and committed 37 errors in two seasons in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League. Minnesota decided to try Soliman on the mound, and he has become one of their hardest-throwing starting pitching prospects in short order. He'll have to be protected on the 40-man roster after the 2011 season, so he could get pushed a bit faster than the average Twins prospect, and he has the raw stuff to make it work. Soliman sits at 90-93 mph with his fastball and hits 94. He could find more velocity if he becomes more consistent with his arm slot and release point, as he tends to drop down and get on the side of the ball. When he keeps his hand behind the ball, he gets good late life on his fastball, which can be heavy in the bottom of the strike zone at its best. He throws a power slider that sits in the mid-80s, though it lacks depth when he gets on the side of it. He also has surprising feel for a changeup for someone so new to pitching. Soliman throws strikes but doesn't have the command potential of most of Minnesota pitching prospects. He'll have to get more consistent with his tempo and delivery to throw more quality strikes against better opponents. Soliman has intriguing upside in a system that could use some strong-armed starters. He's likely to start 2011 in Beloit, with a good chance to finish the year in Fort Myers.
Minor League Top Prospects
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Past Elizabethton clubs relied on high-powered offensive attacks to bludgeon opponents, but this year's Twins were different. Jim Shellenback, in his 14th year as pitching coach, called this year's staff the deepest group he's had in a while. Soliman's performance may have been the most impressive, given that he spent his first three seasons in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League, the first two as a third baseman. Soliman resembles Salcedo as a fastball/slider/changeup righthander who throws boatloads of strikes. He pitches at 90-92 mph and can touch 94, and he led the league with 10.3 strikeouts per nine innings. His resilient arm and sound delivery should allow him to remain a starter. Shellenback worked with Soliman to improve his tempo, so he wouldn't jump at hitters, and to maintain his high three-quarters arm slot. When he stays on top of his slurvy breaking ball he gets two-plane break at about 80-82 mph, but he'll need to make continued strides with his changeup.
