2021-22 International Reviews: Oakland Athletics
Image credit: Carlos Pacheco
After signing one of the top Dominican center fielders last year in Pedro Pineda, the Athletics brought in one of the best center fielders from Venezuela to lead this year’s class.
Top Of The Class
Carlos Pacheco was the headliner of Oakland’s international signings. The Venezuelan center fielder isn’t that big, but he’s an explosive, quick-twitch athlete with advanced game skills for his age. He’s a selective hitter who has a short, quick swing with good bat speed. That translates to a high contact rate to fire line drives all around the field with gap power now and potential to grow into 20-plus home runs, though his offensive game will likely be centered more around his on-base skills. Pacheco is also at least a plus runner who projects to stick in center field, where he moves around well and has a solid-average arm. Pacheco doesn’t have the physicality of Pedro Pineda, Oakland’s big center field signing from Latin America the year before, but he offers an exciting foundation for a premium position player with a chance to hit toward the top of a lineup.
Names To Know
Cesar Gonzalez, C, Venezuela: Gonzalez stands out for his offensive ability. He has a quick, flat swing and stays inside the ball well with a mature approach for his age to use the whole field. It’s a good mix of hitting ability and power for a catcher his age, with a chance for average or better power. Gonzalez is an offensive-oriented catcher who will have to develop his receiving skills to stick behind the plate, where he has a fringe-average arm.
Kevin Dume, 3B/OF, Dominican Republic: Dume has a massive 6-foot-5 frame with the power to match. He has at least plus raw power from the left side, with a chance for it to be plus-plus. Scouts highest on Dume have liked the way he gets to his power against live pitching, too, using his hands well at the plate with a solid eye for the zone. Dume will have to mash, as his defensive skills at third base and left field are still rudimentary, with first base a possibility given his size and mobility.
Jefferson Jean, RHP, Dominican Republic: Jean’s stuff started to pop later on in the scouting process. He’s 6-foot-3 with more physical projection remaining and already showed premium velocity at 16 by touching 96 mph. He has a long arm stroke and will need to tighten both his control and offspeed stuff, with a hard curveball that’s ahead of his firm changeup.
Sleeper Watch
Venezuelan shortstop Bryan Andrade has shown promising signs at the plate, where he has a good swing and the ball jumps off his bat well with a chance to develop average power. In the period leading up to his signing, he grew significantly, up to nearly 6-foot-3 with more strength, so while he is a good athlete, he might end up sliding over to third base.
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