Lynchburg hitters:
C - Yainer Diaz - his receiving, blocking, and game calling has improved noticeably. Still some fundamentals that need a lot of work, specifically his footwork when trying to throw out of the crouch. Ho-hum start with the bat, but he's the 2nd best hitting prospect at C behind Naylor. Terrific eye, gap-to-gap approach, puts the ball in play, and developing some HR pop.
1B - Jhonkensy Noel - such a simple, smooth swing that generates monster power. They have 5 of those bats in this lineup, which is hilarious at this level. He has a real old-school power hitter batting stance which I love. Drives the ball anywhere, puts the ball in play, doesn't chase many pitches. His make or break will be hitting breaking pitches at the higher levels and finding a defensive position to stick at.
1B - Will Bartlett - big, athletic kid with another simple swing that generates huge power. More strikeout in his swing than Noel, but more raw power and he can really move for a 6'4 220+ lb 1B. Wouldn't think he had just turned 20 looking at him, looks like a grown man. Lived in Goodyear once minor leaguers got the okay to use the facilities again. Same as Noel, his make or break will be breaking pitches, but I think his natural swing drives pitches the opposite way so he has a good chance to be effective vs them.
2B - Christian Cairo - 4th round pick from a few years ago that really struggled as a teenager. Has very quick hands at the plate and generates a lot of bat speed, but can get him in trouble when he is behind in counts. Good eye, aggressive swinger, and the best defensive middle infielder in the group.
2B/SS - Yordys Valdez - 2nd round pick from a few years ago, another kid who struggled his first action as a pro and was the only hitter who struggled this week. He's fundamentally sound at the plate from both sides, but chases a lot of pitches which is always concerning at the A level. Think he needs as many ABs as possible for the experience, him being able to play every position on the infield helps.
SS/2B - Angel Martinez - I love this kid. Organization was aggressive with this assignment, he had never played stateside until this week. Culture shock, language barrier, and a group of people he was 1 level behind and hasn't played with. He can flat out hit from both sides of the plate. He got a little jumpy with runners on and K'd on some pitches he normally doesn't swing at. He's starting to fill out a little but hasn't lost any speed. You can tell he'll have to adjust to the speed of the game a bit defensively, had a few errors where he relaxed on the ball and got caught by surprise. For my money, he's the best prospect on this team, including the pitchers.
3B/SS - Gabby Rodriguez - swing is as smooth as ever (he looks like a miniature JD Martinez) and man did he have some bad luck this week. Hit at least 4 right on the nose but right at someone. Like a couple of the other teenagers, he was way too aggressive after all the time off. Just needs to settle down and he should have a big year at this level. Looks good at 3B, good at SS. This is more of a learning year than a production year for him.
OF - Alexfri Planez - like Gabby Rodriguez, teenager who was swinging out of his shoes, which he doesn't need to. He generates a lot of pop with his swing to all fields with minimal effort. His size works to his disadvantage and he will K at a higher rate because of it. Recognizes pitches well and doesn't chase a lot of bad pitches. Can play all 3 OF spots as well. Like Rodriguez, when he put the ball in play everything was hit hard but right at someone the majority of the time.
OF - Johnathan Rodriguez - amazing how forgotten he has been, a 3rd round pick in 2017 as a 17 year old who is still just 21. He has a beautiful swing from both sides of the plate. Another tall, lanky OFer with a longer swing so he Ks a bit more, but he also tends to work in decent amount of BBs and has a good feel for hitting. Think he ends the season in High A.
OF - Julian Escobedo - not much of a prospect, but he can just flat out hit, albeit for not much power. He is this wave of prospects version of Andrew Calica. Table-setter for the middle of the order guys.
OF - Korey Holland - another kind of forgotten HS draft pick from a few years ago. Overhauled his mechanics and swing during the stoppage, body filled out, and he is fast as hell. Hope to see some pop come out of his bat, as his previous swing was built for line drives/groundballs and utilizing his speed. He's short and stocky, but has a lot of bat speed.
There is just a shit ton of talent here right now. It's not surprising anyone in the organization how they manhandled their first opponent.
