Eyewitness Accounts

Nick Williams is going to hit. This was easily the best natural hitter I’ve seen live. He made a few terrible reads and even started the wrong way when tracking a ball in CF. He’ll never be an asset on defense but he’s athletic. He can run but needs work on the bases. Williams hit tool is well above the rest of his game and if he’s going to hit that well at the highest level, I’m not really sure how much the Rangers will care about the defense.

Caratini is an enigma. He would profile well behind the plate and has the defensive chops to stick, but his arm is weak and would be exploited behind the plate at the highest level due to a long release and poor pop times. At third base, his arm could play at the fringe-average level, but his defensive chops at third are unrefined and don't project to get better due to a body that's maxed out physically, hands that are underwhelming, and poor lateral agility.





All in all, Caratini projects to be a utility player who can play some third, some catcher, and possibly even some first base. His bat will be his carrying tool through the minors, but his lack of a true defensive home will limit his impact. If a team is willing to punt defense behind the plate (i.e. the running game), he has the ceiling of a second-division regular as his bat would profile well at the position. Things become more complicated if he's developed as a third baseman solely, however, as his bat won't be a profile fit at the hot corner. His ability to smash line drives all over the field, limit a pitcher's platoon advantage, and show a decent approach at the plate will make him valuable in a bench/utility role.

Player keeps to himself with a calm focus. Doesn't show emotion after success or failure. Plays with a nonchalant attitude on defense, but that shouldn't be taken as a lack of effort.

It isn't difficult to see what the Padres were thinking when they drafted Renfroe out of Mississippi State with the no. 13 overall selection in the 2013 amateur draft. He is easy to dream on due to his loud tools that allow for an easy fit into the mold of a classic right field profile. But there is plenty of work to be done with the swing and approach before he can reach his ceiling of a first-division player, making this college bat a riskier proposition than most.

At the plate, Renfroe is a player that likes to fire his mechanics early and wants to make contact out in front. That isn't an issue, but due to his pre-swing noise, the back elbow can be in the wrong spot when he launches his bat into the zone. If this can be cleaned up, the bat will stay longer in the zone and close up a hole in his swing.

Furthermore, the approach is unrefined. The player wants to swing immediately when stepping into the box, but if the ball isn't put into play, he is in trouble. This is because the player struggled against spin in this look, and now a heavier dose of those offerings are coming his way. The best way to avoid this is to not miss on those early count fastballs. But there is no two-strike approach or backup plan when that doesn't work.

I don't believe pitch identification is the issue as I saw him do a solid job tracking those offerings. But since he wants to make contact out in front, the hands need to do a better job of staying back. He can reach out and adjust to hit sliders with horizontal action, but it is offerings with vertical movement that gave him trouble.

Pompey is a wildly fascinating prospect because of what he's come from and what he could still become. He's still incredibly raw and doesn't hit for much power right now, especially home run power, but it's in there. He has the bat speed to hit the ball over the fence, especially from the left side where the swing is already refined. Because of the speed, defense and arm, the bat doesn't have to make as much progress as it does with some prospects in order for him to earn major league playing time. The bat from the right side might make him susceptible to platoon splits, but the left side is good enough to carry him, and it's on the correct side of the platoon. If the power develops all the way, he could be a 20-homer player with plus defense in center field, but even if it doesn't quite get there, he should hit enough to justify regular playing time.