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June 29, 2017

Eyewitness Accounts

June 29, 2017

by BP Prospect Staff

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Franklin Perez
Sixto Sanchez
Scott Kingery
Arquimedes Gamboa
Jorge Ona

Franklin Perez


	Born: 12/06/1997 (Age: 19)
	Bats: Right	Throws: Right
	Height: 6' 3"	Weight: 197

Strong frame; has added muscle to upper body; clean arm action, clean landing, mild effort; high-three-quarters arm slot; confidence evident on mound, fast worker, keeps game moving.

Evaluator	Victor Filoromo
Report Date	06/21/2017
Affiliate	Buies Creek Astros (High A, Astros)
Dates Seen	6/11/17
OFP/Risk	70/High
Realistic	55: Mid-Rotation Starter
MLB ETA
Video	No

Pitch Type	Present Grade	Future Grade	Sitting Velocity	Peak Velocity	Report
Fastball	60	70	91-93	95	Plus pitch. Downward plane, heavy and boring pitch, sat 94 at times early before toning down to 91-93 throughout outing. Willing to bring up in zone to change eye level. Pitch touched 95 with average command. Shows arm-side run.
Curveball	45	60	74-77		11-5 break, flashes of above-average depth. Average command of pitch, flashed above-average command at times. There's some good bite to this pitch although it remains inconsistent.
Changeup	55	70	81-83		Pitch plays well with above-average fade and sink to it, tough pitch to hit for right-handed hitters. Hides the pitch well, induces weak contact with it. Used more often in later part of outing as an out pitch. Gets velocity separation, replicates arm speed very well. Plus command.
Slider	40	55	79-81		Heavy focus on slider in game. Potential plus pitch with average control. Above-average two-plane break is possible with refinement and repetition, currently inconsistent with it. Flashed above-average depth. Pitch needs work as it gets buried at times before it even gets to the plate.

Perez's pitchability is there and he seems wise beyond his years. The fastball has ticked up and his upper body has filled out nicely. It doesn't hurt that he has enormous legs either. At just 19 years old, there's some work to do in terms of developing a more consistent feel for the curveball, and the slider is lagging behind, too. But there is serious two-plane potential with the slider, and if Perez can develop it he's going to scare many hitters with the potential for four plus pitches. Even armed with a plus fastball, curveball, and changeup, Perez appears to be a solid mid-rotation starter.

Sixto Sanchez


	Born: 07/29/1998 (Age: 18)
	Bats: Right	Throws: Right
	Height: 6' 0"	Weight: 185

Physical: Shorter guy; Wider torso for his size; Has room to grow physically as he gets older; Athlete on the mound.

Mechanics: Compact; Slight hitch in his back; Whippy arm with premium arm speed; Three-quarter delivery; Overthrows on occasion; Off balance finish at times; Moderate effort; Intense on the mound.

Evaluator	Greg Goldstein
Report Date	06/22/2017
Affiliate	Lakewood BlueClaws (Low A, Phillies)
Dates Seen	6/11/17
OFP/Risk	70/Moderate
Realistic	60; No.3 Starter
MLB ETA	2020
Video	No

Pitch Type	Present Grade	Future Grade	Sitting Velocity	Peak Velocity	Report
Fastball	70	80	94-98	101	Considerable life on four-seam; Flashes plus arm-side movement on the two-seam; Sat in the zone for most of the start; Tons of swings and misses even when the ball was thrown in hittable locations; Tough to pick up out of hand; Hitters looked like they were guessing thanks to velo; Only average command, put can still hit the corners with premium velo at times, Should become premium offering in the future considering the raw talent and athleticism.
Changeup	50	55	85-87	90	Tumbles with fade; Can be a swing-and-miss offering; Needs to tighten up command; Flashes average to above-average movement.
Curveball	55	60	78-80	82	11/5 movement; Sharp, late break that will lead to plenty of K’s; Has the ability to throw the pitch for strikes; Throws with consistent arm speed and mechanics, which makes the pitch even tougher to pick up.

Sixto is fun to watch. At just 18 years of age, he has the potential to be one of the best arms in the minor leagues. With a multitude of above-average potential pitches in the arsenal, he has the ability to get hitters out in a variety of ways. The premium fastball will make it difficult for hitters to square up and will make the rest of his above-average stuff even more effective. He’s an advanced pitcher for his age in terms of the entire quality of his arsenal. He’ll throw enough strikes to let is plus stuff dominate. Shorter build will draw some concerns about durability, but I’m confident that Sixto’s floor is a role 6.

Scott Kingery


	Born: 04/29/1994 (Age: 23)
	Bats: Right	Throws: Right
	Height: 5' 10"	Weight: 180
	Primary Position: 2B
	Secondary Position:

Smaller guy that is in great physical condition; Hustles on every play with noticeable foot speed and quick twitch ability.

Mechanics: Starts slightly open with bat on shoulder; Steady at the plate; Stiff hands in stance; Slight load; No leg kick; No noise; Mild leverage; Compact stroke; Above-average bat speed; Clean follow through.

Evaluator	Greg Goldstein
Report Date	06/22/2017
Dates Seen	6/13/17-6/15/17
Affiliate	Reading Fightin Phils (AA, Phillies)

MLB ETA	Risk Factor	OFP	Realistic Role	Video
Late 2017	Low	50	50; Major League regular	No

Passionate player that hustles at all times. Will show emotion when something doesn't go his way, but he has the ability to stay in the game even when he does struggle.

Tool	Future Grade	Report
Hit	60	Above-average bat speed and a quick, linear swing allow for him to spray balls all over the field; Attacks the ball and frequently, creates hard contact while maintaining balanced mechanics; Does well to keep his weight back on offspeed offerings; Shows patience at the dish; Waits for a pitch that he can drive; Line-drive approach; Hits the ball where it’s pitched, lets the ball travel when he needs to; Difficult to strike out; Was late a few times on plus velocity, but that seemed more like a timing than physical issue; Did seem to get under a few hittable pitches due to stiffness in his hands.
Power	40	Small frame limits raw power potential; Filled out in terms of strength, but has enough bat speed and leverage to be an above-average gap power threat; Has the ability to get lift the oppo way, but doesn’t use his lower body or have the swing to pull inside pitches with a high launch angle; Has enough raw bat speed and bat control to become a double digit home run threat.
Baserunning/Speed	70	Timed at 4.10 seconds home to first; Has plus burst coming out of the batter’s box and will hustle without letting up on his speed; He’s got the ability to change directions quickly; Aggressive nature could allow for some base running mistakes over the course of a season.
Glove	55	Has soft hands to be an above-average infielder; Quick transfer; Athletic enough to make flashy plays, covered ground quickly in shallow RF; Stays down on ground balls and doesn’t get eaten up by in betweeners; The lack of size and elite range keeps him from being something more than above-average.
Arm	50	Average arm strength that plays perfectly at 2nd base; Accurate thrower of the baseball who can hit his target on the move.

Kingery flashes fundamentals at the plate and in the field. He’s an easy player to root for because of his passion and energy for the game. He has the bat speed, barrel control and advanced approach at the plate to become a plus major league hitter. He’ll affect the game positively on the basepaths as well with really the only drawbacks being that he has a second base only profile and won’t bring 20 home run power to the table. Overall, he’s a safe prospect that knows who he is and excels in those areas.

Arquimedes Gamboa


	Born: 09/23/1997 (Age: 19)
	Bats: Switch	Throws: Right
	Height: 6' 0"	Weight: 175
	Primary Position: SS
	Secondary Position: 2B

Well conditioned; Above-average athlete; Frame has room to add more strength as he matures.

Mechanics: Hands start high, then drop, which creates noise; Slight leg kick; Slight load; Mild leverage; Average bat speed; Balanced throughout stroke; Minimal effort.

Evaluator	Greg Goldstein
Report Date	06/22/2017
Dates Seen	6/9/17-6/11/17
Affiliate	Lakewood BlueClaws (Low A, Phillies)

MLB ETA	Risk Factor	OFP	Realistic Role	Video
2020	Moderate	45	40; Reserve infielder	No

Showed some immaturity on the field, but should mature as he gains experience. No major character red flags.

Tool	Future Grade	Report
Hit	45	Loose swing; Doesn’t try too hard in order to drive the baseball; Bat speed is average; Average bat control; Drives the ball to all fields; Plays more to contact than power; Tough to strike out; Keeps his weight back enough to make contact on offspeed offerings; Will struggle to barrel up velocity given his lack of plus natural strength and bat speed; Can be too much of a ground ball hitter at times; Potential to upgrade this tool considerably in the future.
Power	30	Lacks raw power; Has trouble getting lift on pitches that are even up in the strike zone; Doesn’t show enough leverage to project too much game power as he continues to add strength; Not much of a tool to develop here.
Baserunning/Speed	55	Above-average pure speed; Timed at 4.15 seconds from home to first; Loose base runner who covers ground without much effort; Burst isn’t plus; Long strider.
Glove	60	Above-average athlete; Length to get to balls in the gaps at both middle infield positions; Glove skills showed well, but seemed a bit unsure on a few relatively easy grounders; Confident that his fielding ability can improve as he gains playing experience.
Arm	50	Average arm strength may not play at shortstop; Will be above-average at second base; Lacks velo and carry from the shortstop position; Plays at first were closer than they should have been when he made plays at short; Could show more urgency on routine plays.

Gamboa is an athlete that has room to improve his hit tool considerably throughout the minors given his loose swing and flashes of bat control at just 19 years old. He struggles with velocity, but will improve in that area as he matures into his frame. I’m not as confident in his ability to hit for power because of his more linear swing. But he has enough fielding chops to stick at short. He has the potential to be a second-division starter, even though there is moderate risk because of the amount of projection in his profile right now.

Jorge Ona


	Born: 12/31/1996 (Age: 20)
	Bats: Right	Throws: Right
	Height: 6' 0"	Weight: 220
	Primary Position: RF
	Secondary Position: LF

Average height, square shoulders, thick lower half, mature build, little projection left

Evaluator	Nathan Graham
Report Date	06/23/2017
Dates Seen	3X May-June
Affiliate	Fort Wayne TinCaps (Low A, Padres)

MLB ETA	Risk Factor	OFP	Realistic Role	Video
2020	High	50	40; Reserve/Bench Bat	Yes

Tool	Future Grade	Report
Hit	50	Balanced stance with mild load and small stride, torso quick hands, above-average bat speed, mild leverage; aggressive approach especially against fastballs, will expand the zone, gets off balanced on off speed.
Power	60	Plus raw power to all fields, ball flies off bat, strong with quick hands; tool plays down a notch at present due to aggressive approach; can max out with improved approach.
Baserunning/Speed	40	Average 4.37 home to first on three clocks, heavy feet, not quick.
Glove	40	Below-average reads and routes in the outfield, slow first step; splits time between corner outfield positions.
Arm	50	Average arm strength for RF, good carry and accuracy; would play above-average for LF.

Signed out of Cuba last summer with a reported $7 million dollar bonus, Ona's future value is tied to his bat. Compact and powerful, his swing has the potential to carry him to a ceiling of an everyday major league outfielder. However he needs to continue to improve his approach and command of the strike zone to reach that level. His speed and defense are below average and limit his utility to a corner outfield spot.

Related Content: Scott Kingery, Arquimedes Gamboa, Franklin Perez, Sixto Sanchez, Jorge Ona

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