Baseball Prospectus | | Eyewitness Scouting Report


	Oscar Mercado Born: 12/16/1994 (Age: 21)
	Bats: Right	Throws: Right
	Height: 6' 2"	Weight: 197
	Primary Position: SS
	Secondary Position: CF

Large frame, lean and wiry; some room to fill out, not likely to build a ton of bulk; good-looking athletic body

Evaluator	Steve Givarz
Report Date	09/05/2016
Dates Seen	7/8/2016-7/11/2016
Affiliate	Palm Beach Cardinals (High A, Cardinals)

MLB ETA	Risk Factor	OFP	Video
2019	High	45	No

Tool	Future Grade	Report
Hit	30	Tall, even stance; short hand path to the ball, fringe-average bat speed, lacks present strength; struggled to recognize pitches, particularly vulnerable to breaking balls away; mild feel for the barrel, hit balls lack velocity and carry
Power	30	Well below-average raw; swing lacks plane and strength, not an over-the-fence power hitter; will generate some extra bases with speed, gap-to-gap appoach
Baserunning/Speed	70	4.11 home-to-first; takes poor jumps on the bases, better runner underway, still has enough raw speed to play on the bases
Glove	50	Plus range in the middle infield, shows good hands, elite athleticism, will make the flashy play; footwork needs to be polished, will overrun balls, raw feel for setting up the best hops
Arm	55	Above-average arm strength, plays on the left side of the infield and all three outfield positions

While my looks were shortstop-only, Mercado played outfield as well this year and has the physical tools to profile in center. He needs to add strength to frame, though, as his contact right now is consistently weak and he struggles with a poor approach at the plate. The light bat leaves him profiling as a pinch-runner and defensive replacement off the bench.