Baseball Prospectus | | Eyewitness Scouting Report


	Javier Báez Born: 12/01/1992 (Age: 20)
	Bats: Right	Throws: Right
	Height: 6' 0"	Weight: 190
	Primary Position: SS
	Secondary Position: 2B

Very strong natural build; projects to keep adding size and strength; moves well to either side, but a move to 3B is likely as he continues to grow.

Evaluator	Chris King
Report Date	06/19/2013
Dates Seen	6/2013
Affiliate	Daytona Tortugas (MLB, Reds)

MLB ETA	Risk Factor	OFP	Video
2015	High	70	No

Tool	Future Grade	Report
Hit	65	Plus-plus bat speed; repeatable contact swing; very aggressive and impatient approach; never sees a pitch he doesn’t think he can drive; maintains balance consistently and keeps his head quiet; usually level swing that explodes through the zone; will uppercut on occasion, but generates plus power without it.
Power	70	Strong wrists and upper body combined with elite bat speed generates plus raw power; should develop plus-plus power with some fine tuning and continued body maturity; seems to be generating more backspin as the season goes on; power to all fields; When he squares one up you hear that special sound.
Baserunning/Speed	40	Consistently clocked him in the 4.3-4.4 range from home to first; only attempted one steal while I saw him; aggressive on the basepaths and looked to take the extra base a few times; will need to run hard on every ball he hits, as sometimes he will jog to first on a routine out.
Glove	50	Not the softest hands, but serviceable; moves to his left better than his right; average range overall, but flashed some ability to make very tough plays up the middle; got lazy a couple times backhanding balls he could have gotten in front of; slightly above average transfers; a move to 3B is most likely in his future as he gets bigger and loses some mobility.
Arm	55	Shows routine average to arm strength, but has the ability to reach back for more velocity when needed; saw signs of a plus arm when he stays fundamentally sound; will have plenty of arm strength to play well at either SS or 3B; did a good job of squaring his body and staying on top of the ball during his throws.

This past week, Baez became just the second player in the 94-year history of the Florida State League to hit four home runs in a single game. He also put on quite the show at last week's FSL All-Star Game Home Run Derby. Some of the bombs he hit still have not landed. Baez has the tools to become a star in the big leagues with his raw power/bat speed combo. You can recognize the bat speed he possesses from the nosebleeds. With a refined approach he should be able to hit at all levels. Defensively there is a lot left to be desired, but no matter which position he ends up playing or how well he plays it, his bat will be able to keep him in the lineup as an everyday player, whether it’s at shortstop or more likely third base. The main concern for me is his makeup as he will take some plays off. Again, something as simple as not running out a groundball can be seen as a negative. Baez is no doubt an exciting young player to watch and he’s very deserving of his lofty status as one of the game's top prospects. The risk remains high with his development and time will tell how bad he wants it.