Jose Herrera Stats & Scouting Report

AB	97
AVG	.227
OBP	.29
SLG	.32
HR	1

Full name Jose Gregorio Herrera
Born 02/24/1997 in San Carlos, Venezuela
Profile Ht.: 5'10" / Wt.: 217 / Bats: S / Throws: R
Debut 04/09/2022

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

The Diamondbacks' top international signee in 2013, Herrera has consistently shown solid defensive skills behind the plate and an improving swing. The biggest impediment to the native Venezuelan's development has been an inability to stay healthy. He has been plagued by nagging injuries in both 2015 and 2016. Herrera caught regularly during extended spring training in 2016 but was limited to just 12 games behind the plate at Rookie-level Missoula before shutting down early with a hamate injury. He often batted as DH for the Osprey and showed good patience at the plate (9.7 percent walks). He hit a career-high five home runs. He has the raw power to develop more over-the-fence pop as he gets stronger. Behind the plate, Herrera blocks and throws well, albeit with improvement needed in shifting on pitches. Herrera's mental makeup is strong and he also got himself into better shape in 2016 by losing weight. After three years in short-season ball, Herrera will be ready for low Class A Kane County in 2017.
Arizona's top international signee in 2013, Herrera skipped over the Dominican Summer League and headed to the Rookie-level Arizona League for his 2014 pro debut. The native Venezuelan returned to the AZL in 2015 after being slowed in the spring by a foot injury that kept him from advancing. AZL managers continued to view him favorably because even in his repeat season he was still just 18 years old. Herrera has advanced catching skills and solid actions for his age, with pop times of sub-2 seconds on throws to second base, which has helped him throw out 33 percent of basestealers as a pro. Herrera has an easy swing from both sides of the plate with some raw power, but he needs to trust his hands and develop a better approach to focus on hitting line drives until his over-the-fence power develops. Herrera still will be a teenager in 2016 when he advances to either Rookie-level Missoula or short-season Hillsboro.
The Diamondbacks' top international signee in 2013, Herrera signed for $1.06 million on July 2. Rather than starting the switch-hitting catcher in the Dominican Summer League, Arizona challenged the 17-year-old in 2014 with an initial assignment to the Rookie-level Arizona League, where he started 75 percent of the team's games. He already has advanced catching skills and polish uncommon for his age. Herrera has good hands, frames well and knows how to call a game, and his above-average to plus arm helped him throw out 34 percent of basestealers. With a good approach at the plate and some feel to hit, he projects to have enough bat to complement his skills behind the plate. He needs to smooth out his swing, but he's a patient hitter with life in the bat and present gap power that should translate to over-the-fence pop as he matures physically. He'll spend his second pro season in 2015 with one of the organization's three short-season affiliates.

Minor League Top Prospects

Herrera occupied a spot on the AZL ranking last year, when he spent the season as the Diamondbacks primary catcher at age 17. A foot injury during extended spring training this year kept him from advancing to Rookie-level Missoula or short-season Hillsboro and also limited him to just 21 games behind the plate. Observers noted that Herrera's body was in better shape this year. Herrera possesses advanced catching skills for his age, with good hands and pitch-framing techniques. With an arm that grades as at least above-average, he produces plus pop times of 1.86 seconds on throws to second base, and he gunned down more than 30 percent of basestealers in both of his pro seasons. Scouts noted that Herrera's bat is starting to come along, with an easy swing from both sides of the plate, and he should develop more power with age. "Right now he needs to figure out his swing," Diamondbacks manager Mike Benjamin said, "and then the power numbers will jump.""
Diamondbacks' top international acquisition in 2013, Herrera signed for $1.06 million out of Venezuela on July 2. The third-youngest position player in the AZL, Herrera already has advanced catching skills and polish uncommon for his age. He has good hands, frames pitches well and knows how to call a game, and his above-average to plus arm helped him throw out 34 percent of basestealers. Herrera's bat lags behind his defense right now, but he's a patient hitter with some gap power and life in his swing that should translate to over the fence pop as he matures physically. He started strong at the plate, but his numbers tailed off as he tired from catching nearly every game in the intense Arizona heat. A switch-hitter, he takes better at-bats from the right side. "Right from the get-go, he showed a lot of maturity for a 16-year-old, 17-year-old," Diamondbacks manager Luis Urueta said.