Gabriel Rodriguez Stats & Scouting Report

Full name Gabriel Emanuel Rodriguez
Born 04/09/1999 in Bayamon, Puerto Rico
Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 193 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Angel David
Drafted in the 31st round (922nd overall) by the Atlanta Braves in 2018 (signed for $100,000).

Top Rankings

Rodriguez is a lefthanded-hitting outfielder with intriguing power potential. He added significant muscle over the winter months and came out stronger in the spring. Rodriguez shows above-average raw power to his pull side and shows some feel for using the opposite field. He's hit well against poor pitching but most scouts haven't seen him perform well against quality velocity. He has a long swing and may struggle to tap into his power. Rodriguez has a plus arm in the outfield, and some scouts envision a move to the mound in his future. He's shown low 90s velocity in private bullpen sessions, despite having little to no instruction on the mound and extremely raw mechanics. Rodriguez could hear his name called on the middle of day two or early on day three.

TRACK RECORD: The Venezuelan native was the eighth-ranked player overall in the 2018 international class and lived up to the hype with an impressive pro debut in 2019, earning a midseason promotion to the Rookie-level Arizona League.

SCOUTING REPORT: Rodriguez stands out for his consistency and all-around tools. He has a short, simple swing and an advanced approach at the plate. As he physically matures, he figures to develop at least average power and he has already shown the ability to drive balls to all fields. He shows plenty of power potential during batting practice. The next step is to learn how to take it with him into games. His strong arm and instinctive actions will allow him to stay in the infield, likely at third base, if he does need to move.

THE FUTURE: Rodriguez is advanced enough to follow an aggressive developmental track, much like the premium players in the 2017 class. That would likely mean he starts 2020 back in Arizona and will have a chance to advance to short-season Mahoning Valley later in the summer.