Jonathan Guzman

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #29 prospect in 2021
  TRACK RECORD: Signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2015, Guzman slowly rose through the system and made his full-season debut in 2019, hitting .251/.298/.316 with three home runs and 31 stolen bases at low Class A Lakewood. He was included in the Phillies instructional league roster in 2020, where he worked on his plate discipline and overall approach.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Regarded as the best defensive shortstop in the system, Guzman is a plus defender with strong range, smooth actions and plus arm strength. His bat is far behind his glove, however. Guzman is a well below-average hitter with bottom-of-the-scale power. He is attempting to increase his bat speed while working on his approach to be more patient and work counts better. Phillies officials feel he's made some improvement in that area and are encouraged by his ability to get the barrel on the ball. Guzman doesn't project to hit for much impact and is likely limited to a backup ceiling in the major leagues. He is a plus runner who can steal a lot of bases.
  
  THE FUTURE: Guzman should head to high Class A in 2021. He needs to improve offensively in order to project as a reserve who can play multiple positions and is a threat on the basepaths.
• 
  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #29 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: Guzman was a low-cost ($60,000) signing in 2015 who has proven to be a bargain. A switch-hitter as an amateur, Guzman has scrapped hitting lefty as a pro. He finished tied for fourth in the South Atlantic League in 2019 with 31 steals. He also made the Dominican Republic Premier 12 roster.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Guzman is an excellent defender who has to prove he is anywhere near as capable with his bat. He is a plus defender with a plus arm who is equally comfortable at shortstop and second base. His hands are excellent and he has the smooth actions of a major league middle infielder. At the plate, Guzman strikes zero fear in the hearts of pitchers because even if they make a mistake, he's most likely to simply slap a single. Power can develop late, but if Guzman can get to 8-10 home runs a year, that would be a surprise.
  
  THE FUTURE: The minors are filled with shortstops with great gloves who can't hit enough for it to matter. Guzman's arm is good enough that he might have a fallback option as a pitcher.
• 
  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #15 prospect in 2018
  After Guzman signed for $60,000 on his 16th birthday, the Phillies quickly realized they got a bargain. He hit well in his pro debut in the Dominican Summer League in 2016, then in 2017 hit well during extended spring training and was batting .319/.364/.458 in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League in late July before fading down the stretch. He played most of the season as a 17-year-old. Guzman is an instinctive shortstop with a high baseball IQ. He's an average runner who reads the ball well off the bat, has good range to both sides and charges in well on slow rollers with an above-average arm. He has soft hands at shortstop and also uses them well in the batter's box. He has good plate coverage, making frequent contact to put the ball in play at a high clip. He has shown a good approach at times, though by the end of the year he began chasing more pitches off the plate. Guzman has minimal power and probably won't ever hit many home runs, but he will need to get stronger after fatigue took a toll on his bat speed by the end of the year. Guzman will play nearly all of 2018 as an 18-year-old, probably at short-season Williamsport.
• 
  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #19 prospect in 2017
  The focal point of the Phillies' 2015-16 international signing period was Dominican outfielder Jhailyn Ortiz, who signed for $4.01 million on July 2, 2015. Guzman signed a month later with far less attention, getting a $60,000 bonus on his 16th birthday. He has quickly looked like a bargain. Guzman played nearly the entire Dominican Summer League season as a 16-year-old and hit .300 thanks to his excellent hand-eye coordination and innate feel for the barrel. He does not possess the most conventional stroke, but he's a high-contact hitter who consistently finds the sweet spot. A line-drive hitter with a pull approach, Guzman lacks strength because he's still so young, and while he has a projectable frame, he doesn't project to be a power hitter. An average runner, Guzman is a true shortstop who fields his position well for his age and has an above-average arm. He should jump to the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League as a 17-year-old in 2017.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Florida Complex League #8 prospect in 2017
  The Phillies quickly realized they had a bargain after signing Guzman for $60,000. Playing most of the season as a 17-year-old, Guzman hit well during extended spring training and was batting .319/.364/.458 late in July, then faded down the stretch as he got run down. Guzman uses his hands well at the plate and has excellent bat-to-ball skills. His feel for the barrel allows gives him good plate coverage to make contact at a high rate. Guzman doesn't have much power right now and probably won't ever be much of a power threat, with his offensive game relying more on his ability to put the ball in play and get on base. As he tired by August, that took a toll on his bat speed and he got away from his approach, expanding the strike zone more frequently. An average runner with a tick above-average arm, Guzman is a true shortstop with good instincts. He has good range to both sides and is adept at charging the slow roller as well.

• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2015, Guzman slowly rose through the system and made his full-season debut in 2019, hitting .251/.298/.316 with three home runs and 31 stolen bases at low Class A Lakewood. He was included in the Phillies instructional league roster in 2020, where he worked on his plate discipline and overall approach.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Regarded as the best defensive shortstop in the system, Guzman is a plus defender with strong range, smooth actions and plus arm strength. His bat is far behind his glove, however. Guzman is a well below-average hitter with bottom-of-the-scale power. He is attempting to increase his bat speed while working on his approach to be more patient and work counts better. Phillies officials feel he's made some improvement in that area and are encouraged by his ability to get the barrel on the ball. Guzman doesn't project to hit for much impact and is likely limited to a backup ceiling in the major leagues. He is a plus runner who can steal a lot of bases.
  
  THE FUTURE: Guzman should head to high Class A in 2021. He needs to improve offensively in order to project as a reserve who can play multiple positions and is a threat on the basepaths.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2015, Guzman slowly rose through the system and made his full-season debut in 2019, hitting .251/.298/.316 with three home runs and 31 stolen bases at low Class A Lakewood. He was included in the Phillies instructional league roster in 2020, where he worked on his plate discipline and overall approach.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Regarded as the best defensive shortstop in the system, Guzman is a plus defender with strong range, smooth actions and plus arm strength. His bat is far behind his glove, however. Guzman is a well below-average hitter with bottom-of-the-scale power. He is attempting to increase his bat speed while working on his approach to be more patient and work counts better. Phillies officials feel he's made some improvement in that area and are encouraged by his ability to get the barrel on the ball. Guzman doesn't project to hit for much impact and is likely limited to a backup ceiling in the major leagues. He is a plus runner who can steal a lot of bases.
  
  THE FUTURE: Guzman should head to high Class A in 2021. He needs to improve offensively in order to project as a reserve who can play multiple positions and is a threat on the basepaths.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Guzman was a low-cost ($60,000) signing in 2015 who has proven to be a bargain. A switch-hitter as an amateur, Guzman has scrapped hitting lefty as a pro. He finished tied for fourth in the South Atlantic League in 2019 with 31 steals. He also made the Dominican Republic Premier 12 roster.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Guzman is an excellent defender who has to prove he is anywhere near as capable with his bat. He is a plus defender with a plus arm who is equally comfortable at shortstop and second base. His hands are excellent and he has the smooth actions of a major league middle infielder. At the plate, Guzman strikes zero fear in the hearts of pitchers because even if they make a mistake, he's most likely to simply slap a single. Power can develop late, but if Guzman can get to 8-10 home runs a year, that would be a surprise.
  
  THE FUTURE: The minors are filled with shortstops with great gloves who can't hit enough for it to matter. Guzman's arm is good enough that he might have a fallback option as a pitcher.