Arcenio Leon

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Houston Astros #19 prospect in 2010
  Signed out of Venezuela at age 18, Leon spent two summers in the Rookie-level Venezuelan Summer League and two more in the Appalachian League. When he finally made it to low Class A in 2009, he showed perhaps the best pure stuff among Astros farmhands. He sits at 93-95 mph with his fastball, topping out at 96. He mixes in a slider that can be an electric pitch at 86-88 mph, a swing-and-miss offering with sharp, late break and depth. As good as Leon's stuff is, his control prevents him from having success. He struggles to throw strikes, often failing to come close to the zone as he struggles to repeat his delivery. Leon often has to dial his fastball down just to get the ball over the plate, and he gets behind in the count so often that he's unable to use his slider as a put-away pitch. If he ever can harness his control, Leon has the potential to be an excellent reliever. That's a fairly sizable "if," however. He may need to repeat another level again and return to Lexington this season.