Luis Almanzar

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked San Diego Padres #24 prospect in 2018
  Almanzar played one year of high school baseball at American Heritage in Plantation, Fla., before moving back to the Dominican Republic and becoming one of the top prospects in the 2016 international class. The Padres fended off heavy interest and signed him for $4 million. The Padres challenged Almanzar with an assignment to the short-season Northwest League as a 17-year-old in his 2017 pro debut and he was overmatched against largely college players, hitting .230 with 30 percent strikeout rate. Poor debut aside, Almanzar shows the ingredients of an above-average hitter with excellent bat speed, a direct path to the ball and a discerning eye. He still saw the ball well in his debut, but wasn't prepared for the quality of pitching he was facing. Some evaluators raised concerned with his open stride and note it opened the plate up for pitchers to attack him. Almanzar is trying to find a home defensively. Signed as a shortstop, Almanzar played nearly as much third base in his debut and projects better there long-term as an average runner with an above-average arm. Almanzar is mature and relatively polished for his age. He will get another crack at short-season ball in 2018, where he will be more age-appropriate to let his skills show.