Carlos Tocci

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Texas Rangers #13 prospect in 2018
  The Phillies signed Tocci for $759,000 on his 16th birthday in 2011. They left him off the 40-man roster after the 2016 season and he didn't get picked in the Rule 5 draft. They did the same thing after the 2017 season, but this time the White Sox picked him in the Rule 5 draft and traded him to the Rangers for cash considerations. Since the time he's signed, Tocci has been an instinctive player with an extremely skinny frame. That's still the case, as Tocci has been slow to add strength, but he's a smooth center fielder who gets good jumps off the bat with average speed and arm strength. Tocci's swing is sound and he has good bat-to-balls skills, with an approach geared to hit the ball to the middle of the field and the opposite way. He would benefit from a more patient approach to draw more walks, especially since he has minimal power. Tocci didn't play winter ball after the 2017 season, instead focusing on getting stronger, which remains the key for him taking the next step forward. The Rangers are counting on him stepping in as a fourth outfielder in 2018.
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  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #29 prospect in 2017
  Tocci ranked among the team's Top 10 prospects the past four seasons, but his lack of physical development has slowed his progress. When Tocci signed with the Phillies for $759,000 out of Venezuela as a 16-year-old, he had an extremely skinny, narrow frame, and he has been slow to add weight ever since. Getting stronger has long been the key for Tocci, an instinctive player with a high baseball IQ in all phases of the game. He's a smooth, fluid defender in center field. He's a solid-average runner with a quick first step and gliding strides, getting good reads off the bat with sharp routes to go with an average, accurate arm. Tocci is a sound hitter with solid contact skills, a line-drive approach and the ability to spread the ball to all fields. He has minimal power and needs to get stronger to be able to do more damage on contact. The Phillies left Tocci off their 40-man roster after the season and he didn't get picked in the Rule 5 draft. For as long as Tocci has been on the radar, he will play nearly all of 2017 as a 21-year-old, most likely in Double-A Reading.
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  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #10 prospect in 2016
  After signing for $759,000 as a 16-year-old, Tocci has been handled very aggressively. The Phillies pushed him to low Class A Lakewood as a 17-year-old in 2013 and kept him there, even as he hit an empty .209. Tocci repeated the level in 2014 and started 2015 there again before moving up to high Class A Clearwater at midseason. He has struggled to gain weight as a professional, but has slowly put on more than 20 pounds since signing. He'll need that extra bulk to help sustain him over a full season. Tocci handles center field particularly well despite lacking burner speed. He's a graceful strider with the ability to cover plenty of ground and at least an average arm as well. With that added strength has come a hint more power, as shown by his .423 slugging percentage in a pitcher's park at Lakewood before he moved up. Tocci has feel to hit as well, and he started out well during his first month at Clearwater before taking a nose-dive in August. He didn't turn 20 until August, so time is still very much on his side, and the Phillies will continue to bet that there's more growth to come. Given his age, Tocci probably will return to Clearwater to begin 2016. If all goes well, and a position is available, he could move to Double-A Reading in the second half. DAVID SCHOFIELD
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  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #5 prospect in 2015
  Signed out of Venezuela for $759,000 in 2011 when he turned 16, Tocci has been pushed aggressively by the Phillies since Day One. He jumped straight to the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League as a 16-year-old and was just 17 at low Class A Lakewood in 2013, when he showcased raw skills but a severe lack of strength that showed up with a .249 slugging percentage in 421 at-bats. Tocci repeated the South Atlantic League in 2014 and grew into a touch more strength, and it showed up in his performance. He was more patient and drove the ball more frequently, hitting his first two home runs and eight triples. He still needs more strength behind his swing, which could come if he continues to mature physically. Not all scouts are convinced Tocci's body projects to add weight, but he could make it to the majors based on his defense alone. He gracefully covers tons of ground in center field with fine first-step quickness and fluid actions, and he adds an average arm for the position. He's an average runner as well. After two full seasons in Lakewood, Tocci will have to move to high Class A Clearwater in 2015. He might not be ready for the jump offensively, and at some point being young for the league won't be an excuse. If he doesn't hit more, his ceiling is that of a fourth outfielder with excellent defensive skills.
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  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #5 prospect in 2014
  After signing him on his 16th birthday for $759,000, the Phillies assigned Tocci to their Rookie-level Gulf Coast League affiliate in 2012, where he was the youngest player on his team by nearly a full year. They skipped him over short-season Williamsport in 2013 and instead opted to send the 17-year-old to the low Class A South Atlantic League, where only Royals shortstop Raul Adalberto Mondesi was younger. One look at Tocci makes it apparent that he needs to add at least 20 pounds to his rail-thin frame. Even as currently constructed, though, he shows flashes of why the Phillies gambled on his projection. He wasn't overmatched in the SAL thanks to good pitch recognition and the ability to get the barrel on the ball. Problem is, his lack of strength means his well-struck balls often die in outfielders' gloves. He has good instincts in center field, an arm that projects as above-average, and a combination of solid-average speed and long strides that allow him to glide to balls all around him. When Tocci reported to instructional league, he was already 10 pounds heavier than his listed weight entering this year. As he bulks up, he'll add more sock to his swing and be able to better withstand the rigors of a 140-game season. He should begin 2014 back at Lakewood.
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  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #10 prospect in 2013
  Tocci attracted one of the largest bonuses that international supervisor Sal Agostinelli's budget-conscious staff ever has given an international amateur, signing for $759,000 as soon as he turned 16 in 2011. Though the Phillies have an academy in his native Venezuela, they aggressively assigned him to the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League for his 2012 pro debut. He held his own as the GCL's lone 16-year-old. Tocci has a stick-figure frame, so Philadelphia closely monitored his physical wear and tear during the summer. Other than strength and corresponding power, he has all the tools the scouts look for, as well as uncanny instincts. He's a plus-plus runner who picks his spots to steal. He glides in center field, has a plus arm and could be a top-flight defender. Tocci has a good idea of the strike zone, consistently barrels the ball and uses the whole field. He projects as an above-average hitter, though it's uncertain if he'll ever have much power. He has narrow shoulders and may not fill out much. While he has an intriguing ceiling, Tocci also will need plenty of time to develop his tools and add strength. He might be able to handle an assignment to low Class A in 2013, but the safer play would be to keep him in extended spring training and send him to Williamsport in June.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked South Atlantic League #18 prospect in 2013
  Like Mondesi, Tocci played much of the season as a 17-year-old. Unlike Mondesi, he?s built like a teenager who needs to find a good all-you-can-eat buffet. So while scouts and managers think his line-drive swing will work once he gets stronger, it?s all projection and very little production at this point. Tocci slugged under .200 in July and August. ?He just needs to get stronger. His hands work well,? Hickory?s Ragsdale said. ?When the kid gets stronger, he?ll be a player.? Defensively, Tocci is already advanced for his age. He played one of the best center fields in the league, making highlight catches while getting good jumps. He?s an average runner.
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  Ranked Florida Complex League #6 prospect in 2012
  One of the top prospects on the 2011 international market thanks to his speed and advanced baseball instincts, Tocci signed for $759,000 as soon as he turned 16 on Aug. 23. While the Phillies have an academy in his native Venezuela, they started his career with an aggressive assignment to the GCL. Despite being the lone 16-year-old in the league, he held his own at the plate. Tocci shows a good idea of the strike zone for his age, with the ability to consistently barrel the baseball and use the whole field. He has minimal power right now, and while his extremely skinny frame should scream projection, several scouts look at his narrow shoulders and aren't sure whether the power will come. Tocci's best present tool is his speed, as he's a plus-plus runner who picks his spots well when attempting to steal. With the jumps he gets on balls, his quickness and his strong arm, he has the potential to be an elite defender in center field. "He's really skinny, but I tell you what--I like him," Tigers manager Basilio Cabrera said. "He's got a great arm, good speed and he's very good at the plate."

• December, 2012 Scouting Report
  Background: Tocci attracted one of the largest bonuses that international supervisor Sal Agostinelli's budget-conscious staff ever has given an international amateur, signing for $759,000 as soon as he turned 16 in 2011. Though the Phillies have an academy in his native Venezuela, they aggressively assigned him to the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League for his 2012 pro debut. He held his own as the GCL's lone 16-year-old. Scouting Report: Tocci has a stick-figure frame, so Philadelphia closely monitored his physical wear and tear during the summer. Other than strength and corresponding power, he has all the tools the scouts look for, as well as uncanny instincts. He's a plus-plus runner who picks his spots to steal. He glides in center field, has a plus arm and could be a top-flight defender. Tocci has a good idea of the strike zone, consistently barrels the ball and uses the whole field. He projects as an above-average hitter, though it's uncertain if he'll ever have much power. He has narrow shoulders and may not fill out much. The Future: While he has an intriguing ceiling, Tocci also will need plenty of time to develop his tools and add strength. He might be able to handle an assignment to low Class A in 2013, but the safer play would be to keep him in extended spring training and send him to Williamsport in June.