| AB | 286 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .224 |
| OBP | .268 |
| SLG | .266 |
| HR | 1 |
- Full name Armando Junior Cruz
- Born 01/16/2004 in Santo Domingo Centro, Dominican Republic
- Profile Ht.: 5'10" / Wt.: 160 / Bats: R / Throws: R
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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BA Grade: 45/Extreme
Track Record: Cruz set a Nationals international bonus record when he signed for $3.9 million in January 2021. The glove-first shortstop showed promise during his first full season in 2022 in the Florida Complex League and briefly reached Low-A Fredericksburg at the end of the season. He returned to Low-A to start 2023, hoping to take another step forward at the plate. But Cruz hit .190/.266/.251 in 90 games.
Scouting Report: Cruz’s glovework was renowned as a 16-year-old prospect in the Dominican Republic, to the point where clips of him taking infield during showcases were well-trafficked on social media even before he signed. Defense remains Cruz’s calling card as a professional. He has a plus throwing arm and Gold Glove-caliber potential. The Nationals knew Cruz’s hitting would need to improve--and that it may take time--but so far it’s been a slow burn. He has quick hands at the plate and natural bat-to-ball skills, but his lack of strength leads to minimal impact and he also needs to dial in his approach.
The Future: Cruz still has the potential to be one of the best defensive shortstops in baseball, but his offensive game remains very raw.
Scouting Grades Hit: 40 | Power: 30 | Run: 55 | Field: 65 | Arm: 60 -
BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
Track Record: Cruz received the highest bonus by a 16-year-old in the 2020-21 international class when he signed with the Nationals for $3.9 million. In the Dominican Summer League in 2021, he hit .232 and hoped to show improvement in his first full season. In 2022, he spent the majority of the season in the Florida Complex League. His bat continues to be a work in progress, but his defensive work is starting to shine. Cruz was promoted to Low-A Fredericksburg in September, where he played three games.
Scouting Report: Scouts raved about Cruz's defensive skills at shortstop before he was signed and dubbed him the best defender in the class. His above-average speed and plus arm allow him to make tough plays look easy. If his defense continues to develop, he could be a Gold Glove-caliber defender. However, he needs to prove that he can hit. While Cruz hasn't shown much power, the organization is pleased with the improvements he made in 2022. The 18-year-old will need to add more strength to improve the quality of his contact, and while he struck out at just a 16.9% rate, he could stand to improve his swing decisions.
The Future: Cruz's glove will get him far. His ceiling is one of the elite defensive shortstops in baseball. His future on the Nationals' roster, however, will be determined if he can improve at the plate and take advantage of his natural bat-to-ball skills.
Scouting Grades: Hit: 45 Power: 30 Speed: 55 Fielding: 65 Arm: 60. -
Track Record: One of the highest-profile international players available in the 2020-21 signing class, Cruz inked a $3.9 million deal with the Nationals one day before his 17th birthday, giving him the largest bonus awarded to a 16-year-old in the class. Cruz got his feet wet in the Dominican Summer League.
Scouting Report: Cruz is a high-end defensive player who had international scouts raving about his ability prior to his signing. He has great hands, extremely quick feet and a smooth transfer to his above-average arm, which helps him make the flashy play look routine. He charges the ball well using speed that has improved from below-average to slightly above-average in recent years. Though he can dazzle with some of the tricks he can pull fielding the ball in practice, it’s not just physical tools that make him a near double-plus shortstop. He also gets fast reads off the bat and is an instinctive player. Offensively, he’s very much a work in progress, but the Nationals like his natural bat-to-ball skills and saw improvement at the plate as the summer wore on. He’ll undoubtedly add some strength as he matures, but power is not likely to be a part of his game in the end.
The Future: Cruz’s defensive prowess is such that evaluators project him to be a plus defender, with a ceiling as one of the elite defensive shortstops in baseball. That will be his ticket through the Nationals’ system, with his offensive value being the icing on the cake should he come into his own in that regard.
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TRACK RECORD: Dominican shortstop Armando Cruz received the biggest bonus for a 16-year-old player in the 2020-21 class, signing for $3.9 million on Jan. 15, the day before his 17th birthday.
SCOUTING REPORT: Cruz is one of the best defensive shortstops that many international scouts said they have ever seen his age in Latin America. He fields the ball like a magician, with extremely quick, secure hands and a quick transfer to his plus arm. Cruz is light on his feet, charges well on the slow roller and has a knack for making the flashy play look routine, getting quick reads off the bat with the ability to react to bad hops. He fields grounders between his legs and does other similar ball tricks on the run for fun in practice, but beyond the flash is an extremely instinctive player who makes the routine plays and the ones with a higher degree of difficulty. Cruz earns consistent future projections as a plus defender and a player who could develop into a truly elite fielder. His speed has also improved, going from below-average wheels when a lot of teams were scouting him to a slightly above-average runner now. While there's strong consensus on Cruz's glove, there's less certainty on him at the plate. Many scouts viewed Cruz as a hitter who would likely hit toward the bottom of a lineup, but the Nationals were, obviously, on the higher end, seeing his hitting ability trend up over time. Getting stronger has helped Cruz drive the ball with more authority than he was early on, though he doesn't project to be a big power threat. His instincts for the game assist him at the plate, with some of the best baseball smarts in the class.
THE FUTURE: Cruz’s defensive tools could carry him up the minor league ladder, but he’ll look to develop his offensive game as he makes his professional debut this summer.
Scouting Reports
-
BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
Track Record: Cruz received the highest bonus by a 16-year-old in the 2020-21 international class when he signed with the Nationals for $3.9 million. In the Dominican Summer League in 2021, he hit .232 and hoped to show improvement in his first full season. In 2022, he spent the majority of the season in the Florida Complex League. His bat continues to be a work in progress, but his defensive work is starting to shine. Cruz was promoted to Low-A Fredericksburg in September, where he played three games.
Scouting Report: Scouts raved about Cruz's defensive skills at shortstop before he was signed and dubbed him the best defender in the class. His above-average speed and plus arm allow him to make tough plays look easy. If his defense continues to develop, he could be a Gold Glove-caliber defender. However, he needs to prove that he can hit. While Cruz hasn't shown much power, the organization is pleased with the improvements he made in 2022. The 18-year-old will need to add more strength to improve the quality of his contact, and while he struck out at just a 16.9% rate, he could stand to improve his swing decisions.
The Future: Cruz's glove will get him far. His ceiling is one of the elite defensive shortstops in baseball. His future on the Nationals' roster, however, will be determined if he can improve at the plate and take advantage of his natural bat-to-ball skills.
Scouting Grades: Hit: 45 Power: 30 Speed: 55 Fielding: 65 Arm: 60. -
BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
Track Record: Cruz received the highest bonus by a 16-year-old in the 2020-21 international class when he signed with the Nationals for $3.9 million. In the Dominican Summer League in 2021, he hit .232 and hoped to show improvement in his first full season. In 2022, he spent the majority of the season in the Florida Complex League. His bat continues to be a work in progress, but his defensive work is starting to shine. Cruz was promoted to Low-A Fredericksburg in September, where he played three games.
Scouting Report: Scouts raved about Cruz's defensive skills at shortstop before he was signed and dubbed him the best defender in the class. His above-average speed and plus arm allow him to make tough plays look easy. If his defense continues to develop, he could be a Gold Glove-caliber defender. However, he needs to prove that he can hit. While Cruz hasn't shown much power, the organization is pleased with the improvements he made in 2022. The 18-year-old will need to add more strength to improve the quality of his contact, and while he struck out at just a 16.9% rate, he could stand to improve his swing decisions.
The Future: Cruz's glove will get him far. His ceiling is one of the elite defensive shortstops in baseball. His future on the Nationals' roster, however, will be determined if he can improve at the plate and take advantage of his natural bat-to-ball skills.
Scouting Grades: Hit: 45 Power: 30 Speed: 55 Fielding: 65 Arm: 60. -
BA Grade: 50/Extreme
Track Record: One of the highest-profile international players available in the 2020-21 signing class, Cruz inked a $3.9 million deal with the Nationals one day before his 17th birthday, giving him the largest bonus awarded to a 16-year-old in the class. Cruz got his feet wet in the Dominican Summer League over the summer.
Scouting Report: Cruz is a high-end defensive player who had international scouts raving about his ability prior to his signing. He has great hands, extremely quick feet and a smooth transfer to his plus arm, which helps him make the flashy play look routine. He charges the ball well using speed that has improved from below-average to slightly above-average in recent years. Though he can dazzle with some of the tricks he can pull fielding the ball in practice, it's not just physical tools that make him a top-of-the-scale defensive shortstop. He also gets fast reads off the bat and is an instinctive player. Offensively, he's very much a work in progress, but the Nationals like his natural bat-to-ball skills and saw improvement at the plate as the summer wore on. He'll undoubtedly add some strength as he matures, but power is not likely to be a part of his game in the end.
The Future: Cruz's defensive prowess is such that evaluators project him to be a plus defender, with a ceiling as one of the elite defensive shortstops in baseball. That will be his ticket through the Nationals' system, with his offensive value being the icing on the cake should he come into his own in that regard. -
Track Record: One of the highest-profile international players available in the 2020-21 signing class, Cruz inked a $3.9 million deal with the Nationals one day before his 17th birthday, giving him the largest bonus awarded to a 16-year-old in the class. Cruz got his feet wet in the Dominican Summer League.
Scouting Report: Cruz is a high-end defensive player who had international scouts raving about his ability prior to his signing. He has great hands, extremely quick feet and a smooth transfer to his above-average arm, which helps him make the flashy play look routine. He charges the ball well using speed that has improved from below-average to slightly above-average in recent years. Though he can dazzle with some of the tricks he can pull fielding the ball in practice, it’s not just physical tools that make him a near double-plus shortstop. He also gets fast reads off the bat and is an instinctive player. Offensively, he’s very much a work in progress, but the Nationals like his natural bat-to-ball skills and saw improvement at the plate as the summer wore on. He’ll undoubtedly add some strength as he matures, but power is not likely to be a part of his game in the end.
The Future: Cruz’s defensive prowess is such that evaluators project him to be a plus defender, with a ceiling as one of the elite defensive shortstops in baseball. That will be his ticket through the Nationals’ system, with his offensive value being the icing on the cake should he come into his own in that regard.
-
TRACK RECORD: Dominican shortstop Armando Cruz received the biggest bonus for a 16-year-old player in the 2020-21 class, signing for $3.9 million on Jan. 15, the day before his 17th birthday.
SCOUTING REPORT: Cruz is one of the best defensive shortstops that many international scouts said they have ever seen his age in Latin America. He fields the ball like a magician, with extremely quick, secure hands and a quick transfer to his plus arm. Cruz is light on his feet, charges well on the slow roller and has a knack for making the flashy play look routine, getting quick reads off the bat with the ability to react to bad hops. He fields grounders between his legs and does other similar ball tricks on the run for fun in practice, but beyond the flash is an extremely instinctive player who makes the routine plays and the ones with a higher degree of difficulty. Cruz earns consistent future projections as a plus defender and a player who could develop into a truly elite fielder. His speed has also improved, going from below-average wheels when a lot of teams were scouting him to a slightly above-average runner now. While there's strong consensus on Cruz's glove, there's less certainty on him at the plate. Many scouts viewed Cruz as a hitter who would likely hit toward the bottom of a lineup, but the Nationals were, obviously, on the higher end, seeing his hitting ability trend up over time. Getting stronger has helped Cruz drive the ball with more authority than he was early on, though he doesn't project to be a big power threat. His instincts for the game assist him at the plate, with some of the best baseball smarts in the class.
THE FUTURE: Cruz's defensive tools could carry him up the minor league ladder, but he'll look to develop his offensive game as he makes his professional debut this summer. -
The Nationals are expected to sign Cruz, with a bonus likely to be around $4 million. He's a defensive wizard with phenomenal hands and a strong arm, combining the ability to make acrobatic, highlight plays along with the internal clock and game savvy well beyond his years. There's more of a split camp on his offensive potential, but Cruz has a chance to be an elite defensive shortstop. He trains with John Carmona. -
TRACK RECORD: Dominican shortstop Armando Cruz received the biggest bonus for a 16-year-old player in the 2020-21 class, signing for $3.9 million on Jan. 15, the day before his 17th birthday.
SCOUTING REPORT: Cruz is one of the best defensive shortstops that many international scouts said they have ever seen his age in Latin America. He fields the ball like a magician, with extremely quick, secure hands and a quick transfer to his plus arm. Cruz is light on his feet, charges well on the slow roller and has a knack for making the flashy play look routine, getting quick reads off the bat with the ability to react to bad hops. He fields grounders between his legs and does other similar ball tricks on the run for fun in practice, but beyond the flash is an extremely instinctive player who makes the routine plays and the ones with a higher degree of difficulty. Cruz earns consistent future projections as a plus defender and a player who could develop into a truly elite fielder. His speed has also improved, going from below-average wheels when a lot of teams were scouting him to a slightly above-average runner now. While there's strong consensus on Cruz's glove, there's less certainty on him at the plate. Many scouts viewed Cruz as a hitter who would likely hit toward the bottom of a lineup, but the Nationals were, obviously, on the higher end, seeing his hitting ability trend up over time. Getting stronger has helped Cruz drive the ball with more authority than he was early on, though he doesn't project to be a big power threat. His instincts for the game assist him at the plate, with some of the best baseball smarts in the class.
THE FUTURE: Cruz’s defensive tools could carry him up the minor league ladder, but he’ll look to develop his offensive game as he makes his professional debut this summer.
Career Transactions
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SS Armando Cruz assigned to Wilmington Blue Rocks from Fredericksburg Nationals.
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SS Armando Cruz roster status changed by Washington Nationals.
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SS Armando Cruz assigned to Washington Nationals.
