Luis Terrero

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Arizona Diamondbacks #11 prospect in 2004
  Terrero's been a tease for most of his career. He ranked No. 1 in the organization two years ago and shows flashes of all five tools, but he can't stay healthy. His thin yet sculpted physique is so tight that it constantly breaks down. He has missed time with ribcage, ankle, groin, hamstring and hamate injuries during the last three seasons, then was hospitalized in November when a blood clot led to swelling in his left arm. On the positive side, he hit for the cycle twice in 2002, then cranked a walk-off homer and three-run bomb in back-to-back major league spring training games and tied for the minor league lead in triples in 2003. Long limbs and good wheels allow Terrero to cover ground quickly in the outfield, where he also shows a plus-plus arm, and on the basepaths. He runs into a lot of outs and barely breaks even stealing bases. He's also overaggressive at the plate. He displays power to all fields, but has difficulty laying off bad pitches and racks up too many strikeouts. For all his talent, Terrero never has shown consistent production. Some fear he could turn into another Ruben Rivera. He'll get a crack at sticking with the Diamondbacks this season, and his health and ability to make adjustments will determine if he can be an everyday player or extra outfielder.
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  Ranked Arizona Diamondbacks #10 prospect in 2003
  Terrero ranked No. 1 on this list a year ago and has as much all-around upside as anyone in the system. But he has been plagued by injuries throughout his five-year pro career, including hamstring problems, a broken hamate bone and a fractured ankle. Though his 104 games in 2002 were a career high, he still spent nearly a month on the disabled list. A gifted physical specimen, Terrero is long and chiseled. He has power to all fields and runs like a deer. With his long strides he gobbles up ground both in the outfield alleys and while on the bases. He has a strong arm and has been a major league-ready center fielder since starring in the 2000 Hall of Fame Game at Cooperstown. Terrero has had trouble staying on the field long enough to develop a consistent approach at the plate. He has trouble recognizing and adjusting to breaking pitches, and he does a poor job of controlling the strike zone. He has the speed to steal 30 bases a year, but his instincts aren't there yet. Terrero has all the tools to be a major league center fielder for a decade. He has been on the radar screen so long that it's easy to forget that he's just 22. He should start the season at Triple-A Tucson.
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  Ranked Arizona Diamondbacks #1 prospect in 2002
  Terrero is one of Latin American coordinator Junior Noboa's prized finds from the Dominican Republic. His development hasn't been without obstacles, but his tools are reminiscent of Vladimir Guerrero's. After getting off to a miserable start at low Class A South Bend last season, he went on the disabled list with a high left ankle sprain. He later found out it was a stress fracture and missed six weeks. Injuries are nothing new, as he missed six weeks with a broken right hamate bone in 2000. Terrero finally got on track and hit .349 between high Class A Lancaster and Double-A El Paso. Scouts love players with Terrero's loose and easy actions, and his frame can handle more muscle as he fills out. His wiry strength and above-average bat speed give him power potential to all fields. He has the wheels to steal 30 bases a year if he doesn't bulk up too much. Despite his apparent lack of strike-zone judgment, he's under control and has good balance at the plate. He's an outstanding center fielder with the range to run down balls in the alleys and a plus arm capable of handling right field. The Diamondbacks say something clicked for Terrero at the end of the year, and his aptitude and work ethic will help him make adjustments. But he will struggle to get the most out of his five-tool potential until he takes a more disciplined approach. His poor strikeout-walk ratio illustrates how aggressive he is at the plate. Terrero likes to hack at the first close pitch he sees. He has enough strength and bat speed to make up for his long swing, but he has to shorten up with two strikes. He struggles with pitch recognition. Noboa was encouraged with Terrero's progress in the Dominican League this winter, but he again was shelved after tearing cartilage in his left knee. He's still on schedule to play in Triple-A Tucson in 2002, and he'll provide insurance for Steve Finley. Terrero made up a lot of ground in a short time, but he needs to shake the injury bug and make key adjustments before comparisons to Guerrero become apt. A healthy year in Triple-A could make him Finley's successor in 2003.
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  Ranked Arizona Diamondbacks #3 prospect in 2001
  The Diamondbacks were upset when they lost Abraham Nunez to the Marlins in December 1999, as he was the player to be named to complete the Matt Mantei trade. They would have been more upset if they didn't have Terrero, a legitimate five-tool player and one of Latin American coordinator Junior Noboa's top finds. Terrero made the most of a brief opportunity by making two exceptional defensive plays in the annual Hall of Fame game last July. His Cooperstown performance reinforced his ability to play exceptional defense in either center or right field because he has quality range and arm strength. He has stolen 55 bases over the past two seasons, and team officials believe he might hit for power as he gets stronger and advances through the system. Terrero does have a long swing and has averaged more than a strikeout a game as a pro, unacceptable for someone who hasn't produced many home runs. Arizona believes he'll become a more disciplined hitter and less susceptible to outside breaking pitches. A solid full year at Class A in 2001 would put Terrrero back on track after he spent most of the last two seasons at Rookie-level Missoula. His progress would be a big lift in the wake of Nunez' departure and the struggles of other outfielders in the system.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked Pacific Coast League #16 prospect in 2004
  If Terrero had Barmes' makeup, he'd zoom up this list. While his physical skills are obvious, scouts and managers openly question whether he has the poise and maturity to handle adversity and make the adjustments needed to succeed at the next level. After being ejected from a May 25 game for fighting with Albuquerque catcher Matt Treanor, Terrero got into an altercation with a fan and allegedly hit a woman with a baseball. The PCL suspended him five games for the fight and indefinitely for the incident with the fan, and mandated that he attend anger-management classes. Terrero missed five weeks and got into trouble four games later, getting pulled from a game and benched for another because he kissed home plate after hitting a home run. Terrero, who replaced Steve Finley as Arizona's center fielder following Finley's trade to the Dodgers, is a pure center fielder with a very strong arm, above-average speed and 20-homer power. But he's too aggressive at the plate, taking huge cuts and struggling against breaking balls. He had trouble making contact in the majors.
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  Ranked Pioneer League #17 prospect in 2000
  Terrero stole the show playing for the parent Diamondbacks at the Hall of Fame game in July. He went 2-for-4 and made two spectacular catches in center field. What the Indians' pitchers didn't know, though, was that they probably could have gotten him out by throwing pitches outside the strike zone. Terrero is undisciplined as a hitter, which accounts for both his return trip to the Pioneer League this year, and his fall from the league's No. 8 prospect last season. Terrero played right field for the Osprey because the Diamondbacks wanted to see Hall in center. Terrero is a fine defender at either position, with the arm for right and the speed for center.
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  Ranked Pioneer League #8 prospect in 1999
  One manager compared Terrero to a young Bernie Williams for his body and overall skills. The young Dominican has above-average speed and is already an accomplished outfielder with an above-average arm. The ball jumps off Terrero's bat, but he is still learning to recognize pitches and lay off breaking balls outside of the strike zone. Terrero will have to improve on his 91 strikeouts in 272 at-bats as he moves up.

• December, 1999 Scouting Report
  Terrero stole the show playing for the parent Diamondbacks at the Hall of Fame game in July. He went 2-for-4 and made two spectacular catches in center field. What the Indians' pitchers didn't know, though, was that they probably could have gotten him out by throwing pitches outside the strike zone. Terrero is undisciplined as a hitter, which accounts for both his return trip to the Pioneer League this year, and his fall from the league's No. 8 prospect last season. Terrero played right field for the Osprey because the Diamondbacks wanted to see Hall in center. Terrero is a fine defender at either position, with the arm for right and the speed for center.