Luis Ugueto

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Seattle Mariners #12 prospect in 2003
  Though the Mariners contended all of the 2002 season, they valued Ugueto so highly that they kept him on their 25-man roster almost the entire way (with the exception of some disabled- list time after he sprained his left wrist). Otherwise they would have had to put him on waivers and offer him back to the Marlins after acquiring him in the 2001 major league Rule 5 draft via the Pirates. After getting a total of 74 at-bats between the majors and Triple-A, Ugueto will need to make up for lost time in 2003. He's a true shortstop with pure speed. His instincts, range and hands make him the system's best defensive infielder--quite a compliment considering his competition includes Jose Lopez and Ruben Castillo. Ugueto is stronger than he looks, but he needs to forget about power and worry more about getting on base. Pitchers will keep pounding him inside until he proves he can turn on those offerings. Ugueto never had played above high Class A before 2002 and ideally would go to Double-A this year. But the presence of Jose Lopez likely means Ugueto instead will go to Tacoma.
• 
  Ranked Miami Marlins #16 prospect in 2001
  Signed at 17, Ugueto has shown little pop at the plate but remains intriguing simply because of his Gold Glove-level defensive talents. He has the best infield arm in the organization and is hands-down the best defensive infielder. He can make all the plays, from routine to highlight, and has tremendous range. The switch-hitter has shown progress at the plate, where he was too stiff for the first four professional seasons. Ugueto is getting more relaxed and generating better bat speed. His makeup is solid. He works hard and has shown enough resiliency to make believers of most of the club's hierarchy. He needs to improve his strike-zone judgment if he's going to keep climbing the ladder. Ugueto still tends to chase too many pitches but has learned to shorten up with two strikes. He missed the first few weeks of the 2000 season after suffering a broken knuckle on his right ring finger. The injury came when he was jumped by several assailants while leaving his girlfriend's house in Venezuela. Ugueto has put on about 30 pounds since signing. He's still a work in progress, but should his bat ever begin to approach his glove in a couple of years, he could be something special.