Angel Morales Stats & Scouting Report

AB	2157
AVG	.252
OBP	.326
SLG	.395
HR	48

Full name Angel Morales
Born 11/24/1989 in Caguas, Puerto Rico
Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 180 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Puerto Rico Baseball Academy
Drafted in the 3rd round (122nd overall) by the Minnesota Twins in 2007 (signed for $234,000).

View Draft Report

Morales raised his profile when he performed well at a pair of Perfect Game events in Florida, first in Jupiter in October and again in January in Fort Myers. He was the talk of Puerto Rico a month later when a bevy of scouts attended a workout in February, but the more he has been evaluated, the less certain scouts become about his swing and future as a hitter. He approach changes from at-bat to at-bat. He leaks out on his front side, flies open and has a huge hole on the outer half of the strike zone. His pitch recognition and plate discipline are below-average. He does, however, have good bat speed, and when he squares up balls they jump off his bat. He's further along in center field, where his above-average speed and graceful actions profile well. He has a 55 arm on the 20-80 scale. Teams that believe Morales can make strides at the plate could show interest in drafting him as early as the second round, though his holes make him more of a fourth-round talent.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

The Twins have drafted an outfielder from Puerto Rico early in three of the last four drafts, starting with Morales in the third round in 2007. He still has the highest ceiling of the group, which also includes Danny Ortiz (fourth round, 2008) and Eddie Rosario (fourth, 2010), but Morales hasn't made tremendous progress in four pro seasons. As a right fielder with power and speed, his tools compare to those of Joe Benson. Morales isn't quite as explosive an athlete as Benson, though, and he continues to produce plenty of empty swings as he moves up the ladder. He still struggles with pitch recognition and offspeed stuff. He hasn't smoothed out his two-part swing, which leaves him with some holes he can't close. If he learns to trust his hands and stay back on breaking balls, Morales could take off as a hitter, because he has plenty of bat speed and raw power. The Twins weren't concerned that he hit just five homers in 2010, as he spent the majority of his season in the larger parks of the high Class A Florida State League. His speed and arm are plus tools, and his arm is as accurate as it is strong. He doesn't get the most out of his physical ability because his instincts are lacking and he's too aggressive. Minnesota will be patient with Morales, giving him a chance to add polish and sending him back to Fort Myers to start 2011.
Morales dazzled scouts with his tools prior to the 2007 draft, then led the Rookie-level Appalachian League with 15 homers in 2008. He led Beloit in homers (13), RBIs (62) and steals (19) in his full-season debut last year, despite missing time with several nagging injuries. With more than a dozen Twins farmhands in Europe for the World Cup, Morales moved up for the Eastern League playoffs, going 0-for-5 with an error. Only Aaron Hicks and Max Kepler rival Morales for raw five-tool ability in the system. He has four plus tools now, with his arm and speed grading out the highest. He's athletic enough to play center field and may stay there, though as he fills out he's more likely to move to right, where he should be a strong defender. His raw power also grades out as above-average. Morales has an aggressive approach that has led to contact issues. He ranked second in the system with 104 strikeouts last season, though he trimmed his whiff rate to 28 percent of his at-bats from 39 percent in 2008. The twin culprits are pitch recognition--he doesn't identify breaking balls early enough--and a two-part swing. While he's lowered his hands and gets through the zone quicker, he doesn't have a classic swing path and has holes that even Class A pitchers have been able to exploit. Morales has an all-star ceiling if he continues to cut down his strikeouts. He'll advance to high Class A in 2010.
Morales emerged as Puerto Rico's top prospect for the 2007 draft at a winter showcase, creating some first-round buzz, but he fell to the third round after an up-and-down spring. The Twins kept him in extended spring training to start 2008. Once he got on the diamond, he led the Rookie-level Appalachian League in homers (15) and slugging percentage (.623). Morales has wicked raw power, with plenty of leverage and strength in his swing. He's more than a one-dimensional slugger, as only Aaron Hicks and Joe Benson have more tools and raw ability in the system. Morales has plus speed and plays a quality center field, though he's expected to slow down some as he fills out and eventually wind up in right. His plus arm plays at either spot. Hicks and Benson are raw, but Morales is behind them in terms of his tools translating into games. He struck out in 39 percent of his at-bats last season because he doesn't recognize or handle breaking balls well. He employs a dead-pull approach despite having the strength to hit for power to all fields. Morales' upside is prodigious and the Twins will be extremely patient with him. He'll head to low Class A in 2009, part of an anticipated one-step-at-a-time climb to the majors.

Minor League Top Prospects

Though shaky pitch recognition and a stubborn, pull-only approach made him a frequent strikeout victim, Morales' raw power is immense. He led the Appy League with 15 home runs and a .623 slugging percentage, and he has come a long way from his debut season, when he batted just .256/.357/.405 in the GCL. Along with his power potential, Morales' solid range in center field, average speed and strong throwing arm will afford him many opportunities to prove himself. He may not hit for average as he moves up, because he tends to chase pitches out of the zone when he isn't going well. He has trouble getting to pitches on the outer half of the plate and in identifying and hitting breaking balls.
Considered one of the top talents in a strong Puerto Rican draft crop this year, Morales went in the third round of the draft. While he played center field as an amateur, he played the bulk of the season in right because the Twins aren't completely sold on his speed and also because Revere was in center. An average runner with above-average arm strength, Morales projects to hit for average power in the future. He needs to get bigger and stronger if he's going to hang on an outfield corner, however. His approach at the plate also needs work. Morales holds his hands too close too his body, which inhibits his ability to get a proper load. He also leaks too much on his front side and has too much hand movement, which doesn't enable him to take advantage of his lower half.