Javier Betancourt
| AB | 2668 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .259 |
| OBP | .308 |
| SLG | .345 |
| HR | 32 |
- Full name Javier Alejandro Betancourt
- Born 05/08/1995 in Santa Teresa Del Tuy, Venezuela
- Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 180 / Bats: R / Throws: R
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Betancourt is the nephew of former Mets third baseman Edgardo Alfonzo. Signed for $200,000 in 2011, Betancourt has good hand-eye coordination and makes frequent contact with a level, line-drive swing. He started to generate more loft in his swing in 2014 and can occasionally pull a ball over the fence, but he has gap power and his game will have to be about getting on base. He uses the whole field and has good pitch recognition, but his strong bat-to-ball skills get him in trouble because he's too aggressive, swinging at borderline pitches that result in weak contact. Betancourt mostly played second base, where he excelled and has a chance to be an above-average defender. He positions himself well, has good hands and feet and slows the game down. Despite fringy speed, he has good range to both sides, along with a fringe-average arm. Betancourt has a chance to develop into a player along the lines of Hernan Perez, though Betancourt is more advanced at the same age. -
Betancourt's polish can be traced to his upbringing. His uncle, Edgardo Alfonzo, played 12 seasons in the big leagues from 1995-2006, mostly as a Mets third baseman. Betancourt trained with Roberto Alfonzo, Edgardo's brother and a former Mets scout, before signing with the Tigers for $200,000 in August 2011. He hit well in his pro debut in the Rookie-level Venezuelan Summer League in 2012 before making a strong impression in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League in 2013. Betancourt doesn't swing and miss often--he had the GCL's second-lowest strikeout rate--thanks to his hand-eye coordination and feel for the barrel. He stays within his swing and maintains a line-drive, middle-of-the-field approach. He puts a lot of balls on the ground, doesn't have much pop now and doesn't project to be a big power threat, so his game will center around putting the ball in play and getting on base. Betancourt is a fundamentally sound defender who makes good decisions in the field, understands where he needs to be and has a good sense of timing along with an adequate arm. He's a fringy runner and isn't a quick-twitch, rangy shortstop, so there's a chance he slides over to second base. He's advanced enough to head to low Class A West Michigan in 2014.
Minor League Top Prospects
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Betancourt is the nephew of Edgardo Alfonzo, who played 12 seasons in the major leagues from 1995-2006, mostly as a third baseman with the Mets. Betancourt trained with Roberto Alfonzo, Edgardo?s brother and a former Mets scout, and signed with the Tigers for $200,000 in August 2011. After hitting well in his pro debut last year in the Venezuelan Summer League, Betancourt made his U.S. debut this year and ranked second in the GCL in batting at .333. Venezuelan infielder Steven Fuentes, who signed the same year and has been teammates with Betancourt the last two seasons, has louder tools, but Betancourt is the more polished all-around player and more advanced hitter. Betancourt?s hand-eye coordination gives him a knack for barreling the ball, evidenced by him having the second-lowest strikeout rate in the league. His power may be below-average, but he hits for average by making plenty of contact with a line-drive, gap-to-gap approach. Betancourt has good instincts and fundamentals on both sides of the ball. He?s a steady defender with an adequate arm who makes the routine plays, has a good internal clock and doesn?t make many mistakes. With fringy speed, he?s not an athletic, rangy shortstop. He might be playable at the position or he could wind up at second base.
