Juan Lagares

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked New York Mets #31 prospect in 2013
  Lagares developed his feel for hitting enough to overcome the prospect-kiss-of-death shift from shortstop to the outfield in 2009. Things really began to come together for him two seasons later, when he put chronic injuries behind him and led the high Class A Florida State League with a .338 average at the time of his July 21 promotion to Double-A. Lagares hit .370 for Binghamton for the balance of 2011 and ranked fifth in the minors with a .349 average. Geared to swing first and ask questions later, he goes outside his preferred hitting zone frequently but still manages to make hard, line-drive contact enough to hit for a solid average. He'll occasionally flash deep home run power to his pull side, though after hitting six homers in 168 Double-A games, his power is mostly to the gaps. He has the bat speed, physique and general quickness to add to that total if he works himself into more fastball counts. Lagares played a career-high 70 games in center field in 2012 and has the average range, sure hands and plus arm strength required to play all three outfield posts. Defensive versatility and solid contact skills at the plate could be his ticket to a reserve outfielder job in the big leagues--unless his power output takes a quantum leap forward in Triple-A this season.
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  Ranked New York Mets #22 prospect in 2012
  Signed as a shortstop out of the Dominican Republic in 2006, Lagares didn't draw much positive attention, either offensively or defensively, until he shifted to the other side of the defensive spectrum by taking up left field in 2009. He dealt with a chronic shoulder injury that season and then missed the final six weeks of 2010 with a broken ankle. Lagares showed no ill effects last season, when he ranked fifth in the minors in hitting at .349. He led the Florida State League with a .338 average at the time of his July 21 promotion to Double-A, and he batted .370 for Binghamton to close out the regular season. The Mets protected him on their 40-man roster after he hit .303 in the Arizona Fall League. A career .254 hitter entering 2011, Lagares owes his startling turnaround to an improved rate of hard contact and better strike-zone discipline. He still gets in trouble by connecting with fastballs outside of his comfort zone. With quick hands and a level bat path, Lagares is geared more for gap power than for home run juice, and he could top out near 15 homers in a good year. He moves well in the outfield, though his speed is fringy and not ideal for anything but a corner. His below-average arm plays best in left. Though his track record is not extensive and he'll be 23 this season, Lagares has shown a knack for barreling the ball and could grow into a fringe outfield starter or quality reserve.
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  Ranked New York Mets #28 prospect in 2008
  Lagares teamed with Greg Veloz in the Dominican Summer League in 2006 and again at Savannah to start 2007, but in the second half Lagares was worn down and Veloz sent down to Kingsport. Mariners phenom Carlos Triunfel and Savannah teammate Francisco Pena were the only younger players to begin the 2007 season on a full-season club in the minors, and Lagares' youth showed in his statistics. He hit just .210 and ranked second in the South Atlantic League in errors by a shortstop (40) in just 82 games. However, Lagares has some obvious tools. He's a plus runner with excellent athleticism and body control, and he has the quick feet and requisite arm strength to play shortstop. One Mets official insists Lagares' best tool will be his bat, saying he should develop solid gap power and noting that he actually posted a higher slugging percentage than Pena (.317 to .283) at Savannah. Lagares was obviously raw, expanding his strike zone and being too aggressive on the basepaths to take advantage of his speed. He's likely to repeat low Class A in 2008 and should team with Veloz once again in an intriguing middle infield.