Christian Villanueva

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Chicago Cubs #13 prospect in 2014
  Villanueva was acquired from Texas in the 2012 Ryan Dempster trade. He broke onto the prospect map in 2011 with low Class A Hickory and had a similar season with Double-A Tennessee in his first full Cubs campaign. He's an aggressive hitter with a somewhat stiff swing that he makes up for with solid bat-to-ball skills. Villanueva thrived in the second half, hitting 14 of his 19 home runs after he became less pull-conscious and used the whole field. He adopts a swing-first mentality when he's ahead in the count and could use a bit more selectivity, but he also has solid-average power that helped him lead the Southern League in doubles (41), total bases (230) extra-base hits (62). Defensively, Villanueva stands out at third with soft hands, good instincts and the agility and body control to make the play on slow rollers and throw on the move. He's a hard worker who loves to play and was getting more reps as an everyday player for Obregon in his native Mexico's Pacific League this winter. Villanueva is in a position crunch in the system but is on the 40-man roster and ought to have a chance to compete for the big league job in 2014, though a step up to Triple-A Iowa is much more likely.
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  Ranked Chicago Cubs #12 prospect in 2013
  Blocked by Adrian Beltre and Mike Olt in Texas, Villanueva's chances for future playing time improved dramatically when the Rangers dealt him and strike-throwing righthander Kyle Hendricks to the Cubs for Ryan Dempster. He still has to worry about Jeimer Candelario and perhaps Javier Baez (if he moves to third base), but Villanueva suddenly has a lot more upward mobility. On the 20-80 scouting scale, one Cubs official described him as having 80 makeup, 70 defense and questionable power. Villanueva's short stroke is conducive to line drives more than longballs, and he tends to inside-out quality fastballs and serve them to the opposite field. He has the potential for average power, but he'll have to get stronger and turn on more pitches to get there. He can hit for solid average and provide some doubles. He has fringy speed but has the instincts to steal bases if the defense doesn't pay attention to him. Defense is where Villanueva really shines. He has the first-step quickness, hands, arm strength and savvy to make tough plays look routine. Chicago added him to its 40-man roster and will send him to Double-A in 2013. He could get a big league audition sometime the following year.
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  Ranked Texas Rangers #8 prospect in 2012
  Rangers international scouting director Mike Daly saw Villanueva star for Mexico at the 2008 Junior World Championships, and Texas signed him two weeks later. Coming from a family of baseball players, he always played shortstop as an amateur but moved to third base after injuring his knee in 2009 and starting to fill out. Villanueva has a short, compact swing with a balanced load and good bat control. He has an advanced approach at the plate, though he can get pull-happy at times. There are mixed opinions on his power, as he presently has line-drive sock but some scouts see at least average potential. He doesn't project as a basestealer, but he has sneaky quickness and instincts that allowed him to swipe 32 bases last year. Villanueva is equally as impressive at third base as Mike Olt. An easy plus defender, Villanueva has soft hands and easy actions. Despite average speed, he has a solid range thanks to his first-step quickness and instincts. He has above-average arm with good carry and accuracy. Scouts compare Villanueva to fellow countryman Vinny Castilla. With Adrian Beltre in Texas and Olt ahead of him in the system, Villanueva spent time during instructional league at second base, where there would be reduced pressure on his bat. He'll play in high Class A in 2012.
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  Ranked Texas Rangers #12 prospect in 2011
  Villanueva played in just eight games in the Dominican Summer League before a knee injury cut short his 2009 pro debut. He worked hard on his rehabilitation in the offseason and posted a breakout 2010 campaign in the Rookie-level Arizona League. Villanueva stands out most for his above-average defensive ability at third base. He has excellent body control, first-step quickness, good hands and instincts, and a plus arm. An average runner, he might be athletic enough to handle second base, but the Rangers see him growing into a Vinny Castilla-type player at third, though without as much power. Villanueva is a line-drive hitter with an up-the-middle approach and a nice, compact swing. He uses his lower half well and squares balls up consistently, and the Rangers think he'll develop average power as he matures physically. He does need to add strength and learn to drive the ball with more authority, particularly to the pull side. Villanueva has a natural feel for hitting and defending, so if his power comes as Texas hopes, he could be a solid everyday big leaguer. He's intelligent and a hard worker who could move fairly quickly. His next step is low Class A.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked Carolina League #9 prospect in 2012
  Villanueva batted .567 with two homers in his final eight games with Myrtle Beach before the Rangers packaged him with Pelicans righthander Kyle Hendricks to get Ryan Dempster from the Cubs. Javier Baez projects as Chicago's third baseman of the future, but Villanueva has the all-around talent to force his way into the lineup. Villanueva uses a short, compact stroke to hit line drives to all fields. He understands the strike zone and puts himself in position to hit. Primarily a doubles hitter at this point, he shows sporadic power to the pull side and could develop into an average home run threat. With solid range, soft hands and a plus arm, Villanueva has all the tools to play third base. His first-step quickness shows up in the field and on the basepaths, where he can use his average speed to swipe the occasional bag.
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  Ranked Arizona Complex League #14 prospect in 2010
  Villanueva was one of the league's best surprises. He played just eight games in the Dominican Summer League last year before needing knee surgery, so 2010 was his first real taste of pro ball. He hit consistently all summer, mainly driving the ball to the middle of the field. He hinted at his power potential with 14 doubles, some of which could turn into homers as he gets stronger and starts to pull more pitches. Villanueva is a plus defender at the hot corner, with the athletic ability to move to second base if necessary. He has average speed, a quick first step and a plus arm. He also has picked up English very quickly and made an impression with his work ethic.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #100 prospect in 2012

• December, 2011 Scouting Report
  Background: Rangers international scouting director Mike Daly saw Villanueva star for Mexico at the 2008 Junior World Championships, and Texas signed him two weeks later. Coming from a family of baseball players, he always played shortstop as an amateur but moved to third base after injuring his knee in 2009 and starting to fill out.Scouting Report: Villanueva has a short, compact swing with a balanced load and good bat control. He has an advanced approach at the plate, though he can get pull-happy at times. There are mixed opinions on his power, as he presently has line-drive sock but some scouts see at least average potential. He doesn't project as a basestealer, but he has sneaky quickness and instincts that allowed him to swipe 32 bases last year. Villanueva is equally as impressive at third base as Mike Olt. A plus defender, Villanueva has soft hands and easy actions. Despite average speed, he has a solid range thanks to his first-step quickness and instincts. He has above-average arm with good carry and accuracy. The Future: Scouts compare Villanueva with countryman Vinny Castilla. With Adrian Beltre in Texas and Olt ahead of him in the system, Villanueva spent time during instructional league at second base, where there would be reduced pressure on his bat. He'll play in high Class A in 2012.