Wilmer Difo

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Washington Nationals #4 prospect in 2017
  A late bloomer, Difo struggled in the low minors before breaking out in 2014, when he won the South Atlantic League MVP award as a 22-year-old at low Class A Hagerstown. He has built on that progress, making his major league debut in 2015 and returning to Washington for much of the second half in 2016. He also earned a spot on the postseason roster thanks to his versatility and speed. Difo is a well above-average runner and has an aggressive approach on the basepaths and at the plate. A switch-hitter, he has a short, quick swing. He has some wiry strength and can drive the ball into the gaps for extra-base hits but has produced below-average power in the upper levels. After moving around the infield early in his career, Difo has settled at shortstop, where he has made strides as a defender. He is still improving his consistency in the field, but he has above-average arm strength and the hands necessary to play shortstop. He also played second and third base in the major leagues. Because Difo has played only one game at Triple-A, the Nationals could send him to Syracuse to play every day at shortstop and continue to work on his defense. He also could return to Washington to reprise his role as a utility infielder.
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  Ranked Washington Nationals #6 prospect in 2016
  A late bloomer, Difo struggled in the low minors before breaking out in 2014, when he won the South Atlantic League MVP award as a 22-year at low Class A Hagerstown. He built on that progress in 2015, earning a surprise callup to the big leagues in May but broke his left hand in October, ending both his season and plans to attend the Arizona Fall League. He played sparingly in a few stints with the Nationals, starting only one game, but showed how far he has come as a player. Difo's biggest strides have been in the mental aspect of the game. He previously struggled to cope with adversity and the failures inherent to baseball. With a better approach to the game, his tools have had a chance to shine through. He's a well above-average runner and has an aggressive approach on the basepaths and at the plate. He has a short, quick swing with surprising raw power from both sides of the plate. He primarily played shortstop this season, except when he briefly shared an infield with Trea Turner at Double-A Harrisburg. Turner's presence may eventually force Difo to become a second baseman, where he can be an above-average defender. Difo gives the Nats another big league shortstop option for 2016, but he's more likely to return as Harrisburg's shortstop to start or jump to Triple-A Syracuse.
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  Ranked Washington Nationals #7 prospect in 2015
  Difo had shown flashes of potential during his first four years in pro ball, but his lack of maturity held him back. He struggled mightily to process failure, and the Nationals reset his career in 2013, sending him back to the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League to learn how to cope with the ups and downs of the game. He responded well and posted a breakout 2014 season in the low Class A South Atlantic League, winning league MVP honors. Difo has quality tools across the board. He is a plus runner who sometimes shows double-plus speed and is both aggressive and efficient as a basestealer. He has very good first-step quickness that translates to above-average range at either shortstop or second base, and his slightly above-average arm plays at either spot. A switch-hitter, Difo has a short, quick stroke and flashes average raw power from both sides, but he is stronger from the right side. He has a knack for making contact and is a good bunter, giving him a shot to be at least a solid-average hitter with fringy game power. Difo's game was ready for higher levels in 2014, but the Nationals wanted him to gain confidence and earn some postseason hardware, so they left him at low Class A Hagerstown. They could push him in 2015, now that he's on the 40-man roster, with a likely assignment at high Class A Potomac and a chance to play his way to Double-A Harrisburg.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked South Atlantic League #14 prospect in 2014
  Coming into this year, Difo had been viewed as more of an org player than a premium prospect. He was a fill-in for four different Nationals clubs in 2013 but responded to a chance to be an everyday player in Hagerstown by winning the league's MVP award after ranking among league leaders in batting average (.315), stolen bases (49) and extra-base hits (52). He also was one of the toughest players in the league to strike out. Scouts who saw Difo this year wonder where he'd been hiding before, for he was an above-average defender at second base and an average defender at shortstop. His plus speed played up because he showed excellent baserunning skills. At the plate, Difo shows surprising power from the right side and a more contact-oriented line drive swing from the left, but both are effective. He hit over .300 from both side of the plate.

• December, 2016 Scouting Report
  Background: A late bloomer, Difo struggled in the low minors before breaking out in 2014, when he won the South Atlantic League MVP award as a 22-year-old at low Class A Hagerstown. He has built on that progress, making his major league debut in 2015 and returning to Washington for much of the second half in 2016. He also earned a spot on the postseason roster thanks to his versatility and speed. Scouting Report: Difo is a well above-average runner and has an aggressive approach on the basepaths and at the plate. A switch-hitter, he has a short, quick swing. He has some wiry strength and can drive the ball into the gaps for extra-base hits but has produced below-average power in the upper levels. After moving around the infield early in his career, Difo has settled at shortstop, where he has made strides as a defender. He is still improving his consistency in the field, but he has above-average arm strength and the hands necessary to play shortstop. He also played second and third base in the big leagues. The Future: Because Difo has played only one game at Triple-A, the Nationals could send him to Syracuse to play every day at shortstop and continue to work on his defense. He also could return to Washington to reprise his role as a utility infielder.