Arquimedes Gamboa

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #26 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: Gamboa was a high-profile international prospect when he was 16, signing out of Venezuela for $900,000. He struggled the next two seasons, but showed signs that things were starting to click for him at the end of the 2017 season. He didn't carry that success over into 2018, however, struggling in the high Class A Florida State League and then after the season in the Arizona Fall League.
  
  Scouting Report: Gamboa has been a frustrating prospect, exhibiting promising tools and athleticism with glimpses of being able to put things together at the plate, but never in more than short bursts. Gamboa is an athletic shortstop with a plus arm. He's an above-average runner who reacts well off the bat and has solid range for the position. While Gamboa has the tools to stick at shortstop, he needs to show more at the plate. The Phillies have pushed him aggressively and Gamboa doesn't strike out excessively, but he's a pull-heavy hitter who rolls over a lot of grounders to the right side. He's a switch-hitter whose swing is better from the left side, though he didn't hit well from either side in 2018. Gamboa has gap power, with a chance to grow into 8-12 home runs.
  
  The Future: The Phillies have promoted Gamboa one level each season, but he probably needs to repeat the FSL in 2019.
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  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #20 prospect in 2018
  Gamboa was a big international prospect in 2014, when he signed with the Phillies for $900,000. Little went right for him on the field his first two seasons, but he showed signs of life in 2017 and played his best baseball at the end of the season, batting .327/.364/.531 at low Class A Lakewood from Aug. 1 to the end of the season, a span of 25 games. Gamboa is an athletic shortstop who projects to stick at the position with a pair of plus tools in his speed and arm strength. He's a switch-hitter with a far more advanced swing from the left side, where he batted .274/.344/.416 with 25 walks and 29 strikeouts in 247 plate appearances compared to .227/.286/.284 in 98 plate appearances righthanded. His lefty swing has better rhythm, balance and timing than his righthanded stroke, though the Phillies plan to let him continue switch-hitting. Gamboa has more strength projection than some of the other young Phillies shortstops in the system, with enough power to occasionally sneak a ball out to his pull side, but he probably won't ever be a big power threat. Gamboa flashed signals of breakout potential in 2017 and could carry that over into the 2018 season.