Aramis Ademan

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Chicago Cubs #26 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: After signing for $2 million and skipping over the Rookie-level Arizona League, Ademan has struggled. He followed a rough 2018 at high Class A Myrtle Beach with a similarly difficult 2019 season at the same level. The only saving grace was that, despite the repeat, Ademan was the ninth-youngest player in the Carolina League on Opening Day.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Entering the year, Ademan needed to get stronger to withstand the grind of a full season. After the season, it's clear he still has a ways to go in that department. After a strong start to the season, he faded in the second half with a .172/.257/.289 line over 56 games. Scouts did see some bat-toball skills and a touch of pull power but for the most part were unimpressed. He's still a solid defender up the middle and is athletic. Ademan will have to work to maintain those skills, which appear at this point to be his carrying tools. He's an average runner.
  
  THE FUTURE: After two seasons at high Class A, Ademan will likely move to Double-A Tennessee. He has the ceiling of a glove-first defensive utilityman in the big leagues.
• 
  Ranked Chicago Cubs #10 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: After playing with the Dominican Republic 15U team and training with Amaurys Nina, who also trained former Cubs prospect Eloy Jimenez, Ademan signed with the Cubs for $2 million. The Cubs skipped Ademan and fellow 2015 signee Miguel Amaya over the Rookie-level Arizona League and instead sent both to short-season Eugene in 2017, when Ademan ranked as the Northwest League's No. 7 prospect. The Cubs moved Ademan aggressively again in 2018, jumping him to high Class A Myrtle Beach after just 29 games in the Midwest League to close the previous season.
  
  Scouting Report: Ademan opened 2018 as the Carolina League's second-youngest player, and it showed. He still boasts a smooth, sound swing, but desperately needs to get more oomph behind the ball. His gap power is exclusively to the pull side, though his singles were spread evenly around the outfield. He's unlikely to have better than gap power, but the strength gains need to come before he reaches even that mark. The Cubs see Ademan as a potential above-average defender at shortstop on the 20-to-80 scouting scale with an average arm that needs to be refined. They have worked with Ademan to keep his upper and lower body in sync to improve his throws.
  
  The Future: The Cubs preached process over results with Ademan and hope that a down 2018 will provide a chance for a big rebound in 2019, when he likely returns to Myrtle Beach and will play the entire season at 20 years old.
• 
  Ranked Chicago Cubs #1 prospect in 2018
  Ademan, who played for the Dominican Republic's 15U national team in 2013, trained with Amaurys Nina, and the Cubs have had success with Nina's players before, most notably Eloy Jimenez. The Cubs traded Jimenez to the White Sox in 2017 in the Jose Quintana deal, one of many trades that thinned the farm system considerably and made room at the top for Ademan, who signed in August 2015 for $2 million. He was considered a light-hitting yet smooth infielder when he signed, but he started to change perceptions in 2017, his first year in the U.S., by skipping Rookie ball and jumping straight to short-season Eugene. The Cubs kept pushing him with a promotion to low Class A South Bend for the final 29 games of the season, where he replaced Isaac Paredes after he was traded to the Tigers. Ademan has a high-waisted, projectable frame with solid athleticism, good body control and natural feel for the game. He plays under control and has savvy for his age, which is most evident offensively. He has surprising strength in his wiry frame and can drive balls to the gaps consistently and even over the fence. He has a feel for barreling the baseball, repeats his smooth swing and has shown some selectivity as well, allowing his average power to play. He should be a steady above-average hitter. Ademan is steady at shortstop with quick feet, excellent hands and a solid-average arm. He's still a teenager who makes some mistakes on routine plays, though scouts project him as an above-average defender, if not better, with time and experience. In 2017 he made 17 errors in 67 games at shortstop, 10 of them on throws. Ademan is an average runner with times in the range of 4.2 to 4.3 seconds to first base, though he will need to be a more selective basestealer at higher levels. Ademan has a high floor as a middle infielder who can hit, and he already has hopped on the fast track by reaching full-season ball. He'll have to gain strength and improve his ability to learn which plays he can make and which he cannot to be a future regular at shortstop. He likely will continue to move quickly because the Cubs need trade chips more than they need another middle infielder. Ademan should return to South Bend to start 2018, but if he heats up before July, his name will be involved in trade talks for pitchers.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Northwest League #8 prospect in 2017
  Signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2015 for $2 million, Ademan made a leap forward, particularly with the bat, in 2017. He earned a promotion to low Class A South Bend at the end of July after batting .286/.365/.466 for Eugene. Ademan has an average arm and average speed, but he makes up for it with advanced defensive instincts at shortstop and soft hands. Just 19, Ademan will still make the occasional error on routine plays, but he's shown an eagerness to learn and has been highly coachable. He surprised managers and scouts this summer with more juice in his bat than his 5-foot-11, 160-pound frame would suggest. Ademan has a smooth lefthanded swing and shows the ability to spray the ball to all fields. With a discerning batting eye and a disciplined approach, Ademan has the chance to be a plus hitter. He's gotten stronger since signing and should continue to get stronger, but he has mostly gap power at present. His hit tool and defensive ability should carry him.

• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: After signing for $2 million and skipping over the Rookie-level Arizona League, Ademan has struggled. He followed a rough 2018 at high Class A Myrtle Beach with a similarly difficult 2019 season at the same level. The only saving grace was that, despite the repeat, Ademan was the ninth-youngest player in the Carolina League on Opening Day.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Entering the year, Ademan needed to get stronger to withstand the grind of a full season. After the season, it's clear he still has a ways to go in that department. After a strong start to the season, he faded in the second half with a .172/.257/.289 line over 56 games. Scouts did see some bat-toball skills and a touch of pull power but for the most part were unimpressed. He's still a solid defender up the middle and is athletic. Ademan will have to work to maintain those skills, which appear at this point to be his carrying tools. He's an average runner.
  
  THE FUTURE: After two seasons at high Class A, Ademan will likely move to Double-A Tennessee. He has the ceiling of a glove-first defensive utilityman in the big leagues.
• July, 2018 Scouting Report
  Ademan entered the season as the Carolina League’s second youngest player, and it’s shown through the first half of the year. Still, there are reasons for optimism. He came into the season in outstanding shape, and now the Cubs are preaching to him about process rather than results. They want him to become less pull-happy and still believe the talent will shine through when all is said and done despite a .221/.312/.301 slash line.
• December, 2017 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Ademan, who played for the Dominican Republic's 15U national team in 2013, trained with Amaurys Nina, and the Cubs have had success with Nina players before, most notably Eloy Jimenez. The Cubs traded Jimenez to the White Sox in 2017 in the Jose Quintana deal, one of many trades that thinned the farm system considerably and made room at the top for Ademan, who signed in August 2015 for $2 million. He was considered a light-hitting yet smooth infielder when he signed, but he started to change perceptions in 2017, his first year in the U.S., by skipping Rookie ball and jumping straight to short-season Eugene. The Cubs kept pushing him with a promotion to low Class A South Bend for the final 29 games of the season, where he replaced Isaac Paredes after he was traded to the Tigers. Scouting Report: Ademan has a high-waisted, projectable frame with solid athleticism, good body control and natural feel for the game. He plays under control and has savvy for his age, which is most evident offensively. He has surprising strength in his wiry frame and can drive balls to the gaps consistently and even over the fence. He has a feel for barreling the baseball, repeats his smooth swing and has shown some selectivity as well, allowing his average power to play. He should be a steady above-average hitter. Ademan is steady at shortstop with quick feet, excellent hands and a solid-average arm. He's still a teenager who makes some mistakes on routine plays, though scouts project him as an above-average defender, if not better, with time and experience. In 2017 he made 17 errors in 67 games at shortstop, 10 of them on throws. Ademan is an average runner with times in the range of 4.2 to 4.3 seconds to first base, though he will need to be a more selective basestealer at higher levels. The Future: Ademan has a high floor as a middle infielder who can hit, and he already has hopped on the fast track by reaching full-season ball. He'll have to gain strength and improve his ability to learn which plays he can make and which he cannot to be a future regular at shortstop. He likely will continue to move quickly because the Cubs need trade chips more than they need another middle infielder. Ademan should return to South Bend to start 2018, but if he heats up before July, his name will be involved in trade talks for pitchers.