Adalberto Mondesi

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Kansas City Royals #1 prospect in 2016
  Mondesi has a long way to go to match the big league career of his father Raul Mondesi Sr., but he has some bragging rights. While his father never played in the World Series, Mondesi experienced the postseason without ever playing in the majors in the regular season. With starting second baseman Ben Zobrist's pregnant wife's due date set to possibly happen during the World Series, the Royals added Mondesi to the World Series roster, envisioning that he could be an early-inning pinch hitter in National League parks, a pinch runner and a lateinning defensive replacement. Zobrist never had to leave the team, so Mondesi's World Series role was limited. He went 0-for-1 as a pinch hitter, making him the only player to make his big league debut in the World Series. Mondesi has been on a fast track ever since he signed for $2 million in 2011. He has been one of the youngest players in every league he's played in as a pro. The Royals have had few worries that the advanced assignments would harm Mondesi's development because he's supremely confident, but at the same time his speedy development has kept him from ever getting a chance to get comfortable and dominate a league. Mondesi's tools are exceptional, but he's yet to show the ability to put together the consistent stretches that show those tools are being matched by skills. An average runner when he signed, Mondesi has gotten stronger and faster and is now is a plus-plus runner who will turn in top-of-thescale times. At shortstop he's a potentially plus-plus defender with an equally impressive 70 arm. The Royals asked him to play second base sporadically this year to give him some versatility. He handled the move with no issues and projects as at least a excellent defender at second as well. The switch-hitting Mondesi is much less consistent at the plate. When he's locked in, he can lay down a bunt for a hit or crush a home run, but he struggles to put together a consistent approach at-bat after at-bat. He is much too aggressive, struggling to accept that a walk is a positive outcome. There are few players harder for scouts to evaluate than Mondesi because they have to decide how much of his plate discipline issues come from his aggressive promotions (he was four years younger than the average Texas Leaguer) and how much of it is an approach problem that isn't going away. Mondesi's speed and bat speed should give him at least an average hit tool and he has surprising power for a shortstop, but his selectiveness has to improve. With his speed and power, he could turn into a triple machine in Kauffman Stadium. Mondesi missed time in 2015 with a back injury that could best be described as tightness. He worked on stretching exercises, but it is something he'll have to work to keep from becoming a significant long-term issue. Kansas City shortstop Alcides Escobar has two years left before he reaches free agency. That makes it likely that Mondesi will break into Kansas City at second base, although he should still be the team's shortstop of the future after time at Triple-A Omaha in 2016. If he can improve his plate discipline he has a higher upside than Escobar as he has more power with equal speed and similar defensive chops, but Mondesi still has a lot of work to do to reach that ceiling.
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  Ranked Kansas City Royals #1 prospect in 2015
  The son of former Dodgers right fielder Raul Mondesi, Raul Adalberto was the second-most prominent international signing the Royals landed in 2011 He signed for $2 million, while Dominican outfielder Elier Hernandez signed for $3 million. But ever since Hernandez and Mondesi came to the States in 2012, the latter has established himself as the Royals' best position prospect. Mondesi was the youngest player in the high Class A Carolina League when the 2014 season began. The Royals were so taken by his spring training performance that they half-expected him to reach Double-A Northwest Arkansas by midseason, but after a strong April, he failed to hit better than .215 in any of the final four months of the season. He did hit six home runs and four triples in August. Mondesi's tools are outstanding. In the words of one scout: "Every now and then you see flashes. You could put a lot of 70s and 80s (on the 20-80 scouting scale) on him." But Mondesi has to improve his approach and his ability to work counts to get a chance to take advantage of his excellent bat speed. He is a 70 runner who will turn in top-of-the-scale 80 times occasionally. He has a strong arm, soft hands and excellent shortstop actions, and he's sure-handed for his age (.963 fielding percentage). He projects as an above-average defender at shortstop. The wiry-strong Mondesi has a chance to one day hit 12-15 home runs as he matures. His combination of speed and pop helped him lead the Carolina League with 12 triples. He also has improved as a bunter, and roughly 15 percent of his singles in 2014 were bunt hits. He also has the tools to be at least an average hitter, and possibly better than that, but he's yet to show that in long stretches. Too often, Mondesi over-aggressively swings at everything, leaving himself in bad counts. His two-strike approach is even worse, as he'll expand the zone to chase unhittable breaking balls and fastballs. His swing has no obvious mechanical flaws from either side, but too often he gets caught lunging because of poor pitch recognition that disconnects his legs from his swing. Mondesi presented one of the toughest player evaluations scouts faced in 2014. His tools are exceptional, but his contact issues meant that those tools were only seen sporadically . Scouts around baseball generally wrote off Mondesi's awful season as a byproduct of being 18 in the Carolina League. He's still the most talented player in the Royals' system and one of the top shortstop prospects in the game. The Royals have moved Mondesi aggressively , but it's time to let him catch up to his competition. He's the Royals' long-term answer at shortstop, but for now a return to Wilmington is likely. Based on 20-80 scouting scale and future projection rather than present grades.
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  Ranked Kansas City Royals #3 prospect in 2014
  The son of longtime big league outfielder Raul Mondesi, Raul Adalberto has grown up around the game and it shows. (His brother Raul Jr. is an outfielder who spent time in the Rays and Brewers systems.) Rarely overwhelmed despite playing against much older competition, Mondesi signed for $2 million in 2011 and has been matching or exceeding expectations ever since. He made his pro debut as the youngest player in the Rookie-level Pioneer League and was the second-youngest player in the low Class A South Atlantic League in 2013. Mondesi combines flashes of present brilliance with enticing projection. He will chase pitches out of the zone, but at times he shows solid pitch recognition. He has a pretty simple swing from both sides of the plate and shows no pronounced difference when hitting against lefthanders or righthanders. Long-term, he projects as an above-average hitter with average power. He's gained speed since signing to become a 60 runner. Defensively, Mondesi has fluid actions, above-average range and an above-average arm and is especially good coming in on balls. He committed 30 errors in 2013, split almost evenly between fielding and throwing miscues, but scouts expect him to improve his efficiency. Slated to be that rare 18-year-old in the high Class A Carolina League in 2014, Mondesi is moving fast enough to reach the big leagues just in time to supplant Alcides Escobar in 2017 at the latest.
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  Ranked Kansas City Royals #5 prospect in 2013
  The son of 1994 National League rookie of the year Raul Mondesi and the brother of Rays' minor leaguer Raul Mondesi Jr., Adalberto signed with the Royals for a $2 million bonus. Some international scouts didn't think his bat was worth such a hefty price tag, but he has been working to convert the critics. He was the youngest player in the Rookie-level Pioneer League in 2012 and didn't turn 17 until midseason, yet he more than held his own against players three to five years his senior. A switch-hitter, Mondesi has an advanced approach and present gap power. Some scouts project him to have average home run power as he gets older and matures physically. He already has started to fill out and has gotten quicker since signing, becoming an above-average runner. He'll need to improve his plate discipline, but time is on his side. At shortstop, he has excellent instincts, hands so quick that his transfers seem like a blur, and a strong arm. He made 23 errors in 47 games in 2012, the result of his youth and ability to get to balls that other shortstops can't reach. Mondesi should be the youngest player in full-season ball in 2013, when he'll play in Lexington. If he advances one level a year, he could still get to Kansas City at the age of 21.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked Texas League #5 prospect in 2015
  The son of former Dodgers right fielder Raul Mondesi, Raul Adalberto signed with the Royals for $2 million in 2011. Mondesi, who played most of the season at age 19, already is a frontline defensive player with plus range at shortstop and plus arm strength. He showed solid power and a better feel to hit this season than he had in the past, but the switch-hitter continues to strike out at a high rate (26 percent) for a player who will not hit many homers. The lithe Mondesi is also a plus runner, which should help him be an average hitter, which he projects to be at this point. With his defense, one TL manager said, that makes him an extremely valuable player. "He just turned 20," the manager said, "so in a year (the hit tool) will be there. He's special. He can run, he can bunt, he can drive a ball in the gap or drive the ball the opposite way. He's growing into his body. He's the most exciting player in this league."
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  Ranked Carolina League #4 prospect in 2014
  Mondesi played half the Carolina League season at age 18, which proved to be quite a challenge. The numbers may not bear it out, but his tools are elite, and opposing managers have little doubt the production will follow. "He can really play," Lynchburg manager Luis Salazar said. "There's a lot he can do already. He's a good bunter, for one. This kid's going to be a star." Scouts have little doubt Mondesi will be a solid big leaguer once he finds a hitting approach, as one said he was "just a pup" who made decent contact and had all the tools. He won't hit for more than fringe power, but he can spray the ball around and run with plus speed, so he projects to hit for average. Mondesi shines on defense with plus range and arm strength, so playing shortstop will be no stretch. Winston-Salem manager Tommy Thompson pointed out that the eight-team CL presents a tough environment for teenage players because teams get such long looks at each other and quickly learn to exploit weaknesses.
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  Ranked South Atlantic League #4 prospect in 2013
  Evaluating Mondesi involves extrapolating the glimpses of greatness he shows now and trying to figure out what will happen when he adds the maturity and strength that come with age. The son of former big leaguer Raul Mondesi and brother of Raul Jr., he played most of the year as a 17-year-old, showing impressive highs (he hit for the cycle and had a two-homer game) and significant lows (he struck out six times in one game). Throughout it all, Mondesi showed a plus arm, athleticism and good actions that should allow him to handle shortstop defensively at the highest levels, as well as a solid swing from both sides of the plate. He has below-average present power, but give him a couple of years and he should have at least average power. ?He plays with joy,? Greenville manager Carlos Febles said. ?We played them 26 times, I never saw him take an at-bat into the field. I saw him go 0-for-4 with three strikeouts and he was playing defense the same way as when he gets three hits.?
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  Ranked Pioneer League #3 prospect in 2012
  The son of former major leaguer Raul Mondesi, Aldaberto was the youngest player in the league and more than held his own against players often four or five years older than him, even though it was his first year in pro ball. He has an advanced approach for his age from both sides of the plate, though his discipline needs improvement. He should be able to hit for average, currently has gap power and should develop into a home run threat as his skinny frame fills out. "He might have the highest ceiling in the league because of his youth," Diaz said. "This guy may show up in three years hitting 30 bombs in the big leagues." With plus speed, range and arm strength, Mondesi can be a difference-maker on the bases and at shortstop. Playing his home games on the league's worst infield surface contributed to his 23 errors in 47 games, but he made plays no other shortstop in the league could make. His tools and lithe, athletic body mean he's in little danger of ever having to move off of shortstop.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #29 prospect in 2016
• Ranked Baseball America's #28 prospect in 2015
• Ranked Baseball America's #47 prospect in 2014

• December, 2014 Scouting Report
  The son of former Dodgers right fielder Raul Mondesi, Raul Adalberto was the second-most prominent international signing the Royals landed in 2011 He signed for $2 million, while Dominican outfielder Elier Hernandez signed for $3 million. But ever since Hernandez and Mondesi came to the States in 2012, the latter has established himself as the Royals' best position prospect. Mondesi was the youngest player in the high Class A Carolina League when the 2014 season began. The Royals were so taken by his spring training performance that they half-expected him to reach Double-A Northwest Arkansas by midseason, but after a strong April, he failed to hit better than .215 in any of the final four months of the season. He did hit six home runs and four triples in August. Mondesi's tools are outstanding. In the words of one scout: "Every now and then you see flashes. You could put a lot of 70s and 80s (on the 20-80 scouting scale) on him." But Mondesi has to improve his approach and his ability to work counts to get a chance to take advantage of his excellent bat speed. He is a 70 runner who will turn in top-of-the-scale 80 times occasionally. He has a strong arm, soft hands and excellent shortstop actions, and he's sure-handed for his age (.963 fielding percentage). He projects as an above-average defender at shortstop. The wiry-strong Mondesi has a chance to one day hit 12-15 home runs as he matures. His combination of speed and pop helped him lead the Carolina League with 12 triples. He also has improved as a bunter, and roughly 15 percent of his singles in 2014 were bunt hits. He also has the tools to be at least an average hitter, and possibly better than that, but he's yet to show that in long stretches. Too often, Mondesi over-aggressively swings at everything, leaving himself in bad counts. His two-strike approach is even worse, as he'll expand the zone to chase unhittable breaking balls and fastballs. His swing has no obvious mechanical flaws from either side, but too often he gets caught lunging because of poor pitch recognition that disconnects his legs from his swing. Mondesi presented one of the toughest player evaluations scouts faced in 2014. His tools are exceptional, but his contact issues meant that those tools were only seen sporadically . Scouts around baseball generally wrote off Mondesi's awful season as a byproduct of being 18 in the Carolina League. He's still the most talented player in the Royals' system and one of the top shortstop prospects in the game. The Royals have moved Mondesi aggressively , but it's time to let him catch up to his competition. He's the Royals' long-term answer at shortstop, but for now a return to Wilmington is likely. Based on 20-80 scouting scale and future projection rather than present grades.
• December, 2012 Scouting Report
  Background: The son of 1994 National League rookie of the year Raul Mondesi and the brother of Brewers minor leaguer Raul Mondesi Jr., Adalberto signed with the Royals for a $2 million bonus. Some international scouts didn't think his bat was worth such a hefty price tag, but he has been working to convert the critics. He was the youngest player in the Rookie-level Pioneer League in 2012 and didn't turn 17 until midseason, yet he more than held his own against players three to five years his senior. Scouting Report: A switch-hitter, Mondesi has an advanced approach and present gap power. Some scouts project him to have average home run power as he gets older and matures physically. He already has started to fill out and has gotten quicker since signing, becoming an above-average runner. He'll need to improve his plate discipline, but time is on his side. At shortstop, Mondesi has excellent instincts, hands so quick that his transfers seem like a blur, and a strong arm. He made 23 errors in 47 games in 2012, the result of his youth and ability to get to balls that other shortstops can't reach. The Future: Mondesi should be the youngest player in full-season ball in 2013, when he'll play in Lexington. If he advances one level a year, he could still get to Kansas City at the age of 21.