Jose Pujols Stats & Scouting Report

AB	1580
AVG	.239
OBP	.305
SLG	.418
HR	65

Full name Jose Miguel Pujols
Born 09/29/1995 in Santo Domingo Centro, Dominican Republic
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 175 / Bats: R / Throws: R

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

A $540,000 signee out of the Dominican Republic, Pujols' career has been a slow burn. He started his career stateside in 2013 as a 17-year-old in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League, where he finished in a five-way tie for the most home runs in the league. Problem was, those six home runs accounted for 20 percent of his hits. He returned to the GCL in 2014 and swatted five more longballs before being shipped to short-season Williamsport. His season was stunted this season by a broken hand in spring training, but the injury healed on time for him to open back in the New York-Penn League. As ever, Pujols showed massive raw power and a well-above average throwing arm to go but very poor pitch selection. He didn't make the adjustments the Phillies wanted this season, but the raw juice in his bat is still tantalizing. That's especially true for a player who will spend all of 2016 as a 20-year-old. He's likely to get his first taste of full-season ball with low Class A Lakewood.
Inked for $540,000 in 2012, Pujols has as much raw power as any outfielder in the system. He opened 2014 in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League at 18 years old and hit five home runs, which tied for fourth in the league, before receiving a brief taste of short-season Williamsport at season's end. As would be expected with someone his age with his power, Pujols swings and misses often and struggles with breaking pitches. Beyond the power, he's an average defender in right field. He'll need to refine his pitch recognition and an approach that right now is geared toward pulling fastballs. If Pujols can do that as he repeats Williamsport in 2015, then he could jump up the list.
Much like Carlos Tocci at low Class A Lakewood and the since-traded Domingo Santana, Jose Pujols is a lottery ticket waiting to be scratched. The Phillies signed him during the 2012 international signing period for $540,000, a bonus second only to Dominican catcher Deivi Grullon in his class. Built with a tall, lean and powerful frame, Pujols' calling card is prodigious raw power, which some scouts have projected to an 80 on the 20-80 scale, borne from his premium, righthanded bat speed. His six home runs in 2013 tied for the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League lead with a quartet of other players, including teammate Wilmer Oberto. To get to that power, Pujols hit just .188 and struck out nearly a third of the time due to a lack of hitting polish. Right now, his power is exclusively to the pull side, but age and maturity should help him gain a better approach at the plate, which in turn will allow him to tap into his strength more evenly and more often. He's an average runner right now, but his long legs and strides help magnify that tool a bit. Pujols, whose body has earned comparisons with John Mayberry Jr., has an average arm and fits the right-field profile. He will begin 2014 back in the GCL.

Minor League Top Prospects

Signed for $540,000 in 2012, Pujols remains incredibly raw as a hitter, but his raw tools are loud. Tall, lean and athletic, his raw power already ranks among the best in the Phillies system, and he should only add strength as he fills out. An aggressive slasher, Pujols still strikes out too much and is prone to chasing breaking balls outside of the zone. But one scout said he saw Pujols be selective at times and look for a pitch to hit--an advanced trait for a hitter of his age and background. Combine that with a plus arm and at least average defensive ability, and Pujols has the look of a future big league corner outfielder. "I really liked him," the scout said. "The bat has life and he's a line-drive hitter . . . I think he can be a 15-20 home run guy. When you look at him at 19, I think he's going to be a good major league player."