Ariel Sandoval

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #28 prospect in 2016
  Sandoval signed with the Dodgers for $150,000 after the 2012 season, impressing the organization with his size, athleticism and hand-eye coordination. He spent two seasons in the Dominican Summer League, then made his U.S. debut in 2015 in the Rookie-level Arizona League, where he showed a diverse tool package. Sandoval has a hyper-aggressive approach, drawing three walks and striking out 49 times in 50 games in 2015. He doesn't swing and miss at many strikes, but he gets in trouble because he likes to swing at everything,which will get exposed unless he improves his discipline. He didn't have much sock in his bat when he signed, but he now has average raw power. A solid-average runner with an above-average arm, Sandoval split time between center and right field, and where he fits in the future may depend on how much bigger he gets. Rookie-level Ogden or low Class A Great Lakes should be his next step.
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  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #28 prospect in 2014
  After the 2012 season, the Dodgers overhauled their international scouting department. First they brought in Patrick Guerrero, who had just been fired by the Mariners, to be their Latin American coordinator. Soon after, they hired Bob Engle from the Mariners to be their vice president of international scouting, reuniting the two longtime coworkers in the same roles they had in Seattle. Their first six-figure signing was Sandoval, who landed a $150,000 bonus in December 2012. Sandoval still is raw, but his combination of size, athleticism and hand-eye coordination give him a promising starter kit. He's a plus runner who projects as a center fielder, though if he gets too big his above-average arm strength should allow him to play right field. He didn't post big numbers in the Dominican Summer League in his pro debut in 2013, but he has a knack for making contact and the size to grow into more power than the occasional gap pop he shows now. Sandoval's youth and crudeness are enough to possibly warrant another year in the DSL, but it's possible he could make his U.S. debut in the Rookie-level Arizona League in 2014.