Niko Vasquez Stats & Scouting Report

Full name Ernest Vasquez
Born 02/26/1989 in Oxnard JC, CA
Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 170 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Durango
Drafted in the 3rd round (91st overall) by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2008 (signed for $423,000).

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Vasquez emerged as a potential high draft pick at last summer's Area Code Games as he started turning his raw tools into performance, using his strong hands and good bat speed to blister good velocity. He also showed good defensive tools during a January Under Armour event, with a strong, accurate arm and better hands and actions. However, his season has been wildly inconsistent, starting with an academic suspension in February that cost him a month's worth of games. When he returned, Vasquez was inconsistent defensively, and most scouts see him moving either to third base or second due to his below-average speed and lack of range at shortstop. However, his bat and perceived signability should get him drafted in the first three rounds. A skilled hitter, he has excellent hands and a good swing path, helping him lash line drives from gap to gap. He was at his best when the scouting heat was on this spring. Some scouts want to try him behind the plate, while others think he'll hit enough and has enough arm (it's average at best) to handle third base. His academic issues didn't hinder his Oregon State commitment, but he's considered signable.

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Two years after drafting the starting shortstop at Las Vegas' Durango High (Tommy Pham, who played in Class A last year), history repeated as the Cardinals plucked a Durango shortstop again. This time they think they may have landed a first-round bat with a third-round choice. Vasquez slipped in the draft because of uncertain signability, a commitment to Oregon State and an eyebrow-raising academic suspension. The Cardinals got him with the 91st pick and a $423,000 bonus, and he immediately looked like a steal. He dominated the Rookie-level Appalachian League and finished the year as a 19-year-old in low Class A. Vazquez has the arm to play shortstop, but probably won't have quick enough feet as he matures and fills out his frame, so he's expected to gravitate toward third base or second base. His feel for middle infield may be enough to keep him at second. While there is no guarantee he'll develop home run pop, Vasquez swings a solid bat and will hit for average. There are hints, however, that as he marches through the organization as a middle infielder and his game and body mature, the Cardinals think his sweet-spot contact could erupt into gap power, enough to turn him from a utility glove to an everyday contributor.

Though evaluators were split on Vasquez's power potential and future defensive home, he hit so well in the Appy League that he earned an 11-game trial with low Class A Quad Cities two months after the Cardinals drafted him in the third round. His approach, strong hands and swing path should make him a solid-average hitter, though his bat speed is average and estimates of his future power ranged from below average to fringy. He tends to expand his strike zone to chase fastballs up in the zone and swings through them. Vasquez has athleticism and average middle-infield instincts, but he lacks first-step quickness and is a below-average runner. His solid-average arm is enough for third, and scouts thought that he profiled best either there or at second base. He could become an offensive-minded utility infielder.