Franklin Barreto Stats & Scouting Report

AB	23
AVG	.261
OBP	.433
SLG	.304
HR	0

Full name Franklin Jose Barreto
Born 02/27/1996 in Caracas, Venezuela
Profile Ht.: 5'8" / Wt.: 208 / Bats: R / Throws: R
Debut 06/24/2017

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Acquired from the Blue Jays in the Josh Donaldson deal in November 2014, Barreto has steadily climbed the ladder of the Athletics organization. His .290/.339/.456 season at Triple-A Nashville in 2017 closely compares with his .292/.347/.463 career line in five minor league seasons. Barreto had two stints in the majors in 2017 and went 14 for 71 (.197). Strikeouts have become an issue in the upper levels. He struck out 141 times in 510 plate appearances for Nashville and 33 times in 76 PAs for Oakland. Originally a shortstop, Barreto has spent time at second base in the minors and majors. He has the arm and range to play shortstop in the bigs, but is better suited for second because his arm at short can be a little erratic. As a hitter, he uses the whole field and has more power than you'd expect from someone his size. He needs to improve his plate discipline to get the most from his above-average bat and surprising power. His plus speed makes him a basestealing threat (92 career steals). The A's will pick up the contract option on second baseman Jed Lowrie, which might mean that Barreto will begin the 2018 season back at Nashville. Oakland has several promising middle infielders in the organization, but Barreto remains at the top of the list. If he can become a bit more polished, he can be a first-division regular at second base.
The Athletics were long enamored of Barreto. They scouted him at age 14 when he starred for Venezuela in the Pan Am Games. They and other teams regarded him as the top international prospect in 2012, and he signed with the Blue Jays for $1.45 million. When the A's decided to move Josh Donaldson in the winter of 2014, they targeted Barreto as part of the exchange they sought from Toronto. Two years later, the Blue Jays have made consecutive trips to the playoffs with 2015 MVP Donaldson, while Barreto remains the key part of the deal for Oakland. Sean Nolin and Brett Lawrie have moved on, while Kendall Graveman led the big league club in innings and wins in 2016. The second-youngest player in the Texas League on Opening Day, Barreto ranked sixth in the TL in batting (.281) and third and steals (30), then finished the season at Triple-A Nashville, which included an 8-for-19 showing in the Pacific Coast League playoffs. Barreto began the season slowly and turned things around in the second half. Scouts said he felt pressure to move quickly and wanted to get off to a good start, so he swung too often at pitches outside the zone. After expanding the strike zone too much in the first half, Barreto did a better job of controlling the zone and turning on pitches he can drive. A line-drive hitter with a low-maintenance swing, he has no problem catching up to high velocity. He has above-average bat speed, but his power projection might be limited because of his up-the-middle approach. His swing seems more geared for doubles and triples, though he can ride the ball out if he catches it right. Just 20, Barreto has already begun to thicken through his trunk and legs, and while he's still a plus runner, he was a burner when he signed. He matured quickly, which accounts for some strength gains, though he retains his quick-twitch ability. At shortstop, Barreto is an average defender. His arm grades as average, with some evaluators expressing concern about the firmness and accuracy of his throws from the left side. At second base, he is an above-average defender, with the shorter throw less of a concern. He also played center field in winter ball in the Venezuelan League in 2015, though he played shortstop and second base in the 2016 Arizona Fall League. His baseball instincts receive high marks. The A's have the luxury of a shortstop surplus. Major leaguer Marcus Semien is just 25 but has faced defensive challenges; Chad Pinder is a better defender than Barreto; Yairo Munoz is toolsy and fits at third base; and 2015 first-rounder Richie Martin has the best glove of the bunch. While center field remains an option, second base is Barreto's most likely short-term path to Oakland, with injury-prone incumbent Jed Lowrie entering the final season of his contract in 2017. Wherever Barreto ends up defensively, it's his bat that will do the heavy lifting. He will begin the 2017 season back at Triple-A, but he probably will make his big league debut at some point during the season.
Barreto is accustomed to performing in the spotlight. He played for Venezuelan national teams regularly as an amateur and won MVP awards at the 12-and-under Pan American championships in 2008 and the 14-and-under Pan Ams in 2010. The Athletics began scouting him at age 14, and several teams regarded him as the top prospect in the 2012 international amateur class before he eventually signed with the Blue Jays for $1.45 million. That spotlight will burn even brighter given the trade that brought him to the organization. The biggest move in Oakland's latest rebuilding project came in November 2014, when the A's traded Josh Donaldson to the Blue Jays for four players: third baseman Brett Lawrie, righthander Kendall Graveman, lefty Sean Nolin and Barreto. While A's fans had to watch Donaldson win the American League MVP award and lead the Blue Jays to the playoffs, Lawrie underperformed before getting traded again, and Graveman and Nolin battled injuries. That left Barreto, who more than held his own after skipping a level, to play at high Class A Stockton as a 19-year-old. He dealt with a wrist injury of his own in July but returned in time to help Stockton reach the California League playoffs, hitting .367/.383/.642 in the second half. Barreto can do some of everything, offensively. Multiple observers compared him with former Braves shortstop Rafael Furcal, given his 5-foot-9 frame, explosiveness and fast-twitch athleticism. He has loose hands at the plate, allowing him to wait back on balls and still hit them from line to line. His swing does have some moving parts, and Cal League pitchers exploited him on the inner half in the early portion of the season, but he worked to shorten his swing and handled those pitches by the end of the year. Barreto has the physicality and particularly the strength in his wrists to hit for solid-average power, and his 13 homers in 90 games in 2015 were more than he hit in two years of short-season ball combined. While Barreto makes plenty of contact, the A's want him to be more selective, as drew just 15 walks all last season. He's not a lock to stick at shortstop, but the A's feel optimistic about his chances. His arm is the biggest potential stumbling block because it's solid but not spectacular. He committed 34 errors (.911 fielding percentage) to lead all Cal League shortstops in 2015. The A's went back to basics in terms of giving him fundamental instruction so he can handle routine plays more consistently. He had a tendency to rush himself too much, and the A's tweaked his throwing mechanics as well. He has good range and instincts for the position, and his footwork improved. Despite his youth, his body is already fairly mature and doesn't involve much projection. Barreto's bat would have the most value at shortstop, but he can still be an impact player even if he does have to slide across to second base at some point down the road. He also played left and center field for Zulia in the Venezuelan League, with the A's approval. Even after trading away Addison Russell and Daniel Robertson in 2014, the A's still have a quality group of shortstops in the system in Barreto, Chad Pinder, Yairo Munoz and 2015 first-rounder Richie Martin. Barreto has the most offensive upside of the lot, and he will play at Double-A Midland as a 20-year-old in 2016.
Barreto was one of the most decorated amateurs to come out of Venezuela when he signed with the Blue Jays for $1.45 million in 2012. He had a track record of hitting against top competition during international play, and he has continued to hit after two seasons in the minors. The Athletics acquired him as the key prospect in the November trade that sent Josh Donaldson to Toronto for Brett Lawrie and pitching prospects Kendall Graveman and Sean Nolin. Barreto's top tool is his righthanded bat, and he shows tools to be become a plus hitter. He has above-average bat speed to his line-drive oriented stroke and hits the ball well to all fields. His bat speed and strength should enable at least double digit home runs and lots of doubles. He is an aggressive hitter who is still learning to lay off breaking stuff out of the zone. His athleticism, plus speed, above-average lateral range and above-average arm give him an up-the-middle profile and he will be given every opportunity to remain at shortstop, but he could move off the position at the upper levels. His .901 fielding percentage must improve, as will his ability to make accurate throws on the finishing end of the double play, the source of many of his errors. His actions are not ideal for the position, though they are improving. He could move to second base or center field. Barreto has plus speed and solid baserunning instincts. After hitting at each stop the past two summers, Barreto likely will move to low Class A Beloit in 2015 and could move quickly because of his hitting ability.
With a track record of performance in international tournaments, Barreto was one of the most decorated Venezuelan players ever and one of the top international talents available in 2012. He signed for $1.45 million and made his stateside debut in 2013, earning a promotion to the Rookie-level Appalachian League for 15 games. Barreto has the tools to be an above-average hitter, with above-average bat speed, quick hands and a line-drive stroke. He is an aggressive, righthanded hitter with good pitch recognition and drives the ball to right field well. He has natural strength, a physical upper body and good natural leverage in his swing that could allow him to hit double-digit home runs and plenty of doubles. With athleticism, plus speed and a plus arm, Barreto is an up-the-middle player, though his long-term defensive destination is not determined. Currently a shortstop, he lacks elite defensive actions and footwork, but he will be given every opportunity to stay at short. Barreto has the potential to hit at the top of a lineup and become an impact regular. He likely will start 2014 in extended spring training, then return to the Appy League as an 18-year-old. He may wind up at second base or in center field if he moves out of the infield.
Rated the top prospect in the 2012 international amateur class, Barreto began playing for Venezuela in international tournaments at age 10. He was the MVP at the 12-and-under Pan American Championship in 2008 and at the 14-and-under Pan Am Championship in 2010. Signed for $1.45 million, he has advanced skills that could lead him to bypass the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League and debut in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League in 2013. Barreto's best tools are his bat and speed. More mature at the plate than most international prospects, he has quick hands and a short swing. He recognizes pitches well and projects as an above-average hitter. He has a small frame and doesn't offer a lot of physical projection, but he's already strong and could hit for average power. Barreto is a plus-plus runner with solid arm strength, though there isn't much support for him staying at shortstop in the long term. The Blue Jays will have him play there to open his career, but he lacks classic footwork and actions for the position. His speed would fit well in center field if shortstop doesn't work out.

Minor League Top Prospects

Barreto produced a career high 15 home runs in 111 games at Nashville as one of the youngest position players in the league. His strikeout rate also spiked to 28 percent in the PCL before becoming untenable in two callups to the Athletics. If he gets that under control, he should hit for average. "His numbers are all going to continue to rise as he improves what he's swinging at," Nashville manager Ryan Christenson said, ". . . (but) he still has to tighten up his discipline and slow down and wait for his pitch." Barreto's body has matured at a young age, which along with his error-prone, sometimes lackadaisical play at shortstop has hastened his move to second base. He's a plus runner who knows how to steal bases.
As the key prospect the Athletics received from the Blue Jays in the Josh Donaldson trade, Barreto has faced unrealistic expectations the past two seasons, though he did remind TL observers why he's viewed as an advanced hitter. In the second half of the season, Barreto showed the ability to lay off tough pitches out of the zone, helping him overcome a slow start and hit .337/.393/.490. A line-drive hitter with a low-maintenance swing, he has no problem catching up to velocity. His up-the-middle approach suits him for hitting singles and doubles but does limit his power projection. Barreto is a fringy defensive shortstop thanks to his footwork, and he fits better at second base, where he shows above-average range. His hands work well wherever he plays and his arm is adequate.
Barreto was certainly one of the more talented prospects to watch in the AFL, but also a bit frustrating as his league-leading seven errors often came on easy ground balls or from careless throws to first base. He didn't put up a real impressive batting line (.261/.290/.330) but he has the potential to barrel balls with a low-maintenance swing and good bat speed. He needs to tone down his free-swinging approach, drawing only two walks all fall. Scouts don't believe he'll stay at shortstop, but with his good hands and range he could easily handle second base.
The Athletics skipped Barreto over low Class A and sent him to Stockton this season after acquiring him from the Blue Jays in November as part of the return for Josh Donaldson. Barreto served as the Cal League's second-youngest everyday player, and one manager compared him with former all-star shortstop Rafael Furcal for his strong, 5-foot-9 frame and quick-twitch athleticism. "He's got a quick and explosive bat," San Jose hitting coach Lipso Nava said. Balls jump off Barreto's bat, and he shows quality power for his size. His swing has a few moving parts which can get out of sync, so he worked to simplify things as the year went along and closed a hole he had on the inside part of the plate. For a hitter his age, Barreto demonstrates an impressive willingness to take balls to all fields, and he earns high marks for his instincts on both sides of the ball. Barreto has the physical tools, including good range and a playable arm, to play the middle infield, though some scouts project him to second base. In any event, his fundamental play at shortstop needs to be shored up after making a league-high 34 errors in 2015.
Barreto was a top junior in Venezuela before signing with the Blue Jays for $1.45 million in July 2012. He did nothing in his first season in the NWL to suggest that wasn't money well spent. Barreto was a dominant force, leading the league in hits (90), RBIs (61), runs (65), doubles (23) and total bases (139) while ranking third in stolen bases with 29. "Taking into account he's playing against 22-, 23-, 24-year-olds, that's really, really hard," Tri-City manager Drew Saylor said. "This kid would be a freshman, maybe a sophomore in college. Imagine the hype if he were in the States. He'd be a first-rounder." Observers struggled to agree on Barreto's best tool. He uses all fields, hits for power and for average. His bat is ahead of his defense, as he committed 26 errors, but played nearly 600 innings at short, and he's athletic. "He's a whole package," Vancouver hitting coach Dave Pano said.
Barreto is one of the most accomplished Venezuelan youth amateur players ever, having performed well at every international tournament he attended since he was 10 years old. That includes the 16U World Championship in 2011 in Mexico when he homered twice against Team USA. The No. 1 international prospect for July 2 last year, Barreto signed with Toronto for $1.45 million out of Ciro Barrios? program, then led the GCL in slugging this summer in his pro debut, batting primarily out of the leadoff position. Barreto?s hands are quick to the ball with a compact swing. He?s an aggressive hitter within the strike zone with a knack for the barrel and surprising power for his size. He can drive the ball with authority to all fields with the pop to hit 15-20 homers per year. He didn?t walk a lot, but he recognizes pitches well for his age. He has a short, thick build, but he?s also an above-average runner. As international scouts expected, Barreto struggled with his footwork and actions at shortstop, committing 19 errors in 42 games. He has a strong arm, but his future likely is at second base or center field. He?s drawn some comparisons with Red Sox outfielder Shane Victorino.

Top 100 Rankings

Scouting Reports

Outside of a few tape-measure home runs, Barreto hasn’t found much success in Oakland yet. The Athletics like his well-rounded game, though, and expect he will catch on to major league pitchers. After all, he has batted more than 1,200 times at Double-A and Triple-A at a young age because the ball comes off his bat so well. Barreto also brandishes plus speed, a strong arm and good hands at either middle infield spot.
Track Record: Acquired from the Blue Jays in the Josh Donaldson deal in November 2014, Barreto has steadily climbed the ladder of the Athletics organization. His .290/.339/.456 season at Triple-A Nashville in 2017 closely compares with his .292/.347/.463 career line. Scouting Report: Barreto had two stints in the majors in 2017 and went just 14-for-71 (.197) thanks to a 43 percent strikeout rate. His minor league strikeout rate spiked from 18 percent at Double-A in 2016 to 28 percent at Triple-A in 2017. A natural shortstop, Barreto has spent time at second base in the minors and majors. He has the arm and range to play shortstop in the bigs but is better suited for second because his arm at short can be a little erratic. As a hitter, he uses the whole field and has more power than you'd expect from his stature, though he needs to make more contact. His plus speed makes him a base-stealing threat. The Future: Oakland has several promising middle infielders in the organization, but Barreto remains at the top of the list. If he can become a bit more polished, he can be a first-division regular at second base.
Background: The Athletics were long enamored of Barreto. They scouted him at age 14 when he starred for Venezuela in the Pan Am Games. They and other teams regarded him as the top international prospect in 2012, and he signed with the Blue Jays for $1.45 million. When the A's decided to move Josh Donaldson in the winter of 2014, they targeted Barreto as part of the exchange they sought from Toronto. Two years later, the Blue Jays have made consecutive trips to the playoffs with 2015 MVP Donaldson, while Barreto remains the key part of the deal for Oakland. Sean Nolin and Brett Lawrie have moved on, while Kendall Graveman led the big league club in innings and wins in 2016. The second-youngest player in the Texas League on Opening Day, Barreto ranked sixth in the TL in batting (.281) and third and steals (30), then finished the season at Triple-A Nashville, which included an 8-for-19 showing in the Pacific Coast League playoffs. Scouting Report: Barreto began the season slowly and turned things around in the second half. Scouts said he felt pressure to move quickly and wanted to get off to a good start, so he swung too often at pitches outside the zone. After expanding the strike zone too much in the first half, Barreto did a better job of controlling the zone and turning on pitches he can drive. A line-drive hitter with a low-maintenance swing, he has no problem catching up to high velocity. He has above-average bat speed, but his power projection might be limited because of his up-the-middle approach. His swing seems more geared for doubles and triples, though he can ride the ball out if he catches it right. Just 20, Barreto has already begun to thicken through his trunk and legs, and while he's still a plus runner, he was a burner when he signed. He matured quickly, which accounts for some strength gains, though he retains his quick-twitch ability. At shortstop, Barreto is an average defender. His arm grades as average, with some evaluators expressing concern about the firmness and accuracy of his throws from the left side. At second base, he is an above-average defender, with the shorter throw less of a concern. He also played center field in winter ball in Venezuela in 2015, though he played shortstop and second base in the 2016 Arizona Fall League. His baseball instincts receive high marks.

The Future: The A's have the luxury of a shortstop surplus. Major leaguer Marcus Semien is just 25 but has faced defensive challenges; Chad Pinder is a better defender than Barreto; Yairo Munoz is toolsy and fits at third base; and 2015 first-rounder Richie Martin has the best glove of the bunch. While center field remains an option, second base is Barreto's most likely short-term path to Oakland, with injury-prone incumbent Jed Lowrie entering the final season of his contract in 2017. Wherever Barreto ends up defensively, it's his bat that will do the heavy lifting. He will begin the 2017 season back at Triple-A, but he probably will make his big league debut at some point during the season.
Barreto was certainly one of the more talented prospects to watch in the AFL, but also a bit frustrating as his league-leading seven errors often came on easy ground balls or from careless throws to first base. He didn't put up a real impressive batting line (.261/.290/.330) but he has the potential to barrel balls with a low-maintenance swing and good bat speed. He needs to tone down his free-swinging approach, drawing only two walks all fall. Scouts don't believe he'll stay at shortstop, but with his good hands and range he could easily handle second base.