Juan Herrera
| AB | 1292 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .258 |
| OBP | .319 |
| SLG | .33 |
| HR | 4 |
- Full name Juan Ramon Herrera
- Born 06/28/1993 in Bani, Dominican Republic
- Profile Ht.: 5'11" / Wt.: 165 / Bats: R / Throws: R
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Herrera was acquired in a trade that sent Marc Rzepczynski to the Indians in 2013. He's an energetic type, always smiling and always with a bounce in his step. He's got a plus arm suitable for deep throws from the shortstop hole. He's not known for power, but his bat speed allows him to pepper the gaps with doubles, while his solid-average speed plays on the bases. To continue climbing the ladder, he'll need to stop giving up the outer half of the plate and also needs to moderate his hyper-aggressive approach. He reached high Class A Palm Beach in the final week of 2014 and likely will return there in 2015. -
The Cardinals' search for a shortstop extended far beyond the major league level. They traded two big leaguers in 12 months for shortstops, drafted six shortstops in the first 20 picks of the 2013 draft and went the trade route. Herrera made the best first impression among the imports. Acquired from the Indians at the 2013 trade deadline in exchange for lefty Marc Rzepczynski, Herrera had been overshadowed in the Cleveland system but blossomed with a quick promotion from the Cardinals. He has a career .370 on-base percentage and had flashes of reliable offense at low Class A Peoria. He doesn't hit for power and will have to continue to find ways to get on base, and his swing can get big, but he has shown some bat speed and feel for the barrel. A scout called Herrera one of the best pure shortstop prospects in the short-season New York-Penn League, citing sure hands and body control, and the Cardinals believe his footwork, arm strength and feel for fielding are a good fit for the position. Upon joining the organization, he immediately challenged for the title of top fielding prospect at shortstop. Herrera has a chance to jump to high Class A Palm Beach for 2014.
Minor League Top Prospects
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Herrera played 39 games for Mahoning Valley this summer before the Indians dealt him to the Cardinals for lefty Marc Rzepczynski at the trade deadline. He played four games for State College before being promoted to low Class A Peoria. He stood out as one of the best pure shortstop prospects in the league this summer. ?I think he has a shot to play in the big leagues. There are not many guys like him,? Mahoning Valley manager Ted Kubiak said. ?His personality and work ethic couldn?t be any better?he was always smiling. But he used to get pissed off at guys when they weren?t doing things correctly. You don?t see that too often.? Herrera is just an average runner, but his range at short plays up because of his instincts, and he is a very intelligent baserunner. He has sure hands and good body control, helping him excel at charging slow rollers and throwing on the run. His average to slightly above-average arm is adequate for shortstop, though he sometimes struggles on plays deep in the hole. Herrera also has a good feel for his barrel and enough bat speed to handle quality fastballs with aplomb. His swing can get wild at times, but he takes his share of walks and can handle situational-hitting tasks. He doesn?t figure to ever hit for power, but he could be an average hitter with some doubles pop.
