Rey Fuentes Stats & Scouting Report

AB	210
AVG	.238
OBP	.286
SLG	.31
HR	3

Full name Reymond Louis Fuentes
Born 02/12/1991 in Orlando, FL
Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 160 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Fernando Callejo
Debut 08/26/2013
Drafted in the 1st round (28th overall) by the Boston Red Sox in 2009 (signed for $1,134,000).

View Draft Report

A relative of Mets center fielder Carlos Beltran, Fuentes is an electric, game-changing player. The 6-foot, 160-pound center fielder is slender, but has wiry strength and can put a change in a ball during batting practice. Like a ticking clock, he hits line drives from foul pole to foul pole with his lefthanded swing. He's also an elite runner, clocking in at just under 6.3 seconds in the 60-yard dash at Puerto Rico's annual Excellence Tournament in early May. In game situations, Fuentes stays within himself, goes with a contact-oriented approach and lets his plus speed play to his advantage. These tools make Fuentes an ideal leadoff hitter. Defensively, Fuentes' range will allow him to stay in center field as a professional. Right down to his below-average arm, he's a similar player to the Yankees' Johnny Damon.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

The Padres rewarded Fuentes, a Red Sox first-round pick in 2009 and part of the Adrian Gonzalez deal, for his improved maturity, plate discipline and effort level in 2013 by calling him up on Aug. 26. He didn't play much in San Diego, but he hit .330/.413/.448 with 35 stolen bases in 107 games in the minors, mostly at Double-A San Antonio. Thanks to a career-high walk rate of 11 percent, his on-base percentage ranked 19th in the minors. Missions batting coach Jacque Jones had Fuentes spread out his stance at the plate, and he made more hard contact and hit to the middle of the field unlike he ever had before. If he doesn't keep up that pace, he still has supporting tools that will make him an attractive reserve, including plus speed and range. His arm is fringy and not suited to regular play in right field. A wiry athlete, Fuentes has very little power potential but should be able to leg out the occasional double. He could better utilize his speed by bunting more often. Fuentes appears destined for Triple-A El Paso in 2014, but he's not far away.
A cousin to six-time all-star Carlos Beltran, Fuentes became just the sixth Puerto Rican to be drafted in the first round when the Red Sox selected him 28th overall in 2009. He joined the Padres along with Anthony Rizzo and Casey Kelly in the trade that sent Adrian Gonzalez to Boston in December 2010. One of the youngest regulars in the California League last year, Fuentes showed plus speed and athleticism while stealing 41 bases, fourth-most in the circuit, but his game suffered from overall immaturity. He needs to focus on playing hard for an entire season, gaining strength and refining his skills as a leadoff batter. That means improving his pitch recognition, enhancing his on-base percentage, shortening his swing to hit more line drives and bunting for the occasional hit. He has below-average present power but could have decent pop once he fills out his 160-pound frame. Fuentes' speed plays well on the bases and in center field, where he glides to the ball with plus range. His arm grades as below-average. Fuentes' bat must improve for him to profile as more than second-division regular or a reserve. He could earn a promotion to Double-A with a solid spring training.
The Red Sox made Fuentes the sixth Puerto Rican ever drafted in the first round, and the first since the Blue Jays' Miguel Negron in 2000, when they selected him 28th overall in 2009. Signed for $1.134 million, he held his own in low Class A at age 19 last season. He came to San Diego in the Adrian Gonzalez trade in December. Fuentes ranks among the best athletes in the system. His plus-plus speed gives him impact potential in center field and on the bases, where he stole 42 bases in 47 attempts in 2010. Managers rated Fuentes as the best defensive outfielder in the South Atlantic League, though he relies more on raw speed now to cover for mistakes. He enhances his quickness by getting great jumps on balls, and he compensates for a below-average arm by charging balls and making accurate throws. Fuentes has a line-drive stroke, and his bat speed portends some future pop once he adds some much-needed strength. He's still learning the strike zone but made positive adjustments in the second half of 2010. Though Fuentes may need four or five seasons in the minors, his upside makes him worth the wait. He has similar tools to Jacoby Ellsbury, and he's a more advanced hitter at the same stage and should become a better defender. Fuentes will spend 2011 at high Class A Lake Elsinore
A cousin of Carlos Beltran, Fuentes drew Johnny Damon comparisons before going 28th overall in the 2009 draft and signing for $1.134 million. The sixth Puerto Rican ever drafted in the first round--and the first since the Blue Jays' Miguel Negron in 2000--Fuentes made a smooth transition to pro ball, hitting .290 and ranking as the No. 3 prospect in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League. Fuentes has the polished bat and plus-plus speed to become a dynamic leadoff man. A track star in high school, he uses his quickness to make things happen on the bases and in center field, where he has Gold Glove potential. His swing is geared more for contact, but he has some power to his pull side and eventually could hit as many as 15 homers per season. Fuentes has much work to do on the nuances of the game. Offensively, he can do a better job of managing his at-bats and adding strength. He's learning as a basestealer and center fielder, with his speed making up for some of his mistakes. His arm strength is fringy but acceptable for a center fielder. Similar to Jacoby Ellsbury, Fuentes is a far better hitter at the same stage and projects as a better defender. He showed enough in his pro debut to make the jump to low Class A in 2010.

Minor League Top Prospects

When the Padres sent Adrian Gonzalez to the Red Sox in December 2010, they acquired Fuentes along with prospects Casey Kelly and Anthony Rizzo. Fuentes advanced to Double-A this season, manning center field before getting a late-season promotion to Triple-A Tucson and then on to San Diego. A contact hitter, Fuentes finished second in the TL batting race and fourth in OBP, thanks to a career-high walk rate. He batted mostly out of the top two spots in the order at San Antonio and has the plus speed and basestealing ability to take advantage of getting on base a lot. He?s got a knack for hitting singles, sneaking grounders through the infield or getting enough lift to get the ball into the shallow outfield. He lacks the present strength to project much home run power. Defensively, he covered a lot of territory and showed a good arm. A scout for a National League club projects Fuentes more as an extra outfielder since he doesn?t hit for much power, but he has an attractive profile for a reserve.
The least-heralded player the Red Sox sent to the Padres in the Adrian Gonzalez trade, Fuentes was one of the youngest regulars in the league. He showed flashes of his multitool potential but is still learning to deliver consistent production. Fuentes batted leadoff in all but four games this year and struggled at times to string together solid at-bats. He's a line-drive hitter with gap power who can also use the bunt as a weapon. He has above-average speed that allows him to swipe bases and glide to balls in center field, where he displays an average arm. "He has shown spurts of pitch recognition and spurts of controlling the strike zone and being able to hit line drives all over the field," Plantier said. "It has nothing to do with anything other than just being young. When a guy shows flashes of being able to do all those things, eventually they start happening at the same time."
Fuentes made some impressive adjustments during his first full pro season. He closed some holes in his swing and made better contact during the second half. He hits line drives from gap to gap, and scouts believe he'll drive the ball more consistently and hit for some power as his body matures. Fuentes draws comparisons to Carlos Beltran, his cousin, with his fluid movements and natural instincts in center field. He puts his plus speed to good use on defense as well as on the basepaths. His arm strength is his weakest tool, though he makes accurate throws and charges the ball well. "He's an electric player," Augusta manager Dave Machemer said. "He's a pure center fielder who gets great jumps on balls. He carries himself with a quiet confidence, much like Beltran. His ceiling is really high."
The 28th overall pick in the 2009 draft, Fuentes signed quickly for $1.134 million and was on the field impressing managers less than a month after the Red Sox selected him. He's a cousin of Carlos Beltran and has similar athleticism, if not yet the same power. Fuentes hits line drives with authority to all fields thanks to his flat swing path and exceptional bat-to-ball skills, then uses his well above-average speed. In center field, Fuentes' quickness allows him to easily track down fly balls, and he has an average arm. He needs work on some baserunning nuances and on managing his at-bats a little better, but that should come as he continues to gain more pro experience. One manager said Fuentes also could improve reading the ball off the bat.