Cesar Puello

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked New York Mets #26 prospect in 2015
  Puello's breakthrough performance at Double-A Binghamton in 2013 was tempered by a season-ending 50-game suspension for his involvement with the Biogenesis clinic. He flashed every tool but one--feel to hit--at Triple-A Las Vegas in 2014, and while his performance dipped compared with 2013, he finished strong by hitting .287/.401/.507 in his final 45 games. He has plus raw power and at least average in-game juice, but a wild, impatient plate approach inhibits his ability to get to it consistently. Righthanders with good breaking stuff are especially successful at retiring Puello. An average runner with the instincts to play all three outfield posts capably, he has a plus arm that will play in right field. His minor league track record suggests he could platoon against lefthanders, for he has hit .343/.419/.614 against them since 2012. Being out of minor league options can only help Puello in his quest to reach the majors in 2015.
• 
  Ranked New York Mets #11 prospect in 2014
  Myriad bumps and bruises have sidetracked Puello's development since he signed for $400,000 six years ago, but the biggest disruptor yet came down the pike last Aug. 5 when he accepted a 50-game suspension for violating the joint drug agreement. His name--and 16 others--surfaced in MLB's investigation of the Miami-based Biogenesis clinic that supplied performance-enhancers to athletes, most notably Ryan Braun and Alex Rodriguez. In a statement, Puello admitted to "errors in judgment" during the 2012 season, a year in which he was plagued by hamstring trouble and a fractured hamate bone in his left wrist. Prior to his suspension, Puello had enjoyed a breakthrough season at the plate in his first go at Double-A Binghamton. Scouts have long projected him to hit for corner-profile power because the ball explodes off his bat, and as proof the righthanded hitter slammed eight of 16 Eastern League homers to either center or right field. Puello takes a big, aggressive hack, but he showed improved pitch recognition in 2013, laying off breaking balls he would have swung at before. He improved the load in his swing by moving his hands away from his body during setup, and it paid off when he won the EL batting (.326) and slugging (.547) titles. Puello runs well enough to steal double-digit bases, has good range and a strong arm in right field. He returned to play in the Dominican League, though he struggled there. His suspension behind him, Puello has one option year remaining to prove to the Mets his 2013 performance was no fluke, chemically-induced or otherwise.
• 
  Ranked New York Mets #18 prospect in 2013
  Like clockwork, Puello performed better in the second half of 2012 (.786 OPS) than he had in in the first (.721), just as he had in 2010 (an increase of 216 points) and 2011 (an increase of 158). This time, however, he fought to redeem a lost year rather than earn a promotion or buttress his prospect standing. A chronic hamstring injury followed by a fractured hamate bone in his left hand knocked him out for six weeks at midseason, and he wound up playing in just 66 games as he repeated high Class A. Evaluators still admire Puello's raw tools, though he hasn't yet made the adjustments to get the most out of his plus raw power. A consistent approach would go a long way. Early in games he tries to do too much, offering at pitcher's pitches and pulling off the ball before toning down his swing in later innings. Puello played more games in center field than in right for the first time in 2012, and he shows solid range at the position. His above-average arm strength and a strong physique still lead many to project him as a right fielder, however. He runs well and stole 19 bases in 21 tries last season, the best success rate of his career. Puello will be tested at Double-A in 2013, and he has two option years remaining to prove he can hit enough to be a big league corner player.
• 
  Ranked New York Mets #5 prospect in 2012
  Puello continues to impress scouts and minor league managers with his broad range of tools and his physicality. During his two years of full-season ball, he has shown marked improvement in the second half. In 2011, he hit .230/.289/.337 through June 15 and .294/.344/.474 afterward. The Mets protected him on their 40-man roster in November. The ball jumps off Puello's bat to all fields, and his plus strength and bat speed could translate into 20 homers annually down the road. He hit a career-high 10 homers in 2011 after going deep only once the year before. His last six bombs went to left field, indicating that he has learned to turn on the ball. Puello still gets himself out too much because he struggles to recognize breaking balls, but scouts believe he can clean up his plate discipline enough to hit about .275. Puello has solid speed but got caught nine times in 28 steal attempts in 2011. He has seen time in center field and takes good routes, but most observers prefer him in right field. He has a strong, accurate arm. If he can learn to lay off pitches he can't drive, Puello can become a first-division regular in right field. His youth and strong work ethic will work in his favor when he tackles Double-A at age 21.
• 
  Ranked New York Mets #3 prospect in 2011
  Signed for $400,000 in 2007, Puello was one of five teenage regulars in the low Class A South Atlantic League last year, batting .346 in the second half before missing the final three weeks with a strained lower back. Some scouts prefer him to Wilmer Flores because Puello has five-tool potential. Puello went on his tear after going from a deep crouch to a more upright stance, giving him a stronger load and better plate coverage on the inner half. Though he homered only once in 2010, he has as much raw power as anyone in the system, and scouts were impressed he never betrayed his all-fields approach to sell out for power. The home runs will come--potentially as many as 25 annually--because he accelerates the barrel through the hitting zone with strong wrists, generating ample backspin and carry. Puello's most evident tool is his plus speed, which he used to steal 45 bases in 55 tries last year. He has a plus arm and covers a lot of ground in right field, but grades as a merely average defender because of unfocused play and instincts lacking for center. If Puello truly does hit 20-plus homers a year, he'll be a fixture in right field for the Mets for a long time. His first taste of high Class A awaits in 2011.
• 
  Ranked New York Mets #17 prospect in 2010
  Part of a Mets 2007 international class that also included Wilmer Flores, Jefry Marte and Jeurys Familia, Puello signed for $400,000 out of the Dominican Republic. He has the potential to have five average or better tools. His plus speed is his biggest asset at this point, and he has stolen 28 bases in 38 attempts over 89 pro games. Puello uses an unconventional batting stance that looks like he's sitting in a chair, but he has a line-drive stroke and some natural feel for hitting. While his plate discipline needs to improve, he has shown natural power to the opposite field. Puello is an average defender in right field, with a solid arm and a penchant for charging the ball. Some managers in the Rookie-level Appalachian League questioned his maturity this summer, but the Mets have no concerns. After two solid seasons in Rookie ball, he's ticketed for low Class A in 2010.
• 
  Ranked New York Mets #12 prospect in 2009
  An athletic teenager who eventually should hit for average as he matures, Puello showed steady improvement during his first pro season, batting .242 in June, .271 in July and .357 in August in the Gulf Coast League. He cut down chasing breaking balls out of the zone and, as a result, lessened his strikeout tendency. Puello is considered a faster runner than fellow '07 international signee Jefry Marte and should be a proficient basestealer despite not being a burner. He needs to improve his jumps and learn the proper stealing situations. Puello covers ground well in the outfield. Projected to hit for some power, Puello still will need to concentrate on improving his on-base percentage. He hits a lot of balls in the air, so coaches are working to temper his uppercut swing. He walked five times and struck out 32 times in 151 at-bats in 2008 and still needs to resist swinging at breaking balls in the dirt, an area in which he actually showed progress. Puello, who signed with the Mets for $400,000, has a slightly above-average arm. While he should play center field in the lower minors, the Mets view him as a player whose value is tied to his bat and should wind up in left field. A pure projection at this point, Puello likely will begin 2009 at Kingsport.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked South Atlantic League #13 prospect in 2010
  Puello rebuilt his swing over the course of his first year in a full-season league. He went from a crouch that looked as if he were trying to sit, to a more upright stance with his hands positioned further back, preventing pitchers from beating him inside. He hit .346/.424/.430 in the second half before missing the final three weeks with a strained lower back. Puello flashes all five tools, most notably plus speed that enabled him to steal 45 bases in 55 attempts. He has good arm strength and range in right field. He sprays line drives from gap to gap, and though he homered only once in 2010, scouts believe he'll hit hit for decent power once his body matures. "He's an impressive guy," Greenville manager Billy McMillon said. "He's a big guy with speed and some power potential and maybe a .300 hitter. He has a very strong arm and he plays hard all the time. There's a lot to like."
• 
  Ranked National League #9 prospect in 2009
  With the caveat that there are questions about his makeup, Puello's potential for five major league average tools affords him the benefit of the doubt for now. Signed by the Mets for $400,000 out of the Dominican Republic in 2007, he's a strong athlete with a solid 6-foot-2, 195-pound build and loose actions. He stole 15 bases in 20 attempts this season, and his plus speed rates as his best present tool. Puello starts with an unconventional stance--one manager likened it to him sitting in a chair--but he has a pure, righthanded line-drive stroke. The ball comes off his bat well, and he already has natural power to left field. As he learns to use the opposite field, he'll be more effective at the plate. An aggressive player by nature, Puello showed an undisciplined approach at the plate, and some league observers questioned his maturity. His mindset works well in right field, where Puello charges balls with abandon and likes to show off his plus arm.
• 
  Ranked Florida Complex League #12 prospect in 2008
  Puello signed out of the Dominican Republican for $400,000 in 2007 and started his pro career in the GCL this June, recording three hits in his first game. He finished the season batting .305 but his most impressive accomplishment was overcoming a tendency to chase breaking balls out of the zone. He struck out 20 times in his first 13 games but punched out just 12 times in the final 27 contents. Puello is a physical prospect who projects to have average tools across the board. He's an instinctive player who learns quickly. He fits best as a right fielder with a strong arm and the requisite power for the position.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #77 prospect in 2011

• December, 2011 Scouting Report
  Background: Puello continues to impress scouts and minor league managers with his broad range of tools and his physicality. During his two years of full-season ball, he has shown marked improvement in the second half. In 2011, he hit .230/.289/.337 for St. Lucie through June 15 and then .294/.344/.474 with six homers in 194 at-bats afterward. Scouting Report: The ball jumps off Puello's bat to all fields, and his plus strength and bat speed could translate into 20 homers annually down the road. He hit a career-high 10 homers in 2011 after going deep only once the year before. His last six bombs went to left field, indicating that he has learned to turn on the ball. Puello still gets himself out too much because he struggles to recognize breaking balls, but scouts believe he can clean up his plate discipline enough to hit about .275. Puello has solid speed but got caught nine times in 28 steal attempts in 2011. He has seen time in center field and takes good routes, but most observers prefer him in right field. He has a strong, accurate arm. The Future: If he can learn to lay off pitches he can't drive, Puello can become a first-division regular in right field. His youth and strong work ethic will work in his favor when he tackles Double-A at age 21.