Gabriel Arias

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Cleveland Guardians #12 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/Medium
  
  Track Record: Arias was one of the top prospects in the 2016 international signing class and the Venezuelan native signed with the Padres. Early in his professional career, he stood out for his glove, but after an offensive breakout in 2019, his profile rose. He was traded to Cleveland in 2020 as a part of the deal for Mike Clevinger and Greg Allen. He made his major league debut in 2022, but his season was sidetracked by a broken hand that required surgery in May, costing him several weeks on the injured list.
  
  Scouting Report: Arias is a good athlete with a lot of raw ability. The righthanded hitter has a smooth swing and his wiry strength and bat speed give him above-average power. He has a very aggressive approach at the plate, but he's been able to keep his strikeout rate in check in the upper levels of the minor leagues. Arias is never going to be an on-base machine, but he's made important strides since coming to the organization. Defensively, there have never been many questions about Arias. He has advanced infield actions, clean hands and above-average arm strength. Despite his below-average speed, he has plenty of range for the position and can make all the plays necessary.
  
  The Future: The play of Amed Rosario and Andres Gimenez, in addition to Arias' injury, meant he was unable to break into the lineup in 2022. But the organization is approaching a critical juncture with its current infield logjam. Rosario is only under contract for one more season and Arias and Tyler Freeman have already logged significant time at Triple-A, with Brayan Rocchio close behind them. Arias is ready for a chance to prove himself in the big leagues, though finding that opportunity in Cleveland may not be easy.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 45. Power: 50. Speed: 45. Fielding: 50. Arm: 55.
• 
  Ranked Cleveland Guardians #5 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: Arias was one of the top prospects in the 2016 international class and signed with the Padres for $1.9 million. He stood out for his defense from the outset and broke out offensively in the second half of the 2019 season after some early struggles. Cleveland acquired Arias at the 2020 trade deadline as a part of the deal for Mike Clevinger and Greg Allen. After facing some initial skepticism, Arias proved his offensive progress was sustainable in 2021. He jumped straight to Triple-A in his first year in Cleveland’s organization and hit .284/.348/.454 as a 21-year-old while continuing to play his typically exceptional defense.
  
  Scouting Report: Arias is a good athlete with a lot of raw ability. The righthanded hitter has a smooth swing, and his bat speed and wiry strength give him surprising above-average power. Encouragingly, he has improved his strikeout rate in back-to-back seasons, dropping to a career-low 22.8% in 2021. His walk rate has also improved, although he still has a very aggressive approach at the plate. Arias is never going to be an on-base machine, but he’s trending in the right direction and should be at least a fringe-average hitter who gets to his power enough. There have never been many doubts about Arias defensively. He has fluid actions, clean hands and plus-plus arm strength. Despite his below-average speed, he has plenty of range for shortstop with his anticipation and footwork and makes all the plays necessary.
  
  The Future: Arias will get a chance in spring training to compete for Cleveland’s starting shortstop job. Even if he doesn’t break camp with the Guardians, his big league debut should come some time in 2022.
• 
  Ranked Cleveland Guardians #7 prospect in 2021
  Hitting: 50. Power: 55. Running: 40. Fielding: 70. Arm: 70.
  
  TRACK RECORD: Arias was one of the top prospects in the 2016 international class and signed with the Padres for $1.9 million. He stood out defensively from the start and broke out offensively in the second half of 2019 at high Class A Lake Elsinore, finishing fourth in the California League in batting (.302). The Indians acquired him at the 2020 trade deadline in the deal that sent Mike Clevinger to San Diego.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Arias is a good athlete with a lot of raw ability. The righthanded hitter has a smooth swing, and his wiry strength and bat speed give him above-average raw power. His plate discipline is not as advanced. He improved his strikeout rate in 2019, but still whiffed in 25% of his plate appearances and his walk rate halved at the same time. Improving his pitch recognition and approach at the plate will be critical to maintain his offensive progress. Arias has few questions defensively. He has advanced infield actions, clean hands and plus-plus arm strength. Despite his below-average speed, he has plenty of range and makes all the plays.
  
  THE FUTURE: Arias will likely head to Double-A in 2021. He’ll need to prove his offensive breakout is sustainable outside of the Cal League.
• 
  Ranked San Diego Padres #9 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: Arias ranked as one of the top prospects in the 2016 international class and signed with the Padres for $1.9 million out of Venezuela. He shined defensively but scuffled offensively his first two and half years as a pro, but he flashed his vast potential with a .344/.376/.533 slash line in the second half of 2019 at high Class A Lake Elsinore.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Arias is a long, lean athlete with tremendous raw ability. He is a gifted defensive shortstop who plays under control, smoothly ranges in all directions, has reliable hands and owns plus-plus arm that allows him to make jaw dropping throws. Evaluators use words like “special”, “elite” and “unbelievable” to describe his shortstop defense. Arias has a smooth swing that stays through the ball, and his long levers and wiry strength give him surprising plus raw power. Arias' problem is his breaking ball recognition is exceedingly poor and has resulted in a nearly 30 percent career strikeout rate. Arias hits breaking balls in the zone, but flails at ones below the zone. Once he minimized his movements at the plate, he recognized pitches better and took off in the second half.
  
  THE FUTURE: How well Arias improves his plate discipline will determine if he hits enough to play everyday. He'll be just 20 years old at Double-A Amarillo next year.
• 
  Ranked San Diego Padres #30 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: The Padres signed Arias for $1.9 million out of Venezuela in 2016 and moved him quickly, sending him to low Class A Fort Wayne and the Australian Winter League when he was just 17. Arias returned to Fort Wayne in 2018 expecting big things, but longstanding issues with his swing resulted in a disappointing .240/.302/.352 slash line with a 30 percent strikeout rate.
  
  Scouting Report: Arias entices with big tools and an alluring body. He projects as a plus defensive shortstop who moves smoothly in all directions and has a plus-plus arm. He shows flashes of plus power and can get it to all fields, but he's never been a natural hitter and falls into bad swing habits. He starts with a bat wrap and gets around the ball, and he rarely gets his hands through the zone on time. He hasn't shown the ability to adjust his approach, repeating the same mistakes over and over.
  
  The Future: Arias' defense and hints of power keep evaluators interested, but there is a lot to fix offensively. He'll be just 19 years old in 2019 and has time.
• 
  Ranked San Diego Padres #10 prospect in 2018
  Arias trained at the same program that produced Franklin Barreto and Gleyber Torres in Venezuela and was a starring member of the country's youth international teams. The Padres signed Arias for $1.9 million in 2016 and he proved worthy of his high profile, reaching low Class A Fort Wayne at age 17 and hitting .364 in the playoffs. Arias is, first and foremost, a gifted defender who projects as a future plus shortstop. He is a lithe athlete with smooth actions and the range to make difficult plays look routine. His plus-plus, accurate arm can make throws from anywhere on the field. Arias' polished, reliable hands complement those skills to give him Gold Glove-potential in some evaluators' eyes. Offensively, Arias has developed faster than expected but still has a ways to go. He has plus bat speed and a short, controlled swing, but he gets pull-happy and is liable to chase pitches out of the zone. He shows average power in batting practice and is an average runner. Arias' defense will carry him, and his offensive development will determine if he reaches his above-average everyday potential. He'll return to Fort Wayne to begin 2018.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked California League #12 prospect in 2019
  Arias’ graceful shortstop defense drew glowing reviews from evaluators throughout the year, even if they were unsure of his bat. He then hit .344/.376/.533 in the second half to gain believers in his offense, too. Arias is a fluid defender who makes both flashy plays and routine ones, rare for a young shortstop. He plays under control, ranges well in all directions, picks up every ball with his soft hands and makes throws from anywhere on the diamond with his plus-plus, accurate arm. "He’s a very athletic kid who has a nose for the baseball,” Lancaster manager Scott Little said. "He was a lot of fun to watch.” Arias has a good swing that stays through the ball and whacks strikes, but he habitually chases breaking stuff below the zone. His offense improved when he began swinging at better pitches. His future output will depend on if that continues.
• 
  Ranked Arizona Complex League #7 prospect in 2017
  Arias was one of many elite prospects procured during the Padres' 2016 international haul, signing for $1.9 million. He began his pro career in the AZL at the tender age of 17. The Padres promoted Arias two levels to low Class A Fort Wayne in August when they moved Fernando Tatis Jr. to Double-A. At the plate, Arias has a controlled swing that is short to the ball, with plus bat speed and batting practice power indicating that there's more offense coming. He gets pull-happy at times but has enough hand-eye coordination to use all fields. Arias really stands out on the infield dirt. A natural shortstop with a plus-plus arm, loose, strong hands and fluid actions, he should be able to thrive at the position. An average runner, he'll have enough speed for shortstop even as his body matures. "He can do some special things on the field, especially on defense," Padres manager Mike Collins said. "For such a young player, the kind of range and arm he has at shortstop, he has no problem making difficult plays look fairly routine."

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #100 prospect in 2022

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/Medium
  
  Track Record: Arias was one of the top prospects in the 2016 international signing class and the Venezuelan native signed with the Padres. Early in his professional career, he stood out for his glove, but after an offensive breakout in 2019, his profile rose. He was traded to Cleveland in 2020 as a part of the deal for Mike Clevinger and Greg Allen. He made his major league debut in 2022, but his season was sidetracked by a broken hand that required surgery in May, costing him several weeks on the injured list.
  
  Scouting Report: Arias is a good athlete with a lot of raw ability. The righthanded hitter has a smooth swing and his wiry strength and bat speed give him above-average power. He has a very aggressive approach at the plate, but he's been able to keep his strikeout rate in check in the upper levels of the minor leagues. Arias is never going to be an on-base machine, but he's made important strides since coming to the organization. Defensively, there have never been many questions about Arias. He has advanced infield actions, clean hands and above-average arm strength. Despite his below-average speed, he has plenty of range for the position and can make all the plays necessary.
  
  The Future: The play of Amed Rosario and Andres Gimenez, in addition to Arias' injury, meant he was unable to break into the lineup in 2022. But the organization is approaching a critical juncture with its current infield logjam. Rosario is only under contract for one more season and Arias and Tyler Freeman have already logged significant time at Triple-A, with Brayan Rocchio close behind them. Arias is ready for a chance to prove himself in the big leagues, though finding that opportunity in Cleveland may not be easy.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 45. Power: 50. Speed: 45. Fielding: 50. Arm: 55.
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/Medium
  
  Track Record: Arias was one of the top prospects in the 2016 international signing class and the Venezuelan native signed with the Padres. Early in his professional career, he stood out for his glove, but after an offensive breakout in 2019, his profile rose. He was traded to Cleveland in 2020 as a part of the deal for Mike Clevinger and Greg Allen. He made his major league debut in 2022, but his season was sidetracked by a broken hand that required surgery in May, costing him several weeks on the injured list.
  
  Scouting Report: Arias is a good athlete with a lot of raw ability. The righthanded hitter has a smooth swing and his wiry strength and bat speed give him above-average power. He has a very aggressive approach at the plate, but he's been able to keep his strikeout rate in check in the upper levels of the minor leagues. Arias is never going to be an on-base machine, but he's made important strides since coming to the organization. Defensively, there have never been many questions about Arias. He has advanced infield actions, clean hands and above-average arm strength. Despite his below-average speed, he has plenty of range for the position and can make all the plays necessary.
  
  The Future: The play of Amed Rosario and Andres Gimenez, in addition to Arias' injury, meant he was unable to break into the lineup in 2022. But the organization is approaching a critical juncture with its current infield logjam. Rosario is only under contract for one more season and Arias and Tyler Freeman have already logged significant time at Triple-A, with Brayan Rocchio close behind them. Arias is ready for a chance to prove himself in the big leagues, though finding that opportunity in Cleveland may not be easy.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 45. Power: 50. Speed: 45. Fielding: 50. Arm: 55.
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 55/High
  
  Track Record: Arias was one of the top prospects in the 2016 international class and signed with the Padres for $1.9 million. He stood out for his defense from the outset and broke out offensively in the second half of the 2019 season after some early struggles. Cleveland acquired Arias at the 2020 trade deadline as a part of the deal for Mike Clevinger and Greg Allen. After facing some initial skepticism, Arias proved his offensive progress was sustainable in 2021. He jumped straight to Triple-A in his first year in Cleveland&#39s organization and hit .284/ .348/.454 as a 21-year-old while continuing to play his typically exceptional defense.
  
  Scouting Report: Arias is a good athlete with a lot of raw ability. The righthanded hitter has a smooth swing, and his bat speed and wiry strength give him surprising above-average power. Encouragingly, he has improved his strikeout rate in back-to-back seasons, dropping to a career-low 22.8% in 2021. His walk rate has also improved, although he still has a very aggressive approach at the plate. Arias is never going to be an on-base machine, but he&#39s trending in the right direction and should be at least a fringe-average hitter who gets to his power enough. There have never been many doubts about Arias defensively. He has fluid actions, clean hands and plus-plus arm strength. Despite his below-average speed, he has plenty of range for shortstop with his anticipation and footwork and makes all the plays necessary.
  
  The Future: Arias will get a chance in spring training to compete for Cleveland&#39s starting shortstop job. Even if he doesn&#39t break camp with the Guardians, big league debut should come some time in 2022.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 45. Power: 55. Speed: 40. Fielding: 60. Arm: 70.
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Arias was one of the top prospects in the 2016 international class and signed with the Padres for $1.9 million. He stood out for his defense from the outset and broke out offensively in the second half of the 2019 season after some early struggles. Cleveland acquired Arias at the 2020 trade deadline as a part of the deal for Mike Clevinger and Greg Allen. After facing some initial skepticism, Arias proved his offensive progress was sustainable in 2021. He jumped straight to Triple-A in his first year in Cleveland’s organization and hit .284/.348/.454 as a 21-year-old while continuing to play his typically exceptional defense.
  
  Scouting Report: Arias is a good athlete with a lot of raw ability. The righthanded hitter has a smooth swing, and his bat speed and wiry strength give him surprising above-average power. Encouragingly, he has improved his strikeout rate in back-to-back seasons, dropping to a career-low 22.8% in 2021. His walk rate has also improved, although he still has a very aggressive approach at the plate. Arias is never going to be an on-base machine, but he’s trending in the right direction and should be at least a fringe-average hitter who gets to his power enough. There have never been many doubts about Arias defensively. He has fluid actions, clean hands and plus-plus arm strength. Despite his below-average speed, he has plenty of range for shortstop with his anticipation and footwork and makes all the plays necessary.
  
  The Future: Arias will get a chance in spring training to compete for Cleveland’s starting shortstop job. Even if he doesn’t break camp with the Guardians, his big league debut should come some time in 2022.
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  Hitting: 50. Power: 55. Running: 40. Fielding: 70. Arm: 70.
  
  TRACK RECORD: Arias was one of the top prospects in the 2016 international class and signed with the Padres for $1.9 million. He stood out defensively from the start and broke out offensively in the second half of 2019 at high Class A Lake Elsinore, finishing fourth in the California League in batting (.302). The Indians acquired him at the 2020 trade deadline in the deal that sent Mike Clevinger to San Diego.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Arias is a good athlete with a lot of raw ability. The righthanded hitter has a smooth swing, and his wiry strength and bat speed give him above-average raw power. His plate discipline is not as advanced. He improved his strikeout rate in 2019, but still whiffed in 25% of his plate appearances and his walk rate halved at the same time. Improving his pitch recognition and approach at the plate will be critical to maintain his offensive progress. Arias has few questions defensively. He has advanced infield actions, clean hands and plus-plus arm strength. Despite his below-average speed, he has plenty of range and makes all the plays.
  
  THE FUTURE: Arias will likely head to Double-A in 2021. He'll need to prove his offensive breakout is sustainable outside of the Cal League.
• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  Hitting: 50. Power: 55. Running: 40. Fielding: 70. Arm: 70.
  
  TRACK RECORD: Arias was one of the top prospects in the 2016 international class and signed with the Padres for $1.9 million. He stood out defensively from the start and broke out offensively in the second half of 2019 at high Class A Lake Elsinore, finishing fourth in the California League in batting (.302). The Indians acquired him at the 2020 trade deadline in the deal that sent Mike Clevinger to San Diego.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Arias is a good athlete with a lot of raw ability. The righthanded hitter has a smooth swing, and his wiry strength and bat speed give him above-average raw power. His plate discipline is not as advanced. He improved his strikeout rate in 2019, but still whiffed in 25% of his plate appearances and his walk rate halved at the same time. Improving his pitch recognition and approach at the plate will be critical to maintain his offensive progress. Arias has few questions defensively. He has advanced infield actions, clean hands and plus-plus arm strength. Despite his below-average speed, he has plenty of range and makes all the plays.
  
  THE FUTURE: Arias will likely head to Double-A in 2021. He’ll need to prove his offensive breakout is sustainable outside of the Cal League.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  Hitting: 50. Power: 55. Running: 40. Fielding: 70. Arm: 70.
  
  TRACK RECORD: Arias was one of the top prospects in the 2016 international class and signed with the Padres for $1.9 million. He stood out defensively from the start and broke out offensively in the second half of 2019 at high Class A Lake Elsinore, finishing fourth in the California League in batting (.302). The Indians acquired him at the 2020 trade deadline in the deal that sent Mike Clevinger to San Diego.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Arias is a good athlete with a lot of raw ability. The righthanded hitter has a smooth swing, and his wiry strength and bat speed give him above-average raw power. His plate discipline is not as advanced. He improved his strikeout rate in 2019, but still whiffed in 25% of his plate appearances and his walk rate halved at the same time. Improving his pitch recognition and approach at the plate will be critical to maintain his offensive progress. Arias has few questions defensively. He has advanced infield actions, clean hands and plus-plus arm strength. Despite his below-average speed, he has plenty of range and makes all the plays.
  
  THE FUTURE: Arias will likely head to Double-A in 2021. He’ll need to prove his offensive breakout is sustainable outside of the Cal League.
• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Arias ranked as one of the top prospects in the 2016 international class and signed with the Padres for $1.9 million out of Venezuela. He shined defensively but scuffled offensively his first two and half years as a pro, but he flashed his vast potential with a .344/.376/.533 slash line in the second half of 2019 at high Class A Lake Elsinore.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Arias is a long, lean athlete with tremendous raw ability. He is a gifted defensive shortstop who plays under control, smoothly ranges in all directions, has reliable hands and owns plus-plus arm that allows him to make jaw dropping throws. Evaluators use words like “special”, “elite” and “unbelievable” to describe his shortstop defense. Arias has a smooth swing that stays through the ball, and his long levers and wiry strength give him surprising plus raw power. Arias’ problem is his breaking ball recognition is exceedingly poor and has resulted in a nearly 30 percent career strikeout rate. Arias hits breaking balls in the zone, but flails at ones below the zone. Once he minimized his movements at the plate, he recognized pitches better and took off in the second half.
  
  THE FUTURE: How well Arias improves his plate discipline will determine if he hits enough to play everyday. He’ll be just 20 years old at Double-A Amarillo next year.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Arias ranked as one of the top prospects in the 2016 international class and signed with the Padres for $1.9 million out of Venezuela. He shined defensively but scuffled offensively his first two and half years as a pro, but he flashed his vast potential with a .344/.376/.533 slash line in the second half of 2019 at high Class A Lake Elsinore.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Arias is a long, lean athlete with tremendous raw ability. He is a gifted defensive shortstop who plays under control, smoothly ranges in all directions, has reliable hands and owns plus-plus arm that allows him to make jaw dropping throws. Evaluators use words like “special”, “elite” and “unbelievable” to describe his shortstop defense. Arias has a smooth swing that stays through the ball, and his long levers and wiry strength give him surprising plus raw power. Arias' problem is his breaking ball recognition is exceedingly poor and has resulted in a nearly 30 percent career strikeout rate. Arias hits breaking balls in the zone, but flails at ones below the zone. Once he minimized his movements at the plate, he recognized pitches better and took off in the second half.
  
  THE FUTURE: How well Arias improves his plate discipline will determine if he hits enough to play everyday. He'll be just 20 years old at Double-A Amarillo next year.
• December, 2018 Scouting Report
  Arias’ graceful shortstop defense drew glowing reviews from evaluators throughout the year, even if they were unsure of his bat. He then hit .344/.376/.533 in the second half to gain believers in his offense, too. Arias is a fluid defender who makes both flashy plays and routine ones, rare for a young shortstop. He plays under control, ranges well in all directions, picks up every ball with his soft hands and makes throws from anywhere on the diamond with his plus-plus, accurate arm. "He’s a very athletic kid who has a nose for the baseball,” Lancaster manager Scott Little said. "He was a lot of fun to watch.” Arias has a good swing that stays through the ball and whacks strikes, but he habitually chases breaking stuff below the zone. His offense improved when he began swinging at better pitches. His future output will depend on if that continues.
• December, 2017 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Arias trained at the same program that produced Franklin Barreto and Gleyber Torres in Venezuela and was a starring member of the country's youth international teams. The Padres signed Arias for $1.9 million in 2016 and he proved worthy of his high profile, reaching low Class A Fort Wayne at age 17 and hitting .364 in the Midwest League playoffs. Scouting Report: Arias is a gifted defender who projects as a plus shortstop. He is a lithe athlete with smooth actions and the range to make difficult plays look routine. His plus-plus, accurate arm can make throws from anywhere on the field. Arias' polished, reliable hands complement those skills to give him Gold Glove-potential in some evaluators' eyes. Offensively, Arias has developed faster than expected but still has a ways to go. He has plus bat speed and a short, controlled swing, but he gets pull-happy and is liable to chase pitches out of the zone. He shows average power in batting practice and is an average runner. The Future: Arias' defense will carry him, and his offensive development will determine if he reaches his above-average everyday potential. He'll return to Fort Wayne to begin 2018.