Edwin Lora Coming Into His Own

WASHINGTON—Shortstop Edwin Lora left a nice first impression on high Class A Potomac manager Tripp Keister, and he hasn’t done anything to change that.

“I had seen him as a real young kid in the Dominican Republic three or four years ago,” said Keister, now in his fourth year managing in the Carolina League. “He really stood out as a youngster, but I had never been around him for an extended period until this spring. He stuck out then—similar to what he’s doing now.”

Lora, a 21-year-old who signed in August 2012, has developed into an intriguing prospect. When Keister saw him the first time, it was in an instructional league setting. This year Lora moved to Potomac, where he went 17-for-48 (.354) through his first 13 games.

The 6-foot-1 Lora weighs at least 20 more pounds than his listed 150, but “he needs to get more physical, no question,” Keister said.

“He’s off to a nice start, but this league has a way of adjusting. His quickness and his tools are impressive. He can run and make some exciting plays. He just needs that consistency that all young players need at this level.”

With six walks and five extra-base hits, Lora ranked among the league leaders with his .436 on-base percentage and .542 slugging percentage. The righthanded batter’s 12th-inning home run on April 8 secured a Potomac win at Wilmington.

“On that one, he got a fastball to hit and he didn’t miss it,” Keister said.

Meanwhile, Lora had committed two errors in his first 11 games at shortstop (.952 fielding percentage) after making 29 in a full season at low Class A Hagerstown last year (.941). He has good range, soft hands and a plus arm.

“Out Latin American program has really taken off in the past four or five years,” Keister said. “We have several more on the way who are fun to watch.”

CAPITAL GAINS

• Potomac began the season with a rotation made up entirely of Dominican-born pitchers: righthanders Joan Baez, Wirkin Estevez, Luis Reyes and Jefry Rodrigez and lefthander Hector Silvestre.

•Rafael Bautista, a 24-year-old Dominican center fielder, hit .316 in 38 at-bats in big league camp before joining Triple-A Syracuse. “I learned a lot about how to control my emotions, how to play the game the right way,” he said.

— Lacy Lusk is a writer based in Virginia