Top 20 DSL/VSL Prospects from 2012

Rangers shortstop Jurickson Profar signed for $1.55 million out of Curacao on July 2, 2009. After starting his career in the short-season Northwest League as a 17-year-old in 2010, Profar had a breakout season in 2011, made his major league debut in 2012 and is now the best prospect in baseball.

Usually it doesn’t all come together so quickly. For most Latin American prospects, the first stop is either the Dominican Summer League or the Venezuelan Summer League. While players like Profar, Braves righthander Julio Teheran or Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez occasionally are so advanced that they skip the DSL, the majority of the game’s best Latin American prospects made their pro debut outside of the United States. Twelve international prospects in the Top 100—Oscar Taveras, Xander Bogaerts, Miguel Sano, Carlos Martinez, Oswaldo Arcia, Gregory Polanco, Alen Hanson, Avisail Garcia, Marcell Ozuna, Yordano Ventura, Daniel Corcino and Bruce Rondon—all played in either the DSL or the VSL. Bogaerts and Martinez were on BA’s inaugural DSL/VSL Top 20 list in 2010.

A player performing well in one of the Latin American summer leagues isn’t necessarily an indicator of future success, but players can elevate their prospect stock with a strong on-field performance, while a position player who struggles to hit in the DSL raises questions about whether he’ll ever be able to hit more advanced pitching. Performance matters less for pitchers at this level, since they are still growing into their bodies and can see their stuff jump up significantly when they do, but all players are ranked on this list based on their long-term major league potential. This year’s list of players from the 2012 DSL and VSL includes high-profile international signings from recent years as well as five players who signed for less than $100,000.

Players are listed in alphabetical order with their ages as of today.

Alfonso Alcantara, rhp, Angels

Age: 19. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 190. Signed: Dominican Republic, 2011.

The Angels had a pair of promising pitchers in the DSL last year. Dominican righthander Eduar Lopez would have ranked first in the league with 14.0 strikeouts per nine innings if he had enough innings to qualify, with a lot of his swings and misses coming from his sharp curveball. While Lopez has an average fastball, Alcantara attacks hitters with pure power. Alcantara (whose full name is Victor Alfonso Alcantara) signed for $174,000 in June 2011 as an 18-year-old with a projectable body and a fastball that hit 93 mph. By the time he got to the Angels’ winter program that offseason, Alcantara was touching the mid-90s and his fastball continued to climb. During the DSL last year, he sat consistently in the mid-90s and hit 100 mph. Alcantara has a hard-hard approach with his fastball and a solid 86-88 mph slider. His changeup lags behind, so it’s a pitch he’s going to need to throw more to develop. Alcantara’s weakness is his control. His arm works well but he has a piece-by-piece delivery that he doesn’t repeat, which leads to his wildness. If Alcantara can’t develop a third pitch or figure out how to throw more strikes, he would still be a promising power arm to have out of the bullpen.

G	GS	W	L	SV	ERA	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	AVG
14	14	5	4	0	2.13	72	51	27	17	0	40	77	.199

Jayson Aquino, lhp, Rockies

Age: 20. B-T: L-L. Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 170. Signed: Dominican Republic, 2009.

Every year the Rockies come up with at least one promising Latin American pitcher. The Rockies don’t have an affiliate in the Rookie-level Arizona League, so they tend to leave their pitchers in the DSL longer than most teams in order to get them stronger and more prepared for facing a lot of college players in the Rookie-level Pioneer League. That was the case with Aquino, who spent his third season in the DSL before jumping in August to the Pioneer League, where he had a 1.87 ERA in seven starts. Aquino doesn’t do anything special on the radar gun, but he has solid stuff and excellent feel for pitching. Aquino, who signed for $175,000 in 2009 from the trainer in San Pedro de Macoris known as “Aguila,” threw in the mid-80s and peaked at 88 when he signed, but he’s added a few ticks since then. He now throws in the high-80s to the low-90s, repeats his delivery and fills up the strike zone. He doesn’t have a knockout secondary pitch, but his changeup is promising and could develop into an above-average pitch, while he’s also made strides with his curveball. He has the potential to reach the major leagues as a back-end starter.

G	GS	W	L	SV	ERA	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	AVG
9	9	6	1	0	1.52	65	45	12	11	1	9	74	.191

Abiatal Avelino, ss, Yankees

Age: 18. B-T: B-R. Ht.: 5-11. Wt.: 186. Signed: Dominican Republic, 2011.

The Yankees signed Avelino in December 2011 out of San Pedro de Macoris from Laurentino Genao’s program for $300,000. He performed well both at the plate and in the field in his pro debut last summer in the DSL. Avelino has wide shoulders on his athletic frame and could be an above-average defender at shortstop. His actions are clean, his hands and feet work well and he has good body control. He’s an instinctive fielder who turns double plays well, has a good internal clock and a plus arm with solid-average speed. Avelino also hit well last year thanks to a simple, line-drive swing with good bat path that helps him make plenty of contact. He squares up balls regularly but doesn’t have much power, so his offensive game will be more about getting on base than extra-base hits.

AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
222	46	67	11	1	1	25	27	34	20	2	.302	.398	.374

Oscar Cabrera, lhp, Blue Jays
Age: 18. B-T: L-L. Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 215. Signed: Dominican Republic, 2012.

The Blue Jays have a promising group of international pitching prospects in the lower levels of the system, led by Mexican righthander Roberto Osuna and Dominican righthander Alberto Tirado. Blue Jays special assistant Ismael Cruz helped add an impressive collection of Dominican pitchers when he was with the Mets, and one of his first signings with the Blue Jays when he took over after the 2011 season was Cabrera, another talented Dominican arm. Cabrera had originally signed with the Angels for $150,000 in November 2010, but a problem came up with Cabrera’s paperwork during his investigation. Cabrera ended up signing with the Blue Jays for $275,000 last year in January, pitched well in the DSL, then finished the year with a couple of appearances in the GCL. Cabrera had been up to 89 mph before he signed with the Blue Jays, but now he hits 93 mph. He throws strikes and misses plenty of bats with a curveball that has flashed above-average, and he’s shown some feel for a changeup as well.

G	GS	W	L	SV	ERA	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	AVG
9	7	0	2	0	2.12	34	26	8	8	1	15	40	.224

Johan Camargo, ss/3b, Braves

Age: 19. B-T: B-R. Ht.: 6-0. Wt.: 160. Signed: Panama, 2010.

Braves scout Luis Ortiz has helped Atlanta become the leading organization in signing Panamanian prospects, most notably righthander Randall Delgado and catcher Christian Bethancourt. Next in line could be Camargo, who played for the Panama Metro youth team before he signed for $42,000 on July 2, 2010. Camargo finished seventh in the DSL in batting average, showing he could square pitches up for line drives from both sides of the plate. He has a good approach and waits for his pitch to hit, though he doesn’t have much power yet. Camargo split time at shortstop and third base last year, with third base his more likely destination. He’s around an average runner with a strong arm and the Braves like his hands, but he also committed 21 errors (eight throwing) in 58 games in the field, so he’s going to have to cut down on his mistakes.

AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
198	38	68	14	1	2	26	25	27	6	3	.343	.433	.455

Rafael DePaula, rhp, Yankees

Age: 21. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 212. Signed: Dominican Republic, 2010.

DePaula has changed his story so many times, presented several different birthdates and rifled through so many different representatives that it’s hard to know what to make of his true age or his background. No matter how old he really is (his listed date of birth makes him 22 in March), DePaula has a terrific arm and is a legitimate prospect who should move quickly. He spent the year in the DSL carving up inferior competition, but the real test will come in 2013 against full-season hitters. On the prospect radar since 2008, DePaula has an electric fastball that sits at 93-96 mph and touches 98-99. With long arms and huge hands, DePaula is athletic, has good mechanics, pitches downhill with great mound presence and is a good strike thrower. He mixes in a sharp, power curveball that should be an out pitch and shows feel for a changeup, though it’s not something he used much against DSL hitters. DePaula did have some shoulder soreness as an amateur, but he has all the other ingredients to remain a starter.

G	GS	W	L	SV	ERA	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	AVG
14	14	8	2	0	1.46	62	35	18	10	2	18	85	.162

Steven Fuentes, ss, Tigers

Age: 18. B-T: B-R. Ht.: 5-11. Wt.: 178. Signed: Venezuela, 2011.

Every year the Tigers add talent out of Venezuela, where they’re one of four teams left with an academy and a team in the Venezuelan Summer League. Last year Venezuelan outfielder Avisail Garcia (a 2007 signing) made his major league debut, while Venezuelan second baseman Harold Castro (a 2011 signing) had a strong U.S. debut in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast league. The Tigers had two intriguing infielders in the VSL last year who signed in 2011. Javier Betancourt, the nephew of former Mets infielder Edgardo Alfonzo, had a good year at the plate and has a more polished approach to the game than Fuentes. However, Fuentes has louder tools and is showing signs of developing baseball skills. Fuentes, who signed for $210,000 out of Nelson Zapata’s program, is a plus runner with athletic actions, a quick transfer and a plus arm. He needs to play under better control, but he has the raw tools to be a quality defender at shortstop. Fuentes’ offensive game is further away than Betancourt’s, but he followed up a decent VSL season by going to the Liga Paralela (the minor leagues of the Venezuelan League) and hitting .315/.362/.528 in 116 at-bats. The switch-hitting Fuentes isn’t a slugger but he has some extra-base juice in his bat that will come out more frequently if he continues to make strides with his hitting approach.

AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
226	23	58	8	4	2	25	18	47	8	8	.257	.317	.354

Gabriel Guerrero, of, Mariners

Age: 19. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 190. Signed: Dominican Republic, 2011.

Too often, Dominican righthanded hitters with power and a free-swinging approach get compared to Vladimir Guerrero, a singular player with uncanny tools and hand-eye coordination who missed a 40-40 season in the big leagues by one home run in 2002. In the case of Gabriel Guerrero, we’ll make one small exception. After all, he is Vlad’s nephew. Guerrero’s batting stance and mannerisms evoke his uncle, and while he’s not a five-tool player, he’s one of the most exciting hitters the Mariners have signed out of Latin America in years. Repeating the DSL as an 18-year-old, things clicked for Guerrero as he went on to win the league’s MVP award despite leaving in August to join the Rookie-level Arizona League, where he continued his strong season at the plate. Guerrero showed good bat speed and above-average raw power while training with Basilio Vizcaino (known as “Cachaza”) in the Dominican Prospect League, and former Latin American coordinator Patrick Guerrero stayed on him to sign him for $400,000 in January 2011. As Guerrero matured as a hitter, his approach and contact frequency improved. Guerrero didn’t run well before he signed, but he’s improved his speed and has the arm strength to play right field, though like many young Dominican outfielders he’s still learning how to take proper routes on fly balls.

AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
200	38	71	9	4	11	54	21	28	4	6	.355	.409	.605

Vicente Lupo, of, Mets

Age: 19. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-0. Wt.: 180. Signed: Dominican Republic, 2010.

Lupo was the Mets’ top international signing in 2010, when he signed for $350,000 out of Jose Montero‘s program. A member of Venezuela’s team at the 16U World Championships in 2009, Lupo struggled in his pro debut in the DSL in 2011 while battling an illness, hitting .197/.325/.379 with 59 strikeouts in 49 games. Healthy in 2012, Lupo had a breakout season. He led the DSL with a .500 OBP (aided by a league-high 18 hit by pitches), ranked second in slugging and tied for second with 10 home runs. The book on Lupo as an amateur was that he had big power but was an inconsistent hitter because of his free-swinging approach. Lupo generates power with both bat speed and strength, especially in his wrists and forearms. His hitting approach has also improved, which resulted in him striking out at a lower clip last season. Lupo doesn’t run or throw well and is strictly a left fielder, so all of his value is going to come from his offensive game.

AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
204	58	70	18	3	10	45	46	45	12	7	.343	.500	.608

Manuel Margot, of, Red Sox

Age: 18. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 5-11. Wt.: 170. Signed: Dominican Republic, 2011.

Margot played in the Dominican Prospect League in 2011 and was one of the premium prospects that year for July 2, when he signed with the Red Sox for $800,000. Margot, who is from Villa Altagracia and trained with Franklin Ferreira, had one of the best debuts among last year’s signings. Margot has a lean, athletic frame and exciting five-tool potential. He hit well in games for scouts before signing and had little trouble handling DSL pitching. Margot has good bat speed, a line-drive swing and takes pitches on the outer half to the right-center field gap. He has a hitch in his swing that he’s worked to smooth out, but he’s able to get his hands into hitting position on time, adjusts to pitches on the inner half and is able to manipulate the bat head well, so he doesn’t get beat often. Margot mostly has gap power now, but he makes loud contact and should continue to add power. Margot’s plus-plus speed is a weapon on the bases (his 33 steals ranked third in the DSL) and in the field, leading DSL outfielders in putouts. He has excellent range, gets good reads off the bat, tracks down balls in the gaps and has a plus arm, so he has all the ingredients to be an outstanding defensive center fielder.

AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
260	49	74	10	7	4	45	36	25	33	9	.285	.382	.423

Jose Martinez, rhp, Diamondbacks

Age: 18. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 160. Signed: Dominican Republic, 2011.

The Diamondbacks have brought some intriguing arms into their system from the international ranks in recent years, including a pair of Venezuelan righthanders—Erick Leal and Jesus Castillo—who were used in an offseason trade to acquire Tony Campanaafter they debuted last year in the DSL. The best arm of the group right now is Martinez, who signed out of Restauracion for $55,000 in June 2011. Martinez originally signed as Jose Fermin, though there was never any issue over his age or identity. When his father (Ramon Eladi Martinez Fermin) declared him, his name was mistakenly transcribed with his second last name first, so he now uses the Martinez surname. When the Diamondbacks signed Martinez, he was a skinny 17-year-old with an 85-88 mph fastball. He quickly started throwing harder, touched 93 the winter after he signed, then continued to add velocity last year. His lively fastball sat at 91-94 mph and touched 96 last summer, pitching well enough to make the jump to short-season Yakima for a pair of starts at the end of the year. Martinez already has a power arm and might have a little extra velocity projection remaining. He threw a 70-75 mph curveball when he signed and has since added power to that pitch as well. His curve is now a hammer at 80-84 mph, a plus pitch with good depth and vicious bite. There is some effort in his mechanics, but he has a loose arm, repeats his delivery and throws strikes well for his age.

G	GS	W	L	SV	ERA	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	AVG
14	14	5	2	0	1.72	73	57	25	14	0	22	71	.218

Keury Mella, rhp, Giants

Age: 19. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 190. Signed: Dominican Republic, 2011.

Luis Coronado has been the trainer for a handful of big league pitchers, including Rays righthander Juan Carlos Oviedo (formerly Leo Nunez) and Cubs righthander Carlos Marmol. In September 2011, Mella signed with the Giants out of Coronado’s program as an 18-year-old for $275,000. He had a strong season in the DSL, where his 9.7 strikeouts per nine innings ranked fifth in the league. Mella got his fastball up to 92-93 mph when he signed, but he projected to be a power arm and has already added velocity. He now sits around 91-93 mph and has pumped his fastball up to 95. He also has a good curveball that helps him miss bats. He needs to bring along his changeup. Some scouts thought before he signed that Mella might end up in a bullpen role, but he showed good feel for pitching last year.

G	GS	W	L	SV	ERA	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	AVG
14	14	3	3	0	2.47	69	59	22	19	3	28	75	.225

Joel Payamps, rhp, Rockies

Age: 18. B-T: B-R. Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 170. Signed: Dominican Republic, 2010.

The Rockies had a host of intriguing players on their DSL team in addition to Payamps and Aquino. Outfielder Raimel Tapia is a good hitter with a sound swing path and a projectable body, while second baseman Miguel Dilone also had a strong year at the plate. The Rockies had scouted Payamps since he was 14, then made him their top international signing in 2010 when they signed him out of Luis Polonia’s program for $465,000 on July 2. Payamps touched 91-92 mph before he signed and has been up to 94-95 mph. With the way his arm works and his athletic, projectable body, he could add more velocity. Payamps has a smooth, repeatable delivery and has always impressed scouts with his feel for pitching. He also shows feel for his secondary stuff, with his changeup his second-best offering ahead of his curveball right now.

G	GS	W	L	SV	ERA	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	AVG
12	12	1	2	0	3.02	60	43	27	20	1	16	38	.196

Eduard Pinto, of, Rangers

Age: 18. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 5-11. Wt.: 150. Signed: Dominican Republic, 2010.

The Rangers signed Pinto for $350,000 on July 2, 2011 in a package deal with Venezuelan lefthander Yohander Mendez from Luis Blasini’s program. Mendez also performed well last year, though his 86-89 mph is still a projection at this point. Pinto, who is from Valencia, doesn’t have a ton of tools but has a knack for hitting. Before he signed, Pinto hit .329/.396/.409 with just 11 strikeouts in 164 at-bats playing in the Liga Paralela (the minors of the Venezuelan League) as a 15-year-old, so his advanced hitting came as no surprise. He led the DSL in hitting, ranked second in OBP and had the second-lowest strikeout rate in the league. Pinto has outstanding hand-eye coordination, good plate coverage and hits line drives to all fields. The question mark on Pinto is his ceiling and future role, since he doesn’t have many other tools. He’s listed at 5-foot-11, though that may be charitable by a couple of inches, and power will never be his calling card. He played all three outfield positions last year, but he’s not quite an average runner, so center field would be a stretch. Pinto shouldn’t have any problems hitting in the low minors, so Double-A and above should be his real test.

AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
222	47	88	13	1	1	29	31	13	8	6	.396	.475	.477

Victor Reyes, of, Braves

Age: 18. B-T: L-R. Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 170. Signed: Venezuela, 2011.

When Reyes was an amateur player in Venezuela, he trained with Ricardo Petit, who is the brother of Atlanta’s Venezuelan-based assistant director of Latin American operations Rolando Petit. Reyes signed with the Braves for $365,000 on July 2 in 2011, making him their top international signing that year. Reyes attracted attention as an amateur for his size and power potential, but he proved to be an adept hitter despite dealing with an injury that limited him to DH last year. Reyes is a patient hitter with good plate coverage for a big man, showing the ability to handle pitches on both halves of the plate. Reyes only had three extra-base hits, but with his large frame he could get up to 220-225 pounds and should develop a lot more sock. Reyes runs well for his size but he projects to slow down once he gains more weight. He has a solid arm and should be back in right field this season.

AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
162	40	48	3	0	0	33	31	39	12	6	.296	.418	.315

Rolando Segovia, ss/2b/3b, Blue Jays

Age: 18. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 5-11. Wt.: 165. Signed: Venezuela, 2011.

Segovia generated some attention as a Venezuelan shortstop who became eligible to sign on July 2, 2011, but he didn’t sign that summer and ended up with the Blue Jays for $30,000 that December. After hitting well in his debut to become Toronto’s DSL player of the year, Segovia could prove to be a bargain, as could Andres Sotillo, a Venezuelan catcher signed for $11,000 the next month who hit well in the DSL. Segovia, who like Sotillo trained with Nelson Montes de Oca, tried switch-hitting as an amateur but is now exclusively a righthanded hitter. He stood out more in the field than at the plate when he signed, but he surprised with his hitting last year. He works the count with a good hitting approach and good bat-to-ball ability. He has below-average power, so his offensive game is more about getting on base. He stole 18 bases but he’s not a burner, with average speed and good baserunning instincts. Segovia split time between shortstop, third base and second base, with Colombia’s Edwin Fuentes getting the majority of reps at shortstop. Segovia has good awareness in the field with sound hands and a solid arm.

AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
164	33	49	12	2	1	18	22	33	18	6	.299	.398	.415

Antonio Senzatela, rhp, Rockies

Age: 18. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 180. Signed: Venezuela, 2011.

The DSL Rockies ranked third in ERA and issued the fewest walks in the league, mostly on the strength of a prospect-laden starting rotation rather than relying on older arms. As a result, the Rockies placed three pitchers on the DSL/VSL Top 20 prospects list including Senzatela, a Valencia native who signed in 2011 for $250,000 from the program of former Red Sox outfielder Jose Malave. Senzatela showed why he was the top international pitcher Colorado signed in 2011 by leading the DSL in ERA (0.72) despite being one of the league’s youngest players. Senzatela signed throwing 88-92 mph, but he now sits in the low-90s and touches 94-95 as he’s added strength to his broad-shouldered frame. He’s not as physical or athletic as Payamps, but Senzatela also has a repeatable delivery and excellent feel for pitching. He throws strikes with downhill angle and works in the lower part of the strike zone. He has a good changeup, though he’s a little stiff-wristed, which hampers his curveball.

G	GS	W	L	SV	ERA	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	AVG
13	12	5	2	0	0.72	63	40	10	5	0	14	35	.179

Cristian Toribio, ss, Rays

Age: 18. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 5-11. Wt.: 170. Signed: Dominican Republic, 2012.

The Rays have a strong presence in Venezuela, where they were extremely aggressive last year to sign lefthander Jose Castillo, righthander Jose Mujica and catcher David Rodriguez. One of their best 2012 signings from the Dominican Republic might end up being Toribio, who signed for $65,000 last year in January. Toribio, who is from Santo Domingo, is a quick-twitch athlete who’s starting to scratch the surface of his potential. He has a good idea of what he’s doing at the plate for his age and a line-drive swing, though he doesn’t have much power right now. His plus speed helps him get on base, steal bags and gives him good range at shortstop. Like many young shortstops he needs to cut down on his mistakes in the field, but he has the ability to play shortstop with an above-average arm.

AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
208	34	59	10	3	1	25	18	43	13	3	.284	.346	.375

Daury Torrez, rhp, Cubs

Age: 18. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 200. Signed: Dominican Republic, 2010.

The Cubs had bonus babies like Venezuelan third baseman Mark Malave ($1.6 million) and shortstop Luis Acosta ($1.1 million in 2011) in the DSL last year, but both of them struggled. Lefthander Carlos Rodriguez and outfielders Jeffrey Baez and Roberto Carohad strong seasons, but the Cubs’ best prospect in the DSL last year was Torrez, who signed for $25,000 when he was 17 in December 2010. In his second DSL season, Torrez ranked third in ERA and had the lowest walk rate in the league, with just four walks to the 280 batters he faced. Torrez, who is from Esparanza, isn’t just a soft tosser. Torrez has a physical build and sits at 90-93 mph with good sink and run on his fastball. He commands all of his pitches, including a hard slider and a changeup that he has feel for, but he doesn’t have a putaway pitch yet, which is why he didn’t strike out more batters.

G	GS	W	L	SV	ERA	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	AVG
14	13	6	3	0	1.21	75	57	14	10	6	4	50	.213

Jose Urena, of, Padres

Age: 18. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 190. Signed: Mexico, 2011.

Two of the Padres big-ticket international signings from 2011 showed promising signs last year in the DSL. Dominican corner outfielder Franmil Reyes is an enormous 17-year-old who displayed impressive power potential. Urena, who signed for $550,000 from Mexico City of the Mexican League, also showed plenty of sock in his bat for a corner outfielder and a projectable frame. Urena attracted attention at the 16U COPABE Pan American championships in Mexico in 2010, when he was teammates with Blue Jays righthander Roberto Osuna. He’s continued to impress with his plus raw power and a good approach to hitting for his age. His swing does get long, so it’s something he may have to make adjustments with to cut down on strikeouts as he moves up the minors. Urena has a good arm as well that should fit in right field.