BA Top 100 International Prospect Signings Of 2019
I'll just list the Jays prospects.
22
Estiven Machado
Blue Jays SS
Notes:
Country: Venezuela
One of the most promising players the Blue Jays added in 2019 is Estiven Machado, a Venezuelan shortstop who trained with Carlos Rios. Machado has a promising blend of explosive athleticism, tools and advanced game skills for his age with the ability to play a premium position. At 5-foot-10, 165 pounds, Machado has a direct, compact swing from both sides of the plate and a good approach, leading to a high contact rate. It's an efficient stroke with fast bat speed, showing gap power now with the bat speed and strength projection to potentially develop average pop. He's around an average runner now, and while speed is a tricky tool to project up, that could end up happening with Machado given his explosiveness and running gait. Machado is a notch behind fellow Blue Jays 2019 shortstop Rikelvin de Castro as a defender, but he also projects to stick at shortstop. He has a quick first step and moves his feet well, with the range for the position and secure hands as well. His arm is a slightly above-average tool that's tickling plus and should be there consistently in the near future.
28
Rikelvin de Castro
Blue Jays SS
Notes:
Country: Dominican Republic
Toronto's top bonus in 2019 went to Rikelvin de Castro, a Dominican shortstop who got $1.2 million. A loose, wiry athlete at 6 feet, 150 pounds, de Castro quickly draws attention for the way he moves at shortstop. He's a fast-twitch, high-energy defender with clean actions, showing smooth hands, quick footwork and a nose for the ball. He's a potential plus glove at shortstop, with average speed and arm strength that could tick up as he gets stronger, especially his arm given his arm speed. De Castro has a simple, compact stroke from the right side and makes consistent contact, showing good rhythm and timing in the box. It's an approach geared to hit line drives to all fields line-drive approach with occasional gap shots. He should grow into more extra-base thump once he gets stronger, though power doesn't project to be a big part of his game. De Castro trained with Angel Perez.
43
Victor Mesia
Blue Jays C
Notes:
Country: Venezuela
Victor Mesia, a 16-year-old Venezuelan catcher the Blue Jays signed on July 2, has been an arrow-up player over the past year. He's 5-foot-10, 175 pounds with power and explosiveness to his actions. Mesia has performed well in games since signing, with a compact swing from the right side of the plate. He has fast bat speed, a knack for the barrel and makes hard contact with an all-fields approach. He shows flashes of above-average raw power right now, giving him a chance to hit and hit for power at a high clip for a catcher. Mesia has strong legs, is athletic for a catcher and projects to stay behind the plate, with a strong arm that tickles plus now and projects to be there consistently soon. He's represented by Steward Salazar.
78
Peniel Brito
Blue Jays 3B/OF
Notes:
Country: Dominican Republic
Third baseman Peniel Brito, who signed for $600,000, was one of the more physical hitters in the 2019 class, looking larger than his listed 6-foot-2, 190 pounds with a thick lower half. Brito is a 16-year-old, righthanded hitter who stands out for his strength, bat speed and offensive upside, albeit from an unconventional look. As an amateur, Brito set up crouched down with an extremely wide base. It's still a wide setup, but since signing, he has narrowed his stance some and isn't as bent over as he was before. It still looks a little awkward, but Brito has consistently performed well, both in games as an amateur and since signing between Tricky League and Dominican instructs. Brito has excellent bat speed and doesn't strike out much. There are unorthodox components to his swing, but he gets his swing loaded and turns the barrel well to get on plane early and stay through the hitting zone for a long time. With his strength and bat speed, he drives the ball with impact and could develop plus power. As an amateur, Brito spent some time at third base, but was mostly an outfielder. Like they did with Vlad Jr. after he signed, the Blue Jays moved Brito from the outfield to third base after signing, and Brito showed enough progress at the hot corner through Dominican instructs to continue developing there. He has a strong arm, but he will need a lot of work on his footwork and range to stay in the dirt. There's a better chance he ends up in right field, with some risk of him getting big enough to go to first base, so monitoring his conditioning and agility will be important. Brito trained with El Niche.
81
Dahian Santos
Blue Jays RHP
Notes:
Country: Venezuela
Another 16-year-old Venezuelan righthander the Blue Jays signed, Dahian Santos, has trended up over the past year. Santos has a lean, wiry build (5-foot-11, 160 pounds) an athletic delivery and quick arm speed. As an amateur, Santos was throwing in the mid-to-upper 80s, but after signing he threw in September and his fastball had jumped to touch 94 mph. That's high-end velocity for his age and it's a fastball with a lot of movement. Santos projects to be a starter with his ability to throw strikes at a high rate and feel for a three-pitch mix, including a changeup with good action and a breaking ball that can get slurvy at times, but that he shows feel to spin. He trained with Michael Alagna.
88
Cristian Feliz
Blue Jays OF
Notes:
Country: Dominican Republic
Dominican outfielder Cristian Feliz, who trained in the same program as Brito, signed for $200,000. Feliz, a 17-year-old lefty, has a bigger frame (6-foot-5, 200 pounds) and even more power than Brito, with a chance to be an elite power bat. Feliz has excellent bat speed and plus raw power, and with the physical projection he still has, he could develop 70 or possibly even better raw power in his prime. Feliz has a solid swing for his size, but he is a long-armed hitter who sometimes has timing issues in the box. That leads to swing-and-miss tendencies, which adds risk, but after signing he kept it in check and performed well in the Tricky League. Feliz is a corner outfielder who needs to improve his defensive instincts and mobility.
98
Robert Robertis
Blue Jays OF
Notes:
Country: Venezuela
Another key Venezuelan signing from Toronto's 2019 class was center fielder Robert Robertis, who trained with Alexi Quiroz. Robertis is 6 feet, 170 pounds (turned 17 on Nov. 29) and moves well in the outfield. With 55 speed on the 20-80 scale, Robertis isn't a burner, but he glides around the outfield with advanced instincts for his age, reading the ball well off the bat, getting a quick first step and taking good routes, although his arm is below-average. As a hitter, Robertis generally performed well in games as an amateur in Venezuela, showing a solid feel for the strike zone. He keeps his hands inside the ball well, but he has a big leg kick from the left side, which can cause inconsistency when his timing is off and could be something he needs to simplify down the road. When everything is in sync, Robertis drives the ball well to left-center and flashes occasional pull power, so he has a chance to become a center fielder with patience and should possess average power in the future.
