Re: Blue Jays acquire Melvin Upton Jr
Originally Posted by
bondon
Hansel Rodriguez...anyone know anything about him?
Scouting grades: Fastball: 65 | Slider: 45 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 45 | Overall: 45 The Blue Jays' pursuit of Rodriguez during the 2013-14 international period led the club to acquire additional international pool money, which they then used to sign the then-16-year-old for $330,000 in January 2014. His rawness showed during in his pro debut in the Rookie Gulf Coast League, but he made strides in his second tour of the GCL in 2015 and then followed it up with a strong performance in instructional league.
Rodriguez saw an uptick in velocity in 2015 as he continued to get stronger and grow into his projectable frame. He showed the ability to bump 94 mph with his fastball as an amateur, but was hitting 97-98 mph at times during the regular season and instructs. His slider and changeup are below-average pitches for him, though both should improve as he gains better feel for pitching.
Learning how to repeat his delivery will be key for Rodriguez, who struggles to keep his body and lightning-quick arm in sync. The right-hander's arm strength offers plenty to dream on, but he'll have to check countless developmental boxes before being deemed ready for the big leagues.
Jays 18th ranked prospect
12 Team, H2H, Keep 6 (in Bold)
G, A, Pts, PPP, FW, SOG, Hits, Blocks
W, Saves, S%, GAA, Game Started
2C, 2LW, 2RW, 4D, 1Util, 2G, 5BN, 2IR, 1IR+, 1NA
C: Horvat, Trocheck
LW: J. Robertson, Byfield (C), Guenther
RW: Pavelski (C), Giroux (C), Svechnikov (LW)
D: Fox, Makar, Bouchard, Morrissey, Gudas
Util: Meier (LW, RW)
G: Oettinger, Georgiev, Samsonov, Woll