• Submitted by: Camila
• Sports
• 02 / 25 / 2015

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This list of Cuban baseball prospects, still producing talents nonstop, focuses on establishing a long-term value. Therefore, many of these players are more linked to the future that an immediate impact.

The list was written extracting reports and doing scout work, conversations with listeners, trainers and coaches records, sabermetric talent assessments and estimated projections.

Only took into consideration players under 23 years (with the exception of Luis Y. The O and Dariel Crespo) and residents in Cuba, Pinar del Rio Vladimir however Lazaro Alonso Gutierrez and still are located in this work, as they played until January 2015 in Cuba. Some of the players ranked among the top 10 in the list, do have tools to succeed in baseball in the near future.
 
25- Alfredo Rodriguez (SS). Isla de la Juventud. 20 years 1,74 m / 82kg
Alfredo Rodriguez's capital. It has limited power and there seems to be a higher average hitter with 270 average. But his glove and speed (7 SB) have it here. Need many at-bats yet, but is an interesting player.

24- Lazaro Hernandez (3B). Artemis. 21 years 1.87m / 90kg
Hernández needs to work with your swing and contact area. Accumulate 188 K in 222 games since joining the league with 18. It has delayed his progression and depends on his bat as it is at best is a runner and average defender.

23- Yadier Echevarría (RHP). Las Tunas. 19 years 1.78m / 66kg
Their lethal weapon is the sinker. The line touches 89-90 mph and comes with stability in the 86-87 mph. You can become a great pitcher bullpen, his departure angle becomes difficult to distinguish causes many throws and shot to right-handed hitters to launch very low in the inner zone.

22- Dairon Blanco (OF). Camaguey. 21 years 1.83m / 77kg
The White game has a lot of value to the defense. Their ability to reach tickets has gone up (394 OBP). Has limited power and could be a special bat first become a more aggressive runner.

21- Yankiel Mauri (RHP). Santi Spiritus. 1.87m 18 years / 72kg
Perhaps Mauri not have many entries for action to be in a list of prospects but their evaluation as bullpen pitcher has been positive. It has power in his fastball (92mph) and need better control his breaking shipments and improve their WHIP of 1.36.

20- Raidel Orta (RHP). Industrial 18 years 1.75m / 70kg
Orta is a natural starter with great projection in Cuban baseball. Their rate of air is normal for a pitcher 18 years. However, his slider is mature and is consistent and straight forward until 90 mph. Perhaps there is no RHP 18 with the talent of Orta in Cuba.

19- Jesus Balaguer (RHP). Industrial 20 years 1.89m / 80kg
Maybe Balaguer become a workhorse rather than an ace. Its line is strong (93mph) and height that will promote faster straight over time. By now a bullpen pitcher with control problems, 23 BB in 27.2 IP. It only batting for 205.

18- Dariel Crespo (C). Artemis 22 years 1.92m / 79kg
There is a young catcher in Cuba with the impact and talent Crespo. Tall and athletic body. It is a limited short hitter with power lines but produces extra-base hits. Their tools of defense are good, highlighting his arm. It comes from a promotion of talented players like Jorge Soler, Andy Ibanez and Gourriel Jr.

17- Yordan Alvarez (IF / OF). Las Tunas. 17 years 1.91m / 81kg
Las Tunas is still young. It has a fairly short swing at the moment, seeking more contact than power. Alvarez should begin to demonstrate power in the coming seasons when refine his mechanics and lengthen your swing. Until now good selection of items and their defense is top line.

16- Darien Núñez (LHP). Las Tunas. 21 years 1.85m / 83kg
Nunez has a power line 94 mph. Their problems were insurmountable decontrol so far (1.62 WHIP). Improving this condition depends the future. It only connect to 238, but the mechanics in the box Nunez is very inefficient because not lift the right foot enough to propel and this detracts control and balance to your body. BB 202 in 271.0 IP seems much imbalance.

15- Julio P. Martínez (CF). Guantánamo. 18 years 1.73m / 71kg
Center fielder shine in Cuban or foreign baseball. This year has stamped 323/383/443 line. Its scope in the CF is above average, his arm is strong, and still needs to grow as a runner. His swing is compact and short lines with extra-base power and good contacts in the area.

14- Pedro Durán (LHP). Industrial 19 years 1.75m / 82kg
Duran is a talent that has not yet found their job role, if bullpen pitcher or starter. In any role you can succeed because their tools support this. Straight stable at 88 mph, good curve and is developing a kind of change. You must solve control problems but has weapons to succeed.

13. Guillermo Aviles (IF / OF). Granma 21 years. 1.83m / 87kg
His progress has been slow but effective, because it did not have much game until last season. He is patient and takes many tickets home. Its projection is a player over 15 HR and 60 RBI per season. His defense and speed on the bases is limited.

12. Luis Daniel Serrano (3B). Santi Spiritus. 1.87m 20 years / 92kg
Serrano is the Cuban prospect of greater power by Lazaro Alonso. He destroyed pitchers with 284/351/625 and 27 RBI and 976 OPS. In just 88 at-bats he collected nine homers in 2014. He was the player "ridiculously unelected" in the round of reinforcements. It is presented as a hitter of the central part of the lineup. If your area of choice of pitches improvement, see a player in the game sobrado value short term.

11- Randy Arozarena (Useful / Player) Pinar del Río. 19 years 1.78m / 62kg
I was watching Arozarena since last season and is a kind of underrated player. But coaches say their line of work you will take more courage than we currently have. A defense is useful in the CF / LF / 2B and SS. It is fast (9 SB in 14 attempts) and spells the area with ease (20BB / 16K). Spread 3.60 HOME to 1B and power appears limited. It could steal more than 25 bases per year in the future with on-base average of 400 or more.

Livan 10- Moinelo (LHP). Pinar del Río. 18 years 1.75m / 63kg
There exists in Cuba a lefty specialist aura Moinelo and only has 18. His fastball achieves the 90mph, and high and downside destroys lefties while has developed a change / cash sinker to rights. It only batting 221 and has 45 K in 41.1 IP 5 BB, it shows good command lefty. He participated in the 2015 Caribbean Series successfully and improve your fitness would have a promising future.

9- Yaisel Sierra (RHP). Holguin 22 years. 1.84m / 72kg
Sierra is 96 mph with his fastball and settled in the 92-93 average. It was better positioned in this list if it had eradicated the rate of air. Need a third effective launch and improve the command of his slider.

8- Lazaro A. Alonso (1B / LF). Pinar del Rio. 19 years 1.90m / 83kg
Alonso is a player of power and speed. It has been seen to play in Asia by some scouts. It has an above average arm and defense. His swing is long and overloaded but have weakness to external shipments lefties. Playing every day could be an impact player with AVE 300 per season and 25 HR or +. Your selection of items is quite mature for her age, which would help to take tickets. It has stamped 299/436/494 line in 38 games in a season as a rookie.

7- Luis Yander The O (IF). Santiago de Cuba. 22 years 1.84m / 84kg
This player is an exception in the list. Now 23 years and 2 months, still I decided to include it because its value and impact. Its strength is speed: legs, arms and swing. Has limited power (only 5 HR in 5 seasons and 410 SLU), yet it is a versatile defender box, broker projection of more than 30 stolen per season and player with OBP above 400. Choose well in the area (only 4 K and 23 BB), rapper short lines to the opposite field.

6- Adolis Jose Garcia (OF). Ciego de Ávila. 22 years 1.85m / 76kg
The brother Adonis is a 5 tool player. It has a sweet and full swing of power, speed on the bases, displacement in the gardens, and produces a healthy arm races in extreme situations. His offensive line shows 372/411/543. Need grab more air and put his speed on the bases.

Perez Cionel 5- (LHP). Matanzas. 19 years 1.77m / 66kg
Perez is a lefty with power and that makes it even more valuable. Has reached its straight 95mph, and maintained between 90-92mph frequently. Need a better command with the slider (80-82 mph). It only batting 222 with 69 K in 80 IP. To improve their rate of air Cionel could become an ace. Need a slower for greater variation in pitch repertoire.

4- Norge Luis Ruiz (RHP). Camaguey. 21 years 1.76m / 80kg
Norge Luis Ruiz is a power pitcher. 96 mph fastball and stable under 92mph. He has developed a change that makes it effective against lefties. At his young age, need a key release accompanying his fastball. It is projected as a pitcher wins with average below 2.50 (2.49 in 3 seasons), a devourer of inputs to rise although prone to slippage.

3- Lourdes Gourriel Y. (Useful / Player) Industrial 19 years 1.92m / 83kg
Y. Lourdes has had a meteoric rise from one season to another. His hitting mechanics has changed making significant adjustments to its balance of legs. At his young age, swing speed and power seem to work maturity. It's good runner with 70 on a scale of 80 and as a defender but not limited field trip (UZR) or usefulness of positions. It is projected as a player of 15 HR / 15 SB and great creative career. Has exceeded potential.

2- Hector Mendoza (RHP). Isla de la Juventud. 20 years 1.90m / 80kg
Mendoza was in Japan in 2014 and the Asian discipline has helped. It is possible with great power closer 98mph violent as maximum and above the slider 84mph. It only batting for 228 in Cuba with 1 HR in 4 seasons. His ability to stop the ball inside the stadium will provide more value in the near future.

1- Vladimir Gutiérrez (RHP). Pinar del Río. 19 years 186m / 78kg
It was the Rookie of the Year in Cuba in 2014. It has come to throw 96 mph with straight, but the criteria is that your speed will increase by her young age and muscle mass of your arm will become stronger. He has developed a fast curve 80-82mph and excellent command in addition to a change that will improve and vital against lefties. Has an angle of unusual and different output. In its tools have the strength and development to become an ace frontline.
 
Future developments: Yusnier E. Diaz, Luis Pérez Yanio, Yandy García, Hosuan Viera, Y. Rodry Castelló, Julio Cesar Gonzalez, Francisco Tellería, Ariel Echevarria, Omar Estevez, Dariel Góngora, Norel González, Ronald Bolaño, Aldo Conrado.

Source: OnCuba