Prospect Graduation: Yaisel Puig

October 7, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig (66) runs after he hits a single in the fourth inning against the Atlanta Braves in game four of the National League divisional series playoff baseball game at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

A prospect who’s been the topic of a lot of conversation this year is the Dodgers’ Cuban phenom Yasiel Puig. Coming into the season, the 22 year old went from being a prospect who, while highly regarded, wasn’t among even the top 50 on any sites to a full-on phenomenon for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Coming into the season, Puig was ranked 79th by Baseball Prospectus, #99 by Fangraphs, 76th by MLB.com and he was the second ranked Dodger prospect by Baseball America, I chalk up the low rankings due to two major factors. The first is that because Puig was a Cuban defector, not a lot was known about him. Doubly so because he was so young at the time of his defection: he signed in 2012 at the age of 21. Another Cuban defector playing on the West Coast, Yoennis Cespedes, signed when he was much older and much more was known about him.

The second factor leading to Puig’s low rankings on top 100 (or so) lists was the fact that his 2012 numbers at relatively low minor league levels (rookie ball and Advanced-A) and were limited by the “small sample size” curse. He only had 95 total plate appearances, and despite the good numbers, Puig was destined to start the 2013 season in the minor leagues.

So the tale of 2012 in the Legend of Yasiel Puig was one of solidity and acclimatization to the United States. The world didn’t know that a whirlwind of awesome was about to be unleashed.

In the spring of 2013, Puig, on a major league contract paying him over $3.7 million, took the baseball world by storm, hitting .517/.500/.828 over 58 spring training at bats and leading the club with 10 extra-base hits. The Dodgers marveled at their phenom but said, “he’s going to the minors.” The front office wasn’t going to fall for any spring training nonsense.

So Puig went to Double-A Chatanooga and, in 40 games over April and May, made his case that he belonged in under the bright lights of Los Angeles. Hitting .313/.383/.599, Puig hit 20 extra-base hits (including eight home runs) and proved that he could take a walk (with 15) in 167 plate appearances. On June 3, he was called up to the Dodgers and, despite a significant increase in strikeouts and a drop in slugging percentage, Puig proceeded to post numbers in the majors that were eerily similar to those he put up in the minors.

In 104 games for the Dodgers, Puig hit .319/.391/.534 for an unbelievable .398 wOBA (around .320 is average) including 19 home runs, 11 stolen bases and eight outfield assists. You see, Puig isn’t just a phenomenal hitter, he has an absolute cannon for an arm.

While raw, particularly on the bases and in the outfield, Yasiel Puig is an example of a prospect who was pretty much immediately ready for prime time, a situation that prospect watchers weren’t able to see last year when Puig got very little playing time. It was almost as if he came out of Cuba not simply fully ready for the major leagues at age 21: he was ready to become a force of nature.

Puig has arrived.