1. Leody Taveras, OF
Birthdate: 9/8/98 (18 years old)
Level(s) Played in 2016: rookie, short season A
Stats in 2016: .271/.324/.366, 1 HR, 18 SB
Taveras was signed as a raw Dominican outfielder in 2015, and in his first pro season in 2016, he made a big splash.
The Rangers started him out in the Dominican Summer League, mainly to get him earlier at bats due to the DSL starting a couple weeks earlier than other short-season leagues. He then blew through that to the Arizona Rookie League, and he showed well enough there to earn a late-season promotion to the Northwest League.
Taveras has a ton of speed that is his primary standout tool. He uses his plus speed to be a plus defender in center field with his fringe-plus arm as well. For a 17 year-old, he showed tremendous instincts in center.
He still showed a need to work on his pitch recognition, and his aggressive approach served him well in getting on base, but he often used his excellent bat speed to go after the first pitch he could handle rather than wait for the best pitch he could drive.
Taveras does have some intriguing power potential that he could tap into if he can be more patient in at bats and attack the best pitch to drive rather than attacking early like he currently does.
Taveras showed very well in his pro debut, so it wouldn’t surprise to see the Rangers push him to full season ball as an 18 year old in 2017.
Next: Newcomer To Watch