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Physical Description:
Athletic, twitchy. Minimal projection remaining in frame. Has
gotten stronger since signing. Thick lower half.
Hit: Patient, polished hitter with advanced bat
control. Simple swing. Has strong feel for hit and has refined
his swing to allow him to tap into more power and hit the ball
in the air to the pull side. Will use all fields. Has shown
solid contact skills. Can get pull-happy and struggles
with velocity up in the zone. Potential above-average hit tool.
Power: Swing changes have allowed
him to tap into his raw power even though he does not have a
prototypical power hitter's frame. Puts the ball in the air
often and has shown the most power to the pull side. Will hit
his share of home runs, but could add a substantial number of
doubles. Potential for
above-average power.
Run: Average speed,
but has shown strong instincts and could steal a handful of
bases in the major leagues. Speed could decrease as he matures
and end up more fringe-average.
Field:
Moves well and has shown soft hands. Projects best long-term at
second base. Potential above-average defender. |
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Arm: Average arm. Arm is a little light for
shortstop full-time, but strong enough to play there on
occasion. Projects better at second base.
Career
Notes: Younger brother of Red Sox 2015 draft
pick Jerry Downs. Named after Derek Jeter. Born in Colombia but
grew up in Florida. Drafted by the Reds, was dealt in December
2018 to the Dodgers in a package for Yasiel Puig and Alex Wood.
Played at the Alternate Training Site in 2020, working with a
primary focus on his defense with coach Bruce Crabbe. Opened
2021 at the Alternate Training Site. Competed for Colombia in
the 2021 Americas Olympic Qualifier
Summation:
Potential solid regular with the ceiling of an impact everyday
player/occasional all-star. Bat-first profile with the potential
to hit in the .280 range with 20+ home runs at his peak.
Defensively, profiles best at second base, but could also play
short, third, and even the outfield. Lacks a standout carrying
tool, but will show average-to-better in all five tools. Speed
is his weakest tool, but has shown instincts to make up for it.
Sum-of-all-parts type of player with a promising future.
Links
SoxProspects Podcast on Mookie Betts Trade (2-10-2020)
State of the System 2020: Middle Infielders (4.29.2020)
Video from Pawtucket (9.4.2020)
Scouting Scratch (5.3.2021) |
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