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Physical Description: Already
physically developed for his age. Was noticeably thicker during
the 2019 season, to the point that it limited his mobility and
quick-twitch athleticism. Will have to watch his body as he gets
older to ensure he does not lose any more athleticism. Lacks
definition, needs to get stronger.
Hit:
Starts square and utilizes a leg kick. Loose at the plate. Will
shorten up with two strikes. Good bat angle. Average bat speed.
Bat will take some time to develop. Approach needs work. Needs
to improve pitch recognition. Struggled against more advanced
pitching in an aggressive assignment to the New York-Penn League
in 2019. Was unable to catch up to velocity, especially up in
the zone, and was overly aggressive early in counts, leading to
a lot of weak contact. Potential fringe-average hit tool.
Power: Will show average raw power in
batting practice. Could take some time to translate into game
action. Power is primarily to the pull side at present, but
could develop all-fields power in the future. Could stand to add
some loft to his swing.
Run:
Below-average speed. Will not be a huge threat to steal bases,
but could grab a few due to strong baserunning instincts. Speed
dropped a half grade in 2019. Will need to put work into taking
care of his body to prevent further decrease.
Field: Soft hands, fluid actions in the field. Strong
instincts for his age. Reads the game well; rarely lets the ball
play him. Plays the game with some flair in the field. Range
decreased in 2019 as he lost some of his athleticism, raising
questions about whether he will stick at shortstop long-term.
Potential to develop into an above-average defender. |
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Arm: Plus arm strength. Capable of making all
the throws necessary from the left side of the infield. Solid
carry.
Career Notes:
Had trouble staying healthy in 2018, missing six weeks with what
the team called "general soreness" that may have been a strained
left shoulder after being promoted stateside from the DSL, then
pulling his hamstring in his second game after returning,
leading to a second absence. A very small minority of scouts
considered him the system’s top prospect entering 2019, but he
struggled in an aggressive assignment to Lowell. Appeared to be
pressing later in the 2019 season, compounding his initial
struggles, and was replaced in the lineup by GCL call-ups during
the Spinners’ playoff run. Participated in the Fall
Instructional League in 2018, when he was one of the most
impressive players in camp, and 2019.
Summation:
Potential emergency up-and-down infielder. Ceiling of a
second-division regular. Wide gap between what he is now and
what he could be in the future. Best present tool is his arm.
Has a chance for three or more average tools in hit, defense,
and arm if he reaches his potential. Strong instincts for his
age have allowed tools to play up in the past, but tools played
down as he struggled through a difficult 2019 season. Entered
2019 as one of the most intriguing prospects in the system, but
his body regressed, and he really struggled at the plate. Odds
of reaching his ceiling are lower now, but it is still possible
he could return to the form he showed in 2018 and quickly
re-establish himself as one of the top 10-15 prospects in the
system.
Links
Spring Training Video of Antoni Flores (3.22.19)
State of the System 2020: Middle Infielders (4.29.2020)
Scouting Report Update (5,13.2020) |
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