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Physical Description: Already
physically developed for his age. Average athlete, needs to get
stronger. 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
doesn’t lose any more athleticism.
Hit:
Starts square and utilizes a leg kick. Loose at the plate. Will
shorten up with two strikes. Good bat angle. Above-average bat
speed. Bat will take some time to develop. Approach needs work.
Needs to improve pitch recognition. Struggled against more
advanced pitching in 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 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.
Run:
Below-average speed. Won't be a huge threat to steal bases, but
could grab a few due to strong baserunning instincts. Speed
grade 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.
Potential to develop into an above-average defender.
Arm: Plus arm strength. Capable of making all
the throws necessary from the left side of the infield. |
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Career Notes: Had trouble
staying healthy in 2018, missing six weeks with what the team
called "general soreness" (but 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 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 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 more average tools in hit, power, and defense
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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