Baseball America has the same 4 in their top 100, in most cases rated higher than BR

Bazzana 18 vs 12
DeLauter 45 vs 62
Chourio 51 vs 83
Genao 70 vs 78

MLB.com will be updating again before spring training, I believe but current list includes

Bazzana 12
DeLauter 41
Genao 64
Chourio 72
Velazquez 98

Guardians sign 25 international free agents, including top catching prospect

Updated: Jan. 16, 2025, 5:48 p.m.|Published: Jan. 16, 2025, 4:21 p.m.

By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Thursday was another busy day for the Guardians as the international free agent market entered its second day of business.

After signing 10 players Wednesday, the Guardians signed 15 more on Thursday to bring the total to 25. They started with a signing bonus pool of almost $7 million and they’re making good use of it.

Their main international target was catcher Hiverson Lόpez. They signed the Venezuelan native Thursday for $900,000.

Lόpez is a left-handed hitter who, according to Baseball America, makes good contact and has shown power to his pull side. He’s 5-10 and 180 pounds and has an above average arm.

MLB.com gave this scouting report on Lόpez:

“At present, he is more of a bat-to-ball hitter who shows a propensity for spraying hits around the diamond, but some evaluators see more pop in there as he continues to fill out. With minimal moving parts to his swing and repeatable mechanics, there’s belief that he can contribute with the stick.

”Lόpez fits the strong-armed, athletic backstop mold to a tee. He also displays soft hands that should work to his benefit as pitch framing becomes more integral as he moves up an organization’s ladder. He profiles as an everyday player due to his advanced instincts and actions from behind the plate, which figure to give him a solid developmental runway.”

Lόpez was ranked 41st among MLB.com’s top 50 international free agents.

Here are the other players who signed on Thursday:

SS Jose Riera, Venezuela.
C Gustavo Baptista, Venezuela.
RHP Daniel Gentile, Venezuela.
RHP Enderson Amaya, Venezuela.
C Robert Alvarez, Venezuela.
RHP Amilcar Teran, Venezuela.
LHP Johander Rivero, Venezuela.
SS Israel Alvarez, Venezuela.
RHP Luis Dorante, Venezuela.
RHP Javier Pedraenez, Venezuela.
LHP Yoshtner Farfan, Venezuela.
SS Rodney Rosario, Venezuela.
SS Jefferson Vargas, Venezuela.
SS Ricardo Romero, Venezuela.

After Lόpez, the top signing bonuses on Thursday, according to Guardians’ Prospective, went to Baptista at $450,000, Riera $400,000, Rosario $230,000, Vargas $220,000 and Romero $110,000. Several players in Thursday’s signing group signed for $10,000, which does not count against the Guardians’ bonus pool.

Here are the 10 players who signed on Wednesday:

SS Heins Brito, Dominican Republic, $825,000.
SS Luis Garcia, Dominican Republic, $775,000.
SS Luis Galan, Dominican Republic, $320,000.
RHP Randy Baron, Dominican Republic.
RHP Jhordari Jimenez, Dominican Republic.
OF Freilyn Rodriguez, Dominican Republic.
RHP Julio Rossi, Dominican Republic.
RHP Wilfi Rodriguez, Dominican Republic.
RHP Josh Perez, Dominican Republic.
OF Marcos Belen, Cuba.

Brito received the second biggest signing bonus from the Guards.

Here’s what MLB.com had to say about the switch-hitter:

“Brito, a native of San Cristobal, D.R. is an all-around shortstop that has the potential to impact the game both with the bat and glove.”

“His wheels are already a tick above average, which should pave the way for him to impact the game on the basepaths, a one-two punch when factoring in his contact-based approach with the bat.”

Brito was ranked 48th among MLB.com’s top 50 international free agents.

Here are the international signing bonus pools for MLB’s 30 teams:

$7,555,550: Athletics, Reds, Tigers, Marlins, Brewers, Seattle and Rays.

$6,908,600: Guardians, Diamondbacks, Rockies, Royals and Pirates.

$6,261,600: Braves, Red Sox, Cubs, White Sox, Angels, Mets, Yankees, Phillies, Padres, Rangers, Blue Jays and Nationals.

$5,646,200: Astros and Cardinals.

$5,146,200: Dodgers and Giants.

The international signing period runs from Wednesday through Dec. 15. Eligible players must be at least 16 or will turn 16 before Sept. 1 of the current signing period.

Regarding foreign professional players, players who are at least 25 and have played as a professional in a foreign league recognized by MLB for at least six years, are exempt from the international bonus pool. In other words, they can be showered with millions upon millions of dollars.

Jose Ramirez, Emmanuel Clase, Brayan Rocchio, departed Andres Gimenez, Gabriel Arias, Jhonkensy Noel and Angel Martinez are some of the current and former Cleveland players who have reached the big leagues after being signed as international free agents.

The Guardians signed 15 players from Venezuela, nine from the Dominican and one from Cuba.

“We are thrilled to welcome this group of players into our organization and look forward to partnering with them in their development,” said Richard Conway, Cleveland’s director of international scouting.

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Guards sign 2 of Top 50 international prospects as signing period opens

By Jesse Borek @JesseABore

1:42 PM EST

The Guardians have a storied history of discovering backstop talent from Venezuela. Look to 1996, when the organization signed a switch-hitting catcher from Ciudad Bolívar, Victor Martinez. After three All-Star seasons and 900 hits with Cleveland, the club welcomes another talented Venezuelan catcher looking to carve out his own path.

Joining the mix is the left-handed-hitting Hiverson López, the highest-ranked player in the 2025 international class (No. 41) to sign with the Guardians as the signing period opens. The club also added shortstop Heins Brito, No. 48 overall, giving them two members of the Top 50 for the fourth time in the past five years.

López’s deal is worth $900,000, while Brito receives an $825,000 bonus. The club received $6.9 million in pool money this year.

Fruits of the club’s recent international labor have already begun to show: both Jaison Chourio (Guardians' No. 3 prospect, 2022 signee) and Angel Genao (Cleveland's No. 4 prospect, 2021 signee) entered the Top 100 overall prospects list this past season, having previously been high-profile signings on January 15’s in their own right.

López boasts an exciting profile of tools with both the bat and glove. At present, he is more of a bat-to-ball hitter who shows a propensity for spraying hits around the diamond, but some evaluators see more pop in there as he continues to fill out. His swing and frame have the look of a Miguel Montero-type offensive profile.

Behind the dish, López fits the strong-armed, athletic backstop mold to a tee. Equipped with advanced instincts and actions while in the squat, he also displays soft hands that should work to his benefit as pitch framing becomes more integral as he moves up the club’s organizational ladder.

Brito fits the mold of a player that the Guardians have long been captivated by: a hit-over-power, switch-hitting middle infielder. The club handed out its highest bonus in the 2023 class to Welbyn Francisca, who at 5-foot-8 and 148 pounds, mirrors Brito’s 5-foot-10, 150-pound frame. All that the Guardians’ No. 9 prospect has done since signing is hit his way up to Single-A Lynchburg as an 18-year-old, where he batted .325 in 29 games this past year.

Naturally a left-handed hitter, Brito focused primarily on that side during his younger years. He’s added the right-handed side, showcasing a quick stroke from both sides of the dish. He suited up for the Dominican Republic at the 15U World Cup qualifiers in June 2022, stealing a base and collecting two hits over his limited run.

Brito’s wheels are already a tick above average, which should pave the way for him to impact the game on the basepaths, a one-two punch when factoring in his contact-based approach. Competition is always fierce for reps up the middle in the Dominican Summer League, but it’ll be Brito’s bat -- and how quickly it comes on -- that’ll be the determining factor in his upward mobility.

An international player is eligible to sign with a Major League team between Jan. 15 and Dec. 15. He must turn 16 before he signs and be 17 before Sept. 1 the following year.

That means players born between Sept. 1, 2007, and Aug. 31, 2008, will be eligible to sign in the current signing period. Players must be registered with Major League Baseball in advance to be eligible to sign.

Additional notable Guardians signees and bonuses:

Luis García, SS, Dominican Republic -- $775,000
Gustavo Baptista, C, Venezuela -- $450,000
Luis Galan, SS, Dominican Republic -- $320,000

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Here are the Top 10 first base prospects for 2025

MLB Pipeline will reveal its 2025 Top 100 Prospects list at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Jan. 24, with a one-hour show on MLB Network and MLB.com. Leading up to the release of the Top 100, we'll examine baseball's top 10 prospects at each position.

Buoyed by an influx of premium Draft talent and position changes, the pool of prospect talent at first base is stronger than it has been in years. Six first basemen will make our 2025 Top 100 Prospects list, the most in a single preseason ranking since 2009.

Xavier Isaac (Rays) ranked as baseball's best first-base prospect a year ago and still offers tantalizing power potential. But he has been surpassed by Jac Caglianone (Royals) and Nick Kurtz (Athletics), two of the top six picks in the 2024 Draft, and Bryce Eldridge (Giants), a 2023 first-rounder who became a full-time first baseman after spending his pro debut in right field.

Tre' Morgan (Rays) and C.J. Kayfus (Guardians), both 2023 third-rounders, exceeded expectations in their first full pro seasons, which further helped the first-base cause. So did Josue Briceño (Tigers), Ryan Clifford (Mets) and Ralphy Velazquez (Guardians) becoming primary first basemen after seeing more time elsewhere in the past.

The Top 10 (ETA)

1. Jac Caglianone, Royals (2026)
2. Bryce Eldridge, Giants (2026)
3. Nick Kurtz, Athletics (2026)
4. Xavier Isaac, Rays (2026)
5. Tre' Morgan, Rays (2026)
6. Josue Briceño, Tigers (2027)
7. Ryan Clifford, Mets (2026)
8. Ralphy Velazquez, Guardians (2027)
9. C.J. Kayfus, Guardians (2025)
10. Tyler Locklear, Mariners (2025)

Highest riser: Kayfus
Kayfus didn't make our preseason Guardians Top 30 a year ago, then slashed .291/.393/.511 with 17 homers in 107 games while moving to Double-A in his first full pro season. He did a better job of hunting pitches he could do damage against early in counts and of driving them in the air to his pull side in 2024.

Humblest beginning: Kayfus
Kayfus received the lowest bonus of this group, signing for $700,000 as the 93rd overall choice in the 2023 Draft. He performed well in two seasons as a starter at Miami and in the Cape Cod League, but he still had a hit-over-power tag that isn't the most desirable at first base.

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Analyst Predicts Guardians Top Prospect To Make Quick MLB Debut

Originally posted on Cleveland Guardians on SI

By Tommy Wild | Last updated Jan 17, 2025 6:00 PM ET

The Cleveland Guardians still have some questions to answer as they prepare for Spring Training to begin out in Goodyear, Arizona. One of those unknowns is who will be Cleveland's second baseman for the upcoming season.

The Guardians have several internal options, such as Juan Brito, Tyler Freeman, or Gabriel Arias, to start the season there. But the big elephant in the room is Travis Bazzana, the No. 1 pick from the 2024 draft.

Jonathan Mayo of MiLB.com recently released his top second-base prospects heading into the 2025 season and placed Bazzana second.

However, the more interesting part was Mayo predicting Bazzana's estimated big league arrival time for Bazzana to come in 2025

It seems unlikely the Bazzana will make his first big league appearance at some point in the first half of the season. He isn't even one of Cleveland's non-roster invites for Spring Training.

But Bazzana said earlier this offseason that he's prepared to quickly move through the Guardians' farm system. He played 27 games with the Lake County Captains (High-A) and ended the season on a high note with their team winning the Midwest League Championship.

If Bazzana appears with the Guardians this season, it would be a pretty quick MLB debut, which would go against the way Cleveland's organization has operated for years.

However, Bazzana is a different type of prospect. He's already 22 years old and, as Mayo pointed out, one of the best overall hitting prospects at his position and in baseball.

Bazzana could truly be a difference-maker for the Guardians come August, September and hopefully into the playoffs.

The Andres Gimenez trade from earlier in the offseason certainly cleared the way for Bazzana to take over as Cleveland's franchise second baseman.

However, will that happen in 2025, or will the Guardians give him a full season at the minor league level?

The Top 10 (ETA)

1. Kristian Campbell, Red Sox (2025)
2. Travis Bazzana, Guardians (2025)
3. Luke Keaschall, Twins (2025)
4. Christian Moore, Angels (2025)
5. James Triantos, Cubs (2025)
6. Termarr Johnson, Pirates (2026)
7. Sal Stewart, Reds (2026)
8. Michael Arroyo, Mariners (2026)
9. Demetrio Crisantes, D-backs (2027)
10. Orelvis Martinez, Blue Jays (2025)

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MLB Hypes Up Guardians Prospect Ahead Of 2025 Season

January 27, 2025

By Andres Chavez

If you enjoy prospects-related content, then it’s probably the best and most entertaining time of the year for you.

This is the time in which international prospects find new homes and opportunities in pro baseball, analysts release their lists with the best prospects and tools, and farm system rankings populate the Internet.

When it comes to farm systems and prospects, the Cleveland Guardians are close to the top of the league.

They have put together an incredibly exciting group of prospects at virtually every position.

One of them is young outfielder Jaison Chourio.

MLB’s official X account hyped the young prospect, highlighting the idea of another Chourio showing the best of his talent.

In the process, the league’s official account complimented the Guardians’ excellent player development skills.

They say that Chourio is currently ranked by MLB Pipeline as the league’s 60th+best prospect, and reminded people of the fact he was signed as the 20th best prospect of his international period a couple of years ago.

Considering that many international prospects sign when they are 16 or 17 and they flame out easily, turning the 20th-best young project of his class into a top-100 prospect is magnificent.

That’s proof of how the Guardians’ player development staff has worked wonders with Chourio and others.

Whereas some organizations fail to bring the best out of their signees, Cleveland doesn’t have that problem in most cases.

In Chourio, they have a solid on-base threat with the speed to steal plenty of bases and acceptable power.

Jackson’s brother appears to be the real deal.

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Travis Bazzana, the No.1 overall pick in the 2024 draft, helped the Lake County Captains win the Class A Midwest League last year.
Diamond Images/Getty Images

Guardians keep continuity in their minor-league managerial ranks

Updated: Jan. 30, 2025, 4:34 p.m.|Published: Jan. 30, 2025, 2:38 p.m.

By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Guardians’ four full-season minor league managers are returning for the 2025 season.

Andy Tracy returns for his seventh season at Triple-A Columbus. Greg DiCenzo will be back for his second season at Double-A Akron after managing Single-A Lake County for two years. Omir Santos will begin his third season at Lake County, while Jordan Smith returns for his third year at Single A Lynchburg.

Those four teams posted a 304-243 combined record, the best among MLB’s full-season minor league clubs last year. Columbus went 80-68, Akron 80-58, Lake County 77-53 and Lynchburg 67-62. Santos’ Lake County Captains won the Midwest League championship and were named Baseball America’s Team of the Year.

Cleveland’s entire minor league system had a combined 392-317 record last year, ranking second among MLB teams.

In other moves for 2025, Juan De La Cruz was promoted to manage Cleveland’s Arizona Complex League team after managing one of their Dominican Summer League teams last year.

Jonathan Lopez and new-hire Mac Seibert will manage Cleveland’s two teams in the DSL. Seibert coached and managed in the Mets and Phillies organization.

Other hires in the minor included:

Buck Taylor, assistant field coordinator: Taylor will replace Larry Day, who joined the Cardinals as their new director of player development. Taylor spent the last three years coaching at Ohio State. He was the head baseball coach for 14 years at Palomar (Calif.) Community College.

Michael Peoples, pitching coordinator: Peoples, a 2012 draft pick by Cleveland, will replace Caleb Langshore, who was promoted to be the Guardians’ bullpen coach. Peoples pitched professionally for 11 seasons, retiring in 2022. He spent the last two years as Seattle’s Double-A pitching coach.

Brian Whatley, catching coordinator: He replaces Luke Carlin, who was hired as Seattle’s minor league field coordinator. Whatley was the Padres catching coordinator for the last five years.

Brandon League, Triple-A pitching coach: He replaces Owen Dew, who was hired as Arizona’s assistant big league pitching coach. League appeared in 498 games with Seattle, Toronto and the Dodgers and posted a 3.65 career ERA. He retired in 2017.

Matt Angle, Triple-A hitting coach: He joins Junior Betances as the hitting coaches in Columbus. Angle spent seven years coaching at Ohio State after playing nine seasons in the minors.

Luis Ortiz, special assistant to player development/hitting: Ortiz worked for Cleveland from 2013-14. He has worked as a hitting coach for the Red Sox, Padres, Rangers and Dodgers. He played parts of four seasons in the big leagues with Boston and Texas.

Cam Hill, pitching coach ACL: Hill appeared in 18 games with the Indians in 2020 after being drafted by them in the 17th round in 2014.

Chaz Verduzco, bench coach ACL: He joins the Guardians after being the director of player performance for Minnesota State University.

Chris Mears, pitching rehab leader: Mears pitched in 29 games for the Tigers in 2003. He has spent the last 17 years in player development and scouting roles for the Red Sox.

The minor league season starts for Columbus on March 28, while the Double-A and Single-A teams start on April 4.

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Keith Law has posted his Top 100. Some relevant excerpts

Most- and least-represented teams and divisions
While the Cleveland Guardians, Seattle Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks had strong showings (six players each), there was one clear winner. With seven players on the board, the Detroit Tigers have the most representation, with players ranging from No. 6 (OF Max Clark, 20 years old) to No. 94 (RHP Jaden Hamm, 22).
If you’re going division-by-division, the Tigers helped propel their division rivals to a collective win, with 23 players — nearly one-fourth of the list — coming from the AL Central. On the flip side, the AL West had just 12 players, with half of those coming from the Mariners.

Most players in the top 40
On the other end of the spectrum, the top 40 echelon was relatively diverse, with 25 teams represented, breaking down thusly: 13 teams had one player, nine teams had two players, and these three teams had three players each:
Boston Red Sox
• No. 1 — OF Roman Anthony (21)
• No. 9 — 2B/OF Kristian Campbell (23)
• No. 28 — SS Marcelo Mayer (22)
Detroit Tigers
• No. 6 — OF Max Clark (20)
• No. 11 — RHP Jackson Jobe (22)
• No. 23 — 2B Kevin McGonigle (20)
Chicago White Sox
• No. 20 — Noah Schultz (21)
• No. 37 — C Kyle Teel (23)
• No. 38 — OF Braden Montgomery (22)

Finally, some good news for the White Sox, who picked up the latter two of their top three prospects in the Garrett Crochet trade this winter. That also should imply some extra credit to the Red Sox, who would have had an astonishing five players in the top 40 (and seven in the Top 100) had they not made the trade. To be able to pull off a deal of that caliber without giving up any of your top three prospects is a very good sign for the health of their farm system.

NO. 25 TRAVIS BAZZANA

Bazzana was the first pick in the 2024 draft out of Oregon State, where the Australian infielder had starred for three seasons as the Beavers’ second baseman, finishing with a .407/.568/.911 line as a junior. Cleveland sent him right to High A, where he struggled a little out of the gate, enduring a five-game hitless stretch in his second week there before warming up for his last month-plus at the level and ending with a .238/.369/.396 line in his pro debut. He’s a very polished WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) player, offering little in the way of physical projection but also earning plaudits everywhere for his acumen for the game, leading evaluators to believe he will be able to make adjustments as he faces better pitching. He has an odd start to his swing with the bat back behind his rear shoulder and pointing down, but he’s ready when it matters and has a short path to the ball once his hands get started. He showed incredible plate discipline in college and most of that carried over into the minors, as he still didn’t chase much (22 percent) and only struggled against sliders in that brief stint, particularly left on left. Bazzana is limited to second base or possibly left field. Cleveland’s trade of Andrés Giménez clears the keystone for him, and there’s every reason to expect him to see the majors some time this year given his advanced approach and present power/strength. Even if he’s just average on defense, his propensity to hit for high averages and get on base with probably 20ish-homer upside should still make him an All-Star.

NO. 54 ANGEL GENAO

Genao had a disappointing year in 2023 in Low A, hitting .263/.345/.385 in 72 games after missing the first two months with a torn meniscus, but he went back to Low A to start 2024 and hit all year long — .341/.383/.553 repeating Low A, then .322/.377/.463 after a June promotion to High A. He’s grown substantially since he was first measured at his “official” height and weight of 5-9, 150, gaining significant strength but also getting to the point where he might end up outgrowing shortstop. He’s a switch-hitter who’s better from the left side but capable enough from the right side to keep it up, actually hitting with more power right-handed in each of the last two years. He’s an average runner and not terribly twitchy, with second or third base more likely than shortstop, but his bat should still make him an above-average regular at either spot.

NO, 67 COOPER INGLE

Ingle was a part-time catcher at Clemson when Cleveland took him in the fourth round in 2023 and announced him as a catcher, a project that of course would make his high-contact, low-power bat a lot more viable. A year and a half later, the project looks like a resounding success, as Ingle reached Double A last year, has walked more than he’s struck out as a pro, and has improved his defense to the point where he’s clearly going to stay at catcher. Ingle knows the strike zone extremely well, and he whiffed just 14 percent of the time he swung last year, with a short, quick swing that has a little more lift in its finish than it did in college, bringing his groundball rate down from 55 percent as a college junior to 45 percent last year. His defense isn’t pretty but he can catch and block, and a quick transfer helps his fringy arm play up to the point where he’s adequate against the running game. He hit 11 homers last year between High A and Double A, all off right-handed pitchers, and he’ll have to show he can make better quality contact against lefties, whereas now he just walks against them. He’s small but well put together, and with his contact and on-base skills he could be a .375 OBP/.400 SLG guy, which is a heck of a regular behind the plate even if he’s just fringy defensively.

NO. 69 JAISON CHOURIO

Chourio spent all of 2024 in Low A as a 19-year-old and ended up ranking 10th in all of the minors with 86 walks, the most drawn by any teenager in minor league baseball last year. Jackson’s younger brother is also a centerfielder and an excellent athlete, a switch-hitter and centerfielder right now who could end up in a corner as he continues to fill out and who may end up just hitting left-handed. He’s a strong defender right now up the middle with above-average speed, so if he can maintain that even with the physical projection he has left, he could remain in center in the long term. His plate discipline and hand-eye are outstanding, leading to chase and whiff rates well above (better than) average, although he needs to add some hand strength to get some more consistent loft in his finish. His groundball rate in 2024 was 49.3 percent, which was actually his lowest rate at any stop in pro ball. He’s been much better from the left side; batting right-handed last year, he hit just .245/.409/.283, with more walks (16) than total bases (15). It might be a bat speed question, as his right-handed bat path looks fine and he actually gets a little more loft than he does left-handed. He doesn’t have Jackson’s ceiling, but there’s a scenario here where Jaison stays in center and figures out hitting against lefties enough to be a grade 60 player, with 20ish homers and very high OBPs, and the floor is really solid given his very real patience and likelihood of plus defense in a corner. His 2024 did end with a broken wrist, so it’s possible he won’t get all the strength back until some time this summer.

NO. 73 RALPHY VELAZQUEZ

Cleveland drafted Velazquez in the first round in 2023 and immediately moved him out from behind the plate to allow him to develop his bat and perhaps reach the majors more quickly than he otherwise would have. His first full pro season was a promising sign in that direction. He got off to a great start as a 19-year-old in Low A, hitting .261/.371/.441 in the first half, before wearing down in the second half. He’s a big, strong kid, but a better hitter than you might expect at first glance, striking out just 20.1 percent of the time in Low A even as one of the youngest players in full-season ball, and he does make hard enough contact to project to 25 homers at his peak. He hits with a wide stance and no stride, just a toe-tap for timing, so he doesn’t get all the power he could out of his lower half and his swing can flatten out because he doesn’t fully rotate his hips. The Guardians tried him in left field last year as well as at first base, and he was capable enough that they’ll probably keep that alive as a possibility for him going forward. His future is in his bat, with contact skills and zone awareness that set him up very well for future success, and cleanup-hitter upside if he loosens up a little to drive the ball more easily.

NO. 90 CHASE DELAUTER

Regular readers of mine know I don’t like DeLauter’s swing — at all, really. It’s the worst-looking swing on this list. I’m not even sure who’s second. But DeLauter has also had success everywhere he’s played so far in the minors, and the biggest knock on him right now isn’t the fact that looking directly at his swing will turn you to stone, but that he hasn’t been able to stay on the field for a full season. Since the Guardians took him with the No. 16 pick in 2022, at which point he was already out with a broken bone in his left foot, DeLauter has played in just 96 regular-season games, plus two stints in the AFL. The original fracture cost him the remainder of 2022. He required surgery in that winter after he re-fractured it, then suffered another fracture in that foot in April 2024, then developed turf toe in his first game back from that injury. He strained his hamstring in late August and missed another month. On the plus side, he’s hit very well when he’s been able to play. He destroyed A-ball pitching, hit .271/.353/.436 in 36 games in Double A across two years, and went 7-for-23 with two homers in Triple A this year, followed by his second straight year of excellent production in the AFL. As for the swing, he opens his hips very early and then almost drags the bat through the zone, with a swing that looks like he’s trying to scoop the ball and pull it out to right. As a result, he doesn’t hit anything on the outer third for any power at all, and in a small sample so far lefties have really crushed him, especially with breaking stuff. He’s going to have to make some adjustments to get him on time to the zone more consistently, and I think major-league pitchers are going to attack that front hip with velocity up and in, which he can only hit on the ground, and then go soft away to exploit the swing. Nobody has really done that effectively so far in his career, however, so maybe he’s just good enough to work around them and use his high contact skills to force pitchers to pitch to his strengths — Dustin Pedroia did something similar, and he had a very unorthodox swing as well. DeLauter’s also a 55 runner and might be a plus defender in a corner, although I think his propensity to get hurt probably makes centerfield a non-starter.