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October 25, 2012

Youth Movement

Instructional League Report #2

by Mark Anderson

As I noted last week, there are some things I come to expect during scouting trips. And while last time I mentioned schedule changes and climate challenges, expectations can also include organizations: every time I head south for Instructs, I expect the Phillies to have a roster loaded with raw athletes, and I expect the Braves to surprise me with a few guys I like more than I did before I got there. That was no different on this trip: the Phillies had a lot of youth and athleticism on their roster, while the Braves roster, admittedly lacking a lot of upside, did feature some players with big league futures. Just as a reminder, in the following reports, remember that “BLUF” stands for “Bottom Line Up Front,” which is the quick summary before we get to the more detailed reasoning.

Jose Pujols, OF, Philadelphia Phillies
BLUF: Enormous raw potential that comes with an incredible gap between present and future.
Setting the Stage: Pujols was signed at the outset of the 2012 international signing period, agreeing to a reported $540,000 bonus. The 16-year-old Dominican did not play in any affiliated leagues after signing and made his unofficial professional debut at Instructs.
Scouting Report: Raw doesn’t begin to describe this kid. He has unreal amounts of physical projection and he stands out on the field despite his age. With long limbs and good natural strength in his body, Pujols has the potential to develop into a complete physical monster. He has a right field profile that takes a little dreaming to see, though he is a good athlete with surprising coordination for his age. His movements are fluid and he could eventually be a quality defender. During workouts and warmups he showed an above-average arm, but occasionally unleashed a throw worthy of a 6 score, which gets closer to having a plus arm. Offensively, Pujols was two completely different hitters between batting practice and games. In batting practice he showed a focus on establishing a consistent swing plane with good loft. His swings were deliberate and both his contact ability and pop actually suffered because of it. In games, though, his natural, more u