Eyewitness Accounts: September 9, 2014

Rich demeanor; confident player; very heads-up player, makes the right play; always seen working with hitting coach in pre-game.

I have watched Mondesi throughout the season and he has shown flashes of all different types of a player. There were spells where he looked lost and could end up being a below-average regular, but there were also times when he showed he could be a perennial all-star. I'm not worried about Mondesi's stat line for this season; he played most of the year as the youngest player in the Carolina League and all of High-A. I was concerned early in season when Mondesi was struggling, and his entire game was being affected by it. A strikeout would lead to an error which would lead to something else. Over my 20-game sample from Mid-July until now, Mondesi has shown great improvement. His swing has taken strides forward along with his approach, which was already advanced for his age. Off-speed down in the strike zone gave Mondesi headaches early in the season and he would take ugly, off-balance cuts and look foolish at times. Over the past month, it is obvious he has been working with hitting coach Milt Thompson and the adjustments have shown. While there still is a bit of swing-and-miss in Mondesi's game, he has shown consistent feel for the barrel and the balance in his swing lets the ball travel deep into the hitting zone. As of late, Mondesi has been letting the ball get deep knowing he has the bat speed and hand-eye coordination to crush mistakes and hit good pitchers' pitches. These adjustments are something I look forward to seeing in Mondesi's game for the foreseeable future and are what will make him a special player.

Doesn't outwardly display a ton of effort; demeanor and body language come off as low energy, but player is confident in his abilities and laid back by nature; didn't respond well to failure — slammed helmet on the field and showed up the umpire on multiple occasions; seems to have confidence in his knowledge of the strike zone and struggles to adjust his approach when an umpire's zone is slightly different; hesitant to throw a bad makeup label on the player due to amateur sources citing his strong character and his reputation both off the field and as a good teammate; only 19, Smith has plenty of time to further develop his on-the-field professionalism.

Dominic Smith is a hit-first first baseman who projects to add some power down the line while playing plus defense at first base, leading to a ceiling of an average everyday first baseman at the highest level. The natural hitting chops are impressive, sporting a short, compact swing with an innate ability to get the barrel to the ball. The lower half is out of sync at present, causing him to be out in front of pitches far too often and sapping any sort of power in the swing. The first-base profile requires Smith to hit for power at the highest level, and in order to do this, Smith will need to clean up his lower half and learn how to keep his weight back and properly leverage balls. The 19-year-old should be able to do this in time with plenty of work, and mixed with the preternatural barrel skills, Smith should accumulate average power production and post slugging averages in the .420-.440 range despite mid-teens home run power, with plenty of doubles to all fields. Smith also shows the ability to be an asset in the field, displaying plus defense with a plus arm at first base. He will need to monitor his body as he climbs the ladder to make sure his range and flexibility aren't diminished, as he's already a well-below-average runner.

Smith's raw OFP averages to 52, but a slight upward adjustment to 55 is awarded due to a projected plus hit tool, which will be an equalizer at the highest level and will play even if the projected power never materializes. The ceiling is that of an average everyday first baseman, and if the power never comes along, Smith will become more of a second-division regular at the highest level. One must dream on the power in order to envisage a 50 on the tool, so the risk level remains high.

Good makeup; team-oriented player who handles himself professionally.

Gillaspie is the younger brother of Connor Gillaspie.

He lacks true impact at first base, but can handle the bat efficiently enough to play as a second division mold. The bat is consistent from the right side, showing a linear swing that is able to produce more efficiently. However, the left side is where all his power impact will likely come.

The overall package is not impact, but Gillaspie should be a fast-moving prospect who displays a great approach and excellent maturity. This is a floor prospect rather than ceiling.