CSS Button No Image Css3Menu.com

Baseball Prospectus home
  
  
Click here to log in Click here to subscribe

Ketel Marte

Born: 10/12/1993 (Age: 21)
Bats: Switch Throws: Right
Height: 6' 1" Weight: 210
Primary Position: SS
Secondary Position: 2B
Physical/Health
Skinny frame, room to add weight without sacrificing speed; nimble and athletic body; should add a few pounds at maturation; currently has a broken left thumb.
Evaluator Brendan Gawlowski
Report Date 06/22/2015
Dates Seen 5/1-5/3; 5/29-5/31
Affiliate Tacoma Rainiers (AAA, Mariners)
MLB ETA Risk Factor OFP Video
2015 Low 55 Yes
Tool Future Grade Report
Hit 55 Impressive bat-to-ball skills; natural feel for the barrel from both sides of the plate; short, compact swing tailored for line drives; hits lefties better than righties; shortens swing for elite velocity; smooth trigger, simple load; good feel for the strike zone; starts with elevated elbows, drops hands as part of a timing mechanism; prone to pulling head; likes to swing early in counts; often shows immature approach; will not walk much; likely will not have a pronounced platoon split at the highest level.
Power 35 Short swing limits power potential; could hit 5+ homers per season as he adds weight, although current frame and approach are more conducive to contact than power; speed will allow him to stretch singles into doubles, doubles into triples.
Baserunning/Speed 60 4.16-4.25 home to first as a righty, 4.09-4.12 as a lefty; rounds bases efficiently; still developing instincts as a base stealer--saw him take off too early when trying to time a pitcher.
Glove 55 Quick twitch athlete; breaks well to right and left; comfortable charging the ball; average range for a shortstop; choppy footwork when fielding balls laterally, particularly to his right; fundamentally sound approach to fielding a ground ball at him; quick release on double plays; skills fit better at second than short, where he'll be able to set his feet and have more time to throw.
Arm 45 Arm is below average for a shortstop; throws from the six-hole loop to first base; accurate when he gets his feet set; arm will play at second base.
Overall

Marte's speed, line drive stroke, and ability to hit quality pitching from both sides of the plate gives him the chance to exceed hit tool expectations and carve out a career as an above average infielder. His lack of power, tendency to swing at the first strike he sees, and weak throwing arm lead me to believe that he'll fall short of that projection, however. He's just about ready for the major leagues -- had he not broken his thumb at the end of May, he could have conceivably been called up as early as June -- and he has the right skills to transition smoothly to the highest level. Ultimately though, he's a tweener in the middle infield and will likely be most useful as a utility player who can cover multiple positions for extended periods of time if the need arises.

Baseball Prospectus Home  |  Terms of Service  |  Privacy Policy  |  Customer Service  |  Newsletter  |  Masthead  |  Contact Us