Villalona

[rmande09]

Just checking in about Villalona. MiLB.com shows he played for the 'Zona League-Giants on the 22nd and 23rd, but has yet to play since then. Is he injured? I'm just curious as to what the deal is and what to know if anyone has any info. Thanks fellas.

[rmande09]

Nevermind. Shows he played last night. 2 for 3 with a homer. Still hasn't K'd, 2 BB in 13 AB. Just 16 years old.

This is obviously getting quite a bit ahead of myself, but if he hits .400 for the next month and just crushes opposing pitchers, is there any chance he could spend some time with the SS squad in August? I feel like that's highly unlikely, but if the kid does that, I would think it could be possible.

[nathan050904]

I don't see it happening. It might. I think he'll be in full season ball next year though.

[bloodface]

Although the sample size is quite small, when you look at the splits, Angel is already showing elite numbers. It's obvious he's feeling more comfortable in his home games and is not handling the road well, something expected of a 16 year old from the DR.

Split PA AB ISOP HR BB% K% BABIP GB% LD% AVG OBP SLG wOBA
June 24 21 .334 1 8.3% 8.3% .333 37% 0% .333 .375 .667 .422
AWAY 15 14 .215 0 0.0% 20.0% .273 55% 0% .214 .200 .429 .247
HOME 18 16 .375 1 11.1% 5.6% .357 33% 7% .375 .444 .750 .494

Notice his BB% and K% rates. His isolated power, and again, this is such a small sample rate, but it's dominant. Once we get to about 80 PA's we'll get a sense of where these two sets of numbers are headed. If he can maintain those home numbers, the road one's are due to rise.

The big issue, and again, small sample size and his age duly noted, has been his glove. I can't access his fielding stats right now, but I know a week ago he was already at 6 errors. Reports are saying that he's destined for 1B in the end, which drops his value.

I do think it's a very good possibility that he ends up in Salem-Keizer at the end of the season if he plays well. It's more a matter of timing between leagues as the NWL ends a few days after Labor Day and the AZL ends in August, so it's extra work, but usually for those who can help and/or who've earned it. In terms of 2008, again the caveat is him performing well all the way through till March of next year, but he very well could start the season in Augusta.

[tvv44]

Any new updates on this guy?

[bloodface]

He's getting a bit hot lately, and so far has settled in with an .244 average. On paper, not amazing. For a 16 year old in proball, incredible. His isop stands a .189, which I find pretty amazing, despite only 2 hr's (lots of doubles). Other notables: 17.1% K rate, 10.5% BB rate, which has been evening lately (5/4 k/bb over the last week), a ld rate of 7% which is low, and his BABIP is .286, which is a tad low, but considering his age, it's an amazing sign. He also has 7 doubles and 2 triples, so there is a little speed there. I really think the reports on this kid are pretty darn accurate. He's yet to fill out, which is totally scary, and I don't think he stays at 3B for long. He is at 11 errors so far in this very short season (though his last one was on July 14th, and he's been playing nearly every day since). He's still likely three to four years away, but if he keeps progressing, it wouldn't be out of the question to see him at AA at the end of next season, but this isn't very likely. My guess is that he's starting at A+ in 2009, with AA the outside chance if he's progressing ahead of schedule. The jump up to A is going to be difficult for him, so the Giants would be wise to really take it slow with Angel. He's already showing a bit of plate patience, which for someone who projects to have massive power, is a great thing. This skill can easily be delayed or even ruined if they try and progress him too fast. Either way, he's definitely someone to keep your eye on.

[Fantasy Man 27]

Every time I check the box scores, he's gone 2/3 with a double, or 0/4 with a K. I really think this kid is going to be special. I know a 17.1 K% isn't good by any stretch of the imagination, but he's a 16 y/o holding his own. Top five prospect 2010, right it down.

[hot sauce]

He has huge power potential and I think prospect circles will be drooling over him by this time next season. The K/BB are encouraging for such a young kid. As mentioned, though, I don't think 3b is his home long term. He may be there for a few years, but I think 1b is his future.

[rmande09]

2 for 3 through 5 innings thus far tonight, including a 2B and 2 RBI, which brings his average up to .267. For a 16 year old kid, his numbers in rookie ball are pretty damn impressive.