Week 10 Hero of the Week

Heroes Win... the Heroes win 9-7 vs GI zo's, this hasn't happen this season (Heroes winning back to back weeks) and it is a welcome change. 2B Danny Espinosa had the big week going 10/22 5RBI, 3Runs, 1BB and 1SB with 1.091OPS.

Ray's 2015 Mock Draft

Since the 1st night of the MLB draft was held last night and we got to see where some of the names we’ve been following for a while have landed, I thought it would be fun to put up my first mock draft of next year’s CPL draft. I know JK just did one, but I thought I’d throw my propaganda…..er…I mean, my two cents out there as well. Like JK, I’ve also included my reasoning for each pick.

1- BROB’s Barnacles: Tyler Kolek- RHP- Mia
I think BROB goes with pure upside, and being that Kolek is the hardest throwing and maybe the overall best high school righty in the history of the draft, I think it’s safe to say his upside trumps everyone elses.

2- Mauling Tigers: Carlos Rodon- LHP- ChW
Yeah yeah, Tiger says he doesn’t draft pitching in the 1st round (as Kohl Stewart scratches his head at that one), but I’m not sure Tiger has ever picked so high in a draft so loaded with pitchers. And he’ll be ecstatic to land Rodon- the consensus preseason #1 pick- a college lefty (i.e. quick to majors with a wide margin of error) who’s coming off a “bad season” where he had a 2.01 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 10.67 k/9 and 2.83 BB/9.

3- Kelly’s Heroes: Brady Aiken- LHP- Hou
JK’s first pick of many and he takes the biggest helium guy of the season. Aiken wasn’t an unknown coming into the season (BA ranked him as the #4 high schooler back in January) but he became the consensus #1 overall for most (all?) prognosticators. I saw Aiken pitch at the Perfect Game Showcase and I did not think he was bad by any means- he had low a low 90s fastball to go with a curve that was devastating to righties, but he slowed his arm way down on his change. He obviously must’ve corrected that and everyone thinks he’s going to be great, especially KLaw, and KLaw’s word is law. JK will take Aiken and be giddy that he gets him at 3.

4- Kelly’s Heroes (GI Zo’s): Alex Jackson- OF- Sea
JK’s second pick and he has now landed (maybe) the best arm and (maybe) the best bat in the draft. To get this pick JK traded Joey Votto and it may work out in the long run for him. Reports said that Jackson had the best bat in the whole class- HS or College- and it looks like his days of catching are over. Is he as sexy as just an outfielder- yeah, I think so. Another guy I saw at the PG showcase and in the little that I saw he looked the part and had a great swing. However, going to Seattle might hurt his power production.

5- Kelly’s Heroes (Ball Busters): Jeff Hoffman- RHP- Tor
With ¾ of the 1st round picks in his possession, JK will not think twice about gambling on players and his first gamble will come here with Hoffman. Hoffman, a pretty consensus top 3 pick up until a couple months ago has been sidelined with TJ surgery, meaning that JK will not see any return on this investment until 2016 at the earliest, and probably not at the major league level until 2017…unless JK trades him, which is very likely (Vegas odds on that are currently 2:1). If he doesn’t trade him JK will have a really strong addition to his MLB rotation- although probably not a true ace. Considering this pick cost JK Tanner Scheppers and Nick Markakis, and in return JK also got Casey Kelly and a 3rd round pick, I’d say this transaction is a big win for JK.

6- Kelly’s Heroes (The Big Hurts): Nick Gordon- SS- Min
In a big transaction, JK traded Shelby Miller and Josh Donaldson to The Big Hurts for a slew of picks, including this one, where JK takes his second bat of the draft. Another guy that I saw at the PG showcase, I thought there was something special about Gordon. His speed and quickness was elite- a class above everyone else there (especially his quickness). Defensively he was crisp, and with the bat he made up for his lack of hulking power with great bat speed and incredible knack of putting the bat on the ball. Considering he has not yet been a full-time position player (also was considered a pitching prospect) I think we haven’t even seen what he’s capable of. Not only a great pick for the Twins, but also for JK as I think he’ll have a guy who has the potential to hit .300 and steal 40 bags with a little bit of power.

7- Kelly’s Heroes (Holy Moly): Touki Toussaint- SP- Ari
Toussaint was a top HS prospect when I saw him pitch at the PG showcase last year and I thought he was exceptional. I only saw him pitch one inning, but he hit mid 90s and had a power curve and in my notes I put (in all caps) STUD. I still think that. I’m not a huge proponent of the “good athlete” tag on baseball players, but in the case of a starting pitcher I think it has some value. Because of his athletic ability, I think Toussaint will be able to move quickly for a HS pitcher because he’ll be able to master his mechanics, repeatability, etc. Probably not a true ace either, but JK will not be disappointed with this guy. When you consider that JK gave up Elvis Andrus for (what will be) Toussaint, Crick, and Robert Stephenson, this could really pan out well for JK.

8- Baby Seals:- Kyle Schwarber- C- ChC
Yeah, I know what you’re thinking, everyone thought this pick was a reach (including those of us who live podcasted the draft) and it may have been. I’ll be honest and say that I didn’t know anything about Schwarber before last night. BUT, here’s the rationale for this pick here. First, it’s no secret that Fred is, let’s say, nonconventional when it comes to drafting. He is not afraid to take a college guy who went higher than expected or who may not have the same CPL value as he does MLB value (see: Colin Moran). Second, I said it last night, but Theo Epstein is no dummy and he knows what he’s doing. If Theo thinks Schwarber is worth the #4 overall pick (even if it is a money saving move), then I’ll take that into consideration. Third, Schwarber is a Big 10 guy, and Big 10 players do not get a lot of love. I’m not saying that everyone not in a big-market is the next Mike Trout, but maybe if Schwarber was playing for LSU or Texas this pick would not have been as surprising. Finally, Schwarber is no slouch with the bat and is a power hitting catcher. Even if he moves to 1B, there’s still value here. I think Fred takes this pick, everyone groans (or chuckles), but later on we see that Theo was right (and so was Fred), and Schwarber becomes a very good fantasy backstop.

9- Kelly’s Heroes (Scared Hitless): Casey Gillaspie- 1B- TB
Gillaspie may be the first Shocker product to hit for excellent power since Joe Carter. The best switch hitter to come along in a while, Gillaspie has been compared to Mark Teixeria and that is pretty exciting. As a college guy the hope is that he can be moved along quickly, but that hope should die when everyone remembers that he was drafted by Tampa Bay and they move guys along like a snail through molasses. But the power is nice, so are the batting and on base skills, and Gillaspie might prove to be a real steal at 9. Or, he may fall into the long line of Wichita State guys who never produce elite-caliber numbers at the major league level. Don’t forget his older brother Conor was also a 1st round pick, and Conor’s Junior season numbers at WSU aren’t all that different from Casey’s Junior season numbers. JK moved Matt Moore to get this pick as well as Josh Donaldson, so even if Gillaspie flops this will still turn out to be a good transaction for JK.

10- Tom Cats: Jacob Gatewood- SS- Mil
I thought about having Tommy take a pitcher here, but Tommy loves power and Gatewood has a ton of it. The fact that he’ll be playing in Milwaukee doesn’t hurt either. Gatewood may be the guy to eventually replace Tulo but even if Gatewood ends up moving to third the power will play. Another player who was at the PG showcase, he was one of the only guys I did not get to see personally which was a disappointment. BA did have him rated as the #3 high school prospect in January (ahead of everyone not named Jackson or Kolek) but he fell in the draft because of concerns with his hit tool. If he can hit enough to be adequate, the power will play up considerably in Milwaukee and in the NL Central overall.

11- Kelly’s Heroes (Pro Bowlers): Kodi Medeiros- LHP- Mil
Find shelter, because two Brewers will be taken in the first round of the CPL draft for the first time ever. Milwaukee had a fantastic first day of the draft and they took three guys who could be impact players in Gatewood, Medeiros, and Monte Harrison. If you listened to the CPLodcast you heard my thoughts on Medeiros and I honestly think there’s a chance that he comes out of this pitching-heavy draft as the top 1 or 2 pitchers taken. Again, because he played in Hawaii he didn’t get the national attention that some others have, but that did not stop him from dominating when he played in the national circuit after his junior year. I predicted last night that he could have the Mike Trout-type publicity explosion after getting some national, professional exposure (for those that don’t remember, Trout was a player from the North East who didn’t get the attention he deserved in HS because he wasn’t from Texas or Georgia). A tall, projectable lefty with great deception, good command of a mid 90s fastball that has great life, and an absolutely devastating, video game slider, Medeiros is an exciting player. Don’t believe me? Watch this clip where Medeiros faced Nick Gordon (strikeout), Greg Deichmann (strikeout) and Michael Gettys (groundout) and listen to Eric Byrnes rave about how this breaking ball “should be illegal” (fast forward to 53:24). Another return for Joey Votto, JK will be very happy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6s2f93SMR8

12- Kelly’s Heroes (Fajita Eaters): Braxton Davidson- OF/1B- Atl
A year ago yesterday (6/5/13) JK traded away Prince Fielder and Barry Zito and in return he’ll end up getting Yordano Ventura, Matt Moore and Braxton Davidson. Again, not a bad move for JK. Davidson had the best power of any player that I saw that the PG Showcase last year, and it was not even close. As I said on the CPLodcast, Davidson stole the show, especially in the HR derby, when the ball was absolutely flying off of his bat. He fits the mold of the player who makes the ball sound different off the bat. In the HR derby he finished with 11 HR and, even though the next closest was a guy who had 7, Braxton actually came in 2nd to Chase Vallot because only the HR he hit in the final round (2) counted. The power was evident in the games I saw him in, too, not just in BP. I thought his swing speed was a little slower than it could be (due to an extremely wide base) but that can be easily fixed (maybe it already has been, I haven’t seen him since last year). Nevertheless, he is an exciting, high-ceiling guy to pay attention to and JK will be very pleased if he gets him at 12.

13- Kelly’s Heroes (Motley Shue): Monte Harrison- OF- Mil
You have to be kidding me, THREE BREWERS?! Yes, believe it. As I said, Milwaukee had a terrific first night of drafting and Harrison was the last of their 3 picks. He is a risky player because premium athlete outfielders have a history of fizzling out (see: Donovan Tate), but Harrison might be one to pan out. Yet another player I was able to see first-hand at the PG Showcase, Harrison displayed an excellent swing to go along with excellent speed and my first impression of him was that he looked like a young Torii Hunter. I think that’s probably his ceiling, too, which isn’t a bad thing. I do not think he’ll be an elite level offensive player, but I do think he has a chance to be very, very good hitting for good average with good power and good steals. Is he going to be Jay Bruce-like (the player JK traded to get this pick)? Well, probably not, but there’s a decent chance that he comes close to giving Kelly’s Heroes production that is close to the same (less power, more SB).

14- Kelly’s Heroes (Danimals): Gilbert Lara- OF- Mil(?)
ANOTHER BREWER?!?!?! IS THE WORLD COMING TO AN END? RUN FOR THE HILLS!!!!
A bit of a surprise pick here, but just as before JK can afford to take some gambles on players. Sounds like Lara will be the top J2 signing and reports have him going to Milwaukee for around $3 million. Not wanting to miss out on the next big 16-year old IFA, JK Takes Lara here and will hope his gamble pays off (translation: hopes Lara’s value goes up so he can move him for more draft picks). This probably isn’t what JK had in mind when he traded David Wright, Matt Holliday, Ervin Santana, Mookie Betts, and Julio Urias (and a 6th) to Danimals back in September of 2013, but then who expected Danimals to be a playoff team. To be fair JK also got Justin Morneau, Jameson Taillon and Danny Espinosa in that deal but, overall, that one’s not looking so great for JK. But it’s worth repeating, there’s a chance that there are 4 Brewers taken in the first round of the CPL draft. For the record (I went back and looked), but not only has there never been multiple Brewers taken in the 1st round of our draft, there has never been a SINGLE Brewer taken in the 1st round of a CPL Free Agent draft (although Matt Laporta was taken in the 2nd round in ’08, which would be the equivalent of a 1st round pick in today’s CPL, and CC Sabathia was taken in the 1st round of the expansion draft, but that doesn’t really count).

15- Kelly’s Heroes (Rollin’ Goats): Kyle Freeland- SP- Col
It was all the way back in March of ’13 when Rollin' Goats traded this pick for Brandon Maurer, Manuel Margot, a 3rd round pick. I’d say that the odds are pretty stacked in JK’s favor that, regardless of who he takes here, that will turn out to be a good move for him. And I have JK taking Freeland. Yep, Colorado pitchers are hard to project in the 1st round, but Freeland has a knack of keeping the ball in the park (0 HR allowed this year), and has good BB and K numbers. I think he’ll be a guy to sneak into 1st round CPL consideration after he signs this year and, after a long offseason, JK takes him with his last pick in the round as a safe player who’ll be quick to the bigs and who presents with a good (albeit not great) ceiling. But JK will have taken so many gamble/high-upside picks that finishing with one safer one makes sense. And it’s not like Freeland is a slouch, he did go #8 overall.

16- Your Mom: Michael Gettys- OF- SD
I hate taking Padre position players and I know that Gettys has not lived up to the hype thus far, and maybe he never does, but he was one of the most exciting players from the Showcase last June and I think that he has perhaps the highest offensive potential of anyone in this draft. He has elite bat speed, speed, defensive abilities, and may be the only real 5-tool threat available. Hopefully after he gets some professional coaching and matures a little more he can find a way to barrel the ball more than he has been. At the showcase I talked with a scout and I was pleased to find out that I was not the only one super high on Gettys; the scout told me that he was one of the best players he saw there. In terms of ability + production, Gettys may be the next Mike Trout, or he may be the next Bubba Starling. But I might just be willing to gamble and find out who he becomes.


Well there you have it. My first crack at the 2015 CPL draft. We'll see just how inaccurate I am in right around 9 months.

Week 9 Hero of the Week

Upset alert... Hero's take down defending AL champs Baby Seals 11-5. AJ Pollock went off 12/23 1HR, 9runs, 4RBI, 2BB, 2SB

Week 8 Hero of the Week

John Danks pitched a gem this week, putting up a line of 8Inn, 3Hits, 0BB, 0R, 4K's

Week 7 Hero of the Week

Week 7 Hero of the Week against the mauling tigers was Seth Smith for the 2nd week in row. He went 5/14 2HR, 3RBI, 5Runs, 2BB.

Week 6 Hero of the Week

Week 6 Hero of the Week was OF Seth Smith he crushed during the 7-7-2 match up against Danimals. Smith's line was 14/28 with 1HR, 7RBI, 5runs, with 5BB's.

Week 5 Hero of the Week

As the week started out the Hero's once again looked the part of spoiler but did not turn out that way as Shue pulled ahead through the weekend. 3B Casey McGehee did his part this week with a 9/24 4runs, 4RBI, and 3BB with .986 OBS this week.

Week 4 Hero of the Week

In the Hero's first bad loss of the season Michael Bourn had a forth of all the teams hits and finished with nice line of 11/27 3RBI, 3Runs, and 1BB while posing a OPS of 1.021

Week 3 Hero of the Week

SP Erik Johnson was named Hero of the week in a week when the Hero's benched there hitters after week 1 (first time done in the CPL) Johnson went 1-0, 11.2Inn, 11k's, with a 1.54era and 0.94whip

2014 Week 2 Hero of the Week

The heroes come close (7-8-1) to knocking off the defending champs Rolling Goats. Lead by a strong pitching staff. Mark Buerhle was named Hero of the week for 2nd row, 12.1Inn 5K's 2-0 with an Era 1.46 and whip of 1.14.

2014 Week 1 Week of the Year

Upset alert, the Heroes win week 1! There was owners that thought the Heroes would not win a single week all year, may have the worse record of all time, or may only win 49 games all season. Well thanks to a good all around week the Heroes are 10-6.

SP Mark Buehrle set the tone early in the week with 8.2inn 1-0 11K's with a 0.53whip to being named week one Hero of the week.

The Heroes 2014 CPL Draft.

1st rd #8 SP Mark Appel, if non of the top bats were going to slip I was really hoping for Appel to be there at #8. I like the combo of major league readiness along with #2 ceiling. We see a trend of top picks in the MLB Draft sliding in the CPL draft when that player is a college pitcher David Price #3, Gerrit Cole #11 and now Appel #8.

*** 1st rd #12 This was the best move I made on the draft day, trading down to #32 and getting OF Raimel Tapia who the Heroes front office was working on getting all of season. Tapia may have been a 1st rd had he been in the draft, valued just above the #20 selection Ramirez.

1st rd #16 SS Tim Anderson, somewhat raw but with huge upside. Brent Sayne of BP rated him as the #9 prospect in our draft.

2nd rd #19 OF Phil Ervin, Good all around tools, college bat. Not looking at a future star with this pick just someone who could help a team in a 16 team league.

2nd rd #20 OF Harold Ramirez, #1 player from the NYP league on BA, draws comps to cross between fellow Pit OF's Polanco and Marte. But a little bit of reach stills a ways a way.

2nd rd #21 3B Rafael Devers, Highest IFA drafted ever by the Heroes, really wanted this player and could not wait to make him a Hero. Boom or bust we will see, but when you have so many picks you have to grab some upside.

2nd rd #22 SP Sean Manaea, Very happy to land him at #22. After trading out of pick #5 got 2 picks that yielded Appel and Manaea. Had he not had injury to his hip last spring may have been the #2 pick overall.

2nd rd #24 OF Hunter Renfroe, not a big fan, but too good there to pass up, flipped hours after the draft for 2nd rd in 2015 and 4th rd 2016

2nd rd #32 Sp Alex Gonzalzes, one of the better Texas prospects and safe college arm, should move fast. Had a chance to draft some riskier SP's here but went close and safer on the thought that the Heroes already have a ton of young arms and need some guys that will move quick, as well as the thought there was several high upsdie IFA types the Heroes wanted later.

4th rd #54 SS Serigo Alcantara, a bit of reach at this spot but is a guy the Heroes had strongly considered in the 2nd rd at #32. Many scouts see a lot of the the same tools that Profar had at that age. Long shot but like the upside here.

4th rd #60 SP Marcus Diplan, high high upside, maybe the best IFA SP in the draft this year.

6th rd #86 SP Ricardo Sanchez, see Diplan above, maybe the 2nd best IFA SP in the draft this year.

6th rd #94 2B Ryan Flaherty, major league depth guy

7th rd #105 OF Reydel Medina, big sleeper, tons of tools, PArks ranked him Cin's top 10

7th rd #106 SP Mark Buehrle, welcome back for the 3rd time, major league depth, lock yearly to get 200Inn

7th rd #110 RP Danny Farquhar, one of the better set up guys in mlb, could get saves at some point

7th rd #111 SS Marten Gasparini, best player to come from Europe ever? Total wildcard, worth a risk in round 7

8th rd #121 1B/3B Casey McGehee, mlb depth, has a Starting gig

8th rd #128 OF Jacob Hanneman, a project with big tools, last guy that was cut at the plus one deadline.

9th rd #130 3B Mark Reynolds, mlb depth, won a job with Mil

9th rd #137 RP RJ Alvarez, really good RP prospect, traded with a package for a 4th rd 2016

Sup rd 1 SP Ben Lively, sleeper from the last draft, has looked really good so far. Traded with a package for a 4th rd 2016

Sup rd 2 RP Yoervis Medina, setup guy with a K per Inn. Made the opening day roster

Sup rd 3 SP Hunter Green, top pick from the 2013 MLB draft for LAA, Traded with a package for a 4th rd 2016

Sup rd 4 RP Nick Vincent, setup guy with a K per Inn. Made the opening day roster

Sup rd 5 1B/OF Jesus Guzman, did not win a job during Spring for Hou and then cut by Heroes.

Monday Morning Ten Pack
10 Prospects Who Turned Heads in Spring Training
by Jason Parks

OF Raimel Tapia (Rockies)
We ranked Tapia no. 97 on the Baseball Prospectus Top 101, and after watching the 20-year-old in workouts and game action this spring, it’s clear to me that we were too low on the Dominican outfielder. Tapia has impact potential on all sides of the ball, with plus speed, plus glove potential in center, a strong arm, and the type of stick that could carry a player without any additional physical attributes. The setup is a little peculiar, with a Jim Thome-esque bat point toward the pitcher before loading his hands high in a wide, balanced stance. The hands have a calm drift into a lower swing position, and once he triggers, it becomes clear to even novice eyes that the bat speed and stroke are of high quality.
I see a plus hit tool and solid-average power potential, although the power could arrive much later, as Tapia’s body is underdeveloped at present and he still needs to add strength to his skinny, narrow frame. Tapia is going to emerge as a nationally recognized prospect in 2014, and with a strong full-season debut, he has all the necessary characteristics to jump into the top 50 prospects in the game by the end of the season.

SS Tim Anderson (White Sox)
I’m quite smitten with Tim Anderson. If I worked for a team, he would rank high on any must-acquire list I compiled, and I would stick my neck out to stand up for the choice. It starts with his hands at the plate, as they are incredibly quick and controlled, and he attacks the ball at the plate, showing excellent contact ability and loud pop.
In the field, he’s clearly athletic but not especially smooth at shortstop, with some stiffness in his fielding actions despite the fast-twitch athletic profile. Through repetition and more experience, Anderson could make shortstop work, but I saw him as a better long-term fit at second base, with a plus arm for the position and the type of coordination and reaction ability to develop into a plus defender at the keystone. Anderson is still finding his way and is in need of refinement in all aspects of his on-field performance, but this is a future role 6 player at the highest level, a first-division talent regardless of his future defensive home.

LHP Sean Manaea (Royals)
With so many questions surrounding the health of Manaea, most outlets avoided going too high on the former supplemental first-round pick on off-season lists, but strong reports from instructional league action placed the 22-year-old at no. 78 on the BP 101. After an even stronger spring, that aggressive placement seems too conservative.
A healthy Manaea is a future no. 2/3 starter at the major-league level, with the body and delivery to log innings, the stuff to keep bats off the barrel, and the pitchability and command to keep hitters off-balance multiple times through a lineup. In multiple viewings this spring, the fastball worked 91-94, with surgical command at times to both sides of the plate. In addition to the velocity and command, the fastball is very difficult to pick up and track out of the hand, giving it ghost-ball qualities that allow the 60-grade pitch to play up beyond its paper grade. Mix in a slurvy slider and a bottom-heavy changeup that Manaea can command, and you have a pitcher who should carve up the minors on his fast-track to the majors.

SS Franchy Cordero (Padres)
In off-season discussions for the Padres top 10 list, Cordero’s name came up quite a bit, with several sources pushing for his inclusion in the rankings. Because I wasn’t given enough love as a child and have a cold, empty heart, I didn’t include Cordero on the top 10, instead listing him as a prospect on the rise, which already looks incredibly foolish and short-sighted. The 19-year-old shortstop is an incredibly talented offensive threat, with well above-average hands at the plate and the type of projectable power rarely seen in a middle infielder. I could watch his swing for hours: the way he keeps his hands in a good, low hitting position regardless of the pitch and the way he stays balanced as his hips explode and he throws the bat into the zone.
Cordero can play shortstop for now, but after watching him in the field during numerous workouts and five-plus games this spring, I project a move off the position down the line, with third base or right field looking like strong possibilities given his athleticism and arm strength. Regardless of his position, the bat will carry him a long way, and if he shines in his full-season debut in 2014, he could emerge as a top 101 prospect in the game at this time next season.

LHP Ricardo Sanchez (Angels)
After a strong pre-J2 buzz and an impressive post-signing instructional league campaign, 16-year-old Ricardo Sanchez was very much on the prospect radar coming into the spring, which made him a must-see on the backfields. In a limited look, it was clear that Sanchez is both raw and legit, with the type of arm speed you can’t teach even if the location ability is still underdeveloped at present.
Short but sturdy, the southpaw worked the fastball in the 89-92 range and hit 93 and 94 on a few occasions, showing cutting action. The secondary arsenal was poorly executed in the outing I saw, but he has a good delivery to work with and shows good feel for craft despite the rough edges. Sanchez will pitch the entire 2014 season as a 17-year-old, most likely at the complex level, and is likely to climb prospect lists as he proceeds through the developmental process. Forced comps are counterproductive, but the similarities between Sanchez and fellow Venezuelan southpaw Martin Perez are appropriate.

IF/OF Samir Duenez (Royals)
Signed out of Venezuela in 2012, Duenez had a strong stateside debut in 2013 at the complex level but is still an unknown entity to most. His anonymity won’t last. The 17-year-old is a natural hitter, with fantastically fast hands and an ease about putting his barrel on the ball, regardless of the pitch type or location. The power is going to arrive, as I see a plus bat in the making, the type of hitter who doesn’t have to sell out for the long ball but allows it to flow through his hard contact.
The defensive profile is a question mark, as Duenez played first base both in his professional debut and when I saw him in multiple looks on the backfields, but I don’t think he’s necessarily locked into that position in the long term. Despite a mature body, Duenez runs well for his size, clocking times in the 4.25-4.3 range home-to-first, and he showed good athleticism and coordination in infield drills and game action. I can see left field being a possibility, but at the end of the day, Duenez will make his bones with his bat, and based on what I saw, he has the plus bat speed and natural feel for hitting to stand out regardless of where he plays in the field.