24. 3B
Aderlin Rodriquez
In July 2007, The
Mets signed 16-year old Dominican 3B Aderlin Rodriguez, which included a bonus
of $500,000+.
As most fans
already know, the Mets don’t spend much time promoting their International
signings, so, when you do read something about one, you tend to think of that
prospect as being something special.
This one looks
for real.
A-Rod finally
surfaced during the season and played the remainder of the 2009 season for the
GCL Mets. As a 17-year old: .290/.389/.387/776, in 62 at bats.
6-23-10: - Maybe
prospect 3B Aderlin Rodriquez wanted to serve notice on opening night that it’s
going to be one hell of a year. Or, maybe he just had a good game. The 18-year
old belted two home runs, went 3-4, and put up “yearly” stats (I love when you
can quote one game yearly stats) of: .750/.750/2.250/3.000. We can feel safe
that these will come down but this is exciting news coming out of Kingsport.
6-26-10: - Rodriquez
hit his third home run of the young season last night and has now raised his
stats to: .353/.421/.941/1.392. He has 16 total bases in 17 at bats and has
struck out only two times.
7-4-10: - A-Rod
is one of a handful of young internaltional toosy prospects the Mets own. He
doesn’t turn 19 until November and is already showing the kind of power the
Mets had hoped for when they signed him. The good news is, he hit his fourth
home run last night in only 48 at bats. The bad news… he only has six other
total hits. The stats tell two stories… .208/.269/.500/.769. Hopefully, we’ll
write more about him this season.
7-10-10 from: - http://www.minorleagueball.com/ - **I've received several questions this week
about Mets third base prospect Aderlin Rodriguez, who has hit seven homers in
his first 16 games for Kingsport in the Appy League, giving him a
.292/.329/.692 line, four walks, eight strikeouts in 65 at-bats. Sample is
tiny, of course, but a fast start is always better than a slow one, and I like
the fact that he is combining a low strikeout rate with this much power
production. Defense remains a problem: his .878 fielding percentage is awful,
but is admittedly better than the horrifyingly Lovecraftian .774 fielding
percentage he had last year in the Gulf Coast League. I suspect he'll end up in
right field eventually, but the bat looks very promising to me. He's just 18
and hopefully the Mets won't rush him as badly as they've pushed some of their
other prospects in recent years.
7-12-10 from: - http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100712&content_id=12218104&vkey=news_milb&fext=.jsp
- Appalachian League - Aderlin
Rodriguez, Kingsport - .429/.452/.929, 12-for-28, 5 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 9 R,
2 BB, 3 K, 0 SB - The second consecutive Mets prospects to take Appalachian
League honors -- Javier Rodriguez was Player of the Week last week -- Aderlin
Rodriguez (no relation) has busted out over his last eight games. Coming into
the season, the 18-year-old Dominican had just 17 Gulf Coast League games worth
of pro experience under his belt, and on Monday morning he woke up with a .208
batting average through his first 12 Appy League games. He homered for his
second time in as many games that night, going 3-for-5 with two RBIs and two
runs scored. He doubled in each of his next three games, and he added two
homers to Thursday's game, driving in five runs with five trips to the plate.
He doubled twice more, knocking in a run and scoring, on Sunday.
7-17-10: -
Rodriquez continues to shine in July and move up the prospect rankings. Last
night, he went 4-5, with two doubes and four runs batted in. Yearly stats to
date are quite impressive: .323/.359/.667/1.026. This is a pure third baseman
and it will be interesting to see what happens in the Mets organization if
Wilmer Flores is moved to third, as expected. Look for these two top Mets
prospects to fight it out to become the heir apparent to David Wright some day.
8-30-10 from http://www.sandgnats.com/ : - Aderlin Rodriguez was transferred from the
Kingsport roster to the Savannah roster. The 18-year old Rodriguez was recently
named the Kingsport Mets Hitter of the Year. He hit .312/.352/.556
(AVG/OBP/SLG) with 22 doubles, 13 home runs and 48 RBI in 61 games for
Kingsport in the Appalachian League. He was fifth in the Appy League in
batting, fourth in slugging, second in doubles, third in home runs, second in
RBI and third in total bases (139).
8-30-10: - http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100830&content_id=14105872&vkey=news_t506&fext=.jsp&sid=t506
– Aderlin Rodriguez was honored as the
Kingsport Mets hitter of the year before the Sunday August 29 game against the
Bristol White Sox. Rodriguez has been a consistent producer in the middle of
the lineup this season. The 18 year old third baseman is third in the Appy
League with 13 home runs and 48 RBI's. In addition his team leading .555
slugging percentage is 4th in the league while his .312 batting is good for
6th.
9-15-10: -
KINGSPORT (R) OF THE APPALACHIAN LEAGUE: ADERLIN RODRIGUEZ (INF) - Height: 6-3
Weight: 205 Bats: Right Throws: Right - Born: 11/18/91 Resides: Santo Domingo,
Dominican Republic - Obtained: Signed as a non-drafted free agent in 2008 -
Signing Scout: Ismael Cruz - Third baseman Aderlin Rodriguez was the offensive
leader of the Kingsport Mets, hitting .312 (78-250), 44 runs, 22 doubles, 13
home runs and 48 RBI in 61 games with the K-Mets. The 18-year-old slugger
ranked fifth in the Appalachian League in average, third in home runs, hits,
and RBI, while also ranking second in doubles and fourth in runs scored.
9-30-10 from: - http://scoutingthesally.com/2010/09/stss-best-the-first-basemen-v-2011
- In terms of frame and the ability to
project future size. Rodriguez could turn out to be a “monster”. Add to this an
advanced eye at the plate and he becomes one of the highest ceiling prospects
in a suspect system. In the South Atlantic League playoffs, I could argue he
was the best hitting prospect on a field which included two, first round draft
picks in Kolbrin Vitek and Reymond Fuentes. However, Rodriguez isn’t particularly
athletic, has a soft body, and long swing which he will need to cut down. If
I’m the Mets, a personal trainer for Rodriguez is already in the works to be
sure he’s primed for a breakout 2011 campaign.
9-20 from: - http://www.amazinavenue.com/2010/9/20/1699625/minor-league-season-in-review
- After an injury-shortened pro debut
in '09 that left us with more questions than answers, Aderlin burst onto the
scene as one of the Mets most interesting young prospects in 2010. Aderlin was
clearly the most talented player on the field in just about every game he
played in with Kingsport and though he's not much of an all-around player,
that's how good a power bat he featured this year. Despite being one of the
youngest players in the circuit (at the age of eighteen), Rodriguez placed
second in doubles, third in homers and top five in both SLG & OPS. This kid
can flat out hit for power, there's no doubt about that. The natural loft in
his swing as well as his incredible raw strength produces the kind of pop that
you rarely see in a player his age Unfortunately, it's not all peaches and
cream for Rodriguez: He doesn't possess much speed, nor does he profile as a
third baseman long-term (think first base/corner OF) and his plate
discipline/secondary skills left something to be desired. In short, his
plus-plus power will have to carry him as a prospect as the other aspects of
his game are all pretty sub-par.
10-25-10 from: - http://scoutingthesally.com/2010/10/scouting-report-aderlin-rodriguez-3b-new-york-mets
- In 2011, Rodriguez will be a powerful
addition to the Savannah Sand Gnats lineup and is definitely a prospect to
watch within the organization. I’m curious to see where he ranks on New York
Mets top-10 lists and can see him ranking in the top-6 depending on how much
offensive projection is taken into consideration. When compared to other South
Atlantic League prospects, his bat is less refined than the best hitters in the
league, but his raw power potential may be even better than Colorado Rockies
prospect Nolan Arenado and Philadelphia Phillies prospect Jonathan Singleton.
However, Rodriguez has a lower floor leaving him a lesser prospect overall.
With Ike Davis serving as both the Mets first baseman of the present and
future, David Wright entrenched at third base, and the eventual shift of Wilmer
Flores to the hot corner, Rodriguez is completely blocked at the big league
level. Of course things could change in three to four years and Rodriguez’ bat
projects well at either corner with continued offensive development. And while
I like Wilmer Flores as a prospect who combines elite contact skills with some
power projection, Rodriguez is the only prospect in the organization who has
the ability to become a true impact bat in the heart of the New York lineup.
10-28-10 from: - http://scoutingthesally.com/2010/10/new-york-mets-wilmer-flores-heads-the-list-for-top-sally-third-base-prospects
- - The third eighteen year old, and
second Mets prospect on this list, Rodriguez is a physical presence with a
better approach than the vast majority of Latin American players his age. Add
to this some athleticism and impressive power, what’s left is a high ceiling
bat that projects well at either corner. He’s likely to move off of the
position at some point, but his floor is higher than both Marte and Salcedo
leaving him entrenched in the three-hole. However, there’s admittedly a pretty
steep drop off after the top two.
11-18-10 from: - http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/top-10-prospects-the-new-york-mets
- Just 18, Rodriguez produced a solid
triple-slash line of .312/.352/.556 in 250 at-bats in rookie ball. He even
received a late-season 30-at-bat trial in low-A ball. He showed very good power
potential and posted a .244 ISO rate; he shows enough raw pop to hit balls out
of the park even when he doesn’t put a great swing on the pitch. Currently,
he’s surviving on pure, and raw, athletic ability. There are a lot of areas of
his game where he needs to make improvements – which is not surprising, given
his age. Rodriguez would make even more contact if he did a better job of
following the pitch into the catcher’s glove; he often pulls his head off of
the pitch. He also shows a long, loopy swing at times and needs to keep the
head of the bat through the strike zone for a longer period of time. Rodriguez
also needs to improve against off-speed pitches as he gets out on his front
foot and lunges at the ball. Defensively, a slow first step inhibits his range
at the hot corner and he doesn’t show a ton of effort in this aspect of his
game. There are some similarities to a young Edwin Encarnacion, although the
Mets prospect has much more patience at the plate. If Rodriguez continues to
develop, the organization could have something special here.
11-24-10 from: - http://www.metsgeek.com/showthread.php?658-Mets-Top-Twenty-Prospects&p=187156
- 4. Aderlin Rodriguez. The future for
the Mets A-Rod is tied exclusively to his ability to mash the baseball. I saw
him this summer play for Kingsport. He’s a big kid with plus power right now.
It’s reasonable to believe this will become plus-plus power before he’s
through. He attacks the ball well in the zone but will swing at pitches out of
the zone a lot. He’s very young and has a ways to go. If he brings his
strikeouts down and his walks up, this kid could become dangers once he gets
into the higher levels of the minors. He lacks the ability to stay at third
base long term, most likely becoming a first baseman/designated hitter. Best
case scenario sees him become a 30 to 40 HR guy in the major leagues. Worst
case scenario is him becoming a strikeout machine, floundering in the high
minors.
12-20-10 from: - http://mets360.com/?p=5755&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Mets360%2Ffeed+%28Mets360+Feed%29
- 3B, Rookie/Low-A, .312/.352/.556 in
267 PA - This is Rodriguez’ line in the Appalachian League. He got a late
call-up to the SAL, where he played in eight games. While he is a year behind
Puello, and with only eight games of full-season ball to his credit, Rodriguez
is ranked higher due to greater power production and potential, along with his
chance to stick in the infield. Rodriguez bounced back from a wrist injury in
2009 to put up 13 HR in 250 ABs in the APPY, which ranked third in the league.
12-22-20 from: - http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=12623
- Aderlin Rodriguez, 3B -
Year in Review:
The Dominican slugger electrified the Appy League with 22 doubles and 13 home
runs in just 250 at-bats.
The Good:
Rodriguez is a bull of a human being, with one scouts describing him as “thick
from his hair to his ankles.” He has massive raw power, especially to his pull
side, and is already capable of moonshots when he crushes a mistake. Beyond the
power, he's also a sound hitter who makes more contact than most young
sluggers. His arm is a true plus tool in terms of both strength and accuracy.
The Bad:
Rodriguez has little chance to stay at third base. He's big, slow, and still a
teenager, and will likely need to slide over to first base well before he's big
league-ready. He's a very aggressive hitter who sits dead red early in the
count, and will need to become more patient as he moves up. He wears his
emotions on his sleeve, and often seems to take bad at-bats into the field and
vice versa.
Ephemera: When
batting in the fourth inning of games in 2010, Rodriguez went 16-for-38 (.421)
with four doubles and six home runs, good for a slugging percentage of 1.000.
Perfect World
Projection: He could be a middle-of-the-order slugger, but one of far less
value if forced to move across the diamond.
Fantasy Impact:
He could be a big-time run producer.
Path to the Big
Leagues: Rodriguez will begin his first full season back at Low-A Savannah,
where he struggled in a limited look at the end of the year. He's still 1,500
at-bats away from the big leagues.
4-1-11: - 3B
Aderlin Rodriguez moves up to clean-up spot. He entered this game hitting .302
in his past ten games, including 5-HR, and 15-RBIs in 43-Abs. He also entered
this game with an incredible stat I don’t remember seeing for many years. He
entered this game with 342 professional at bats, which has produced 26 doubles,
15 home runs, and 69 runs batted in. Project this over a 550 at bat season, and
you end up with something like 36 doubles, 21 homers, and 80 ribbys. Now,
here’s the incredible part… all of this has been accomplished before turning 20
years of age.
5-28-11: - Yeah,
I know. Aderlin Rodriguez has the best bat in the system. Aderlin Rodriguez is
leading the organization in home runs. Aderlin Rodriguez is only 11-years old.
Well, in my book right now, Aderlin Rodriguez has 17-errors, is playing the
wrong position, and barely hitting over .200. If this is the best the Mets
have, they better ignore the pitchers come June 6th and draft themselves some
bats.
6-15-11: - It
looks like 3B Aderlin Rodriguez is finally getting out of his hitting funk.
A-Rod went 1-3 last night, raising his batting average to a season high .223.
More importantly, he’s hitting .342 for the past ten games. He also has nine
home runs through a miserable first half of the season. We have to remember
he’s still only 19 years old, so expect the new Mets regime to let him play the
entire year, and maybe next year, in Savannah.
8-11-11: - http://metsmerizedonline.com/2011/08/baseball-americas-mets-top-10-list-prior-to-2011-where-are-they-now.html
- 3B – Aderlin Rodriguez: Terrible
defense and a low batting average or lots of home runs and power potential?
Aderlin has been sort of an an enigma is his brief pro career. He has been the
typical all or nothing player. He bats in the low .200′s, but has the greatest
power potential in the system. If he can not sure up his defense and find a way
to get on base more, that power potential is going to go to waste. Started
2011: Low-A Currenlty: Low –A
8-22-11
Observation: - Aderlin Rodriquez - First the good news... he's tied for 19th place in the Sally League
with 14 home runs, tied for 9th in RBIs, and is only 19-years old. The bad
news... an OBP of .266, 98-Ks, and 41-errors. He may just be the top power bat
in the system, but where do you play him? He's a first baseman in waiting, but
the Mets already have Davis, Duda, Dykstra, Welsh, and Ozga, none of which
deserve to be moved out. And, we still want to move Wilmer Flores here. My
guess is he remains at 3B in 2012 for Binghamton. If I'm wrong, you will see
position movement in winter ball.
Aderlin
Rodriguez, 19, shows a lot of promise at the plate. Rodriguez has cracked the
Mets’ top 10 prospects lists for the Hardball Times, ESPN,
MinorLeagueBaseball.com and BaseballAmerica. When he was 18 years old, he made
his first real professional impact for his Kingsport team as he crushed 13 home
runs and posted an impressive .240 ISO
9-15-11: - http://scoutingthesally.com/new-york-mets-third-base-prospect-aderlin-rodriguez-ranking-2011
- The scouting report for Rodriguez
after his 2011 season remains similar from a power standpoint. He’s still
young, has plenty of power potential, but the holes in his offensive game were
really exposed in full season baseball. His future at 3B is also now even more
in doubt than at this time last year even though he appears to be in better physical
shape. I am not a big fan of players comps, but at this point in his career, it
is hard no to liken him to former San Francisco Giants prospect Angel
Villalona, although he was admittedly younger as a player in the “Sally”. They
share similar body types, similar prospect profiles and even similar statistics
in the Sally League.Rodriguez has the potential to be the best power bat in the
Mets system, but 2011 has made it more difficult to visualize.
10-25-11: - http://www.minorleaguerundown.com/2011/10/25/2011-top-20-new-york-mets-prospects
- 2011 Top 20 New York Mets Prospects -
8.Aderlin Rodriguez, 3rd (Low Class A): Last in line of the
young-but-developing trifecta, Aderlin destroyed Rookie League pitching in 2010
before earning his 2011 bump up to low class A ball. Similar to the above two
youngsters, he struggled through most of 2011 while showing the tools and
potential to be much better in time. Rodriguez is only 19, so he’ll be right on
time with a promotion to High A next year, as long as he starts to show more
selectivity (5% bb, 19% K) at the plate. Power is his calling card, so a .153
ISO (.376 slugging) will also need to see marked improvement.
http://www.metstoday.com/7142/mets-minors/a-look-into-the-future-top-3b-prospects
- The one thing fans must love is the
power. It’s been a long time since a lower level prospect in the Mets system
has displayed this kind of pop in his bat. However, there’s a lot of room for
improvement. A .221 average at low-A is frightening and it is something to think
about going into next season. Not to mention, Rodriguez committed 44 errors at
third. A position change could be in his future if he cannot solve his fielding
troubles. With many Dominican prospects, it takes time to become comfortable
and adjust to the role of a full-time baseball player. He’ll be in Savannah
again next season to adjust to the pitching and cut down his swing to make him
a complete player. He is one of the more intriguing prospects in the Mets
system if he can get it all together soon.
11-18-11: - http://metsmerizedonline.com/2011/11/mets-top-position-player-prospects-were-disappointing-in-2011.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MetsMerizedOnline-GetMetsmerized-NewYorkMets+%28Mets+Merized+Online%29
- Aderlin Rodriguez: Aderlin had just an awful year in 2011, aside
from one highlight stat which was the fact that he drove in 77 RBI. In saying that the power hitting third
baseman regressed in almost every facet of the game that matters. He was abysmal in the field as he made 35
errors manning the hot corner. The
player with the greatest power potential in the system hit just 17 home runs in
a full seasons of 510 at bats. After batting
.290 and .300 in his first two professional season, his average dipped to
unsightly levels as he finished the season hitting .222. Not only did he not
hit, he did not get on base in any way with just 29 walks and a .286 on-base
percentage. With all of that said there
is still reason for optimism going into 2012.
His first two seasons in the pros were much better than what we saw in
2011, and to me that just speaks to a bad season, it happens. He has youth on his side as he will be just
20 years of age on opening day next season.
12-19-11: - http://www.amazinavenue.com/2011/12/19/2622862/2011-mets-minor-league-season-in-review-savannah-sand-gnats
- 3B Aderlin Rodriguez - STOCK DOWN -
One of the biggest disappointments in the Mets farm system in 2011, ARod just
didn't deliver on the promise he showed as an 18-yr old crushing Appy League
pitchers in 2010. In fact, following that performance I stated, "his
plus-plus power and advanced bat will have to carry him as a prospect since the
other aspects of his game are all sub-par." Well in 2011 they didn't, at
least not to the level we'd hoped they would this time last year. His already
lacking plate discipline got even worse as he whiffed in nearly 20% of his at
bats and while he maintained his 5% walk rate, that kind of swing-and-miss against
more advanced pitching cut into his power. In fact, after mashing at an
incredible .244 ISO in 2010, he was down to a more pedestrian .153 mark despite
leading the club in homers. Average-wise, he was barely able to stay above the
Mendoza Line against lefties and even worse, his numbers only decreased
following the ASB.
1-11-12 - http://metsmerizedonline.com/2012/01/2012-mets-top-prospects-s-41-50.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MetsMerizedOnline-GetMetsmerized-NewYorkMets+%28Mets+Merized+Online%29
41.
Aderlin Rodriguez (3B) I have listed Rodriguez as a third baseman,
because he has played only that position thus far in his career. It is widely
speculated however, that the Mets are going to move him to another position as
soon as this coming season, with the obvious choice: first base. His foot speed
is not so great and his range is not real good, so the corner outfield isn’t
really in the cards. Hopefully Rodriguez can play 1B without committing as many
errors as he did across the diamond. Last season in 361 chances at 3B,
Rodriguez made a whopping 44 errors, for an abysmal Fld% of .878. Yuck! That’s
one problem. The other is he batted only .221 last season at Savannah, in 516
AB’s. He also struck out 106 times while walking 29 times. Rodriguez needs to
eliminate the holes in his swing and must be more selective at the plate, if he
intends to keep moving up the organizational ladder. The good news is his power
potential and that he is still young, he was only 19 years-old last year while
playing in the SAL, and he managed to hit 17 HR’s and totaled 78 RBI’s. So
there are some promising signs. Next year the cautious move would be for him to
start the season at Savannah again, this time as their first-baseman, but he must
show some significant development with the bat in order to stay on this list.
1-18-12 - http://metsmerizedonline.com/2012/01/prospect-pulse-the-2012-savannah-sand-gnats.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MetsMerizedOnline-GetMetsmerized-NewYorkMets+%28Mets+Merized+Online%29
Aderlin Rodriguez (1B) - This guy needs
to get back on track after a year in which his career was stuck in reverse. He
will more than likely be staying behind in Savannah for a second season. One big
problem for Rodriguez was his 44 errors at 3B last year. The remedy? Well they
couldn’t fashion him a glove made out of a garbage can, so they are moving him
across the diamond. No not into the opposing dugout! To first base! I guess
they figure he’s not as likely to make errors over there. We’ll see. The other
issue for the righty slugger has been contact. Or lack there-of. He hit a
miserable .221 last year and struck out 106 times in 516 AB’s. He has to stop
chasing crappy pitches in the dirt, and out of the strike zone, and get himself
into more favorable hitting counts. But the good news is, he’s strong, 6’3″, he
did manage to hit 17 HR’s and drive in 78 last season, and he is only 20
years-old. Stay tuned
2-3-12: - http://www.amazinavenue.com/2012/2/3/2760606/2012-amazin-avenue-top-50-mets-prospects-20-16
3B Aderlin Rodriguez - One of the
bigger disappointments in the Mets farm system in 2011, ARod just didn't
deliver on the promise he showed as an 18-yr old crushing Appy League pitchers
in 2010. His already lacking plate discipline got even worse as he whiffed in
nearly 20% of his at bats and while he maintained his so-so 5% walk rate, that
kind of swing-and-miss against more advanced pitching cut into his power.
Average-wise, he was barely able to stay above the Mendoza Line against lefties
and even worse, his numbers only decreased following the ASB. Now some
qualifiers: His power is still a plus-plus skill, as he continued to showcase
massive raw strength while posting a good .153 ISO even in a bad year. Though
it may tie to his messy approach at the plate, his .247 BABIP is due for some
regression. Finally, he was nearly two years younger than the Sally League in
2011. Now I've said before that there aren't many players in the system with a
plus-plus major league tool right now and Rodriguez is one of them, even before
his 21st birthday. And as such, it's still too early to drop him out of the top
20; there's still just too much raw potential there. However, he's a complete
mess at the plate which will continue to cut into his power until he figures
that out. And as those 44 errors attest, Rodriguez is almost definitely a first
baseman long-term so there's little margin for error with the bat. He still
definitely has a chance to be an impact hitter in the majors but suddenly he's
looking a little too much like Wily Mo Pena.
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