MM's Top 25- #23 SS Amed Rosario

#23 SS Amed Rosario (LR: #21)
Bats: R Throws: R
Height: 6' 2" Weight: 170 lb
Age: 18
Acquired: 2012 International Signing, Dominican Republic

2013: (R) .241/.279/.358, 3 HR, 23 RBI, 2 SB (25%), 11 BB, 43 K

Amed Rosario is Sandy Alderson's primary initial bonus baby. The young SS was widely regarded as one of, if not, the most dynamic player to come out of the Dominican Republic in 2012. Despite his young age, the Mets brass decided to bring him stateside immediately and assigned him to the advanced rookie league Kingsport Mets. The stats by themselves do not look very good. As to be expected from a 17 yr old, Rosario was plagued by over-aggressiveness drawing a BB rate of only 4.8%. On the flip side though, he was able to keep his K rate in check and actually came in at 19.0% which was excellent compared to the likes of Bradley Marquez, Jeff Diehl, Champ Stuart, Joe Tuschak, and other lesser known prospects.

Perhaps the most enticing thing about Rosario though is this report done by Baseball America. 

"he showed star potential in his debut season. With a lanky build, he’s an exceptional athlete with above-average speed.....He could be a star.....He is 17 and can drive the ball to right-center field like a man. He has very good feel to hit and his swing generates a lot of leverage. I think he can have 20-25 home run power. I think he can be a shortstop because he has all the tools and he can run.”

That's a reputable and extremely positive outlook for Rosario. It is also one that is shared by numerous scouts at the lower levels. However, those same scouts also believe that he will have to rebuild his entire swing. 

"There’s some leg kick action, his hand path is ugly, and he dips his hands very low at the beginning creating length and a poor plane through the zone."

Overall, this is a guy that we can be very excited for but there is still quite a large amount of work to be done before he climbs up the list.

Anticipated Assignment: (SS-A) Brooklyn Cyclones starting SS
Ceiling: All-Star caliber SS
Floor: Complete Bust