Abraham Almonte Scouting Report

Almonte signed with the Yankees in 2005 as an IFA and finished the season with a .228/.303/.359 line with 29 stolen bases while manning center field for Charleston. Only 19, he still has room for improvement, but I was left underwhelmed by his performance. The first comparison to enter my mind was a bulked up Timo Perez which is not particularly exciting.

• Listed height/weight of 5'9" 205 looked about right
• Compact, sturdy frame
• Bat speed seemed slow
• Baseball IQ/focus lacking
• Struck out on three pitches first at bat
• Called out for hitting out of order:  Hadn't seen that since little league
• Turned on a batting practice fastball for a home run just inside the right field foul pole

Almonte can spend another full season in the Sally League and not be old for the level of competition. In his case, it might be a good idea since he did have a few mental breakdowns and lacked the all around polish exhibited by Charleston's other position prospects.

To his credit, he was named a mid-season all star before finishing under the Mendoza line during the second half. Maybe he was injured, or just tired, but I saw a player who deserves to repeat the level instead of advancing to the FSL with his more notable teammates.