Baseball Beginnings

By John Klima
December 13, 2009

The Red Sox signed free-agent shortstop Marco Scutaro to a two-year contract last week, which in player development terms, means the Red Sox just bought two years for Jose Iglesias. That’s a pretty good move, because Iglesias will need them. Recently we brought you a video look of the Cuban defector, which was the first look at Iglesias for many fans, and brought a good number of Red Sox nation out to the West Coast to visit Baseball Beginnings.

I had a two-game look at the right-handed hitting Iglesias in the Arizona Fall League and saw him hit a home run to left field in Surprise. Defensively, Iglesias can play shortstop in the big leagues right now, though I believe he would need to calm down a little bit and not let his ultra-aggressive athleticism create impatient mistakes. His arm strength and release are both above-average. He has very soft and fast hands. He’s a very scrappy player in a very skilled body. He’ll be an above-average runner. We’ll see if age tempers his Elvis-like showman persona at short.

Offensively, however, let me be blunt. If you put Iglesias in the big leagues in 2010, he might get the bat blown out of his hands.

I don’t mean that as a metaphor. Iglesias is officially listed in the Arizona Fall League media guide as 5-11, 175, but anyone who has been around the block knows that roster specs are about as trustworthy as nutritional information at a burger stand. Iglesias looks as if he is more like 150-160 pounds. At this point in time, he is simply not strong enough to compete against hard velocity, especially hard stuff in on his hands. I think he can adequately handle 89-91, which is pretty common in the AFL. I think the line gets blurry at 92. I saw Andrew Oliver blow him away with 94 MPH left-handed gas in the AFL showcase game. Oliver isn’t exactly Mike Leake when it comes to fastball command either, which could also hint at a lack of plate discipline and pitch recognition, also signs of offensive immaturity.

When you see something like that, it’s a pretty clear sign that a guy is not ready for big league pitching. It doesn’t mean he won’t catch up offensively. I expect him to with time and at-bats. It would be a toxic combination to run this kid to the big leagues purely for his defense and not expect to handicap his offensive development. So the Red Sox are making a wise move here in signing a stop-gap veteran.

Overall, Iglesias has the bat speed and the hands to be an above-average offensive player at his position. The Monster will help him. He does remind me of Dustin Pedroia because his hands work. But having seen Pedroia play in college, I think Pedroia was a much more advanced offensive player at a similar age. And I don’t think Iglesias can be the same impact offensive player Pedroia is, but certainly an acceptable table-setting big league hitter. I did see him hit a home run to left field in Surprise, but I take what I see in the thin Arizona air with caution. You can be fooled in Arizona.

Red Sox fans should like this guy. Bill James will love him for his defensive value. Below is the full scouting report on Iglesias. If you happen to be discovering Baseball Beginnings for the first time because of this player, you might want to continue to visit, as we continue to establish ourselves as one the best new voices around.

Jose Iglesias, SS
5-11, 175
B/T: R/R

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Young features; slight build, limited growth potential but room for muscle. Small hands and feet, quick hands but not terribly strong.

STRENGTHS: Plus, plus defense: soft hands and extremely fast glove-to-hand transfer and throwing release. Very fast feet and good footwork, should also improve with experience. Slightly above-average arm strength; can make throw from the hole and across body on double-play pivot. Above-average 4.2 runner, a slower first step right now but should improve as he gets stronger with wood. Possesses fast hands with wood and fairly good concept of his swing path.

WEAKNESSES: Needs to improve physical strength, but power should be only tool that is below-average to average on major league scale. Needs to prove he can consistently hit velocity.

SUMMARY: Chance to be best defender at his position in major leagues. Bat should develop enough to make him every day contributor.

GRADES: (Present/Future)
Hit         40/60
Power  35/50
Run      55/60
Arm     55/60
Field   70/80

Overall Future Potential: 62

What the Grades Mean

Watch Jose Iglesias Video

Categories: 2009 Minor Leagues
Tags: Boston Red Sox, Jose Iglesias