Author Topic: Follow the Prospects: Rafael Bautista, CF  (Read 7770 times)

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Offline natasaurus

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Follow the Prospects: Rafael Bautista, CF
« Topic Start: April 10, 2014, 09:12:44 PM »
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 165
DOB: 03/08/1993
Hometown: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Signed: January 2012
Position: CF/OF
Prospect rank: #28 Nationals prospect (Baseball America)

2013 GCL postseason all-star after finishing with a .322/.400/.391 line and leading the league with 26 stolen bases and 44 runs scored.  He's been skipped over Auburn and is now the primary CF in Hagerstown batting ninth and is off to a great start.

Named a top ten sleeper from the GCL by Baseball America after the 2013 season:

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Bautista was one of the best athletes in the GCL. He has plus speed, gets good reads off the bat and has a strong arm, which makes him an excellent defender in center field. He has good basestealing instincts as well, which helped him tie for the league lead in stolen bases. A 20-year-old from the Dominican Republic, Bautista is a little older than most prospects in the GCL, but he’s only in his second year of pro ball and has performed well in both seasons. He’s a line-drive hitter with good bat speed and quick hands, although some scouts think more advanced pitching will give him trouble.

Offline natasaurus

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Rafael Bautista, CF
« Reply #1: July 01, 2014, 09:52:12 PM »
40 stolen bases and just 4 CS so far this season, including 19 SB in May and 15 in June.  He started out the season as the number nine hitter but now leads off.

I had the pleasure of seeing him play in person earlier this season, and he's just an exciting player to watch!

Offline imref

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Rafael Bautista, CF
« Reply #2: July 01, 2014, 09:57:00 PM »
At Hagerstown now?

Offline natasaurus

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Offline monkeyhit

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Rafael Bautista, CF
« Reply #4: July 09, 2014, 07:05:01 AM »
45 SB now (6CS) and he's only had 80 hits.

Can he steal 100 this year?  :lol:

Offline monkeyhit

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Rafael Bautista, CF
« Reply #5: July 11, 2014, 07:17:49 AM »
two more SBs (48 for year)  4 for 5 with a HR   batting .285

Hagerstown is 24 games above .500

Offline sportsfan882

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Rafael Bautista, CF
« Reply #6: July 11, 2014, 07:38:50 PM »
Getting some national recognition.

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12. Rafael Bautista, cf, Nationals
Rafael Bautista
Team: low Class A Hagerstown (South Atlantic)
Age: 22
Why He’s Here: .440/.517/.536 (11-for-28), 11 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBIs, 6 BB, 3 SO, 6-of-7 SB

The Scoop: Forming a dynamic duo at Hangerstown with shortstop Wilmer Difo, Bautista has asserted himself as one of the minors’ most dangerous burglars of bases. With six more swipes this week, he’s up to 48 for the season in 54 attempts, to place him second in the minors. He’s a graceful outfielder with gliding strides in center field, and he’s held his own with the bat this year but needs to better adjust to breaking pitches.

Online Natsinpwc

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Rafael Bautista, CF
« Reply #7: July 11, 2014, 07:46:41 PM »
Can't wait until all these guys come up from Hagerstown to Potomac.  Should be lots of fun at the Pfitz.

Offline tomterp

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Rafael Bautista, CF
« Reply #8: July 12, 2014, 09:20:42 PM »
Getting some national recognition.

Could you please attribute and/or post the link please?

Offline natasaurus

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Rafael Bautista, CF
« Reply #9: July 13, 2014, 11:34:09 AM »
Could you please attribute and/or post the link please?

BA's Hot Sheet.

Offline TigerFan

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Offline tomterp

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Rafael Bautista, CF
« Reply #11: July 21, 2014, 03:56:46 PM »
BP's Tucker Blair

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=24193

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Rafael Bautista, CF, Nationals (Low-A Hagerstown)
 The speedy Dominican flashed all his tools this weekend against Delmarva. He has quick hands and plus bat speed, but they take a little longer to get going than I usually like in a hitter. However, he makes up for this by using a small load. This minimizes the power tool some, but Bautista is a wiry-framed player built more for speed anyways. He hit a line drive homer this weekend, which displayed what he can do when he barrels a pitch. In the field, Baustista displays plus range and has natural instincts. He is a natural center fielder and should stick there in the future. The speed is also plus, although the high stolen base numbers come more from good instincts on the basepath rather than the pure speed. Baustista is a toolsy player, but the swing might become overmatched at higher levels because there is not extreme impact with the bat. His role could be more fourth outfielder than second-division starter. –Tucker Blair

And a couple of follow up comments:

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MaineSkin
 
Oh my Bautista hopes just took a massive hit by Sir Blair. Thought at his age some more optimism with bat Spd would make him Nats CF of future. Does he not project to a "Span" type with more Spd? He needs physical maturity to add weight at impact like Dee Gordon from a couple years ago.
 
Tucker Blair BP staff

Sir Blair. That makes me feel #old
 
I wouldn't say I am "down" on Bautista. I really like him in the field, but the bat is just not all that enticing. I wrote a full report on him as well, but sneak preview:
 
"He could end up piecing enough together at the plate for a few second-division type seasons, but is likely a fourth outfielder due to lack of a hit tool and impact bat. The speed is great, but is not good enough to impact his game at the plate."

Offline Burgess

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Rafael Bautista, CF
« Reply #12: August 14, 2014, 01:13:57 AM »
62 SB'S wow

Offline Clever

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Rafael Bautista, CF
« Reply #13: June 28, 2015, 12:58:04 PM »
Hasn't played since mid April. I suppose he's injured.

Offline Smithian

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Rafael Bautista, CF
« Reply #14: June 01, 2016, 01:45:55 PM »
Probably nothing more than the next Eury Perez, but wanted to point out he is leading the Eastern League in steals right now with 26. Apparently he is a plus defender in CF. His line is only .257/.353/.310 which is pretty rough.

Anyone know anything more about him? He have any potential?

Offline BrandonK

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Rafael Bautista, CF
« Reply #15: June 01, 2016, 02:09:04 PM »
2016 Prospect Rankings

Farnsworth:

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18. Rafael Bautista, OF, VIDEO, High-A

Bautista is a tremendous athlete who is just starting to tap into the baseball applications of his tools. With plus-plus speed and excellent bat speed, it’s easy to dream on how good he could be if the game skills reflect his raw athletic talent. He doesn’t have a great approach at the plate, and his swing is athletic yet very much geared toward putting ground balls in play instead of driving gaps. With plus potential defense in center, his floor is pretty high as a situational bench player. He needs to make adjustments with the bat to profile as more than that.

He’s been aggressively pushed to Double-A to start the 2016 season, which may limit how much he’s going to change his approach at the plate. I’m not counting on big changes, so the future likely holds a fourth- or fifth-outfield role for Bautista.

Hit: 40/45/45+ Power: 25/30/35 Run: 65/70/75 Field: 55/55/60 Throw: 50/50/50
Overall: 35/40/50

MLB.com:

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#16 Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 30 | Run: 70 | Arm: 50 | Field: 60 | Overall: 45

Bautista made name for himself during his 2013 stateside debut in the Rookie Gulf Coast League, where he showed a promising blend of hitting ability and speed. He moved up to Class A Hagerstown the following year and emerged as a South Atlantic League All-Star while finishing second in the Minors with 69 stolen bases. Bautista suffered a broken finger during the first week of the 2015 season that cost him much of the first half, but finished on a high note at Class A Advanced Potomac and then continued to make strides while playing in the Dominican Winter League.

Bautista's double-plus speed is easily his top tool and gives him impact potential on both sides of the ball. He's always a threat to run when on base, a notion supported by his 168 steals over parts of four Minor League seasons, and he's long showed the ability to bunt for a hit. Defensively, he gets good reads off the bat and covers a ton of ground in center field.

Bautista's combination of plus speed and defense gives him a solid floor as a fourth or fifth big league outfielder, though he may very well surpass that projection given his progress in recent years. With a more refined approach and better on-base skills, Bautista has the potential to hit atop the order.

Offline BrandonK

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Rafael Bautista, CF
« Reply #16: June 01, 2016, 02:14:21 PM »
His OBP isn't too shabby, and his K:BB rate is solid.

Offline Smithian

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Rafael Bautista, CF
« Reply #17: June 02, 2016, 10:38:54 AM »
Interesting. I'm hoping between he and Stevenson one of them can emerge by 2018 as a big time defensive center fielder with plus base running and a bat that doesn't kill the lineup. I'm guessing Werth will be replaced next trade deadline or in the 2017/18 offseason with a big bat in LF who eventually profiles to move to 1B once Zim's contract is up. Adds to the value of a top glove in CF. Taylor right now is top notch in CF and is a good pinch runner but his bat hasn't let the Nats keep him in the lineup for any length of time. Lots of time to play out but good to see we have options. Center field has been such a problem for the Nats over past decade.

Offline Truconfidence

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Rafael Bautista, CF
« Reply #18: June 02, 2016, 11:52:38 AM »
Interesting. I'm hoping between he and Stevenson one of them can emerge by 2018 as a big time defensive center fielder with plus base running and a bat that doesn't kill the lineup. I'm guessing Werth will be replaced next trade deadline or in the 2017/18 offseason with a big bat in LF who eventually profiles to move to 1B once Zim's contract is up. Adds to the value of a top glove in CF. Taylor right now is top notch in CF and is a good pinch runner but his bat hasn't let the Nats keep him in the lineup for any length of time. Lots of time to play out but good to see we have options. Center field has been such a problem for the Nats over past decade.

Dont forget Goodwin. I think at this point this is not just a hot stretch, this may be who he is.

Offline zimm_da_kid

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Rafael Bautista, CF
« Reply #19: June 03, 2016, 06:04:36 PM »
I see a young Juan Lagares here

Offline Smithian

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Rafael Bautista, CF
« Reply #20: June 03, 2016, 06:29:07 PM »
I see a young Juan Lagares here
A young Juan Lagares with better base running? That would be ridiculous. If Bautista played defense like Lagares pre-injury combined with an OPS of even around .650 and a high steal rate (around 40 if he played full time) then he's a fringe starter but definite 4th OF who plays almost every night as either a late game pinch runner or defensive sub.

I've never really paid him much attention with Michael Taylor and Goodwin ahead of him and then Stevenson behind him, but I like him a lot the more I see his stats, especially how many walks he's drawing this season. He's already more than doubled his walk total from last season.

Offline BrandonK

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Rafael Bautista, CF
« Reply #21: June 03, 2016, 06:35:47 PM »
Less of a hitter than Lagares was in the minors, less pop too, but way more SBs. I think Revere is actually a fair comp.

Offline Smithian

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Rafael Bautista, CF
« Reply #22: June 03, 2016, 07:05:50 PM »
Less of a hitter than Lagares was in the minors, less pop too, but way more SBs. I think Revere is actually a fair comp.
Revere is average on his best days in center. If Bautista got his bat and steals up to Revere levels with plus defense then we'd have a player on our hands.

Surely between Goodwin, Stevenson, and Bautista we'll have at least one serviceable center fielder. Revere is a good stop gap at best.

I know Robles has the star potential but he's a ways away.

Offline BrandonK

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Rafael Bautista, CF
« Reply #23: June 03, 2016, 07:20:31 PM »
Revere is average on his best days in center. If Bautista got his bat and steals up to Revere levels with plus defense then we'd have a player on our hands.

Surely between Goodwin, Stevenson, and Bautista we'll have at least one serviceable center fielder. Revere is a good stop gap at best.

I know Robles has the star potential but he's a ways away.

Oh, no doubt. He never was a great defensive CF -- was talking more about the bat/speed.

Offline Slateman

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Rafael Bautista, CF
« Reply #24: June 03, 2016, 08:27:22 PM »
Revere is average on his best days in center. If Bautista got his bat and steals up to Revere levels with plus defense then we'd have a player on our hands.

Surely between Goodwin, Stevenson, and Bautista we'll have at least one serviceable center fielder. Revere is a good stop gap at best.

I know Robles has the star potential but he's a ways away.

Bautista ain't exactly on the door step to the big leagues ....