Carlos D. Rodriguez

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Milwaukee Brewers #23 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: Rodriguez was a prominent 2017 international signing out of Venezuela, landing a $1.355 million bonus. He has shown good bat control and moved quickly, reaching High-A Carolina as a 20-year-old in 2021.
  
  Scouting Report: Rodriguez has a knack for finding the barrel with his short lefthanded stroke. He has good hand-eye coordination that leads to impressive plate coverage and a lot of contact. While Rodriguez has gotten stronger, he still has minimal power—he hit just one home run in 2021—creating questions about how he profiles at the big league level. That’s especially true now that it looks like his future is in an outfield corner. Rodriguez played some center field last year but mostly played the corners. He has a chance to be a good defender on a wing, with average speed and good instincts.
  
  The Future: Stretched thin in center field, Rodriguez will need to develop more thump to become a big league corner outfielder. His contact skills and instincts give him a chance though, and he will be one of the youngest players in Double-A next year at 21.
  
• 
  Ranked Milwaukee Brewers #13 prospect in 2021
  TRACK RECORD: Rodriguez was one of the most advanced pure hitters in the 2017 international class and signed with the Brewers for $1.355 million. He lived up to that reputation by hitting over .320 in each of his first two seasons as a pro. Rodriguez spent time at the alternate training site in 2020, where he wasn't a standout but held his own against significantly older competition and a lefty-heavy pitching group.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Rodriguez's bat control is among the best in the Brewers' system. He has a career strikeout rate of just 10% and has a knack for putting the bat to the ball. He doesn't walk much, in part because he makes contact early in counts, and will need to be more selective to enhance his on-base skills. Rodriguez's power is mostly to the gaps. While he added strength in 2020 and started driving the ball, he's mostly a line-drive hitter with 8-12 home run potential. Where Rodriguez ends up defensively is his biggest question. He's an average runner without the burner speed of a typical center fielder. Some observers like his defensive instincts in center, while others think he looks more comfortable in a corner.
  
  THE FUTURE: There's some tweener outfield risk with Rodriguez, but he has hit at every level so far and that may be enough to carry him.
• 
  Ranked Milwaukee Brewers #12 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: Rodriguez was one of the more advanced hitting prospects to come out of Venezuela in 2017, and accordingly the Brewers gave the 16-year-old a signing bonus of $1.355 million.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Not big in size, he stood out for his plus speed, which played well on the bases and in center field, but he also has advanced contact skills for his age. As might be expected for someone of his small stature, Rodriguez is more of a slasher than a slugger, making hard contact to all fields with a short, compact stroke. Once on the bases, he is a threat to steal but must work on reading pitchers and getting better jumps. His speed allows him to go gap-to-gap in center with little effort and he has all the makings of being the prototypical, contact leadoff hitter a la Juan Pierre, with the same below-average arm strength. He was considered one of the top prospects last season in the Rookie-level Pioneer League despite getting a late start while recovering from a broken hamate bone. That injury limited him to 43 games, but he made a healthy return in July with a brief stint in the AZL before moving to the new Rocky Mountain franchise and showing off his hitting prowess.
  
  THE FUTURE: He has advanced skills on both sides of the ball and therefore could move quickly through the system. Rodriguez likely will move up to low Class A Wisconsin.
• 
  Ranked Milwaukee Brewers #19 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: Rodriguez caught the attention of scouts while playing in national and international tournaments in Venezuela, showing an advanced feel for hitting not often seen at that age with a fluid, graceful swing. He became considered one of the top outfield prospects in the 2017-18 international signing period, and the Brewers nabbed him with a $1.355 million signing bonus. Rodriguez made his pro debut in the Dominican Summer League and was so advanced finished stateside in the Rookie-level Arizona League, batting .325 between the two levels.
  
  Scouting Report: Rodriguez is small in stature at 5-foot-10, 150 pounds, but is highly athletic with tools to be a plus hitter. He also has the plus speed to make an impact on the bases and be an above-average defender in center field. Rodriguez projects to have a strong enough arm to remain in center, where he will have more impact. He has not shown much pop but stings the ball to all fields, hitting line drives with solid bat speed. The Brewers expect his trend of high batting averages will continue as he moves up the ladder.
  
  The Future: Rodriguez will play the entire 2019 season at age 18 and has yet to physically mature, so he still has a long way to go. A return to the AZL is likely.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Pioneer League #9 prospect in 2019
  Rodriguez’s advanced hitting ability and solid approach were well beyond his 18 years at Rocky Mountain. The Venezuelan was one of the more polished players in the 2017 international class when he signed with the Brewers, and he cemented that reputation in the Pioneer League after recovering from an early hamate injury. "No doubt that his best tool is his bat,” Rocky Mountain manager Nestor Corredor said. "He’s one of the best hitters at that age in this level.” Rodriguez sprays balls all over the field, with his whippy, loose hands allowing him to control the barrel and make adjustments. He uses a line-drive swing with gap power, and while he could add more pop with added strength, he’s not likely to become a big home run hitter. An average runner, Rodriguez can stay in center field, but his tick below-average arm is short for right field.

• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Rodriguez was a prominent 2017 international signing out of Venezuela, landing a $1.355 million bonus. He has shown good bat control and moved quickly, reaching High-A Carolina as a 20-year-old in 2021.
  
  Scouting Report: Rodriguez has a knack for finding the barrel with his short lefthanded stroke. He has good hand-eye coordination that leads to impressive plate coverage and a lot of contact. While Rodriguez has gotten stronger, he still has minimal power—he hit just one home run in 2021—creating questions about how he profiles at the big league level. That’s especially true now that it looks like his future is in an outfield corner. Rodriguez played some center field last year but mostly played the corners. He has a chance to be a good defender on a wing, with average speed and good instincts.
  
  The Future: Stretched thin in center field, Rodriguez will need to develop more thump to become a big league corner outfielder. His contact skills and instincts give him a chance though, and he will be one of the youngest players in Double-A next year at 21.
  
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Rodriguez was one of the most advanced pure hitters in the 2017 international class and signed with the Brewers for $1.355 million. He lived up to that reputation by hitting over .320 in each of his first two seasons as a pro. Rodriguez spent time at the alternate training site in 2020, where he wasn't a standout but held his own against significantly older competition and a lefty-heavy pitching group.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Rodriguez's bat control is among the best in the Brewers' system. He has a career strikeout rate of just 10% and has a knack for putting the bat to the ball. He doesn't walk much, in part because he makes contact early in counts, and will need to be more selective to enhance his on-base skills. Rodriguez's power is mostly to the gaps. While he added strength in 2020 and started driving the ball, he's mostly a line-drive hitter with 8-12 home run potential. Where Rodriguez ends up defensively is his biggest question. He's an average runner without the burner speed of a typical center fielder. Some observers like his defensive instincts in center, while others think he looks more comfortable in a corner.
  
  THE FUTURE: There's some tweener outfield risk with Rodriguez, but he has hit at every level so far and that may be enough to carry him.
• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Rodriguez was one of the more advanced hitting prospects to come out of Venezuela in 2017, and accordingly the Brewers gave the 16-year-old a signing bonus of $1.355 million.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Not big in size, he stood out for his plus speed, which played well on the bases and in center field, but he also has advanced contact skills for his age. As might be expected for someone of his small stature, Rodriguez is more of a slasher than a slugger, making hard contact to all fields with a short, compact stroke. Once on the bases, he is a threat to steal but must work on reading pitchers and getting better jumps. His speed allows him to go gap-to-gap in center with little effort and he has all the BA GRADE 45 Risk: Medium BA GRADE 55 Risk: Extreme BA GRADE 50 Risk: Very High makings of being the prototypical, contact leadoff hitter a la Juan Pierre, with the same below-average arm strength. He was considered one of the top prospects last season in the Rookie-level Pioneer League despite getting a late start while recovering from a broken hamate bone. That injury limited him to 43 games, but he made a healthy return in July with a brief stint in the AZL before moving to the new Rocky Mountain franchise and showing off his hitting prowess.
  
  THE FUTURE: He has advanced skills on both sides of the ball and therefore could move quickly through the system. Rodriguez likely will move up to low Class A Wisconsin.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Rodriguez was one of the more advanced hitting prospects to come out of Venezuela in 2017, and accordingly the Brewers gave the 16-year-old a signing bonus of $1.355 million.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Not big in size, he stood out for his plus speed, which played well on the bases and in center field, but he also has advanced contact skills for his age. As might be expected for someone of his small stature, Rodriguez is more of a slasher than a slugger, making hard contact to all fields with a short, compact stroke. Once on the bases, he is a threat to steal but must work on reading pitchers and getting better jumps. His speed allows him to go gap-to-gap in center with little effort and he has all the makings of being the prototypical, contact leadoff hitter a la Juan Pierre, with the same below-average arm strength. He was considered one of the top prospects last season in the Rookie-level Pioneer League despite getting a late start while recovering from a broken hamate bone. That injury limited him to 43 games, but he made a healthy return in July with a brief stint in the AZL before moving to the new Rocky Mountain franchise and showing off his hitting prowess.
  
  THE FUTURE: He has advanced skills on both sides of the ball and therefore could move quickly through the system. Rodriguez likely will move up to low Class A Wisconsin.
• December, 2018 Scouting Report
  Rodriguez’s advanced hitting ability and solid approach were well beyond his 18 years at Rocky Mountain. The Venezuelan was one of the more polished players in the 2017 international class when he signed with the Brewers, and he cemented that reputation in the Pioneer League after recovering from an early hamate injury. "No doubt that his best tool is his bat,” Rocky Mountain manager Nestor Corredor said. "He’s one of the best hitters at that age in this level.” Rodriguez sprays balls all over the field, with his whippy, loose hands allowing him to control the barrel and make adjustments. He uses a line-drive swing with gap power, and while he could add more pop with added strength, he’s not likely to become a big home run hitter. An average runner, Rodriguez can stay in center field, but his tick below-average arm is short for right field.