Jose Torres Stats & Scouting Report — College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects

AB	36
AVG	.194
OBP	.293
SLG	.222
HR	0

Full name Jose David Torres
Born 09/28/1999 in Guayubin, Dominican Republic
Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 171 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School North Carolina State
Drafted in the 3rd round (89th overall) by the Cincinnati Reds in 2021 (signed for $622,500).

View Draft Report

Torres was a BA 500 player out of high school thanks to his flashy defensive play at shortstop. Two years later and he’s frequently cited as the best defensive shortstop in the country. The Dominican-born infielder is listed at 6 feet, 171 pounds and is the latest shortstop to come out of a North Carolina State program that has produced first-round picks in Trea Turner (2014) and Will Wilson (2019) in recent years. Torres doesn’t have the offensive upside of either of those players, but scouts believe he’s a plus defender who covers plenty of ground despite fringy speed. His instincts in the field are tremendous, he reads hops well and has advanced footwork around the bag with the ability to throw from multiple angles and arm slots with plus arm strength. That conviction in his defensive tools gives him at least a floor as a utility infielder and defensive specialist, with his overall upside depending on the progression of his hitting ability. He performed well as a freshman in the shortened 2020 season (.333/.369/.533) but that came with a strikeout rate over 30%. He cut the strikeout rate to around 17% this spring, while hitting .294/.352/.514 through 47 games, but scouts are still skeptical of his swing and the swing-and-miss tendencies he’s shown against breaking balls. Torres has some sneaky pull-side pop but doesn’t figure to be a big home run threat, with a thin and lean frame that might never be overly physical.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Track Record: Torres was born in the Dominican Republic, but his family moved to the United States when he was a child. As a second-year freshman in 2021 thanks to the canceled 2020 season, he helped lead the Wolfpack to the College World Series.

Scouting Report: Torres was one of the best defensive shortstops in the 2021 draft class. He’s only an average runner, but his hands, first step, body control and internal clock make him an extremely reliable, plus defender. He was bothered by an oblique injury early in 2021, but he has a plus arm when healthy. Offensively, he’s steadily eliminated some of the concerns that have surrounded him. In 2020, he was an easy mark for any pitcher who could spin a breaking ball, but in 2021 both in college and pro ball he showed better pitch recognition against sliders and curves while continuing to punish fastballs. He has sneaky power, giving him a chance to get to 10-12 home runs a year.

The Future: Torres has been projected as a utiltyman whose glove will get him to the majors. He’s showing signs that might be selling him short. He has a chance to be a regular if his bat continues to improve.

Draft Prospects

Torres was a BA 500 player out of high school thanks to his flashy defensive play at shortstop. Two years later and he’s frequently cited as the best defensive shortstop in the country. The Dominican-born infielder is listed at 6 feet, 171 pounds and is the latest shortstop to come out of a North Carolina State program that has produced first-round picks in Trea Turner (2014) and Will Wilson (2019) in recent years. Torres doesn’t have the offensive upside of either of those players, but scouts believe he’s a plus defender who covers plenty of ground despite fringy speed. His instincts in the field are tremendous, he reads hops well and has advanced footwork around the bag with the ability to throw from multiple angles and arm slots with plus arm strength. That conviction in his defensive tools gives him at least a floor as a utility infielder and defensive specialist, with his overall upside depending on the progression of his hitting ability. He performed well as a freshman in the shortened 2020 season (.333/.369/.533) but that came with a strikeout rate over 30%. He cut the strikeout rate to around 17% this spring, while hitting .294/.352/.514 through 47 games, but scouts are still skeptical of his swing and the swing-and-miss tendencies he’s shown against breaking balls. Torres has some sneaky pull-side pop but doesn’t figure to be a big home run threat, with a thin and lean frame that might never be overly physical.
A 6-foot, 165-pound shortstop committed to North Carolina State, Torres has impressive, flashy defensive actions and a chance to stick at shortstop at the next level. He has clean, fluid hands and good body control, which translates to some bat-to-ball skills at the plate, but he needs to add strength in the future to improve bottom-of-the-scale power. One of the oldest players in the high school class, Torres will be sophomore-eligible in college and that fact will hurt him on analytical teams' models.

Scouting Reports

Track Record: Torres was born in the Dominican Republic, but his family moved to the United States when he was a child. As a second-year freshman in 2021 thanks to the canceled 2020 season, he helped lead the Wolfpack to the College World Series.

Scouting Report: Torres was one of the best defensive shortstops in the 2021 draft class. He’s only an average runner, but his hands, first step, body control and internal clock make him an extremely reliable, plus defender. He was bothered by an oblique injury early in 2021, but he has a plus arm when healthy. Offensively, he’s steadily eliminated some of the concerns that have surrounded him. In 2020, he was an easy mark for any pitcher who could spin a breaking ball, but in 2021 both in college and pro ball he showed better pitch recognition against sliders and curves while continuing to punish fastballs. He has sneaky power, giving him a chance to get to 10-12 home runs a year.

The Future: Torres has been projected as a utiltyman whose glove will get him to the majors. He’s showing signs that might be selling him short. He has a chance to be a regular if his bat continues to improve.
Torres was a BA 500 player out of high school thanks to his flashy defensive play at shortstop. Two years later and he's frequently cited as the best defensive shortstop in the country. The Dominican-born infielder is listed at 6 feet, 171 pounds and is the latest shortstop to come out of a North Carolina State program that has produced first-round picks in Trea Turner (2014) and Will Wilson (2019) in recent years. Torres doesn't have the offensive upside of either of those players, but scouts believe he's a plus defender who covers plenty of ground despite fringy speed. His instincts in the field are tremendous, he reads hops well and has advanced footwork around the bag with the ability to throw from multiple angles and arm slots with plus arm strength. That conviction in his defensive tools gives him at least a floor as a utility infielder and defensive specialist, with his overall upside depending on the progression of his hitting ability. He performed well as a freshman in the shortened 2020 season (.333/.369/.533) but that came with a strikeout rate over 30%. He cut the strikeout rate to around 17% this spring, while hitting .294/.352/.514 through 47 games, but scouts are still skeptical of his swing and the swing-and-miss tendencies he's shown against breaking balls. Torres has some sneaky pull-side pop but doesn't figure to be a big home run threat, with a thin and lean frame that might never be overly physical.
A 6-foot, 165-pound shortstop committed to North Carolina State, Torres has impressive, flashy defensive actions and a chance to stick at shortstop at the next level. He has clean, fluid hands and good body control, which translates to some bat-to-ball skills at the plate, but he needs to add strength in the future to improve bottom-of-the-scale power. One of the oldest players in the high school class, Torres will be sophomore-eligible in college and that fact will hurt him on analytical teams' models.