Aaron Zavala

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Texas Rangers #12 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 50/High
  
  Track Record: After a breakout season at Oregon that saw him produce a 1.124 OPS and establish himself as one of the best lefthanded bats on the board, Zavala was selected in the second round of the 2021 draft. A medical issue complicated things, but he eventually signed for a bonus of $830,000. Just five games into his stint in the 2022 Arizona Fall League, he suffered an injury that required the implantation of a surgical brace. He didn’t make his 2023 debut until May 27, and then struggled to get off the ground all year long.
  
  Scouting Report: At his best, Zavala’s bat is his calling card. He was not at his best in 2023. Scouts outside the organization noted a player who didn’t have the same burst as in past years despite solid bat speed and bat-to-ball skills. The Rangers believe the surgery affected Zavala’s bat angle, which was lower than before and led to him consistently being under fastballs and lower exit velocities and hard-hit rates than when he was at his best. He is an extremely selective hitter who swung just 37.5% of the time in 2023 but did a good job finding the barrel when he cut it loose. Now he needs to regain the thump he lost before the surgery. The results from the team’s fall instructional camp seemed to point in the right direction. As a corner outfielder with secondary tools that are only average across the board, the pressure is on Zavala’s bat to return to its prior levels.
  
  The Future: Zavala might return to Double-A in 2024 to get a clean slate at a level where he struggled mightily in 2023. If he can rebound, he has the ceiling of an average left fielder on a second division club.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 50 | Power: 40 | Run: 50 | Field: 50 | Arm: 50
• 
  Ranked Texas Rangers #6 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/Very High
  
  Track Record: Zavala was one of the 2021 draft cycle's highest-rising prospects. He dominated for Oregon as a junior by hitting .392/.526/.628 while his power surged. He hit nine home runs after hitting only one in his previous 58 games. He showed a tremendous batting eye throughout his collegiate career, finishing with more walks (75) than strikeouts (68). The Rangers selected him in the second round in 2021, then signed him for a well-below slot bonus of $830,000 after a medical issue popped up during his physical.
  
  Scouting Report: Zavala's sublime strike-zone discipline is both a blessing and a curse. The tool is easily the best in the system, but his approach sometimes means he passes on pitches he should impact. Power is in there--Zavala's 90th percentile exit velocity of 103.9 mph was among the better marks in the system--but he swings at one of the lowest rates (37.9%) in the organization. Zavala's numbers--including a significant weakness against lefthanders--translated almost identically during his stops at High-A Hickory and Double-A Frisco. As a right fielder, Zavala will need to adjust his approach to get to the power more often to fit a corner player's profile. Scouts see him as an average defender with below-average arm strength that plays a tick higher because of a short stroke and a quick release. He's an average runner.
  
  The Future: Zavala has an intriguing mix of skills buoyed by an outstanding batting eye, but his career is also clouded by injuries. He was sent to the Arizona Fall League to make up for lost time, but his stint was limited to five games after suffering a torn ulnar collateral ligament that required surgery. He is anticipated to return roughly two months into the season. When he does, he'll likely head back to Double-A.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 60. Power: 40. Speed: 50. Fielding: 50. Arm: 50
• 
  Ranked Texas Rangers #12 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: With a standout season at Oregon, Zavala zoomed up draft boards as one of the best lefthanded bats available in the college class. The Rangers popped him in the second round but discovered what they termed a medical anomaly and negotiations went down to the wire. Ultimately, he signed for a bonus of $830,000, which was well below slot value.
  
  Scouting Report: Zavala made big-time noise in the Ducks’ regional appearance, including a pair of home runs. That only cemented what Zavala had proved throughout the course of the year. He has a potentially above-average hit tool fueled by a quick swing with a flat path through the zone and burgeoning power that could get to fringe-average. He also has an outstanding knowledge of the strike zone and excellent bat-to-ball skills. Zavala has solid-average speed but a below-average arm, which likely makes left field his future defensive home. He has played second base and third base in the past as well.
  
  The Future: Zavala made it to Low-A Down East in his debut season. He’ll likely move up to High-A Hickory in 2022. He has the ceiling of an everyday left fielder.
  

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #122 prospect in 2021 draft
  Zavala made an impact the moment he stepped foot on Oregon’s campus, appearing in 43 games as a freshman before breaking through in the truncated 2020 season, with a .418/.493/.491 slash line. He’s kept up that performance this season, while showing more power, hitting .392/.525/.628 with 50 walks compared to just 31 strikeouts. Zavala’s excellent play has caught the attention of scouts, who showed up to the Eugene Regional to watch Zavala cap off his season with a 6-for-18 showing with two homers in four games. Not ranked in the BA 500 coming into the season, Zavala has shot up draft boards and become one of the most talked-about players in the Pacific Northwest, led by an above-average hit tool. Zavala has a short, quick bat with a flat path through the zone from the left side and consistently gets the barrel on the ball. Zavala’s low strikeout rates stood out to evaluators, and he works long at-bats. Zavala has strength in his 6-foot, 199-pound frame, with more line-drive power with a gap-to-gap approach. His power did tick up this year, but some evaluators feel he’ll need to make some swing adjustments to lead to more juice in the future. Zavala is a good athlete for his size, with solid-average speed and has been clocked at 4.18 seconds down the line. He’s played right field this year, but he’s shown the ability to play third base and second as well. Zavala’s arm is below-average, leading some evaluators to think he profiles better in left field, though he’ll likely need to show more power to stay there. Zavala’s hit tool and production this season could lead him to go off the board as early as the third round.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/Very High
  
  Track Record: Zavala was one of the 2021 draft cycle's highest-rising prospects. He dominated for Oregon as a junior by hitting .392/.526/.628 while his power surged. He hit nine home runs after hitting only one in his previous 58 games. He showed a tremendous batting eye throughout his collegiate career, finishing with more walks (75) than strikeouts (68). The Rangers selected him in the second round in 2021, then signed him for a well-below slot bonus of $830,000 after a medical issue popped up during his physical.
  
  Scouting Report: Zavala's sublime strike-zone discipline is both a blessing and a curse. The tool is easily the best in the system, but his approach sometimes means he passes on pitches he should impact. Power is in there--Zavala's 90th percentile exit velocity of 103.9 mph was among the better marks in the system--but he swings at one of the lowest rates (37.9%) in the organization. Zavala's numbers--including a significant weakness against lefthanders--translated almost identically during his stops at High-A Hickory and Double-A Frisco. As a right fielder, Zavala will need to adjust his approach to get to the power more often to fit a corner player's profile. Scouts see him as an average defender with below-average arm strength that plays a tick higher because of a short stroke and a quick release. He's an average runner.
  
  The Future: Zavala has an intriguing mix of skills buoyed by an outstanding batting eye, but his career is also clouded by injuries. He was sent to the Arizona Fall League to make up for lost time, but his stint was limited to five games after suffering a torn ulnar collateral ligament that required surgery. He is anticipated to return roughly two months into the season. When he does, he'll likely head back to Double-A.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 60. Power: 40. Speed: 50. Fielding: 50. Arm: 50
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/Very High
  
  Track Record: Zavala was one of the 2021 draft cycle's highest-rising prospects. He dominated for Oregon as a junior by hitting .392/.526/.628 while his power surged. He hit nine home runs after hitting only one in his previous 58 games. He showed a tremendous batting eye throughout his collegiate career, finishing with more walks (75) than strikeouts (68). The Rangers selected him in the second round in 2021, then signed him for a well-below slot bonus of $830,000 after a medical issue popped up during his physical.
  
  Scouting Report: Zavala's sublime strike-zone discipline is both a blessing and a curse. The tool is easily the best in the system, but his approach sometimes means he passes on pitches he should impact. Power is in there--Zavala's 90th percentile exit velocity of 103.9 mph was among the better marks in the system--but he swings at one of the lowest rates (37.9%) in the organization. Zavala's numbers--including a significant weakness against lefthanders--translated almost identically during his stops at High-A Hickory and Double-A Frisco. As a right fielder, Zavala will need to adjust his approach to get to the power more often to fit a corner player's profile. Scouts see him as an average defender with below-average arm strength that plays a tick higher because of a short stroke and a quick release. He's an average runner.
  
  The Future: Zavala has an intriguing mix of skills buoyed by an outstanding batting eye, but his career is also clouded by injuries. He was sent to the Arizona Fall League to make up for lost time, but his stint was limited to five games after suffering a torn ulnar collateral ligament that required surgery. He is anticipated to return roughly two months into the season. When he does, he'll likely head back to Double-A.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 60. Power: 40. Speed: 50. Fielding: 50. Arm: 50
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 50/High
  
  Track Record:: With a standout season at Oregon, Zavala zoomed up draft boards as one of the best lefthanded bats available in the college class. The Rangers popped him in the second round but discovered what they termed a “medical anomaly” and negotiations went down to the wire. Ultimately, he signed for a bonus of $830,000, which was well below slot value.
  
  Scouting Report: Zavala made big-time noise in the Ducks&#39 regional appearance, including a pair of home runs. That only cemented what Zavala had proved throughout the course of the year. He has a potentially above-average hit tool fueled by a quick swing with a flat path through the zone and burgeoning power that could get to fringe-average. He also has an outstanding knowledge of the strike zone and excellent bat-to-ball skills. Zavala has solid-average speed but a below-average arm, which likely makes left field his future defensive home. He has played second base and third base in the past as well.
  
  The Future: Zavala made it to Low-A Down East in his debut season. He&#39ll likely move up to High-A Hickory in 2022. He has the ceiling of an everyday left fielder.
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: With a standout season at Oregon, Zavala zoomed up draft boards as one of the best lefthanded bats available in the college class. The Rangers popped him in the second round but discovered what they termed a medical anomaly and negotiations went down to the wire. Ultimately, he signed for a bonus of $830,000, which was well below slot value.
  
  Scouting Report: Zavala made big-time noise in the Ducks’ regional appearance, including a pair of home runs. That only cemented what Zavala had proved throughout the course of the year. He has a potentially above-average hit tool fueled by a quick swing with a flat path through the zone and burgeoning power that could get to fringe-average. He also has an outstanding knowledge of the strike zone and excellent bat-to-ball skills. Zavala has solid-average speed but a below-average arm, which likely makes left field his future defensive home. He has played second base and third base in the past as well.
  
  The Future: Zavala made it to Low-A Down East in his debut season. He’ll likely move up to High-A Hickory in 2022. He has the ceiling of an everyday left fielder.
  
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  Zavala made an impact the moment he stepped foot on Oregon's campus, appearing in 43 games as a freshman before breaking through in the truncated 2020 season, with a .418/.493/.491 slash line. He's kept up that performance this season, while showing more power, hitting .392/.525/.628 with 50 walks compared to just 31 strikeouts. Zavala's excellent play has caught the attention of scouts, who showed up to the Eugene Regional to watch Zavala cap off his season with a 6-for-18 showing with two homers in four games. Not ranked in the BA 500 coming into the season, Zavala has shot up draft boards and become one of the most talked-about players in the Pacific Northwest, led by an above-average hit tool. Zavala has a short, quick bat with a flat path through the zone from the left side and consistently gets the barrel on the ball. Zavala's low strikeout rates stood out to evaluators, and he works long at-bats. Zavala has strength in his 6-foot, 199-pound frame, with more line-drive power with a gap-to-gap approach. His power did tick up this year, but some evaluators feel he'll need to make some swing adjustments to lead to more juice in the future. Zavala is a good athlete for his size, with solid-average speed and has been clocked at 4.18 seconds down the line. He's played right field this year, but he's shown the ability to play third base and second as well. Zavala's arm is below-average, leading some evaluators to think he profiles better in left field, though he'll likely need to show more power to stay there.