Carlos Asuaje
| AB | 520 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .24 |
| OBP | .312 |
| SLG | .329 |
| HR | 6 |
- Full name Carlos A. Asuaje
- Born 11/02/1991 in Barquisimeto, Venezuela
- Profile Ht.: 5'8" / Wt.: 160 / Bats: L / Throws: R
- School Nova Southeastern
- Debut 09/21/2016
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Drafted in the 11th round (323rd overall) by the Boston Red Sox in 2013.
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Born in Venezuela, Asuaje was raised in South Florida and wound up at Division II Nova Southeastern, spending most of his time at second base and moving to shortstop as a junior. He got on scouts' radar last summer in the Cape Cod League, batting .280 with a pair of playoff homers. Asuaje offers similarities to Cardinals farmhand Kolten Wong, both with his size (5-foot-9, 165 pounds) and solid line-drive stroke. He's not as powerful as Wong so doesn't have as much offensive value, but he has gap power and average speed that plays up thanks to his good baserunning instincts. Asuaje controls the strike zone (38 walks, 13 strikeouts) and handles the bat well, and fits the traditional mold of a No. 2 hitter.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Asuaje was born in Venezuela but raised in South Florida and attended Division II power Nova Southeastern (Fla.) before the Red Sox drafted him in the 11th round in 2013. He was one of four prospects the Padres acquired for Craig Kimbrel after the 2015 season. Asuaje is an above-average hitter who combines excellent strike-zone discipline with a picturesque load and line-drive stroke to spray base hits all over the field and into both gaps. He led the Pacific Coast League with 172 hits in 2016. Asuaje's power grades as below-average, but he showed at Triple-A El Paso he is capable of driving the ball on a line over the fence on occasion. He is an average runner but a fringe-average defender at second base, which complicates his upside. He has steady hands and a reliable arm but lacks the range or reflexes for the position, which is also true at third base. He has experimented in left field as well. Asuaje's bat has everyday upside, but his defensive limitations will likely limit him to a bench role, much as they have for the Cubs' Tommy La Stella. Asuaje is in position to break camp with the Padres in 2017 and be an oft-used and valuable reserve. -
Whatever the Red Sox expected from Asuaje, an 11th-round pick in 2013, they didn't expect him to hit .310/.393/.533 at two Class A levels in 2014 and rank 13th in the minors with 65 extra-base hits. The way he consistently drove the ball with a big swing from a diminutive, 5-foot-9 frame was startling. Asuaje proved to be far streakier at Double-A Portland in 2015, batting .251 with 38 extra-base hits in 110 games. Boston bundled him with Javier Guerra and Manuel Margot when they traded for the Padres' Craig Kimbrel in November 2015. The lefthanded-hitting Asuaje tends to struggle against same-side pitchers, but he does a good job of swinging at strikes overall, which has limited his strikeouts to 16 percent of his plate appearances as a pro. He is fringe-average defensively at second base and average in left field, and he has experience at both third base and shortstop, positions where he could help in a pinch, though he is limited by below-average arm strength. Asuaje profiles as a bat-first utility player and could be ready for the majors in 2016. -
After a nondescript pro debut at short-season Lowell in 2013, Asuaje defied expectations by consistently barreling pitches with a swing that seemed much too big for his unassuming, 5-foot-9 frame. Asuaje led the organization in slugging percentage (.533), extra-base hits (65) and RBIs (101) in 129 games at two Class A levels. While Asuaje holds little back at the plate, he typically swings at strikes. He dominated Class A competition at age 22, so his performance in the high minors will be more telling than his 2014 output. Asuaje is a serviceable if below-average defender at third base, but he looked playable at both second base and in left field. He's an average runner with a chance to hit for average and contribute gap power. Despite an unusual profile, he has a chance to play his way into contention for a larger role, perhaps as a multi-position extra. He will reach Double-A Portland at some point in 2015.
Draft Prospects
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Born in Venezuela, Asuaje was raised in South Florida and wound up at Division II Nova Southeastern, spending most of his time at second base and moving to shortstop as a junior. He got on scouts' radar last summer in the Cape Cod League, batting .280 with a pair of playoff homers. Asuaje offers similarities to Cardinals farmhand Kolten Wong, both with his size (5-foot-9, 165 pounds) and solid line-drive stroke. He's not as powerful as Wong so doesn't have as much offensive value, but he has gap power and average speed that plays up thanks to his good baserunning instincts. Asuaje controls the strike zone (38 walks, 13 strikeouts) and handles the bat well, and fits the traditional mold of a No. 2 hitter.
