9/2 Link + As Requested: Prospect Focus - Greg Veloz

Brooklyn

Splits courtesy www.minorleaguesplits.com

Veloz was signed out of the Dominican Republic and assigned to the DSL Mets. He was one of 2005's top 10 International prospects. In 2006, Veloz hit .262 for the DSL team with an OBP of .366.

Veloz split 2007 between full season Savannah and short season Kingsport, enduring a miserable 230 AB introduction to the US before earning a reprieve in Kingsport, where he showed off his 5 tools.

Veloz opened in Savannah, and as I said, he endured a miserable half season, hitting just .171/.243/.235/.478 (40 for 234, 20 runs, 7 2b, 3b, 2 HR, 14 RBI, 23/73 BB/K, 15/19 SBs), a .3151 BB/K ratio, and a very high .312 K rate, along with a 78.94% success rate on SBs. Batting righty (vs LHP), he hit .200/.302/.273/.575 (11 for 55, 2b, HR, 8/21 BB/K), a .3010 BB/K ratio and an absurdly high .382 K rate. Batting lefty (against RHP), Veloz hit .160/.220/.211/.431 (28 for 175, 4 2b, 3b, 14/50 BB/K), a .2800 BB/K ratio and a still high .285 K rate.

After putting up ... extremely inadequate numbers in Savannah, Veloz was moved down to rookie ball, the Appy League. In Kingsport, Veloz performed immensely better, and showed off hints of his 5 tool potential, hitting .271/.344/.450/.793 (70 for 258, 43 runs, 13 2b, 9 3b, 5 HR, 28 RBI, 26/62 BB/K, 18/25 SBs), with a much improved .4194 BB/K ratio a .240 K rate, and a 72% success rate on SBs. Unlike his stint in Savannah, in Kingsport he hit better against RHP. Batting lefty, he hit .279/.356/.469/.825 (50 for 179, 8 2b, 7 3b, 4 HR, 20/45 BB/K), with a .4444 BB/K ratio and a .251 K rate. Versus LHP (batting righty), Veloz hit .243/.309/.405/.714 (18 for 74, 5 2b, 2 3b, HR, 6/17 BB/K), a .3529 BB/K ratio and a .229 K rate.

Overall in 2007, Veloz hit .224/.296/.348/.644 (110 for 492, 63 runs, 20 2b, 10 3b, 7 HR, 42 RBI, 49/135 BB/K, 33/44 SBs), with a .3629 BB/K ratio, a .274 K rate, and a 75% success rate on SBs. He hit roughly equal from both sides of the plate, hitting .225/.306/.349/.655 (29 for 129, 6 2b, 2 3b, 2 HR, 14/38 BB/K) from the right side and .220/.290/.342/.632 (78 for 354, 12 2b, 8 3b, 5 HR, 34/95 BB/K) from the left side.

Veloz started off the 2008 season right back in Savannah, and got off to a rough start, hitting .214/.274/.306/.580 in April, but from May 1st to his promotion to St. Lucie, he performed very well (most of it done as a 19 year old), hitting .307/.358/.430/.788 (110 for 358, 55 runs, 21 2b, 4 3b, 5 HR, 43 RBI, 17/26 SBs, 26/73 BB/K). Overall, though, he hit .286/.339/.402/.742 (130 for 455, 68 runs, 25 2b, 5 3b, 6 HR, 52 RBI, 32/93 BB/K, 28/40 SBs), with a .3441 BB/K ratio and a vastly improved .204 K rate, along with a 70% success rate on SBs.

Veloz hit just .238/.288/.331/.619 batting righty (31 for 130, 7 2b, 3b, HR, 6/22 BB/K), a .2723 BB/K ratio, with a .169 K rate. The K rate is very encouraging, since with Veloz' speed, if he's making consistent contact on the ground, he can potentially beat those grounders out for hits. Against RHP (batting lefty), Veloz hit well, .312/.366/.437/.803 (102 for 327, 18 2b, 4 3b, 5 HR, 26/70), for a .3714 BB/K, and a .214 K rate.

THE FUTURE: Veloz is in St. Lucie right now, and while there IS a glut of middle infield prospects projected to be ready for the level next year (Veloz, Ruben Tejada, Reese Havens, Juan Lagares, some would say Wilmer Flores (I wouldn't)) - I would expect Veloz to open in St. Lucie as the everyday 2b.