Alexander Canario

When evaluating Canario's 2019 season, we should largely overlook his 10-game obliteration of the AZL. A 19-year-old hitter repeating that level is a knock in and of itself. Once he got to the Northwest League, he still posted gaudy numbers, but some flaws started to show. Canario gets to his 70-grade raw power with ease. His groundball rate was below 28% at both stops -- only Mike Trout (24.3 GB%) did that last year among qualified MLB hitters. His grooved swing and poor ball/strike recognition led to a 33.6 K% (including NWL playoffs). Strikeouts are his clear weakness, and if he doesn't make necessary adjustments, he will get exposed as he climbs the ladder (think Seuly Matias). Of course, if he improves his command of the zone, he would easily profile as a cleanup-hitting right fielder. An average runner, Canario still saw time in center field last year, but figures to outgrow that position.

Those anxiously trying to add a prospect who dominated in the Dominican Summer League this past season should look at Canario's 2018 as a dose of reality. He logged a 147 wRC+ as a 17-year-old in the DSL in 2017, showcasing a combination of power and speed that was difficult to ignore. However, the DSL is a very unique league. Players who excel there are not guaranteed to have similar success in stateside rookie leagues. Take Canario, whose K% jumped from 14.6% to 24.5% after the jump to the AZL. The quality of his contact also suffered, as he struggled to take what pitchers were giving him (often selling out for power), and saw fewer mistakes to crush. He struck out 14 times in his first eight AZL games, but hit .277/.380/.468 with six home runs and six steals in his final 167 PA. Canario still has a chance to develop into a five-category force (above-average power and speed), but needs to work on using the whole field while letting his power come naturally.