New York Yankees Prospect Profile: Number 27 Leonardo Molina

As we continue to move down the New York Yankees pipeline, we come across 27th- ranked prospect Leonardo Molina.

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 50 | Run: 60 | Arm: 65 | Field: 55 | Overall: 45

While Leonardo Molina  isn’t one of the three Molina brothers nor does he play catcher, the 19-year old prospect signed with the New York Yankees in August 2013 for a $1.4 million bonus out of the Dominican Republic.

As a 16-year old at the time, some major league clubs considered him the most athletic prospect on the 2013 international market and raved about his five-tool potential.

That said, the New York Yankees brought Molina straight over the United States to make his minor league debut as a 16-year old, and I’m not so sure that was the brightest idea.

In two years played in rookie-ball for the Gulf Coast Yankees, Molina slashed a remarkably low .217/.277/.307 with a .584 OPS, 3 homers, 24 extra-base hits, 38 RBI and 12 stolen bases in 101 games played.

The encouraging sign is his spike in average and plate discipline from season one. In 2014, Molina hit just .192 in 193 at-bats with 51 strikeouts. In 2015 he increased his average to .247 while striking out just 37 times in 162 at-bats.

Per MLB Pipeline, Molina’s quick right-handed swing and his strength as he gets bigger and stronger gives him potential for plus power. Add in his already plus speed, and some scouts project him to be a 20-20 player once he matures both mentally and physically over time.

The Yankees have used him in all three outfield positions throughout his two-year career in rookie-ball, but as he continues to learn how to make proper reads and take proper routes to the ball, it looks like the Yankees will try to develop him into a full-time center fielder.