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Atlanta Braves Top 100 Prospects Scouting Report: 26. Jonathan Morales

By Benjamin Chase

Sep 7, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Catchers mask and glove sits in dugout before the game between the Detroit Tigers and the San Francisco Giants at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 7, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Catchers mask and glove sits in dugout before the game between the Detroit Tigers and the San Francisco Giants at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Scouting Report

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Morales is listed at 5’11 and 180 pounds. I’d say he’s probably closer to an even 200, but he’s drastically changed the composition of that body this year, and it’s shown on the field. Last year, he definitely had some cushion around the middle, but this year, he’s much more trim and toned. He’s a right-handed batter and thrower.

Hitting

Morales has a smooth swing with a very contact-oriented swing. When he’s going well, he has good balance throughout the swing, allowing him to generate excellent power on the ball. He’s also done very well in “clutch” situations working to shorten his swing and poke the ball to where the defense leaves an opening.

Morales when he’s not going well is almost entirely due to balance. Morales seems to get eager to get out of a slump and gets too far forward in his swing, losing any power to his swing and dragging the bat behind through the zone without any power to the contact he makes. He tends to get into streaks on both ends.

Base Running/Fielding

Morales is a much better athlete than one would assume due to him being a catcher, and he’s not afraid to take off on the bases. He’s never going to be a 20 steal guy or anything, but he’s not going to hurt the teams.

The big curiosity on Morales is whether or not he’ll be able to handle playing behind the plate. Morales is not an elite defender by any means, but he does do a number of things well. For instance, Morales sets a great target for pitchers and gets a number of calls each game due to his solid, wide target.

Morales has a great arm in the run game, but his foot work leaves a lot to be desired. He also has a less-than-ideal ability to move laterally behind the plate. He does drop down quickly, though, when a pitch is in the dirt, so his blocking is excellent.

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Next: Future outlook

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