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Atlanta Braves Scouting Report on SS Alejandro Salazar

By Benjamin Chase

Sep 2, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Orioles third baseman Manny Machado (13) writes on the infield dirt before the game against the New York Yankees at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 2, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Orioles third baseman Manny Machado (13) writes on the infield dirt before the game against the New York Yankees at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Future Outlook


One of my favorite “punch line” players is really the absolute perfect fit for the skill set that Salazar presents.

In the late 1990s, the Colorado Rockies brought up a young, defensively skilled shortstop by the name of Neifi Perez. Neifi had good contact skills, but not much else offensively in his background. He became the great example of both the craziness of the offensive environment of the time and the crazy environment of Coors Field at the time with his numbers at the time as he was able to have one season with 39 doubles, 11 triples, and 10 home runs, but still he was only able to post a 69 OPS+ in that season!

Perez was a guy who came up with very good bat control and defensive skills and in his career, he posted 12.7 dWAR on Baseball Reference, but he also posted -3.8 oWAR on Baseball Reference, due to the lack of power and patience in his offensive approach. Interestingly, the offensive season I mentioned previously was the only year Perez won a Gold Glove, but at the time, he was facing fairly tough competition as Perez broke a 3-year streak of Rey Ordonez winning the award in the National League.

Next: Braves Minor League Database

While Salazar is certainly not limited to Perez’s career, that is the path he is on at this time. Without work on his pitch recognition and his swing to maximize his natural power in his swing, Salazar will be a guy who won’t have a bad batting average, but he will not give much else.

He did miss a good chunk of 2016 due to injury, so his 2017 may start back at Rome, but with the influx of shortstops into the system with the large IFA class, he may be sent to high-A Florida where he will play all next season at 20 years old.

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