D-backs Prospect Profile: SS Reynaldo Navarro
Name: Reynaldo Navarro
Draft: 3rd Round, 2007
High School: Puerto Rico Baseball Academy
Position: Shortstop
DOB: 12/22/1989
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 175 lbs
B/T: S/R
History: The Arizona Diamondbacks selected Reynaldo Navarro 103rd overall in
the 2007 June Amateur Draft. At the time, it seemed as thought the
Diamondbacks reached a bit to grab a player who probably wasn't on a bunch of
team's radar screens that early in the draft.
"This was a player that we identified [in fall, 2006] at some of the showcase
tournaments and got an opportunity to see him in January," recalled Tom
Allison, the man responsible for selecting Navarro last summer. "When we went
over [to Puerto Rico], he was a guy that stuck out in our mind. Then later
on, as the season unfolded, this guy just kept coming on and showed us
exciting things in the middle of the field."
His numbers on both sides of the ball in his rookie season don't immediately
impress (.913 fielding percentage/.557 OPS), but farm director A.J. Hinch
really liked what he saw from the youngster.
"I think Navarro's been one of the biggest surprises, going into the league
as a 17-year old and holding his own," Hinch told us late last summer. The
shortstop must really be turning some heads now, because he has come a long
way in the past 15 months.
"Navarro really made a lot of improvements in instructional ball," infield
coordinator Tony Perezchica told us after the 2007 Instructional League. "He
made major strides defensively."
Offensively, he began a conversion from strictly a right-handed batter into a
switch-hitter. As young as he is, this is the time to try an experiment like
that. Should Navarro indeed become a solid hitter from both sides of the
plate, his other tools will make him one of the top shortstop prospects in
baseball.
Batting and Power: The strides Navarro made between the 2007 and 2008
seasons were lengthy. His pitch recognition and selectivity have both
improved, and the ball now jumps off his bat a bit more.
"Offensively we saw a little pop in his bat," said Perezchica. "He’s going
to be a good one; he just needs to mature, keep playing baseball, and learn
as he goes."
His statistical improvements are even more impressive given that he is still
learning how to swing from the left side of the plate. From his natural
right-handed side, Navarro batted .391 with a 1.104 OPS this season as
compared to .201/.537 as a left-handed batter. The Diamondbacks might
re-examine his conversion into a switch-hitter in the next few years.
Base Running and Speed: Navarro wields plus-speed, but he is not the
fastest player in the organization. Once he learns the nuances of base
stealing, he should become a 30-40 stolen bases per season threat. He is
already aggressive running the bases, having turned several doubles into
triples. His aggressiveness and immaturity have caused him to make more than
his fair share of outs on the base paths, though the organization is
confident that those mistakes will dwindle in time.
Defense: Navarro's defense is his greatest asset. He doesn't have the best
range in the organization right now, but once he gains a little aptitude for
positioning himself and reading the ball off the bat, he will likely earn
that honor.
"He’s got plenty of tools," Perezchica said of his defense. "Got good
range. He’s shown an average to above average arm at times. He has to get
the feet underneath him and get the confidence going."
Navarro is still having trouble making the routine play. His fielding
percentage dipped even further to .906 this season. Perezchica and the rest
of the Diamondbacks' instructional staff continued to hammer sound
fundamentals in this talented youngster during his second round of fall ball.
He still has the potential to become an elite defensive shortstop.
Major League Clone: Omar Vizquel
Prediction: In a couple of seasons, the Diamondbacks will end the
switch-hitting experiment and allow Navarro to develop once again as a
natural right-handed batter. He has too much to learn in every facet of the
game for him to try to develop two swings at once.
Whether he remains a switch-hitter or not, the experiment has delayed his
maturation process. Imagine how much further along his right-handed swing
would be if he didn't need to also focus on the left-handed one. Imagine how
many extra ground balls he could have taken or how many more base running
drills he could have ran in the time it has taken him to hone his second
swing.
We also still don't know whether he will draw enough walks to become a
table-setter or hit for enough power to become a threat lower in the lineup.
"He’s got a lot of tools, but he’s got to find out what kind of player he’
s going to be," mused Perezchica. "I think the more he plays, the more
experience on the field that he gets, he’ll end up being a pretty good
player."
Timetable: Navarro is still a long ways away from the big leagues due to his
inexperience and his attempt to become a switch hitter. He should begin the
2009 season in South Bend, but could well repeat that level again in 2010
should he find Midwest League pitching overwhelming.
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