Top prospect countdown: #14 Michael Hermosillo

Michael Hermosillo-OF

Drafted out of high school in the 28th round, Hermosillo and his plus-plus athleticism finally translated to box score statistics. It may have taken a little longer than the Angels would have liked, but 600 at-bats later, the multi-sport athlete had the breakout season that many evaluators envisioned he would. Despite being about a year younger than the competition he’s faced, Hermosillo put up a .317/.402/.467 in 72 games of A and high-A ball in 2016. On top of it all, he raked against lefties (1.119 OPS), slashed .362/.450/.574 in August, and had a .898 OPS against older pitchers. He capped off his solid year at Arizona Fall League, where he held his own against more advanced competition in a small sample size (.267/.353/.400, 112 wRC+ in 9 games).

In the batter’s box, Hermosillo works counts well and knows the strike zone well, which is reflected in his consistently high walk percentages and increased BABIP. He makes good, hard contact at the plate and hit for a little more power in the second half of the year. Should he fill out his frame with muscle, he would be a candidate to have a rise in power.

He is goal driven and oriented and uses the off-season to fine tune his swing. He stays low to the ground to make the strike zone smaller, drives with his lower half and has a short compact stroke from the right-side. He has good bat speed, but will need to learn to extend when necessary to drive the ball with more force. — Taylor Blake Ward

As mentioned earlier, Hermosillo’s incredible athleticism and speed give him tremendous range in the outfield. He has a quick first step, and his arm is only going to continue to get stronger as he matures. His speed also gives him the potential to be a strong baserunner. He’s stolen 10 bases but he’s also been caught stealing 10 times, indicating the need to become a smarter baserunner.

The Angels have to be thrilled with Hermosillo’s development so far, but there’s still much to be done. He made strides this season and he should continue to do so. A 28th round pick, Hermosillo might be the best value of the entire 2013 Angels draft class. He’s still somewhat raw, but his strong 2016 showing leaves him as a future starting outfielder if he continues to develop.