The 2021 MLB Draft will begin on July 11, 2021. We take a look at Jose Torres, a defensive wizard who projects to have an impact at shortstop for quite some time.
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Jose Torres, Shortstop, North Carolina State
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 170 lbs.
Age: 21
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
2020: 17G, .333/.369/.533, 20 H, 13 RBI, 3 HR, 3 BB, 20 K
2021: 50G, .291/.346/.545, 55 H, 44 RBI, 10 HR, 13 BB, 36 K
Scouting Grades
Hit: 50
Power: 45
Run: 45
Field: 60
Throw: 60
Torres is an incredible defender with a slick glove and fantastic arm. He’s also shown some promise at the plate, putting together decent slash lines and showing some pop this year.
Strengths
Without a doubt, defense is Torres’s best trait. He looks very natural at shortstop and will spend the rest of his career at the position. In addition to a strong, accurate arm, he has an incredible glove, quick hands, terrific range, and unmatched instincts. He is clearly one of the best defensive prospects in the draft and should have quite the career ahead of him thanks to his brilliant defensive work. This is a player who will make the players around him better thanks to his leadership and baseball IQ, both of which are merely icing on the cake for Torres.
Torres has also shown glimpses of talent at the plate. He’s not an elite hitter, but he’s put together solid slash lines over the last two years at NC State and even demonstrated some pop as he hit 10 homers over 50 games in 2021.
Weaknesses
The biggest concern for Torres is his aggressiveness at the plate. He doesn’t strike out a lot, but rather walks too little. He struck out 3.5 times as much as he walked over his two years at NC State and demonstrated a clear lack of patience that will only continue to hurt him in pro ball. This is one area that he drastically needs to clean up once drafted, and it could hurt his stock come July.
As rangy and quick as Torres is, he is not a very speedy baseball player when it comes to running. He doesn’t project to be an elite base-stealer and is just slightly above-average when racing out of the box. This is a concern that should not go unnoticed.
Finally, while Torres had some deceptive pop in 2021, he will never be a true power hitter. A lot of defense-first shortstops aren’t power hitters, so this isn’t a glaring concern, but it would still be nice to see at least some power of out him in the pros.
Pro Comparison: Miguel Rojas
I was quite tempted to go all-in with an Andrelton Simmons comp here, and that would have been the easy way out. Instead, Miami Marlins shortstop Miguel Rojas seems to compare better to Torres. Rojas is one of the top defensive shortstops in baseball, posting roughly 0.09 dWAR per game over the last four seasons. (That’s 15.24 dWAR over a 162-game span, which is incredible). Rojas also has value with the bat in his hands; just last season, the right-hander posted a career-high .304/.392/.496 slash line. Torres might not ever hit that well, but the point is that beyond his elite defense, he has the potential to swing a solid bat, too. Further, Rojas has amassed just 12 homers and 18 stolen bases over his last 221 games, which is roughly what we can expect from Torres, too.
Draft Projection: Late Second-Round Pick
Hype continues to flourish for Torres, whose draft stock can only benefit as a result. Most analysts and mock drafts have a third-round projection on Torres, but I have trouble envisioning a scenario where 29 teams (sorry, Astros; you’re still not back to normal) pass on the smooth defensive wizard in each of the first two rounds. As such, a second-round selection seems quite likely. Torres has boasted stellar success in the field and decent work at the plate, too, so there’s no reason that teams should be passing on him twice. He’s earned the opportunity to be a second-round pick and that should be on display this July.
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Main Image Credit: NC State
