Luis Toribio, 1B/3B
DOB: 9/28/2000
BATS: L / THROWS: R
ACQUIRED: International Signing, July 2017
LAST LEVEL: Low-A
VOLATILITY: Very High
STATS
GiantFutures 2022 Ranks: #1 First Baseman
Performance: Luis Toribio really had a disappointing season. He’d come into the season with a ton of expectations, but underperformed in most ways at San Jose. He finished the year with a .229/.351/.356 batting line despite coming with an expectation for his hitting ability. It’s possible that an attempt for Toribio to unlock more power affected his batting average, though he finished with just seven home runs, 20 doubles and one triple in 94 games.
He also struggled a bit on the defensive side of the ball. He’d come into the season as one of San Jose’s primary third basemen, but was moved primarily to first base after a little more than a month after committing seven errors in 29 games at third. While some have speculated that he may be tried out at second base, it appears first base is his immediate future.
Strengths and Weaknesses: Toribio has a reputation for having excellent hand-eye coordination, leading to great exit velocities, although that did not seem to happen during his 2021 season. That is his calling card, though the hope is that the exit velocities might lead to more power in the future.
The defensive side was always going to be an area of development. Toribio’s best natural tool is his arm, which is why they were pushing for him to be at third, but his range is very limited. He could have a future at first base if he can pick up his offensive performance.
2022 Outlook: Going into his 21-year old season, Toribio’s not too old to repeat Low-A and try to put forward some adjustments. Toribio’s offense will have to become a carrying tool, so the focus will be getting back his reputation of making contact.
Future Profile: Toribio is very hard to project. He could be an average everyday first baseman, but with a lack of the usual power desired there. At the moment, though, it’s hard to see even that.
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