In an Atlanta Braves farm system that is full of shortstops, Jose Manon might be the most complete. To the naked eye, Manon's game has no glaring weaknesses. He's a solid four-tool player with even more upside.
He comes from the same town in the Dominican Republic that produced Elly De La Cruz, and he was ranked No. 15 on MLB Pipeline's Top 50 International Prospects list when the Braves signed him in January.
He's a solid defender who takes smart routes and gets to the baseball. At present, he may not quite have the arm strength to play shortstop, but he is only 17 with plenty of time to improve, and he could be a second baseman at the MLB level.
Manon doesn't possess blinding speed, but he's a smart baserunner who knows when to push the envelope. He went a perfect 7-for-7 in stolen bases during his time in the Amateur Scouting League and swiped a total of 19 bags in 25 tries in the Dominican Summer League.
Manon's power is the only thing that keeps him from being a true five-tool player. He only hit one home run in 30 games in the Summer League. While there isn't much power now, there are signs that he could grow into his body to build more of it. He has a 6-foot-2 frame, but he's currently 165 pounds. If he adds more muscle to that frame, power could follow.
Jose Manon is a pure hitter. He has a real feel for hitting and makes a ton of contact. He hit .308 in the Amateur Scouting League and .302 in the DSL. He employs an aggressive approach, so he doesn't draw many walks, but he also doesn't strike out a ton. He drives the ball to all fields, showing a knack for hitting that is well beyond his years.
Manon possesses a high hand position and holds the bat over his head, reminiscent of Kevin Youkilis minus the funky hand position. An offensive comp I like is Jose Iglesias, a contact-first guy with defensive versatility.
I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention Francisco Lindor. I'm not comparing the two in terms of career outcome, but Lindor is an example of a guy who was initially profiled with plus contact skills but not much power. But he got stronger and made it part of his game, and I believe Manon can do that.
Manon isn't expected to hit MLB until 2031, but with his advanced hitting approach at such a young age, if he can add muscle that translates to consistent power, he can accelerate quickly through the system. Jose Manon may be the most intriguing prospect in the system for me, and I can't wait to see how his first full professional season goes.
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