Meet the Newest Yankee #1 International Prospect, Roderick Arias
https://newswep.com/mlb-prospect-signings-hit-30-million-on-first-day/
The Yankees struck a deal with number one international prospect, SS Roderick Arias, out of the Dominican Republic. The deal worth $4 million marks the Yankees second top international signing in the last three years. Of course, the other deal worth $5.1 million coming in 2019 with Jasson Dominguez. Roderick Arias also adds to an already stacked SS class the Yankees have in the minors. Arias is a great defender whose bat equals the talent. There is a reason MLB Pipeline has him ranked as the top prospect.
What To Be Excited About
Stated before, Arias is a great defender. He has plus arm potential. When playing SS, his throws are effortless and very accurate. He seems to always be in the right position to make the accurate throws. Arias’ promising footwork and range add to his already great defensive skillset.
When it comes to his bat, he excels just as much. His low swing, miss rate, and average walk rate give him great plate discipline. Roderick is a switch hitter and shows power from both sides of the plate with his right swing being the dominate side. On top of his power, he puts the ball in play with a healthy amount of opposite field hits. His talent with the stick give him a ceiling becoming a star hitter.
His on base skill is right up there with his glove and bat. Arias shows ease in his strides from 1st to 2nd with above average awareness. He knows when to steal, when to run, and where the ball will be when attempting a run to 2nd. His exceptional 6.5 second 60-yard run gives him potential to turn into a speedy power bat. To give Arias’ 60-yard time a comparison, Trea Turner ran a 6.26 at NC State while in college.
To cap off Roderick’s impressive skill set, he works with Daniel Paulino and Luis Schecker, who are members of Major League Baseball’s Trainer Partnership Program.
Roderick Arias in the Minors
With the signing of Arias, there is no doubt he will reach the Low-A Tampa Tarpons quite soon. Whenever that might be, Rachael Balkovec will be there waiting for him. Rachael was announced as the new manager of the Tarpons in early January. The significance of Balkovec with Arias will be greater than most think. She helped develop the Yankees last top international prospect, Jasson Dominguez, when she was the hitting coach. She has been reported to have great relationships with all the minor leaguers and her resume means Arias will be in great hands during his early days in the farm. There is a chance Arias might change positions as well. With his skillset, it appears Roderick will have no problem switching positions if he must. Especially with the Yankees being rumored around top free agent SS along with their top prospect, SS Anthony Volpe. There is no telling what Roderick Arias will turn into, but there is no question about the raw talent he possesses.