As many of you know already, over these next few days I will be profiling some of the international free agents that figure to have an impact on the MLB in the next year or so. These guys are some of the best international players from all sorts of different places that are thinking about making the jump to Major League Baseball. Some of these guys you may have heard of, and others maybe not. There will be many different types of players that I will be looking at, but they all have one thing in common, they are the best of the rest throughout the world. Tonight I bring you Alfredo Despaigne, a defected Cuban outfielder who spent last year playing in Mexico.
Alfredo Despaigne is a 27 year old, Cuban born, corner outfielder. He stands at only 5'9", 215 pounds, but is one of the best power hitting prospects in the world. He defected from Cuba just last year and spent his previous season with the Piratas de Campeche in the Mexican League. When I say defected, it was really that the Cuban government allowed him to leave the country and play in the Mexican League. This type of thing doesn't happen all that often, but reports are that the Cuban government with the Mexican team Piratas de Campeche and allowed for him to move there. Despaigne had previously been a three-time MVP in the Cuban Serie Nacional, and is a star on their national team. He has, time and time again, hit well during world showcases like the Olympics and the World Baseball Classic, and has proven himself to be one of the best players in Cuba. He still holds the Cuban home run record of 36 that he set in 2011-2012. Despaigne's game is based off of power, and he will probably stick in a corner outfield position for the rest of his career. He is not athletic and it often shows in his defense, but his bat is where he finds his success. He has an all or nothing approach at the plate which often results in big swings and misses. This all or nothing approach works for Despaigne because of his raw power, and some scouts even see his power grade out as an 80. Despaigne could become a 30+ home run hitter in the majors if he can keep his swing and miss rate down.
Despaigne has always been a standout player on the world stage. In the 2008 Olympics, he slashed .382/.400/.765 with 3 home runs in 9 games, and in the 2013 World Baseball Classic he slashed .389/.522/.944 with 3 home runs in 6 games. He seems to have some big game ability in him, and that could be a great plus to a MLB contender. He holds the Cuban home run record and has 3 MVPs to his credit, and is a power threat on every pitch. Despaigne played in 33 games this past year with the Pitatas de Campeche and proved that he is still one of the best hitters in the world. He slashed .338/.364/.564 with 8 homers and 24 RBI in 133 at bats. There is a few numbers that really stick out from his last season, and those are 27 strikeouts to only 4 walks. For many power hitters to be successful in the MLB, they have to be able to draw walks, and Despaigne doesn't seem to be able to do this that effectively. Numbers almost always get worse for players transitioning to the MLB so we could see his average drop as well as seeing his K to BB ratio get even worse which does not bode well for Despaigne. He does have world class power going for him and there is definitely a need for power in the bigs, evidenced by the Mark Trumbo trade, so he should be able to find a new home when he wants one. If he can figure out how to draw walks a little more effectively and makes some adjustments to his all or nothing approach at the plate, he has the potential to be an above average starter, or even an All-Star corner outfielder in the MLB and not all that many prospects can say that. When does decide to head to the MLB there should be a starting major league spot waiting for him, so it is just a matter of time until he introduces himself to us MLB fans.
Despaigne has always been a standout player on the world stage. In the 2008 Olympics, he slashed .382/.400/.765 with 3 home runs in 9 games, and in the 2013 World Baseball Classic he slashed .389/.522/.944 with 3 home runs in 6 games. He seems to have some big game ability in him, and that could be a great plus to a MLB contender. He holds the Cuban home run record and has 3 MVPs to his credit, and is a power threat on every pitch. Despaigne played in 33 games this past year with the Pitatas de Campeche and proved that he is still one of the best hitters in the world. He slashed .338/.364/.564 with 8 homers and 24 RBI in 133 at bats. There is a few numbers that really stick out from his last season, and those are 27 strikeouts to only 4 walks. For many power hitters to be successful in the MLB, they have to be able to draw walks, and Despaigne doesn't seem to be able to do this that effectively. Numbers almost always get worse for players transitioning to the MLB so we could see his average drop as well as seeing his K to BB ratio get even worse which does not bode well for Despaigne. He does have world class power going for him and there is definitely a need for power in the bigs, evidenced by the Mark Trumbo trade, so he should be able to find a new home when he wants one. If he can figure out how to draw walks a little more effectively and makes some adjustments to his all or nothing approach at the plate, he has the potential to be an above average starter, or even an All-Star corner outfielder in the MLB and not all that many prospects can say that. When does decide to head to the MLB there should be a starting major league spot waiting for him, so it is just a matter of time until he introduces himself to us MLB fans.