Thoughts on Detroit Tigers prospect Isaac Paredes

One of my favorite prospects right now is Detroit Tigers infield prospect Isaac Paredes. Here’s a quick update.

Pre-season, Paredes ranked sixth on the Detroit Tigers Top 20 Prospects list with this comment:

6) Isaac Paredes, SS, Grade B: Age 19, signed by the Chicago Cubs out of Mexico in 2015, traded to Cubs at the deadline in Justin Wilson/Alex Avila deal; hit .252/.338/.387 with 11 homers, 42 walks, 67 strikeouts in 452 at-bats; played the season at age 18 so the numbers are better than they look on the surface; impressive strike zone judgment combined with bat speed leads to nice power for a middle infielder; reliable fielder in terms of avoiding errors but range is limited at shortstop, will probably wind up at second or third base; solid all-round prospect on upward trajectory; ETA 2021.

That upward trajectory certainly continued.

He opened 2018 in High-A, hitting .259/.339/.455 with 12 homers, 32 walks, and 54 strikeouts in 301 at-bats for Lakeland in the High-A Florida State League, good for an impressive 126 wRC+.

Promoted to Double-A Erie last month he’s been even more productive in the Eastern League, hitting .321/.412/.431 in 109 at-bats for a wRC+ of 138.

And he’s still only 19 years old.

Defensively, he’s split the season between shortstop, second base, and third base. He’s reasonably reliable everywhere in terms of avoiding errors but his range is expected to decline as he matures and he’ll likely move off shortstop permanently. He has the arm for third and appears steady enough for second but it is unclear at the moment where he ends up.

Wherever the glove fits, the bat looks extremely promising with a strong sense for the strike zone and improving power. He’s up to a B+ for me now and you can make a case for more depending on how impressed you want to be by his birthday. Do not overlook this one.