In-depth defensive evaluations on Orelvis Martinez, Addison Barger, more

Projecting defense is one of the most difficult tasks when it comes to scouting prospects. Defensive tools like frame, sprint speed, arm strength, and lateral mobility are good indications of the type of defender a prospect may become. But as prospects get older and closer to the big leagues, their defensive tools start to matter less and their actual defensive ability starts to matter more. How do we measure defensive ability? The only publicly available defensive stats for the minor leagues are errors and fielding percentage which are not very useful given that they largely do not account for range (arguably the most important defensive factor). As such, the eye test is still the forefront method of evaluating a prospect's defense even in this new analytical era of scouting.

There are a lot of question marks surrounding the defensive homes of a few Blue Jays prospects that have spent significant time at Triple-A Buffalo. These players include Orelvis Martinez, Addison Barger, Damiano Palmegiani, and Leo Jimenez. In the below evaluations, each prospect's defensive tape will be considered as well as the eyewitness accounts of other scouts. From there, a consensus on what position a prospect fits best and their projected defensive ability at that position will be reached.

First, let's dive in to Orelvis Martinez and how he performed all around the infield last year.

Addison Barger

MLB Pipeline ranks Barger as the 5th best prospect in the Blue Jays system. He spent the entire year at Triple-A Buffalo and played shortstop, third base, and right field. Like Martinez, Barger is not a long-term shortstop. He spent a lot of time in the infield throughout the year but by August he was a primary right fielder.

Barger has gotten to be very muscular and as a result he's not as agile as he used to be. Shortstop and second base can immediately be ruled out as long term options. From an actions and hands perspective, Barger is a more polished infielder than Martinez and he also has a cannon of an arm. His arm is so loud that it was likely the inspiration behind his move to right field.

First let's take a look at Barger as an infielder, here's a play showing off his massive arm.

Even with a slight stumble he fires on time to get a quick runner. It's a potentially 70-grade arm. Barger also shows good reads and good instincts on the infield. It's important to remember that not long ago he was seen as a long term shortstop. His hands and actions are not always as quick as you'd like and he does make routine mistakes from time to time. In the below clip he makes a good read but struggles with the transfer a bit. He still converts the play with relative ease.

Barger has plays like the one above where he shows good mobility but he also has plays where his limited range is apparent. This is a ball that a third baseman is expected to get to.

As a right fielder, there's no shortage of plays where Barger can show off his arm. This is a picturesque throw.

And in this clip he initially misreads the ball but recovers in plenty of time and then throws a bullet to double up the runner at first base.

It's to be expected that Barger is still getting used to the outfield. It was only this year that he began to play there in games. His good reflexes have transferred over but he's still learning to consistently read and track the ball. He's not agile but when he gets moving he's not a bad runner. Here's a nice catch in difficult conditions.

And here is an occasion where his lack of acceleration was the difference between a catch and having to play the ball on a hop.

And finally, here's a great catch at the wall.

Based on this year's tape and prior evaluations from other scouts, here are Barger's Field grades for the main positions he has played.

Barger is currently a superior defender to Martinez at third base but it's also important to remember that he has two more years of experience. Based off this year's tape, Barger looks pretty comfortable in right field for someone very new to the position. There's a scenario where he ends up as an above average defender there on the back of his arm and good reads and routes but currently he's projecting as an average defender given his lack of range. Like Martinez, the crowded Buffalo infield may have been a factor in Barger moving away from third base. His utility will be an important factor in him breaking camp with the team in 2024.

Damiano Palmegiani

Palmegiani is ranked as just the #18 prospect on MLB Pipeline but after a strong finish to his MiLB season and an impressive Fall League campaign, he's almost certainly going to move up. He primarily played third base at Double-A before moving to first base at Triple-A. In the Arizona Fall League, he moved back to third base for the majority of his games.

I’m confident in pretty much every position. Ideally I’d like to stay at third, that’s where my game plays the most, with the athleticism and what I can do with the bat.

Whether Palmegiani can stick at third base has been the topic of conversation. If he ends up moving to first base long term he faces a difficult route to everyday playing time given that his right-handedness would find him on the weak side of a platoon. He does not have a lot of range and his arm is not nearly as good as Martinez or Barger. However, he has improved his actions and internal clock this year and has made the decision tough for the Blue Jays. Let's dig into the tape at third base, most of what I have available comes from when he was at Double-A.

This is not a routine play but it's one that a third baseman is expected to make. He backhands it at such an angle that he's forced to try and make an acrobatic throw which he simply does not have the arm for. On the next play, he got a similar groundball but does a better job of keeping his body aligned and makes an accurate throw on the run.

Palmegiani plays the position hard and isn't afraid to attempt acrobatic stops and throws. He shows a good internal clock and composure when attempting these plays. Every so often he makes a standout play that only the best third basemen make. Here are some examples.

For Palmegiani it's less about the incredible plays and more about the routine plays going forward. Making routine plays look harder than they need to be is a recurring theme with him. When he corrals the ball he has to do everything very quickly which results in inaccurate and rushed throws. This is a drastic contrast to Barger who looks much more comfortable with all the routine plays and almost always hits the first baseman in the chest. Additionally, his lack of range means he has to leave his feet more often than he should. In the below clip he hits the dirt on a chopper that a lot of third baseman pick standing up. This results in an ill-advised and errant throw.

Based on this year's tape and evaluations from other scouts, here are Palmegiani's Field grades for the main positions he has played.

Palmegiani has progressed to the point that he's no longer projecting as a well below average defender at third base. He's a hard worker with a good sense of what he wants to do on every play but there are things that he's likely to never improve (range, arm strength). Where he can definitely continue to improve is his consistency with the plays he has shown the ability to make. As a first baseman, Palmegiani's glovework and instincts profile well and his range is more typical of the position. He's perhaps a bit undersized there but should continue to improve his footwork around the bag which can be shaky at times (understandable given his inexperience there). The Jays should give him every opportunity to prove he can handle third base but the infielder room at Triple-A remains crowded and he does seem like the weakest defender of the four covered in this article.

Leo Jimenez

Jimenez is ranked as the #6 overall prospect in the Jays system by MLB Pipeline. Of the players discussed in this article, he's the best defender and closest thing to a true shortstop. He has made the majority of his starts at shortstop at Double-A and Triple-A but also has played a considerable amount of second base.

Jimenez is not the explosive athlete that a typical shortstop is. He's not a good runner, he does not have a huge arm, and he's only 5-foot-10. He does however make quick reads and he glides around the infield with ease. His internal clock and hands are excellent and his glovework and actions are strong.

Here's a good play in which he ranges to his right and makes an off-balance throw. He does not have a huge arm by any means but his quick release and good mechanics helped him to make a difficult play deep in the hole.

His range and glovework is on display here but it's also his composure and internal clock to get up, set his feet, and make an accurate throw in plenty of time.

Here's one of his many other standout defensive plays, this time showcasing his reflexes and athleticism.

There's a lot of impressive stuff on Jimenez's defensive tape this year but he did commit 14 errors at shortstop (none at second base) so it was important to take a look at how some of those transpired and how much of it was his fault.

Like most shortstops, the majority of Jimenez's errors were throwing errors. A few of them are not perfect throws but picks that a major league first baseman would normally make. Here's an example a low throw that's on target but the first baseman fails to catch it on the short hop.

The glovework errors were pretty typical of any player. A few tough bounces and hard hit balls. Here's an example of one that he awkwardly tries to back-hand and misplays.

Based on this year's tape and evaluations from other scouts, here are Jimenez's Field grades for the main positions he has played. A 55 is considered to be a median outcome of being a slightly above average defender at the position and a 60 is considered to be a median outcome of being a well above average defender at the position.

Jimenez is not an outstanding defensive shortstop by any means but he's quite reliable, moves fluidly around the middle infield, and has a high defensive IQ. His arm can let him down on some of the trickier plays and he does make his fair share of mistakes. He's more suited for second base on a team that already has Bo Bichette entrenched but he looks like a solid back-up shortstop at the very least. Jimenez has a great skill-set for second base and looked stronger there than at shortstop. His arm profiles better at second and he has all the tools and ability to be a plus defender at the position hence the potential 60 grade. He has very rarely played third base but he would likely be serviceable there in a pinch given his skills elsewhere.