H/W: 6-1 180 lb. B/T: R/R DOB: 11/24/89
The Twins selected the young Puerto Rican OF in the 3rd round of the 2007 draft. After a mediocre '07 season with the Twins' GCL affiliate, Angel Morales came back in '08 and put up big numbers at short season Low-A Elizabethton hitting .301 with 15 HR 28 RBI 7 SB and 33 runs scored in just 183 AB. Morales has fast hands and a powerful swing that exerts excellent torque on balls in the strike zone. His athleticism plays well in every aspect of his game as he is an above average runner and solid OF. The big question mark in his game, at this point is the infamous plate discipline numbers. Last season Morales walked 26 times but punched out 74 times in 56 games. He gets overly aggressive with pitches outside the zone and has difficulty altering his approach against offspeed pitches. Also, there has been some concern that his breakout numbers could be partially inflated by the home park that he played in, as many Elizabethton players put up excellent numbers last year. Morales batted .333 at home and .275 on the road, but his power numbers were almost identical 8 HR at home vs. 7 on the road). There is a great deal to like about Morales, but much of it is raw and merely projectible at this point.
2009 Projection: Angel Morales will be gearing up for his first full season of baseball at Low-A Beloit. This should provide a good challenge for him to prove that his breakout season is authentic. Watch the K numbers this year. Last season's average of nearly 1.5 per game will not be acceptable at higher levels, making that .300 BA an outlier. The Twins will be working with Morales to get him to keep his hips closed and hands back longer, this should help him see the ball for just a bit longer and utilize the entire field when he hits. Morales has quick enough hands that he should be able to make this transition without negatively affecting his power numbers.
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