Manuel Margot

jscola85

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Full Name: Manuel Margot
Born: 9/28/1994 (17 years old)
Birthplace: San Cristobal, Dominican Republic
Height: 5-11
Weight: 170
Bats: R
Throws: R

Like Raymel Flores, this guy seems to be the other bonus baby on the 2012 DSL team for the Sox, getting $800k from the team last year. At least, I think he did, but the news listed him as "Manuel Marcos" when he first signed.

Margot is off to an excellent start in the DSL, hitting .351 / .435 / .676 in his first 43 PAs, with two homers and 6 XBHs already. Considered a top-flight defender in CF, nice to see some pop as well.
 

jscola85

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And before you can even blink, Margot has already made the BA Prospect Hot Sheet:

The international signing period opens on July 2, the first date when teams can sign 16-year-old foreign players. Nearly one year after signing Manuel Margot out of the Dominican Republic on July 2 for $800,000, the Red Sox have to be excited about what he might become. The 17-year-old Margot is hitting .325/.408/.625 in 49 plate appearances in the Dominican Summer League, which isn't a surprise given reports from Dominican scouts that he was one of the better game hitters in last year's signing class, though he's shown some more power than expected. His eight stolen bases are tied for the most in the DSL, and he's yet to be thrown out. With his 70 speed, a plus arm, athleticism and defensive instincts, Margot has the potential to be a dynamic player for the Red Sox down the road.​
 

jscola85

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Through 21 games (94 PAs):

.305/.395/.524, 4 2B, 4 3B, 2 HR, 12/13 SBs, 12/15 BB/K

Margot ranks among the top 10 hitters in the DSL in OPS among players born in 1994 or later. Great start to his career thus far. For reference, here's Bogaerts' line back in 2010:

.314/.396/.423, 7 2B, 5 3B, 3 HR, 4/9 SBs, 30/37 BB/K in 269 PAs

Doesn't have the frame of X-Man but he's hitting even better than Xander did at the same age in the DSL.
 

MalzoneExpress

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From Full Count on 7/6


DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE RED SOX: 7-3 WIN AT DSL YANKEES

– Outfielder Manuel Margot went 1-for-4 with his third homer of the year and a walk. His 11 extra-base hits are tied for the team lead.

**********************
I checked Baseball America

His slash line is:

ave obp slg ops
.258 .349 .444 .793
 

jscola85

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Margot has come back down to earth after his strong start:

Since my last update, he's hit .221/.283/.283, but with a 9/6 BB/K and 9/12 on stolen bases.
 

jscola85

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Margot is on a tear in the last 10 games, hitting .405/.500/.571 with 5 steals and no CS. Overall season line is up to .285/.382/.423 with 33 steals in 42 attempts in 285 PAs.

For reference, Bogaerts hit .314/.396/.423 in 280 PAs in the DSL when he was a 17 year old. Now, Bogaerts really broke out in 2011 with the aggressive promotion, but Margot is certainly doing some special work in the DSL. I hope they aggressively place Margot in Greenville just like they did with Bogaerts.
 

TheGoldenGreek33

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Apart of BA's Ben Badler's Top 20 DSL/VSL Prospects (sub only) from 2012:
 
Margot played in the Dominican Prospect League in 2011 and was one of the premium prospects that year for July 2, when he signed with the Red Sox for $800,000. Margot, who is from Villa Altagracia and trained with Franklin Ferreira, had one of the best debuts among last year's signings. Margot has a lean, athletic frame and exciting five-tool potential. He hit well in games for scouts before signing and had little trouble handling DSL pitching. Margot has good bat speed, a line-drive swing and takes pitches on the outer half to the right-center field gap. He has a hitch in his swing that he's worked to smooth out, but he's able to get his hands into hitting position on time, adjusts to pitches on the inner half and is able to manipulate the bat head well, so he doesn't get beat often. Margot mostly has gap power now, but he makes loud contact and should continue to add power. Margot's plus-plus speed is a weapon on the bases (his 33 steals ranked third in the DSL) and in the field, leading DSL outfielders in putouts. He has excellent range, gets good reads off the bat, tracks down balls in the gaps and has a plus arm, so he has all the ingredients to be an outstanding defensive center fielder.
 

 
 

jscola85

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Courtesy of Soxprospects.com
 
Manuel Margot
Position: Outfield
2012 Team: Dominican Summer League
2013 Projected Team: Lowell Spinners
Opening Day Age: 18
 
Strengths: Margot’s smooth swing enables him to fluidly bring the head of the bat through the hitting zone. The outfielder possesses very quick hands and wrists, which allow him to generate excellent bat speed. Margot shows a strong aptitude for hitting at an early age. The 18-year-old keeps his hands back well during his stride and there is little wasted movement during the swing load. There’s also leverage in the swing, enabling him to produce consistent backspin. Margot’s hit tool shows the potential to develop to solid-average-to-better, with the ability to hit the ball hard to all fields. Athleticism is also an asset. His speed grades as well above-average and projects as an impact tool. The youngster demonstrates solid acceleration both on the bases and in the field. Defensively, Margot reads the ball well off the bat in center field. He shows a lot of grace and natural ability when tracking fly balls, and closes well into both gaps. The range grades as above-average, with the overall tools to round into a plus defender in center.
 

 
Development Needs: Margot is presently on the lean side and lacks strength. There is some room on his frame to fill out, but is not likely a player that is going to experience a big physical transformation as he matures into his twenties. The outfielder can develop about average power, but hitting home runs is not likely to be a large part of the offensive game. Margot’s progression polishing the hit tool will be important as most of his offensive value will be tied to making a lot of contact. Presently, the 18-year-old is in the early stages of developing a professional approach and building pitch recognition. He has shown the willingness to work counts, but is raw overall handling secondary offerings. Margot’s ability to adjust will be tested during his early career. There’s some overall growth needed to fully maximize his offensive tools, on which his potential projection as an everyday player hinges. While the defensive tools overall are a strength, the arm only presently grades as about fringe-average, which puts an emphasis on sticking in center.
 
2013 Outlook: Margot showed impressive tools during the Fall Instructional League and is a talent to watch. The outfielder should make his states-side debut in 2013, likely with the Lowell Spinners. Margot will be getting his first taste of more advanced arms this season. It should give a good look as to where he stands with building his approach and coming up to speed with picking up secondary offerings. I don’t expect a huge breakout for Margot this season, but the prospect is on the rise within the system. This year will be about building the skills needed for a full-season placement in 2014. I see Margot capable of making the necessary adjustments and progressing forward, but there will be some struggles or inconsistency. There’s plenty of development time in front of him, with the 18-year-old just beginning the initial stages. The foundation is there to develop into an everyday big leaguer. 2013 serves as Margot’s first challenge to prove he is beginning to trend in that direction.
 

Snodgrass'Muff

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Nice blurb up about him at Bleacher Report.
 

Signed out of the Dominican Republic in July, 2011, Margot showcases plus-plus speed on both sides of the ball. Only 18 years old, the right-handed hitter possesses plate discipline beyond his years and employs a short, quick swing that enables him to lace line drives from line-to-line. He may feature average power at maturity, though that will also depend on how much strength he adds in the coming years.
 

jscola85

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Margot is not hitting much yet, but I do like the strong plate patience and it's clear he has some great wheels (both on the bases and in the OF).
 

jscola85

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Looks like Margot was on the DL for a while - can't find anywhere explaining why - but he missed all games between July 24th and August 16th.  Since coming back though he has been on a tear, with 9 hits in 4 games.  OPS is back up over .700 on the season; hopefully he can get his swing back in a bit of a rhythm to finish out the year.
 

jscola85

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Jim Callis gave Margot some love on EEI this weekend, naming him the guy in the low minors most likely to become a top 10 prospect in the future.  Season ended last night for the Spinners, and Margot's finishing line was:
 
197 PAs, .270/.346/.351 (.697 OPS), 11 XBHs, 18 SBs in 26 chances
 
Not a bad 2nd season for a kid in his age 18 season in a league with mostly college rookies.
 
Next up?  Likely headed to Greenville next spring.
 

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As mentioned in the gamethread, that doubles his HR total from 185 AB in Lowell last season. Real potential to skyrocket up the prospect rankings if he shows even average power this year as all reports are he's a plus defender and can stick in CF.
 

jscola85

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Margot is holding his own through two months in A ball as a 19 year old, hitting .253/.327/.390 for a .718 OPS.  The 22/16 K/BB is encouraging at his age - BABIP has just been less kind to him this year vs. last (.333 vs .275).  14 SBs out of 18 attempts is a solid ratio as well.
 
However, he's been scuffling of late, hitting just .214 over the last month.  Hopefully just a rough patch.
 

jscola85

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Manuel Margot looked like he had a rough July with a line of .209/.303/.358, but it didn't really add up when you look at the deeper numbers - 7/10 BB/K ratio for the month and a strong ISO of .149 suggested he was putting together good at bats but just was a victim of the BABIP Gods (.211 by my math).
 
Well, things have turned around in a hurry for Manuel in August.  In 7 games he's hit for a .484/.529/.645 line - stupid good.
 
YTD line is up to .278/.348/.426 with 9 dingers, 30 XBHs, 36 SBs and a 35/46 BB/K ratio. For a kid who is 2.5 years younger than the league average in Greenville, that's a really, really exciting line.  I get the sense it is only a matter of time before he truly blows up as a prospect.
 

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jscola85 said:
YTD line is up to .278/.348/.426 with 9 dingers, 30 XBHs, 36 SBs and a 35/46 BB/K ratio.
 
And he started the season with 5 BB & 11 K over his first few weeks. Since then he's at 30/35.
 
 
jscola85 said:
Manuel Margot looked like he had a rough July with a line of .209/.303/.358, but it didn't really add up when you look at the deeper numbers - 7/10 BB/K ratio for the month and a strong ISO of .149 suggested he was putting together good at bats but just was a victim of the BABIP Gods (.211 by my math).
 
The first half of July is what did him in: .158/.238/.289/.528 in 43 PA over his first 10 games, but .276/.382/.448/.831 in 34 PA over his last 9 G -- and that's while managing just a single in 11 AB (w. 3 BB) in the final 4 games of the month.
 
Another good sign: Despite hitting 86 points lower vs RHP than LHP (.254 vs .340), all 9 of his HR have come against righties.
 
It's also so easy to overlook his youth. Just 7 of his 386 PA have come against pitchers younger than him. That's also why the club doesn't seem to be in any rush to promote him to Salem.
 

jscola85

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Salem and High-A pitching certainly haven't posted a challenge yet for Margot, with a 170 wRC+ right now. Of course it's less than 40 PAs but a strong finish could make for an interesting case to see how quickly he gets a chance in AA in 2015.  The way he has come on of late, he has to be pushing for top 100 prospect status in the offseason.
 

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I read that first sentence and thought he was dead or something.
 
Ankle sprain?  Whatever…. he'll be fine by next year. 
 

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The wording on that tweet was far too ominous. What actually happened: He doubled, rounded 2nd too far, tried to reverse course & scamper back, and rolled his ankle.
 
Chris Hatfield is at tonight's game and offers the following:
 
Chris Hatfield @SPChrisHatfield  ·  3h

Manuel Margot is out of the lineup, but in uniform. Walking gingerly after turning his ankle running the bases yesterday.
 
 
With all due respect to Joon Lee (a great young up-and-coming writer/reporter) I haven't seen anything else suggesting it's a "serious" sprain. I've had serious ankle sprains on multiple occasions, and was relegated to crutches for several days each time. If he can put weight on it, I doubt it's anything overly concerning.
 

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Wake's knuckle said:
Big write-up on baseball america's webpage on Margot, but behind a paywall. Anyone feel like passing on the key points?
 
Not sure where you got the idea that it's a "big write-up" -- it's barely 300 words.
 
* Says he looks up to Adam Jones as a 5-tool player.
* Says he was surprised by his August promotion to Salem, but "hard work" paid off.
* Speier: Margot shows range/arm to be above-avg defender in CF. Doesn't project to add much muscle, but strong wrists already produce plenty of power.
* He was among 5 minor leaguers with 10+ HR and 40+ SB in 2014, and the only teenager to do so.
* Should open the year back at Salem.
 

jscola85

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Margot not having any issues in Salem.  .375/.381/.650 line to start the year, without a strikeout and only one walk.  That Adam Jones comp/admiration makes sense if he's going to put the ball in play this much and keep putting a charge in the ball so regularly.
 
The team kept him in Greenville for 400 plate appearances last year before promotion, though it took him some time to get acclimated there.  He's up to about 100 PAs in Salem  and has torn the level up.  Could see them asking him to stay down there to try to show an improved BB rate but otherwise, I don't see why he wouldn't move up in June or so if he keeps up similar production for another 150-200 PAs.
 

The Talented Allen Ripley

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BA: Margot could be this year's Mookie Betts.
 
Like Betts last summer, however, Margot has continued right on streaking into this season in his return to high Class A Salem. He’s gone without a strikeout over his first 13 games—a span of 56 plate appearances—bringing his total to 74 consecutive trips without a whiff. That’s nowhere near the major league record of 561, set by Cleveland’s Joe Sewell in 1929, but it’s still darn impressive.
 
Entering the season, he ranked as the best outfielder, the No. 7 prospect in the system and the No. 72 overall prospect in the game. He didn’t do that on offense alone. He’s a true five-tool prospect with incredible range in center field despite speed that ranks as just a tick above average. His outstanding instincts, reads and jumps give him that ability, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed by the pitchers he plays behind.
 
“It’s fantastic,” Salem lefthander Trey Ball said. “You can miss with a pitch and (get) a deep fly ball to center and you know it’s going to be caught because he’s out there. It’s incredible. He’s an amazing player. … I’ve had him in center the past two years and he’s saved me a lot.”
 

jscola85

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More good news on the Margot front - named to the World team for the 2015 MLB Futures Game, along with Rafael Devers.
 

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Just posted same in 6/27 mL forum: was in Portland Sat PM, caught the game, thought he looked good at the plate, HR was very well-hit also a fly out to base of wall in right that was well hit. 
 

jscola85

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Margot had a rough go of it in July, posting just a .231/.297/.343 triple slash in 108 ABs.  Definitely experiencing an adjustment period, as his K rate has spiked to 16% from sub-10% during his stay in Salem.  He did walk a fair bit during the month, with 10 BBs in 118 PAs, so perhaps there's been a concerted effort to try to work the count more by Margot and that is part of the higher K rate and struggles at the plate.
 
Something I hadn't noticed yet either is his huge split vs. lefties & righties in 2015:
 
v. LHP in Salem - 1.016 OPS
v. RHP in Salem - .646
 
v. LHP in Portland - 1.024 OPS
v. RHP in Portland - .557 OPS
 
He had something of a split in 2014, but nothing that dramatic.  A bit troubling if that trend continues, as it would be hard to be an everyday player with THAT kind of split.  Would seem to fall more into Rajai Davis-type territory without some more success vs. RHH.