Phoenix, Arizona —— Entering play on Saturday night, Los Angeles Dodgers outfield prospect Shakir Albert is slashing .317/.356/.659/1.014 in 12 minor league games in 2017, including eight appearances with the Arizona League‘s AZL Dodgers, with six doubles, two home runs, and ten RBI — but only three walks against 17 strikeouts — over the first 41 at-bats of his summer season. I observed the 20-year-old Curacao native in an August 14 start on the road against the AZL Brewers; below is Baseball Census‘ full Shakir Albert scouting report, including video.
Shakir Albert Scouting Report — Video
Our video of Los Angeles Dodgers outfield prospect Shakir Albert shows his five at-bats in that August 14 start against the AZL Brewers, where he got three hits, including a home run in his very first at-bat we captured on tape:
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Shakir Albert Scouting Report — Notes
A big, physical 20-year-old in his fourth year of professional baseball despite only reaching as high as Low-A for four games earlier this summer, Shakir Albert’s body and power profile are among his biggest assets right now. The outfielder has good raw power from the right side, but it’s nearly all pull power, and he struggles mightily going the other way with authority. That pull-happy tendency carries over into his plate coverage and strike zone discipline, too, and he’s particularly susceptible to stuff both hard and soft on the outside corner as he doesn’t have the mechanics to right now hit the ball to right-center field with authority. He’s a dead-red hitter, too, who will struggle with good off-speed pitches and doesn’t seem to very well recognize spin out of a pitcher’s hand.
His foot speed is fine, and he’s a good enough athlete to man the corner outfield positions with little problem, though his arm strength is probably average at best and that’ll likely profile him better as a left fielder than in right. His hit tool will almost certainly always suffer because of his lack of pitch recognition and plate coverage, and his contact skills are below-average. But that power… watch the video we’ve shared up above to see him launch an absolute no-doubter for a home run in his first at-bat during that August 14 game against the AZL Brewers. You can’t teach raw power like that, especially against high, hard fastballs, and if Shakir Albert is to go anywhere in baseball it’ll be over-the-fence pop that will prove to be his carrying tool.
Long term, the Los Angeles Dodgers no doubt must be getting antsy with Shakir Albert, who has spent the last four seasons in rookie ball, and will turn 21 years old in December. He must prove he can make enough solid contact, especially to his opposite-field side against better pitching, to earn a Low-A job at Great Lakes come 2018. If not, he’s in for a very, very long road next year trying to play catch-up through extended spring training and figuring out if he has a pro ball future beyond the rookie level. The window isn’t closed on this kid by any means, but he’s far from a prospect right now and needs to make a massive course correction at the plate to find sustained success against full-season pitching. I have a feeling we’ll know whether he’s done so by the beginning of next April.
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