Back in 2017, the New York Yankees signed an outfielder who was one of the top hauls in their international signing class. That outfielder is the Venezuelan born, Raimfer Salinas. Salinas is a 19-year-old Center Fielder who stands 6 feet tall and weighs 175 pounds. Salinas has a really good overall feel for the game at a young age. Salinas is a smooth operator in the outfield who uses his above-average speed to patrol the gaps in center. He pairs his good defensive skills with a plus arm which plays extremely well. At the plate, Salinas has already shown the ability to hit the ball to all fields. He doesn’t show a ton of power, but his solid frame and bat speed should increase his power numbers over the next couple of years. Salinas made his organizational debut in 2018, but injuries limited Salinas to only playing in 11 games in Rookie Ball. Last year saw Salinas take the field for 42 games and his numbers were improved across the board.
Solid 2019
After injuries hampered his first season, Salinas bounced back nicely in 2019. In 42 games played, Salinas hit .270 with 3 home runs and drove in 15 runs. Salinas showed off his good speed by stealing 11 bags in just 42 games. When watching some film on Salinas, I love his overall approach at the plate. He has a very solid and consistent swing which will help keep his batting average up. When he swings at a pitch, he always looks to be in balance. He rarely pulls off on pitches which helps him consistently hit the ball to all fields. Salinas has all of the qualities that you would want in a solid CF prospect. He can run, he can hit, he can field, and he can really throw the ball. Salinas has a maturity to his game which should assist him in developing quicker than some prospects. I think there’s a good chance that Salinas could rise through the system pretty quickly. While he is certainly able to play the corner positions, I think it’s for the best that the Yankees keep him in center.
Moving Forward
Raimfer Salinas is one of the better outfield prospects the New York Yankees have in the system. There is a smoothness to watching him play and he displays a lot of great qualities. However, there are some things that he needs to work on. Salinas is really good at making contact even on bad pitches, but he needs to learn to pull back a little. Salinas only had a walk rate of 4.4% last year which is why is OBP translated to .329. I would love to see both of those numbers rise. I think those numbers can rise without sacrificing his batting average. When the season starts I would love to see Salinas stay in the range he’s currently in for his AVG, but increase that OBP to closer to .350 or even higher. I think if Salinas continues down the path he’s currently heading and he tweaks some things to improve his game, he has all the makings of a major league centerfielder.