This Chicago Cubs Prospect’s Hitting Profile Gets Major Props

He’s not a Top 30 Chicago Cubs prospect yet, but with this profile the 18-year-old infielder could be soon.

Jun 19, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; A member of the grounds crew wipes off the Chicago Cubs' on deck logo prior to a game against the San Diego Padres at Wrigley Field. / Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports

Scan the Chicago Cubs’ Top 30 prospects list at MLB Pipeline and you won’t find Yahil Melendez.

That could change soon.

The 18-year-old Puerto Rico native was drafted in the seventh round of last year’s MLB draft out of B You Academy in Caguas, P.R. He received a taste of pro baseball with the Cubs’ Arizona Complex League team last year.

With only 10 games and a .237 batting average, the Cubs sent him back to the ACL for a second season this summer. He showed tremendous progress.

In fact, he made so much progress that he made a list of 10 minor league prospects compiled by Baseball America that it touted as having a “promising combination of plate skills (contact and approach) as well as impact metrics to hint at projectable future projection.”

That’s heady company. One of the players listed — Detroit Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler — just made the jump to the Majors.

Melendez, an infielder, probably needs more time to grow. But there’s a reason he made the list.

In 53 games in the ACL he’s slashed .268/.394/.425/.819 with 13 doubles, three triples, three home runs and 23 RBI.

But these rankings weren’t about standard baseball numbers. The site went beyond that and looked at other factors, such as zone contact (20% zone miss of lower), raw power (90th percentile exit velocity above 104 mph) and expected production on contact (.385 xwOBAcon or higher).

Yes, deep analytics. And this is where his progress really showed. His zone miss rate is just below the threshold at 19.9%. His xwOBAcon is just above the threshold at .395. He has a chase rate of 22.2% and his 90th percentile exit velocity is 105 mph.

So, there’s a lot to be excited about. The Cubs signed him on the cheap, getting him on a $400,000 deal after he was drafted. Baseball America pointed out that his power on contact and exit velocity numbers are excellent for a teenager and that it projects as a hitter that can find the barrel consistently for solid contact.

A player like Melendez will probably need a few more years to develop, considering he hasn’t played with a full-season affiliate yet. But opportunities should come. The Cubs have their Top 6 prospects playing for their Triple-A affiliate in Iowa and some should earn a promotion either late this year or early next year.

Their departures will open up chances for others, including Melendez.