Unowned
Ryan Vilade, OF
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Scouting report
A series of swing changes have led to Vilade's current "toe twist" stride, a very simple cut that leans into his great natural bat control and strength-derived pop. He can make contact with pitches all over the zone but typically does his damage slugging pitches on the inner half, especially wayward lefty fastballs in there. Watch how his groundball rate trends in 2021. The 2019 swing that may have helped bring his groundball rate closer to average (50% previously, down to 42% in '19) has again been changed, so it's hard to say how much damage he's going to be capable of now. A high school shortstop, Vilade began seeing time at third base in 2019, then took reps in the outfield during the Rockies' fall workouts, and at the 2020 alternate site and in instructs. He's a heavy-footed, 40-grade athlete who isn't likely to be a good defender anywhere, but might be a replacement-level defender in a couple of spots (hopefully some third base, more likely first base and left field). While he certainly has the raw juice (this guy was putting balls way out of Wrigley Field in a high school home run derby), Vilade hasn't produced the kind of game power to be a 50 FV, everyday type of regular in my opinion, though he did have some Top 100 support from folks who work for analytically-inclined clubs. Vilade's feel for contact makes him a likely role-playing sort who I hope continues to see some third base time. (Alternate site, Fall Instructional League)