Unowned

Freudis Nova, IF

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Scouting report

I'm getting some Gilbert Lara flashbacks here, which isn't a good thing. Like Lara, Nova has quickly filled out and morphed from a swing-happy middle infielder with power projection into one with more of a corner look and considerable present power. He's so much bigger and stronger now that some scouts who saw him both last fall and this spring think his ultimate destination may be first base, and that his body has already begun to look like that of late-career Hanley Ramirez. Nova's plus-plus arm may enable him to hide some of what project to be lateral range deficiencies, and he could still end up at third base or playing a Moustakas-y second. It puts more pressure on him to develop a better approach than his current, over-aggressive version. Remember though that Nova has performed on paper despite his approach, including a nearly average line as a 19-year-old in the Midwest League back in 2019 that featured 25 extra-base hits in just 75 games. Unlike the Gilbert Lara/Brewers situation, the club here thought highly enough of Nova to put him on their 40-man. The chance for a viable middle infielder with relevant game power still exists here, but is looking less likely as time passes. (Fall Instructional League)