Scottsdale, Ariz. -- Yonathan Daza has been in the Colorado Rockies' organization for five years, but things didn't really start clicking for him until a short, successful 2014 in Grand Junction—and then last summer, split between Boise and Low-A Asheville, Daza put together a season the Rockies were probably hoping to see since they signed him out of Venezuela back in 2011.
The 22-year-old outfielder appeared in 86 games last summer, slashing .325/.358/.451. Sure, his power has never been significant—and that's certainly a problem if the Rockies think he can play corner outfield—but in both Boise and Asheville he was able to hit for average, avoid striking out at too prodigious of a rate, and get on base despite low walk rates.
That leaves the outfielder likely to start 2016 in High-A Modesto, where he'll join the likes of Wes Rogers, Max White, and Omar Carrizales in manning the large swath of land to cover in California's Central Valley. His power will be difficult to develop in a home park notorious for not being very forgiving with home runs, but there are some short porches and homer-heavy ballparks on the road in that league, and it might inflate his power statistics more than what he's shown in the past.
Regardless, with just nine career home runs in 288 minor league games, if he intends to be a corner outfielder, the Rockies will obviously need to see some more power from his bat in the lineup, you'd imagine.
Above, here's Daza working during batting practice at spring training late last month, along with intrasquad scrimmage footage of him batting against Rockies' minor league pitchers.
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