The 2015 season was a year of adjustments for Verdugo, as the Arizona prep product struggled during his first taste of full-season ball before simplifying his swing in May and letting loose over the final three months of the season, topping out at High A Rancho Cucamonga and finishing the year with a combined slash line of .311/.340/.441. He was rewarded with an aggressive 2016 assignment to Double-A Tulsa as one of the youngest players in the Texas League, and he has thus far held his own, hitting .254 with two home runs through 19 games

There’s solid pull-side power in Verdugo’s lefty swing, but he can get off-balance in his cuts and struggle to drive the ball the other way with authority. He sees the ball fairly well, and has an understanding of the strike zone to go with a general plan of attack at the plate. At maturity, it’s possible to envision solid- average playable power to go along with an average or tick-above hit tool, and some on-base ability to boot.

Thus far in his pro career, Verdugo has primarily occupied center field. Whether or not he sticks there long term is probably dependent on whether or not he loses a step from his average foot speed as his body continues to thicken, and dependent on what other options the Dodgers might have by the time he’s ready to debut in LA. There’s plenty of arm for right field, however, in which case his ultimate value will come down to whether or not his overall offensive profile syncs up with his defensive home. There is plenty of time to sort out those issues but for now, Verdugo will focus on handling advanced arms as they adjust over their second and third looks at the youngster. –Nick J. Faleris