Deivi Grullon

Position: C
Level: Double-A
Affiliate: Reading Fightin' Phils
League: Eastern League
Born: 02/17/1996 (Age: 28)
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 180
B/T: Right / Right
Acquired: Signed as international free agent 6/20/13 (PHI)

Prospect Spotlight

Grullon came to the Phillies as an international free agent out of the Dominica Republic in 2012. He has a short, squatty body that’s fully developed, but he’ll need to be attentive to his weight as he looked to be above his listed weight – closer to 215 pounds. He’s a defensive-minded catcher with a plus arm (1.94 pop time) who handles pitches well, with average receiving actions, good hands and good framing ability. While his lateral range and ability to shift is also average, that could play down a grade – or more – if he gets any bigger. Offensively, he is way behind his defensive acumen. He has a long swing with a groove-type swing path, and there is some some pull-side power. He swings and misses often, and is a high-strikeout guy (23% at Class A Lakewood, and bit better at 21.4% this year across two levels). His barrel control is limited, as are his pitch recognition skills, and he struggles versus breaking and off-speed pitches. Grullon projects to be a 30-grade hitter with 40-grade power, but he has the tools to be a solid-average defender with a plus arm. If he can monitor the weight and keep the body durable, he has the defensive ability to see a floor of a Role 30 up-down emergency catcher, with a ceiling of a Role 40 backup.