Gilberto Celestino

Position: CF
Level: Rk
Affiliate: Elizabethton Twins
League: Appalachian League
Born: 02/13/1999 (Age: 25)
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 170
B/T: Right / Left
Acquired: Signed as international free agent July 2, 2015 (HOU); Traded to MIN 7/27/2018

Prospect Spotlight

The athletic Celestino joins the Twins via the Ryan Pressley deadline deal from Houston. A highly regarded amateur prospect, he signed from the Dominican Republic in 2015 for a hefty $2.5M bonus. I’ve seen him across two series this summer in the Appy League.

Lithe and athletic, Celestino has added good weight since summer 2017 while still maintaining his plus speed. The wheels show in center, where he shows plus routes and glides well to both gaps. He projects to plus in CF, impressing with a catch against the wall in the pouring rain he made look routine. His 50-grade arm solidifies him at the position. He projects to 50 raw/45 game power, and he shows feel at present to drive the gaps. An aggressive hitter, he hunts fastballs early in the count, and he has plus bat speed to go along with solid feel for the barrel. His early -count aggressiveness causes him to fall behind at times, expanding on good spin when he’s down to two strikes. It’s a future 50-grade hit tool for me, though one that’s a deep-projection profile still numerous years away.

Led by his defensive value, Celestino projects to an everyday regular future in centerfield. I’m projecting an aggressive step forward in his approach, giving him a solid hit/power combo that likely works well in the six or seven hole of an MLB lineup. His rawness and overall proximity add risk, but the defensive ability provides some floor in a bench role if the bat stalls higher up the ladder.