Hendrik Clementina

Position: C
Level: Class A
Affiliate: Dayton Dragons
League: Midwest League
Born: 06/17/1997 (Age: 26)
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 250
B/T: Right / Right
Acquired: Signed as international free agent December 13, 2013 (LAD)

Prospect Spotlight

Clementina is every bit of his 250-pound listing, and even that weight might be generously low. Even so, the portly slugger has tore up the Midwest League en route to an all-star bid in his first taste of full-season ball, slashing .309/.380/.568 with nine bombs. That’s a good thing, seeing as Clementina’s bat will have to carry the profile. His athleticism and mobility leave something to be desired, and he’s likely to move from catcher to first base as he climbs the ladder.

He does his best work at the plate, where Clementina uses a short, simple stroke with a quiet load that allows him to keep his hands back well for a young hitter. He tracks spin well and can barrel up off-speed in the zone. Above-average batspeed allows him to commit late, letting the ball get deep before unleashing a swing with plenty of natural strength. Clementina shows 55-grade raw power with enough approach and contact I think he can get to it in games. The offensive ceiling is that of a 50-grade hit and power tool.

With this offensive profile, Clementina would be a potential future regular at the big league level if he could remain at catcher. I’m bearish on that being the outcome though, as his arm is short for the position and the body type will keep getting thicker and less mobile. While he receives fairly quietly, I didn’t see much concept of actual pitch framing on borderline locations. His potential offensive output looks a lot more generic competing with big league first baseman for at-bats, and I came away from my May look grading Clementina as a FV 40 player who could can bring some pop off the bench.