Encarnacion signed for less than $100K in 2015, a good deal for the Marlins considering the physicality and raw tools he has shown since. He has put himself on the map in a rapidly improving Marlins farm system with a strong first half in the Midwest League at age 21, named an all-star at mid-season after slashing .302/.369/.488.

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, Encarnacion is a presence in the batter’s box with the size and strength for plus raw power. His bat-to-ball ability is still very raw–as a career strikeout rate above 30-percent would indicate–but he hits the ball so hard that BABIP tends to fall in his favor so long as he can make contact. Cutting his strikeout rate from nearly 40-percent to a (still below-average) 25-percent clip in 2019 has allowed the power to come into play more often in A-Ball, something he wasn’t able to do in a 16-game cameo at the level last year. Encarnacion has prototype RF size, power potential, and arm-strength, with booming throws from the corner outfield that draw 60-grade evaluations from scouts.

This is a wildly high-variance type of prospect, one with significant bust potential due to lever length and low-grade hitting ability that could hold the raw power back from coming into game action at higher levels. Encarnacion’s ceiling is a low-average, high-power corner player with 20+ home run upside if he can put the ball in play consistently. That’s a big if, however, and Marlins fans should wait until he performs above A-Ball before fully buying in.