Hiraldo was seen as one of the more pro-ready bats in the 2017 international class, and he lived up to that billing by slashing a combined .300/.362/.435 between the DSL and GCL as a 17-year-old last season. Signed to a $750K bonus, he turned 18 after the year and has begun 2019 in Extended Spring Training.

At 5-foot-11 and a listed 170 pounds, Hiraldo’s medium frame has some maturity to it with stocky muscle throughout. He still splits time between SS and 3B, and while he moves well for his size in the middle infield, a strong arm and thick lower-half likely wind up at the hot corner down the road. At the plate, Hiraldo’s raw offensive tools are evident: there’s explosive batspeed and hip torque through a strong cut, with power potential that jumps out immediately despite aggression and barrel control that are currently age-appropriately raw. Balls jump off his barrel when squared, and though Hiraldo overswings at times and comes out of his shoes on pitches he shouldn’t, it was enthusing to see him show occasional ability to shorten up and battle with two strikes. Stats from the complex level only mean so much, but Hiraldo’s track record of patience—walking nearly as much as he struck out last summer—also bodes well for the development of an offensive approach.

It would be easy to place him conservatively as a FV 40, as Hiraldo is a long ways from ready and isn’t likely to finish up the middle defensively. This type of batspeed and strength from a teenager is rare, though, and he’s advanced enough at the plate it wouldn’t be a shock to see Hiraldo put up numbers this summer in short-season ball. Though basically all players at this level are wildcard, lottery ticket types of prospects, he already places in the FV 45 tier because of high-ceiling offensive tools that give the upside of a bat-first regular.