Brewers: Orlando Arcia tops updated prospects list
By Phil Watson
Orlando Arcia has shot up to No. 88 to No. 14 on MLB’s top 100 prospects list. (Image capture from youtube.com)
MLB Pipeline updated its top 30 prospects list for the Milwaukee Brewers, with Biloxi Shuckers shortstop Orlando Arcia now listed as the top prospect in the organization.
Arcia, who played in the Futures Game in Cincinnati earlier this month, also skyrocketed up the charts among the top 100 prospects in baseball, checking in at No. 14.
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In the preseason rankings, Arcia was ranked No. 88.
But the Venezuelan infielder who will be 21 on Tuesday has ratcheted up his stock because of his improved work with the bat.
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The glove, of course, has always been there.
In 90 games at Double-A Biloxi, Arcia is batting .294/.338/.433 with 54 runs, 25 doubles, five triples, five home runs and 50 RBI and is 15-for-21 in stolen base attempts.
Defensively, Arcia has just eight errors in 85 games at shortstop.
That comes on the heels of a good campaign at Advanced-A Brevard County in 2014, where he hit .289/.346/.392 in 127 games, with 65 runs, 29 doubles, five triples, four homers and 50 RBI and was 31-for-42 on the basepaths.
Arcia was signed as an international free agent out of Venezuela in October 2010 and after missing the 2012 season because of an ankle injury, the younger brother of Minnesota Twins outfielder Oswaldo Arcia is making great strides.
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MLB.com projects his ETA in the majors as next season, but there is talk that he could earn a September call-up this year.
He hit .294/.386/.459 as a 16-year-old in the Dominican Summer League in 2011, with 16 doubles, six home runs and 36 RBI and was 13-for-17 on the bases.
When he returned from injury in 2013, he was assigned to Class-A Wisconsin and hit .250/.314/.333 in 120 games, with 67 runs, 14 doubles, five triples, four homers and 39 RBI while going 20-for-29 in stolen-base attempts in his first season in the U.S.
He also played for Caribes in the Venezuelan Winter League last year and hit .265/.335/.445 in 55 games, scoring 31 runs with 13 doubles, seven home runs and 28 RBI.
Here is a breakdown of the rest of the updated top 30 prospect list:
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