| AB | 322 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .18 |
| OBP | .281 |
| SLG | .301 |
| HR | 5 |
- Full name Cristhian Ivan Vaquero
- Born 09/13/2004 in Havana, Cuba
- Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 180 / Bats: S / Throws: R
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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BA Grade: 55/Extreme
Track Record: The Nationals signed Vaquero with the highest signing bonus--$4.925 million--in the international signing period which opened on Jan. 15, 2021. Despite signing at 17 years old, Vaquero was regarded by the organization as having talent and maturity well beyond his years. He began his pro career in the Dominican Summer League in 2022 and made his U.S. debut in 2023 in the Florida Complex League, where he hit .279/.410/.393 with one home run and 15 stolen bases in 23 attempts. His walk rate bordered on 16% and ranked 14th in the FCL among qualified hitters. The Nationals promoted him to Low-A Fredericksburg on Aug. 22. He hit consistently throughout the season but struggled to find power.
Scouting Report: Vaquero settled in this season and was less aggressive at that plate, which was a reputation he had in Cuba. He has a solid approach, with a big leg kick and open upright stance that requires him to be on time or he risks putting the ball right into the dirt. Vaquero is a natural lefthanded hitter who taught himself to hit from the right side before signing with the Nationals. His swing from the right side looks natural and sometimes better than his natural one. Vaquero has a lean, athletic frame and double-plus speed and plus arm strength. He covers a lot of ground in center field and looks more comfortable there than in either corner. Vaquero will need to put on muscle and tap into the power potential to unlock his high ceiling.
The Future: Though he is years away from seeing the big leagues, Vaquero has impressed the Nationals with his development. He will start the season at Low-A and should benefit from additional strength and conditioning.
Scouting Grades Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run: 70 | Field: 50 | Arm: 60 -
BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme
Track Record: The Nationals went all-in on Vaquero, signing him for $4.925 million in January 2021 when the international signing period opened. The switch-hitting Cuban outfielder received the highest bonus of any player in his signing class. The Nationals saw Vaquero as the best position player available that year, with talent well beyond his age. He was a young rising star in the Cuban junior leagues before starting his professional career in the Dominican Summer League in 2022.
Scouting Report: Vaquero has a high ceiling. He's an explosive player with a quick first step in center field. He then takes long, gliding strides to cover plenty of ground with well above-average speed. His plus arm and double-plus speed indicate that could stick in center. Vaquero has plenty of time to develop and gain experience at the plate to quiet concerns about his pure hitting ability. He had a reputation as an aggressive hitter while in Cuba, but he showed good feel for the barrel in the DSL with a strikeout rate just south of 18% and a healthy walk rate of 15%. He needs to hit the ball in the air more frequently as he matures to reach his above-average power potential. He is a natural lefthanded hitter who taught himself to bat righthanded shortly before signing with Washington. He will continue to switch-hit in pro ball, but will need to prove that he can be just as aggressive and powerful on his right side.
The Future: If Vaquero continues to advance, the Nationals may have found their greatest international prospect since at least Luis Garcia and possibly since Juan Soto and Victor Robles arrived in the late 2010s. At age 18 in 2023, Vaquero is still very young and is far from the big leagues, but he is ready to be tested in the Florida Complex League.
Scouting Grades: Hitting: 50. Power: 55. Speed: 70. Fielding: 55. Arm: 60
Scouting Reports
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BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme
Track Record: The Nationals went all-in on Vaquero, signing him for $4.925 million in January 2021 when the international signing period opened. The switch-hitting Cuban outfielder received the highest bonus of any player in his signing class. The Nationals saw Vaquero as the best position player available that year, with talent well beyond his age. He was a young rising star in the Cuban junior leagues before starting his professional career in the Dominican Summer League in 2022.
Scouting Report: Vaquero has a high ceiling. He's an explosive player with a quick first step in center field. He then takes long, gliding strides to cover plenty of ground with well above-average speed. His plus arm and double-plus speed indicate that could stick in center. Vaquero has plenty of time to develop and gain experience at the plate to quiet concerns about his pure hitting ability. He had a reputation as an aggressive hitter while in Cuba, but he showed good feel for the barrel in the DSL with a strikeout rate just south of 18% and a healthy walk rate of 15%. He needs to hit the ball in the air more frequently as he matures to reach his above-average power potential. He is a natural lefthanded hitter who taught himself to bat righthanded shortly before signing with Washington. He will continue to switch-hit in pro ball, but will need to prove that he can be just as aggressive and powerful on his right side.
The Future: If Vaquero continues to advance, the Nationals may have found their greatest international prospect since at least Luis Garcia and possibly since Juan Soto and Victor Robles arrived in the late 2010s. At age 18 in 2023, Vaquero is still very young and is far from the big leagues, but he is ready to be tested in the Florida Complex League.
Scouting Grades: Hitting: 50. Power: 55. Speed: 70. Fielding: 55. Arm: 60 -
BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme
Track Record: The Nationals went all-in on Vaquero, signing him for $4.925 million in January 2021 when the international signing period opened. The switch-hitting Cuban outfielder received the highest bonus of any player in his signing class. The Nationals saw Vaquero as the best position player available that year, with talent well beyond his age. He was a young rising star in the Cuban junior leagues before starting his professional career in the Dominican Summer League in 2022.
Scouting Report: Vaquero has a high ceiling. He's an explosive player with a quick first step in center field. He then takes long, gliding strides to cover plenty of ground with well above-average speed. His plus arm and double-plus speed indicate that could stick in center. Vaquero has plenty of time to develop and gain experience at the plate to quiet concerns about his pure hitting ability. He had a reputation as an aggressive hitter while in Cuba, but he showed good feel for the barrel in the DSL with a strikeout rate just south of 18% and a healthy walk rate of 15%. He needs to hit the ball in the air more frequently as he matures to reach his above-average power potential. He is a natural lefthanded hitter who taught himself to bat righthanded shortly before signing with Washington. He will continue to switch-hit in pro ball, but will need to prove that he can be just as aggressive and powerful on his right side.
The Future: If Vaquero continues to advance, the Nationals may have found their greatest international prospect since at least Luis Garcia and possibly since Juan Soto and Victor Robles arrived in the late 2010s. At age 18 in 2023, Vaquero is still very young and is far from the big leagues, but he is ready to be tested in the Florida Complex League.
Scouting Grades: Hitting: 50. Power: 55. Speed: 70. Fielding: 55. Arm: 60 -
BA Grade: 55/Extreme
Track Record: Vaquero was a young player on the rise in the Cuban junior leagues before he left the country to sign with a major league club. When the 2021-22 international signing period opened on Jan. 15, the Nationals poured nearly all of their bonus pool money into signing Vaquero for $4.925 million, the highest bonus of any player in his international class.
Scouting Report: With a sleek, athletic frame, Vaquero is a dynamic, premium position talent. He's an explosive player with a quick first step in center field, then takes long, gliding strides to cover plenty of ground with well above-average speed. With a plus arm and the ability to track the ball well off the bat, Vaquero has the potential to develop into a plus defender. At the plate, Vaquero is an aggressive hitter who hunts fastballs, and while some scouts were split on Vaquero's pure hitting ability, he has the strength projection to grow into above-average power. While a lot of teams saw Vaquero early on while he was strictly hitting lefthanded, he became a switch-hitter before signing and will continue that with the Nationals.
The Future: Vaquero is far from the big leagues, but he quickly becomes one of the most exciting players in the lower levels of Washington's farm system. He will likely start his career in the Dominican Summer League.
Scouting Grades: Hit: 45. Power: 55. Speed: 70. Fielding: 60. Arm: 60.
Career Transactions
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OF Cristhian Vaquero assigned to FCL Nationals.
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OF Cristhian Vaquero and assigned to Washington Nationals.
