Chicago Cubs: An intriguing batch of international prospects to watch

Chicago Cubs: A 17-year-old star in the making

A part of the 2018-19 international free agent class, Yohendrick Pinango, signed from the beautiful country of Venezuela for $400,000. He is an outfielder and just so happens to be just 17 years old. One of the many teenagers who now find himself in the shadows of major league teams, Pinango, spent his first professional season in the Dominican Summer League.

In a sizable 62-game stint covering 274 plate appearances, Pinango excelled. He slashed .358/.427/.442 with 36 RBI, 27 stolen bases, a .426 wOBA, and finally a 145 wRC+. On the smaller size in stature, Pinango did not register a home run during the season and only carried a .083 ISO. Impressively, Pinango also posted an insane 7.3 percent strikeout rate and a 9.9 percent walk rate.

Power, however, is not his top strength in what he brings to the dish. Pinango registered a 5.7-speed score per Fangraphs, which is above-average speed for the scale. Not only does it quantify speed, but it also calculates overall base running ability. It means that Pinango’s main help to the team aside from his overall hitting was his knowledge on the base paths. It will be interesting to see what Pinango’s encore winds up as, as we move toward 2020.