Scouting Report

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 35 | Run: 45 | Arm: 45 | Field: 50 | Overall: 40 

Prieto was a career .365 hitter in the Cuban National Series and won the circuit’s batting title in 2021 with a .403 mark over 74 games for Cienfuegos. He defected in May of that year and signed with the Orioles for $650,000 in January 2022. The infielder slashed .340/.381/.619 over 25 games at High-A Aberdeen in his first taste of the Minors before being humbled at Double-A for the remainder of the 2022 season. He bounced back nicely with a .364 average and 144 wRC+ in 58 games with Bowie last year, earned a late-June promotion to Triple-A and then was traded to the Cardinals in the Jack Flaherty deal at the Deadline.  

If baseball was solely predicated on putting the ball in play, Prieto would be one of the kings of the sport. His 9.6 percent strikeout rate was third-best among Double-A and Triple-A qualifiers in 2023, and he made contact on roughly 90 percent of the pitches he swung at in the zone at both Triple-A stops. But there were two major problems offensively. First, he chased 42 percent of the pitches outside the zone at all levels -- a laughably high rate -- and when he did make contact, it wasn’t particularly strong with a 35.2 percent hard-hit rate at Triple-A. With 21 homers over his two Minor League seasons, there’s at least some pop in the tank, but he could do a lot better at finding it if he focused more on swinging at drivable pitches. 

A fringy runner, Prieto has played second base, third base and shortstop in the Minors, but after the trade, he got the bulk of his playing time at the keystone where his arm strength best fits. The 5-foot-9 infielder’s bat-to-ball skills make him a fascinating utility option for St. Louis. 

Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 45 | Run: 45 | Arm: 45 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45

Prieto established himself as a star in Cuba over four seasons in the Cuban National Series, where he claimed the league’s batting crown in 2021. He was in the midst of a league-record 44-game hit streak when he defected in May 2021, settling in Tampa, Fla., before the Orioles signed him for $650,000 as part of their 2020-21 international class. Prieto made an impact right away at High-A Aberdeen as a 23-year old, batting .340 with a 1.000 OPS to earn a promotion to Double-A after only 25 games. But his contact-heavy approach wasn’t effective in Bowie, where he hit only .255/.296/.348 with a 58-15 strikeout-to-walk rate in 90 games. Prieto amassed a .364 average in his return to Double-A this season and had a .317/.365/.471 line in 27 Triple-A games before he was traded to the Cardinals at the Deadline for Jack Flaherty.

Prieto’s bat-to-ball skills drew comparisons to Cubs second baseman Nick Madrigal coming out of Cuba, when he was considered an excellent contact hitter with questionable power from the left side of the plate. But that profile flipped somewhat stateside. Prieto instead showed surprising power, socking 11 homers in his first 115 Minor League games, while his contact rate and plate discipline didn’t translate as expected. On the bases, he’s a solid-to-average runner with good baseball acumen and fundamentals.

Signed as a second baseman, Prieto predominately played third at Bowie and exclusively at the hot corner in the Fall League. He also got his feet wet at short for the Baysox during the regular season and continued to play all three spots in 2023. He profiles as an average defender at both second and third who is athletic enough to play short in a pinch, with the ceiling of a useful utilityman who can provide some left-handed punch off the bench at the highest level. 

Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 40 | Run: 45 | Arm: 45 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45

An established star in Cuba, Prieto played parts of the last four seasons in the Cuban National Series, hitting .403 in 2020-21 to claim the league’s batting title. He was riding a league-record 44-game hitting streak when he left the national team while playing in West Palm Beach, Fla., in May 2021, later settling in Tampa. The Orioles swooped in and made Prieto a prize of their 2020-21 international class, signing him for $650,000.

The athletic Prieto has shown good instincts and polish, particularly at the plate. His excellent bat-to-ball skills draw comparisons to Cubs second baseman Nick Madrigal, a former top-five Draft pick and now one of baseball’s premier contact hitters. Prieto is a left-handed hitter who walked more than he struck out in Cuba. He displays a strong understanding of the strike zone but little power, leading to questions about how his skillset will translate at the highest level. He’s a solid-to-average runner with good baseball acumen and fundamentals on the bases.

He profiles as a second baseman at the highest level and an average defender who could handle short and third base if needed. Unlike most international signees -- who enter pro ball much younger -- the 23-year-old Prieto is already up to Double-A and has the chance to rise quickly. His ceiling is probably as a utility type in the Aledmys Díaz mold, with a tad more athleticism and speed but less power.

Awards

SAL Player of the Week

Week	Team
04/24/2022

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	11/06/2024	2B César Prieto assigned to Aguilas Cibaenas.
	03/07/2024	St. Louis Cardinals Prospects activated 2B César Prieto.
	01/10/2024	St. Louis Cardinals invited non-roster 2B César Prieto to spring training.
	10/19/2023	2B César Prieto assigned to Aguilas Cibaenas.
	08/01/2023	St. Louis Cardinals traded RHP Jack Flaherty to Baltimore Orioles for 2B César Prieto, LHP Drew Rom and RHP Zack Showalter.
	08/01/2023	2B César Prieto assigned to Memphis Redbirds.
	06/20/2023	2B César Prieto assigned to Norfolk Tides from Bowie Baysox.
	06/20/2023	Norfolk Tides activated 2B César Prieto.
	02/02/2023	Baltimore Orioles invited non-roster 2B Cesar Prieto and to spring training.
	09/16/2022	Scottsdale Scorpions activated 2B Cesar Prieto.
	09/16/2022	Scottsdale Scorpions activated 2B Cesar Prieto.
	05/24/2022	2B Cesar Prieto assigned to Bowie Baysox from Aberdeen IronBirds.
	05/11/2022	Aberdeen IronBirds activated 2B Cesar Prieto from the 7-day injured list.
	05/02/2022	Aberdeen IronBirds placed 2B Cesar Prieto on the 7-day injured list.
	04/07/2022	2B Cesar Prieto assigned to Aberdeen IronBirds.
	03/31/2022	2B Cesar Prieto roster status changed by Baltimore Orioles.
	03/31/2022	2B Cesar Prieto assigned to Baltimore Orioles.
	01/15/2022	2B Cesar Prieto assigned to Delmarva Shorebirds.
	01/15/2022	Baltimore Orioles signed free agent 2B Cesar Prieto to a minor league contract.
	01/15/2022	Baltimore Orioles signed free agent 2B Cesar Prieto to a minor league contract.
	05/29/2021	Cuba placed 2B Cesar Prieto on the reserve list.
	01/30/2020	Olmecas de Tabasco signed IF Cesar Prieto.