Signed as an international free agent out of Venezuela in 2014, Olivares produced mixed results early in his career but still made steady progress through Toronto's system. The Padres' took note of a solid ‘17 campaign, in which Olivares finally tapped into his power, and they acquired him in a trade for Yangervis Solarte the following January. Since then, Olivares has mostly thrived in the Padres’ system, and he posted a .283/.349/.453 slash line for Double-A Amarillo last season.
Wiry and athletic, Olivares stands out for his athleticism and tools. He combines bat speed with a short right-handed swing to produce lots of hard contact. He generates good extension through the ball and drives it to all fields. Scouts believe there'll be more power to come as he continues to add strength, but he could use a bit more plate discipline.
Olivares boasts well above-average speed on the basepaths, as well as in the outfield, where he possesses the necessary range for all three positions and a strong enough arm to play right. There’s still enough potential for Olivares to be an everyday outfielder in the big leagues, but he’ll need to start tapping into that ability soon.
Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 50 | Run: 60 | Arm: 60 | Field: 55 | Overall: 45
Signed as an international free agent out of Venezuela in 2014, Olivares produced mixed results early in his career, but still made steady progress through Toronto's system. The Padres' took note of a solid 2017 campaign, in which Olivares finally tapped into his power and launched 17 home runs between Class A and Class A Advanced. They acquired him in a trade for Yangervis Solarte the following January.
Olivares' upward trend continued, as he notched a solid season with Class A Advanced Lake Elsinore before an outstanding showing in the Venezuelan Winter League. He batted .340/.404/.479 for Aragua, and when the Padres needed to protect Olivares from the Rule 5 Draft in November, they did so without hesitation, placing him on the 40-man roster.
Wiry and athletic, Olivares stands out as much for his remaining physical projection as he does for his present athleticism and tools. He combines bat speed with a short right-handed swing to produce lots of hard contact, generating good extension through the ball and driving it to all fields. Scouts believe there'll be more power to come as he continues to add strength to his lean frame. But he could use a bit more plate discipline. Olivares boasts well above-average speed on the basepaths as well as in the outfield, where he possesses the necessary range for all three positions and a strong enough arm to play right.
Signed as an international free agent out of Venezuela in 2014, Olivares produced mixed results early in his career, but still made steady progress through Toronto's system. He put it all together during his 2017 full-season debut, beginning the year with Class A Lansing before advancing to the Class A Advanced Florida State League in August. Altogether, the toolsy outfielder led all Blue Jays farmhands in both runs scored (93) and triples (10) while finishing second in home runs (17) and third in RBIs (72). Olivares' performance caught the attention of the Padres, and they acquired him and reliever Jared Carkuff for Yangervis Solarte in January.
Wiry and athletic, Olivares stands out as much for his remaining physical projection as he does for his present athleticism and tools. He combines bat speed with a short right-handed swing to produce lots of hard contact, generating good extension through the ball and driving it to all fields. He began to tap into his above-average raw power and cleared fences more regularly in 2017, and scouts believe there'll be more power to come once he adds strength to his lean frame and better learns to leverage his swing.
Olivares knows how to use his well above-average speed on the basepaths as well as in the outfield, where he possesses the necessary range for all three positions and a strong enough arm to play right. Despite his capacity to contribute in all phases of the game, Olivares' power-speed combo is his true calling card and could make him a regular at maturity.
Signed as an international free agent out of Venezuela in 2014, Olivares produced mixed results early in his career, but still made steady progress through Toronto's system. He put it all together during his 2017 full-season debut, beginning the year with Class A Lansing before advancing to the Florida State League in August. Altogether, the toolsy outfielder led all Blue Jays farmhands in both runs scored (93) and triples (10) while finishing second in home runs (17) and third in RBIs (72). Olivares' performance caught the attention of the Padres, and they acquired him and reliever Jared Carkuff for Yangervis Solarte in January.
