The Royals took a big swing on No. 7 international prospect Yandel Ricardo with a $2.4 million bonus but didn’t stop there with the seven-figure deals, also giving $1,312,500 to Ugarte out of the Dominican Republic in January, two months short of his 17th birthday. The 6-foot-2 infielder has enjoyed a standout season in the Dominican Summer League, slashing .315/.430/.414 with 21 walks and 23 strikeouts through 33 games as of July 30. He was named a DSL midseason All-Star in his first taste of pro ball.
The right-handed slugger has already grown into above-average raw power from the right side, and while that’s only resulted in one homer early on, it’s easier to see him challenging at least 20 by the time he matures much further down the road. His near-equal K/BB ratio speaks to his solid swing, and while DSL pitchers can certainly get wild, he deserves credit for not expanding the zone himself at such a young age.
Ugarte played a lot of shortstop as an amateur, but he’s gotten the bulk of time over at third base during his first professional summer because of a lack of footspeed. He’s still a solid fit at the hot corner because of above-average arm strength, and his power could make his offensive profile work despite the move down the defensive spectrum. Ugarte will face a bigger test when he moves stateside, but for now, he’s checked a lot of boxes in the early going.
