Signed for $415,000 in July 2017, Barrosa didn’t truly break out in the Arizona system until five years later over a full season at Double-A Amarillo in which he slashed .276/.374/.438 with 12 homers and 22 steals in 110 games. That earned him Rule 5 protection with a 40-man roster spot in November 2022, and last season, the D-backs sent the outfielder to Triple-A Reno, where he was again a solid performer (.274/.394/.456, 13 homers, 15 steals in 120 games) in a hitter-friendly environment.
Barrosa stands in the box at just 5-foot-5, giving him a small strike zone to begin with, and as a switch-hitter, he’s able to place the barrel well to most areas of the zone and sometimes out of it. While he chased some, he only had whiff rates above 30 percent on sliders and curveballs at Triple-A. That’s helped him keep his K rate below 20 percent at every full-season stop so far. Barrosa shows more slugging ability from his left side -- where he hit 11 of his 13 homers in ’23 -- and even so, he packs a modest punch with his .413 SLG away from Reno, a better indication of his true ability.
The Venezuela native plays with high energy and is a delight to watch cover the outfield, using tremendous instincts to head toward balls in the gap and plus speed to close them down. Below-average arm strength dulls things a little defensively, but there’s still Gold Glove upside if he plays everyday. That will come down to the impact in Barrosa’s bat, but it isn’t hard to see him being valuable as switch-hitting, glove-first fourth outfielder either.
Arizona signed Barrosa for $415,000 in July 2017, and he’s climbed meticulously through the D-backs Minor League ranks in almost six years. While he finally made his full-season debut in 2021, the Venezuela native’s breakout campaign came a year later, when he played 110 games for Double-A Amarillo and hit .276/.374/.438 with 12 homers and 22 steals. The D-backs added him to their 40-man roster in the offseason, protecting him from the Rule 5 Draft in his second year of eligibility.
Barrosa moved to switch-hitting full time in 2018, and he’s developed well from both sides of the plate, though he has a touch more from the right side (where he is more of a natural in the box). That said, his best offensive asset continues to be his advanced approach and discerning eye, which have helped him post healthy walk and strikeout rates in recent years. Standing just 5-foot-9, he’ll never be much of a power hitter, and it’s worth noting he slugged just .389 away from the hitters' haven that is Amarillo last year.
The center fielder is an exceptional defender in the middle of the grass – one with great instincts off the bat and the plus closing speed to chase down balls from gap to gap. He’s long considered to have one of the best gloves in the system, but Corbin Carroll and Druw Jones (two players with better bats and even more speed) have better claims on the starting center-field job in the desert. Barrosa’s average bat could still work in a corner, if needed, or he could be a super sub off the bench with his ability to switch-hit and provide instant impact on the basepaths and in the field.
The Venezuela native signed with the D-backs for $415,000 in July 2017 and has climbed steadily through Arizona’s Minor League ranks since, including an early trip stateside to the Arizona and Pioneer Leagues one year after signing. Barrosa has been young for virtually every level he’s played at, and although he was left unprotected when he first became Rule 5-eligible last offseason, his solid age-21 performance at Double-A has helped push him back into Arizona’s prospect ranks.
Barrosa moved from hitting right-handed to switch-hitting in 2018 and has become almost splitter-proof as a result. He shows a little more power from his natural side, but at just 5-foot-9 with overall slashing tendencies, that isn’t his strength anyway. Barrosa is at his best offensively when he’s protecting the plate and showing a good approach that results in a healthy amount of walks and relatively low K’s. While his impact has improved offensively, Barrosa still hits a plurality of ground balls and uses his plus speed to pick up the occasional extra hit.
The center fielder has been good for one or two highlight-worthy catches every week because of those wheels and good instincts off the bat. The D-backs have long considered him one of the best defenders in the organization. Arizona already has a couple of good defensive outfield corner youngsters in Corbin Carroll, Alek Thomas -- not to mention 2022 No. 2 overall Draft pick Druw Jones -- so Barrosa might have to move to a corner eventually. But even with a plus glove and average bat, the 21-year-old could prove to be a useful fourth outfielder and occasional leadoff hitter in the bigs.
2020
The D-backs were aggressive in the international market at the start of the 2017 signing period, with Bahamian Kristian Robinson the big catch, getting a seven-figure bonus. They also got Barrosa, an intriguing outfield prospect, signing him out of Venezuela for $415,000. He impressed in all facets of the game during his 2018 pro debut, beginning as a 17-year-old in the Dominican Summer League before moving stateside and finishing the season in the Pioneer League. Advancing to the Class A Short Season Northwest League in 2019, Barrosa held his own as an 18-year-old against advanced competition.
Barrosa already shows good feel to hit, with natural bat-to-ball skills and an advanced approach at the plate. A natural right-handed hitter, he began switch-hitting in 2018 and generates a lot of pull-side ground-ball contact from both sides of the plate. His plus speed resulted in a 39-for-47 success rate on the bases in his pro debut and should allow him to stick in center field, where he has good instincts and an average arm.
Barrosa has a long way to go before it's clear what kind of player he will be. If he continues to progress, he has the chance to be a slash-and-dash, top-of-the-order hitter who sticks in center field.
The D-backs were aggressive in the international market at the start of the 2017 signing period, with Bahamian Kristian Robinson the big catch, getting a seven-figure bonus. They also got Barrosa, an intriguing outfield prospect in his own right, signing him out of Venezuela for $415,000. Making his pro debut in 2018, Barrosa impressed in all facets of the games in the Dominican Summer League before moving stateside and finishing his age-17 season in the Pioneer League.
Barrosa is already showing a good feel to hit, with natural bat-to-ball skills and an advanced approach at the plate. He is now a switch-hitter and took quickly to hitting left-handed for the first time in 2018, all while demonstrating excellent on-base skills but also little power from both sides of the plate. He was successful in 39 of 47 steal attempts thanks to a combination of plus speed and strong instincts that also serve him well in center field, where he has a chance to be plus defender.
Barrosa has a long way to go before it's clear what kind of player he will be. If he continues to progress, he has the chance to be a top-of-the-order type in center field.
The D-backs were aggressive in the international market at the start of the 2017 signing period, with Bahamian Kristian Robinson the big catch, getting a seven-figure bonus. They also got Barrosa, an intriguing outfield prospect in his own right, signing him out of Venezuela for $415,000.
Just getting started on his pro career in the Dominican Summer League in 2018, Barrosa is already showing a good feel to hit and an advanced approach at the plate. He is now a switch-hitter, hitting left-handed for the first time, with excellent on-base skills. His strong instincts serve him well on the bases and in center field, where he profiles well even with less-than-blazing speed.
Barrosa has a long way to go before it's clear what kind of player he will be. If he continues to progress, he has the chance to be a top-of-the-order type in center field.
! Note: Shifts are through the 2022 season, Shaded starting from the 2023 season, Shift: three or more infielders are on the same side of second base, Shade: positioned outside of their typical responsible slices of the field. Learn more about how positioning is defined here
