Rymer Liriano Is Starting To Figure It Out
By Aaron Somers
Back on July 20th, I discussed how White Sox prospect Juan Silverio had been written off too early and how his 2011 performance indicated that he was still a prospect to watch.
Padres prospect Rymer Liriano is a similar case. There are a few semantic differences–Liriano hasn’t been promoted to High-A yet (although he’s played there before), is two months younger, and plays outfield instead of third base–but he’s a very similar case study in how struggles against older competition don’t doom a prospect forever.
Liriano first burst on the scene in 2009, when he hit .350 in the Arizona League as an 18-year-old, also showing gap power and good speed. But he had an undiscplined approach at the plate, with a 52/15 K/BB.
That approach caught up to Liriano in 2010, as he struggled in both Low-A and High-A. He hit .191/.234/.293 in Low-A and .220/.291/.320 in a brief stint in High-A, combining for a 66/15 K/BB in 66 games.
Still, though, he hit .271/.335/.394 after a demotion to short-season Eugene, impressive for a 19-year-old but still not stellar. Still, eliminate the early-season woes at the full-season affiliate (which were just a result of aggressive promotions) and he still would look like a good prospect.
Despite the outfielder’s struggles on the aggressive schedule, the Padres started Liriano out in High-A Lake Elsinore this season, where he struggled again, going 7-for-55.
But with a demotion to Low-A, he caught fire. Liriano’s hit .331/.393/.528, including .364/.416/.580 in 35 games after the All-Star Break. He’s also swiped 48 bases in 63 attempts.
While he’s not exactly Dustin Pedroia with his batting eye, Liriano’s improved to the point where his aggressiveness doesn’t completely compromise his tools. His K/BB in Low-A is a reasonable 76/34 in 85 games, including a 28/15 mark since the break. He’s clearly making progress in that area of the game.
Despite his many stops and starts, Liriano’s still just a bit over a month past his 20th birthday, so he’s still young for his level. He’s got a complete set of tools that he’s beginning to supplement with baseball smarts. He’s a very exciting prospect whose resurgence certainly will aid his rise up prospect lists.
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