Oliveria taking BP

[Runnin]

Videos taken by Bill Shanks, I assume. Taken prior to Sunday's game at Rome. (You may need to be signed in at scout.com to see them. I dunno.)

As for his swing, not the least complicated mechanics I've ever seen, but very natural. Lot of moving parts. He's certainly a strong looking lad. Built like a baseball player. He looks like a guy who thinks he already knows how to hit, not cocky but not like a guy still trying to figure it out.

If you can't see the above videos, here's one from youtube:

[cajunrevenge]

I am really confident in his bat, its the injury bug that worries me with him.

[smootness]

Interesting. That swing is not exactly the same as the one in the video from Cuba. You see in those videos why some have questioned his bat speed. It looks to me like he's changed his follow-through, I'm guessing to take some pressure off his elbow. Just not the same pop of the earlier video.

[Hawk]

Yup, there's a definite, although subtle, change in his follow-through -- which made me cringe in the older videos given this elbow injury. You wonder if he's done it to take pressure off his elbow, as a suggestion, or if he's feeling discomfort.

[Diesel]

As kind of a swing analysis nerd, I'll weigh in here. The lower body looks fine. But I am not a fan of that bat wrap as it's pretty severe. It costs him a frame or two to get to the ball and to me, it looks like it takes him a little out of his swing path in the initial part of his swing. He finishes fine, but just looking at his hands in relation to his swing path at the beginning, I don't expect him to a hitter with 20+ HR power.

[50PoundHead]

Reminds me a bit of Paul Goldschmidt. He's probably not as strong as Goldschmidt so I don't expect a top-tier HR guy, but he could be a doubles-machine.

[gilesfan]

As kind of a swing analysis nerd, I'll weigh in here. The lower body looks fine. But I am not a fan of that bat wrap as it's pretty severe. It costs him a frame or two to get to the ball and to me, it looks like it takes him a little out of his swing path in the initial part of his swing. He finishes fine, but just looking at his hands in relation to his swing path at the beginning, I don't expect him to a hitter with 20+ HR power.

I bet the questions of bat speed are due to the severe bat wrap. Scouts in the minors had indicated that he was having issues on fastballs inside and I wonder how much of that is due to the wrap. Almost looks like how Julio would start his swing.

[weso1]

Swing reminds me of Escobar

[The Chosen One]

Can't think off the top of my head who curls their knee in on the swing like that. Prado used to do it sometimes. But their swings are nothing a like.

[sturg33]

Swing reminds me of Escobar

same

[Runnin]

Swing reminds me of Escobar

He's a lot stronger than Escobar.

[clvclv]

A bit of time in the cage with Seitzer working on going the other way more will likely quiet the knee a bit and might even eliminate a bit of that wrap.

[Diesel]

Eliminating the bat wrap is a pretty easy fix. Repetition until the muscle memory takes over. It's just a part of his load he needs to tweak.

[sturg33]

Eliminating the bat wrap is a pretty easy fix. Repetition until the muscle memory takes over. It's just a part of his load he needs to tweak.

Glad we traded a haul for a 30 year old that we need to re-condition his swing

[UNCBlue012]

I really like his swing. The mechanics are pretty solid. Definitely a fan there.

[weso1]

He's a lot stronger than Escobar.

Yes. He definitely should hit for more power. A more powerful Escobar is a pretty dang good hitter by the way.

[yeezus]

Glad we traded a haul for a 30 year old that we need to re-condition his swing

me too.

[The Chosen One]

I'm not seeing Yunel Escobar on the swing. Other than a slight inward knee turn. Escobar usually kept both hands on the bat.

[weso1]

Glad we traded a haul for a 30 year old that we need to re-condition his swing

Actually we traded a pitcher who is an injury waiting to happen, a light hitting second baseman and spare parts for a potential multi year all star at third base, a 1st round draft pick, a dominant lefty reliever and a future middle of the rotation starter.

[goldfly]

I'm not seeing Yunel Escobar on the swing. Other than a slight inward knee turn. Escobar usually kept both hands on the bat.

but he is Cuban and so is Yunel

same swing brah