Blue Jays Nation’s Pre-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 14: Enmanuel Bonilla

Photo credit:MLB Film Room

5 months ago

By signing this player, the Jays spent the most they ever had on one player during the international free agency period.

This is Blue Jays Nation’s annual pre-season list, in which I’ll take a look at the top 50 prospects in the organization. We’ll look at the player’s stats, my observations, and other publications’ scouting reports if available.

Let’s take a look at Enmanuel Bonilla.

Getting to know Enmanuel Bonilla…

Position: Outfielder

Bats: Right

Born: January 22, 2006

Acquired: 2023 International Free Agency

2023 Team: Dominican Summer League Blue Jays

Previous Ranking: 17

The Blue Jays gave Enmanuel Bonilla a signing bonus of $4.1 million during the 2023 period. He didn’t let them down in his first season in the organization, as he played with the Dominican Summer League Jays, slashing .307/.407/.429 with three homers in 226 plate appearances. Moreover, he had an 11.9 BB% and a 24.3 K%.

Of the 50 games he played, Bonilla failed to reach base just twice, games on July 14 and July 27. To start the season, he had a 24-game on base streak and ended the game on a 15-game on base streak.

In his final month from July 21 to August 21, Bonilla slashed .370/.458/.556 with two home runs, two doubles, and five doubles in 96 plate appearances. His K% also dropped to 19.8%, while his BB% increased to 11.5%, all for a 167 wRC+.

So yeah, it looks as if the Jays spent their bonus money well, but where do other publications rank the 18-year-old? Fangraphs has him ranked as the 13th-best Blue Jays prospect, Scott Mitchell has him ranked as the fifth-best Blue Jays prospect, and Baseball America has him ranked as the 11th-best Blue Jays prospect.

Fangraphs note that his raw power is great, already having 50 present value and 70 (!!!) future value, but note that his first season wasn’t great. They pointed to his K% and that he didn’t look like he had a “very advanced feel to hit”. Of course, he was 17 and just starting his professional career, but whatever. Fangraphs also point to his swing being discombobulated with “mis-timed footwork”. Again, he just turned 18, so this is stuff that can be sorted out, and the bulk of the work is still impressive.

Mitchell is a lot higher on Bonilla, looking at the sample size I did as something that could be exciting, as he dropped his K% by quite a lot. It’s also worth pointing out that Mitchell mentioned that Bonilla had a maximum exit velocity of 105 mph, which reinforces the notion that he has significant raw power. Moreover, some scouts believe that centre field will be his home,but the Jays will still get a power hitting corner infielder with a strong arm.

Giving up on young prospects is never a great idea, especially considering that Bonilla actually had a great overall season and ended the year in great form. The 2024 season will be a big one for him, as it’s expected he’ll play for the Florida Complex League Blue Jays.