David Guzmán, a new Blue Jays signee. Video from aqagency on Instagram.
Blue Jays Nation’s Pre-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 43: David Guzmán
Jan 25, 2024, 18:00 ESTUpdated: Jan 27, 2024, 12:49 EST
There were a couple of outfielders from the 2023 International Free Agent class that made their mark this past season.
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 David Guzmán.
Getting to know David Guzmán…
Position: Outfielder
Bats: Left
Born: February 7, 2006
Acquired: 2023 International Free Agency
2023 Team: Dominican Summer League Blue Jays
Previous Ranking: Unranked
The 17-year-old outfielder signed with the Blue Jays during the 2023 International Free Agency period for $650,000, and he looked fantastic in his first season in the organization.
Guzmán made his professional debut in 2023 with the Dominican Summer League Blue Jays, where he slashed .292/.403/.390 with two homers in 231 plate appearances for a 119 wRC+. One benchmark I look for in a rookie ball position player is how much they walk and strike out. Guzmán walked more (11.7 BB%) than he struck out (10.8 K%), so that’s a great sign.
The Venezuelan-native started 45 games (of 50) in right field, or 364.1 innings. While he made two errors, Guzmán picked up an incredible seven outfield assists, leading me to believe he has a strong arm. He also played five games in centre field, but the Blue Jays’ top International Free Agent from 2023, Enmanuel Bonilla, locked down centre.
So far in his young career, Guzmán only ranks on one list, which is The Sports Network’s list by Scott Mitchell. According to Mitchell, Guzmán has “a compact cut that will remind you of Kole Calhoun”. Standing at just 5’7”, 160 lbs, he’s not going to hit for a ton of power in the future as he’ll likely be a hit-over-power type player the Jays are fond of.
It’ll be interesting to see where Guzmán starts his 2024 season, but we may very likely see him pop up in the Florida Complex League if the Jays think he’s advanced enough. Moreover, depending on where top prospect Bonilla lands, Guzmán may be playing more centre field in 2024.
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