In the last edition of Meet the Tampa Bay Rays Farm System, highly rated prospect Brendan McKay was put under the spotlight. This week features a look at Vidal Brujan, who is ranked 41st in the MLB top 100 prospect list.
Background
Brujan was born on February 9, 1998 in San Pedro de Macoris of the Dominican Republic. He then signed with the Rays in 2014 as a free agent.
The five-foot-nine switch hitter has quickly made a name for himself in the Rays organization. Brujan is a second baseman but has also played third and shortstop over the years. As of today, he is currently playing for the Double-A Montgomery Biscuits.
Playing Career
Brujan started his career with the Rays in 2015, where he played in the Dominican Summer League. That year, Brujan batted .301 with two home runs and 20 RBI. In the field, Brujan ended the year with 72 putouts, 102 assists, and a .941 fielding percentage.
Then, in 2016, Brujan continued to shine in the Gulf Coast League. Here he batted .282 with one home run and eight RBI. As for his fielding, he improved from 2015 by earning a .959 fielding percentage with 85 putouts and 148 assists.
In 2017 Brujan took his talents to the New York-Penn League. Here he batted .285 with three home runs and 20 RBI. As for his fielding, Brujan racked up a .967 fielding percentage with 109 putouts and 182 assists. Brujan made the Midseason All-Star Team for the first time in his career.
In 2018, Brujan put up the best numbers of his career. He played in both Class A-Advanced and Class A (Full). Over the year, he put up an impressive .320 batting average with nine home runs and 53 RBI. He also put up his best numbers in the field, with a .972 fielding percentage, 168 putouts and, 182 assists. For the second year in a row, Brujan made the Mid-season All-Star team. He also made the Postseason All-Star team for the first time in his career. Brujan also won a few other awards that include MLB.com’s organization All-Star and Baseball America’s Low Class-A All-Star.
What to Look for Today
This season Brujan has played in Class A and Double-A. So far he is batting .278 with four home runs and 31 RBI. In the field, Brujan is fielding .980 at second base and .899 at shortstop.
Vidal Brujan is an excellent hitter and has improved his power over these last two years. 2018 was his best, but this year he has already matched his second-highest total.
While Brujan might not be the best of fielders, he is a consistent hitter. If he can continue to improve on his fielding, then he can quickly become a great all-around player.
With Brujan currently in Double-A, Rays fans can expect him to be a few years out from the majors. He will still need some time in Double-A until he is called up next, so look for him to be a potential call-up in about three years.
Overall
Vidal Brujan is a solid player who can hit the ball and has greatly improved his power. At 21 years old, he will soon be entering his prime, so look for his talent only to continue to grow. There is a reason Brujan is ranked in the top 50 prospects by MLB.com, and for his current contract of only $15,000, he is a solid pickup. The decorated second baseman definitely has a shot at the majors.
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