Gabriel Lino is the #10 prospect

[allstar1579]

Glad to see him put up that sort of production; at the age of 18 [turning 19 in May] he is very young for A ball. He is someone who could easily skyrocket up the prospect list if he has a great year.

I've heard a few scouts very high on him already this season.

[hoosiers]

Tony, we need a bigger report on Lino. This is ridiculous production for 18 years old in the Sally League.

FO had confidence to make him the clean-up hitter on a team with a second round college bat and a $2M HS bonus baby and he is producing in a big way.

.396 obp for the season. .967 ops.

[McNulty]

Jason Parks ‏ @ProfessorParks
The more I ask around, the better the reports I get on #Orioles catching prospect Gabriel Lino. ++ arm and legit pop in bat.

[Lucky Jim]

Jason Parks ‏ @ProfessorParks
The more I ask around, the better the reports I get on #Orioles catching prospect Gabriel Lino. ++ arm and legit pop in bat.

According to Shorebirds radio, the team/pitchers are all raving about Lino's work behind the plate, helping a young staff.

[Tony-OH]

Tony, we need a bigger report on Lino. This is ridiculous production for 18 years old in the Sally League.

FO had confidence to make him the clean-up hitter on a team with a second round college bat and a $2M HS bonus baby and he is producing in a big way.

.396 obp for the season. .967 ops.

I liked what I saw for the most part. He's definitely got a mature body and some real pop in his bat. He needs to get rid of this little loop thing he does right before he loads. Sometimes he's late doing it and can't get the bat moving to get to a good fastball inside. He's got plenty of bat speed though so it's more of a set up issue that's easily correctable. He still struggles occasionally with the breaking pitches. Defensively he's got some work to do on receiving and blocking balls, but he moves well behind the plate and he's got plenty of arm. I like him a lot.

[McNulty]

Prospect #4: C Gabriel Lino
Background with Player: Industry sources
Who: Signed out of Venezuela in 2009, the big-bodied 18-year-old catcher started turning heads last summer in the Gulf Coast League, where he showed patience and power at the plate, and above-average defensive tools behind it. Scouts speak of his mature approach to hitting, which is to say that he has a plan at the plate. Along with the plan comes power potential, and a swing that is easy and efficient, one that can produce loud contact. The footwork behind the plate is still raw, and was described as a bit clumsy at times, but the arm is incredibly strong and his game-calling has received high marks. Lino is far from a refined product, but he’s set to shoot up prospect lists this season, and if you value catchers with plus-plus arms and power potential, this is a player worth keeping an eye on.

What Could Go Wrong in 2012: I’ve never seen Lino in person, so I had to turn to my sources, and the reports I received were all very positive and all mentioned his strong arm, his mature approach and legit pop; they also lauded the way his hands work and his ability to generate bat speed. But at least two sources noted his struggles against breaking balls, suggesting he stays timed to the fastball regardless of the sequence or situation. I dug deeper looking for holes, finding question makes about his receiving skills and footwork, but having those concerned immediately countered by tales of his strong arm and mature game calling skills. He can and will be exploited at the full-season level if he struggles with breaking balls, but that’s not exactly a unique means of exploitation against a young hitter, and given that one of his strengths is the ability to make adjustments, both at the plate and behind it, Lino’s in a good position to cover the holes in his game. This is a very interesting prospect, with quality tools on both sides of the ball, and he’s performing well in game action as an 18-year-old in a full-season league. He’s still unrefined and has a long way to go, but Lino could emerge as a very bright spot in a system that is woefully thin when it comes to high-ceiling Latin American talent.

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/ar...rticleid=16657