Angels prospect rockets homer estimated 440 feet in Fall League

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- When Adrian Placencia connected on a 3-2 offering in the eighth inning Thursday night at Camelback Ranch, he had assuredly given Scottsdale the lead with a solo home run. But just how far would his rocket travel?

When the reading registered an estimated 440 feet, there was one obvious question to be asked: Was that the farthest wallop that the 5-foot-11, 173-pound Placencia had hit in his career?

"I think so, but I'm still gonna work out in the gym to [hit it] further," said a laughing Placencia via interpreter Annalee Ramirez, who also serves as the Arizona Fall League's media communications coordinator.

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Placencia has proved one thing without question since his first foray into pro ball: when he makes contact, the ball is more often than not blistered. His first fall circuit homer came off the bat at a reported 104 mph, sailing beyond the berm in right-center field and giving the Scorpions a 3-2 lead they would lock down over the final two frames.

On the flip side of those eye-popping exit velocities is a propensity to swing and miss. Placencia's 29.1 percent K rate between two levels this year will need to be ironed out as he moves up the organizational ladder, but they do come with a healthy dose of walks. The Angels' No. 10 prospect placed second in the organization with 86 base on balls, while his 17.1 percent walk rate was the second-highest mark in the Northwest League.

"I'm a really patient hitter," Placencia said. "I'm OK with waiting for my pitch. And if that means going for a walk, I will go for the walk."

That dedication to waiting for the right offering is best illuminated through his staggering 2023 splits: With the count in his favor, the switch-hitting Placencia produced a 1.032 OPS; when working from behind, that same mark was just .176.

While his bat ultimately proved the difference in a one-run contest, it was first Placencia's glove that made a mark. With Scottsdale holding a two-run lead in the sixth, the 20-year-old ranged up the middle and laid out for a diving stop, shoveling the ball to second for an inning-ending forceout, keeping a run off the board.

Both in the field -- which marks his highest-rated tool -- and on the basepaths, Placencia credits his speed as being an integral gamechanger. He swiped 24 bags for High-A Tri-City during the regular season, giving him back-to-back campaigns surpassing the 20-steal plateau.

"It's a priority," Placencia said of his wheels. "It's something that will help you get a run. It's the difference between getting a run or not. So, I'm gonna steal a base [when I can]."

The Angels gave Placencia a $1.1 million bonus in July 2019 to sign out of the Dominican Republic, and he has since spent his time between both middle-infield spots defensively. Named a MiLB Organization All-Star for his efforts in 2022 with Single-A Inland Empire, he was bumped up to High-A during his age-20 campaign this year.

Prior to arriving in the desert, where he made his stateside debut in the Arizona Complex League in 2021, Placencia got a 14-game stint with Double-A Rocket City under his belt. He recorded hits in each of his first four games with the Trash Pandas and ended his year with a multihit showing, bookending an arduous two-week stretch with positives to be gleaned.

"There's a lot of really skilled athletes there and I got to learn from them," Placencia said. "And so it was a beautiful experience."

Scottsdale received a solid start from Christian McGowan (PHI No. 14), who twirled four scoreless frames with a pair of strikeouts. Glendale's Jordan Carr (Twins) matched him step-for-step with four scoreless innings of his own, as the lone offensive output for the Desert Dogs came on a two-RBI single from MLB's No. 17 overall prospect, Colson Montgomery of the White Sox, the highest-ranked player in attendance on the fall circuit.