Angels prospect rockets homer estimated 440 feet in Fall League

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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.

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."

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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]."

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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.

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