Scouting profile: Rowdy Tellez

Background
When Rowdy Tellez was still in his mother's womb he did an awful lot of kicking, moving around and squirming. Consequently, before he was born, his grandmother began calling him "Rowdy." Twenty years later, Ryan Tellez is still known as Rowdy. And that's the name he prefers.

Tellez is a "mountain" of a man. Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing a sturdy 245 pounds, Tellez has a huge frame with large legs and thighs. He knows how to use his size at the plate.

Tellez is a left-handed-hitting first baseman/designated hitter in the Toronto Blue Jays' organization. The Blue Jays selected him in the 30th round out of Elk Grove (Calif.) High School in the 2013 Draft.

Many scouts had Tellez projected as a possible third-round selection, but because he had a commitment to attend the University of Southern California, it may have been viewed as a risk to pick him in an early round.

Hitting
An imposing presence at the plate, Tellez is one of several very capable left-handed-hitting first basemen playing in the 2015 Arizona Fall League.

Thus far in Arizona, I've seen a less aggressive swing than I anticipated. Tellez's pull side power could be game changing. However, he has patience at the plate and can accept a walk.

There is little question Tellez's raw power is his best and most refined tool. His hitting mechanics are still a work in progress. Tellez's hands seem slow through the ball. The slow bat speed results in some late reactions and swings and misses.

Tellez makes good use of his lower half in his swing, getting those huge legs and hips to generate a true power stroke.

I view Tellez as a hitter and not just a slugger. He has compiled a .285 batting average in parts of three Minor League seasons.

Tellez is ranked No. 7 on the Blue Jays' Top 30 Prospects list.

In early August this year, Tellez was sidelined due to a broken right hamate bone. He has been hitting since the beginning of October and is just now beginning to feel comfortable and relatively pain free.

As Tellez advanced in the Blue Jays' organization this past year, he clobbered right-handed pitching for a batting average of .307. Against left-handers his average was only .228. Thirteen of his 14 home runs were hit against right-handed pitching.

Defense
While his power will be his Major League calling card, Tellez is challenged a bit playing first base. His feet are somewhat awkward, and he doesn't have much range. Tellez's overall defense can best be described as a tad below average. His effort is good, but he doesn't flash much athletic prowess at the position. Yet.

It seems that defensive reaction doesn't come naturally to Tellez. He appears to go through a thought process before deciding on a course of action on a given play.

Strengths
Some very significant assets drive Tellez's game. First, his power potential is impressive. And, Tellez has enough hitting upside to be considered a future middle-of-the-order bat. I believe he will improve his pitch recognition, and he can ultimately hit for a solid average.

Weaknesses
Tellez is slow afoot. However, once he gets that big body underway, he may sneak a stolen base or two due to his good baserunning instincts.

Less than stellar defense may relegate Tellez to a role as a permanent designated hitter. However, he still has a great deal of development time to hone his defensive skills.

I find this interesting
Tellez was always bigger than his peers, however, he didn't play football in high school. Actually, he wanted to be a professional dirt bike rider, something he loved.

The future for Tellez
Tellez's power is real. His role may depend upon how much he develops as a defender. Regardless, at the minimum, Tellez can certainly look to a future as a fence-busting designated hitter.

Tellez in a word
Solid