Yankees minor league outfielder Jose Tabata rates as the 23rd best prospect according to SI.com’s Bryan Smith.
23. Jose Tabata, 18, of, New York Yankees
2006 Stats (A-): .298/.377/.420, 15 SB in 319 ABLike Rasmus, Tabata is a polished beyond his years. He’s a good right fielder with solid baserunning instincts and excellent patience, but the big question will be his power development. The phenom has an odd body type but should have enough core strength to be a home run threat down the road.
Tabata is a very highly rated prospect. This is mostly due to his potential. People still should be careful before anointing Tabata. He is only 18 years old and has never played above A ball. He has a lot of development to go through before he becomes a big leaguer, let alone an impact player. If he develops properly, he will be a very special player. However, a lot of touted prospects fizzle out because people misjudge how they will grow. A lot of variables go into something like that. Players just beginning the process like Tabata are the toughest to project because they have the longest path to follow and have not been able to prove themselves against top competition. It is the same thing as an NBA team taking a high school player. There is a lot of potential, but it is tough to tell whether that potential will ever be reached. Plenty can go wrong. With that said, Tabata’s defensive ability and patience are very good signs that he will come through successfully.
