Niko Vasquez (Credit: Jason Wise)
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Biographical Data | |
| Player Name: | Niko Vasquez |
| Position: | Shortstop |
| School: | Durango HS (Nev.) |
| School Type: | High school |
| Academic Class: | Senior |
| Birthdate: | 02/26/89 |
| Height: | 6'0" |
| Weight: | 175 lbs. |
| Bats: | Right |
| Throws: | Right |
| Report Date(s): | 03/07 - 03/31/08 |
| Game(s): | Western High School |
Focus Area |
Comments |
| Hitting Ability: | Vasquez does have some hitting ability, but a tendency to get heavy with his stride and out on his front foot holds him back some. |
| Power: | He doesn't look like he should, but he's got power now, mostly to the pull side because of his hitting mechanics. He even shows power with wood. |
| Running Speed: | He is a well below-average runner, perhaps due to lack of leg strength. |
| Base running: | He's fine on the bases, but the lack of speed is apparent. |
| Arm Strength: | He has a plus arm now and the ball explodes out of his hand. |
| Fielding: | He's a good defender with good hands. |
| Range: | His lack of speed does not show defensively as he has good range and gets to balls. |
| Physical Description: | Vasquez is kind of a smaller, less physical version of Nomar Garciaparra with a medium-boned frame. |
| Medical Update: | Healthy. |
| Strengths: | His bat, most noticably his above-average power; his plus arm and good defensive actions. |
| Weaknesses: | His lack of speed and physicality. |
| Summary: | Vasquez played in his first game of the season at the end of March because he was academically inelligible. When he's on the field, he shows a bat that could translate into a .270 hitter with 20-25 home run pop down the line. He has well below-average speed, which turns some off when considering him as a shortstop, but he's got the arm and the actions to stay there for now. If he fills out, he could handle a move to third, both with the glove and what's expected from that position offensively, in the future. |