Brewer Fanatic 2023 Offseason Top 20 Prospect #8 - Luis Lara

Don’t even have to squint to see the Sal Frelick comp for Luis.

Guess the big differences would be switch hitter vs lefty, and then Lara being essentially three years ahead of Sal in terms of age relative to level assuming he opens next year in Wisco at age 19 vs Frelick opening there in 2022 at age 22.

Even if Luis spends a whole year at each level, that would still have him in the MLB conversation around age 22.

I would opine his defense in CF is better than advertised. Really good jumps. Elite speed. Really good range. I saw very little to concern myself with in terms of balls hit at him - his judgments were quite solid; the reads very quick; the jumps instant; and he more often than not made the extremely difficult play look smooth and routine. He made, arguably, the catch of the year tracking a ball to straightaway CF and making the insanely difficult laid out in full straight at the wall grab (can't find the highlight, naturally). It was incredible. His jumps to every direction are more than adequate. He also has a surprisingly very good arm - definitely rips. This was, for me, perhaps the most surprisingly impressive part of his game. He pretty much has a cannon. There just isn't much to gripe about on the defensive side of the ball. This is one of the more exciting prospects in the system given the entirety of what we're witnessing.

Here's some defensive examples of get off that are actually available and demonstrate what I'm talking about:

Straight over the head? No problems

Anyhow, on a nightly basis we Mudcats viewers were extremely spoiled by the defensive web gems we saw routinely up the middle - from Sibrian at the backstop to Areinamo anywhere in the middle infield to from Lara in CF. Three defensive savants.

7 minutes ago, Smichaelis9 said:

I think he's a future 70 grade glove, and that he gets absolutely great reads. But the only slight concern (which has been backed up by a couple in person looks) is really the reads he gets on balls hit right in front and right over his head. I'm not sure the first video that cuts to Lara 2 seconds after it's hit is able to show that he got a good read. The last one he definitely got a good read on. But highlights will tend to be showing the good ones haha. 

 

Fair enough. I mean, you have to fill out and add some body to 'What to Work On' (😅) and you have some in person looks and this is a fun thing to discuss regardless of where we disagree. There was a guy (best said in East Coast accent) this season making a point about Chourio and his jumps and how they were a question mark and, at the time and to this day, it felt like a major reach - almost like we have to find flaws in the players. I am not saying you are doing this here, btw, but when I read that from this guy (again, 'this guy' is best said in an East Coast accent) I found myself thinking: "I've watched nearly every single game of his since he's played Low-A. Have I thought his defense was overrated at times? Yes, absolutely - especially his affiliated Freshman year when I personally felt Wiemer and Crow-Armstrong were more deserving of a Minor League gold glove. BUT, the thing is he's actually continued to get better building off a very good base. Not one single time did I watch a Chourio game and think: Geee, he really needs to improve those reads it's negatively impacting this game." 😅 Anywho, this is a long-winded way of saying: having watched nearly all of Lara's games in 2023, I never once came away thinking any of his current defensive skills were anything other than quite simply put the best outfielder on that grass (and this with Avina and Nicasia at the corners - very good defensive players). But, to your point, let's hope as he ages he just keeps getting better and everything gets even smoother. Given the coach in you, I'll trust that part of your eyes and defer. 

8 minutes ago, Smichaelis9 said:

 I would personally call Lara the best defensive outfielder in the system, and that is definitely saying something, given there's a lot of defensive talent at every level.

We can certainly make this argument. I was already feeling him the first couple of weeks in Zebulon. And, then I saw him fire off his cannon arm and I was stunned. I had that very thought then.

He solidified himself as the season went on. He's an absolute weapon out there. 

21 hours ago, Smichaelis9 said:

I would personally call Lara the best defensive outfielder in the system

I trust your judgement, and yet, I find this very hard to believe!