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Get To Know No. 2 In New York's Class Of 2015 Rankings

December 1, 2014


Dan Cevette
Director, New York

Name: Wesley Rodriguez
High School: George Washington
Hometown: Bronx
Position: RHP/3B
Best Tool: Power Arm - Power Bat
State Rank: 2

Scouting Report on Rodriguez
+ Rodriguez showed some versatility at the Tournament of Stars, playing first base and pitcher in games, but also participating in catcher workouts. He has a thick frame with a strong lower half at 6-foot-1, 180 pounds. On the mound, he sat 89-91, dipping to about 86-89 out of the stretch. His curveball has good 11-to-5 shape and sharpness, sitting 74-77. At the plate, he has a medium leg kick and smooth swing that produces power. His arm strength translates to the field. As a catcher, he is understandably raw, with a long exchange and inverted elbow, but he was still around 2.0 seconds on his throws. Recently Rodriguez made a jump topping out at 94 mph down in Jupiter, only raising his baseball stock for the upcoming spring.

Analysis:
Rodriguez is an exceptionally gifted two-way player. There is certainly projection from the Bronx native regarding his stock at the pro-level, but there are still some questions that need some answers. On one hand he shows a clean, power-arm with a fastball heating up to 94 mph this summer, with signs of a sweeping slider. His long-term projection would be as a  reliever in the back-end of a bullpen, which might not justify the natural God-given tools he has. His ability at the plate, combined with his above-average hands and arm strength, make him extremely desirable to organizations as a position player. As discussions heat up regarding his next-level status one thing is clear, Rodriguez is destined to do some special things on the baseball field.

PBR sat down with Rodriguez, the No. 2 ranked player in New York's class of 2015, to take a deeper look into his high-level game. Here's what we learned.

PBR: Tell us where you grew up, when did you start playing baseball, and who were your baseball influences and why.

Rodriguez: I live in the Bronx but I grew up in 188 st. between St. Nicholas and Audubon. I started playing baseball at the age of 4 years old . The person who influenced me to play was my big brother Xyruse anything he did I followed closely.

PBR: You have been receiving a lot of positive press lately. How does it feel?

Rodriguez: The positive press that I've been receiving feels really great and I was brought up in a humble family and I'm a very humble person myself so it’s an honor, but I’m focused on getting better every day.

PBR: You picked Pittsburgh a few months ago, tell us your top three, best offers, and why Pitt?

Rodriguez: I picked Pitt because it was the best decision for me and my family and it felt like a perfect place for me. It’s relatively close to home but not too close, so I felt it was exactly what I was looking for.

PBR: We know your very talented on the mound but we have seen you swing an impressive bat over the summer. Where do you see yourself at the next level and why?

Rodriguez: I think at the next level I'll be play third-base because I'm one of those baseball players that wants to be involved in every play on the field, everyday because my passion and love for the game is so great. I truly love playing the game.

PBR: Your ranked No. 2 in New York by PBR. How does that feel considering the size and talent in the state?

Rodriguez: Being ranked No. 2 is a great honor and I'm grateful just for being on the map and noticed in the state. We have all types of talent and I'm very grateful to god who gave me my talents.

PBR: What's your training look like this winter? Goals for the spring?

Rodriguez: My training this winter has been more intense than any year prior. I'm pushing my body to the fullest and not looking back, I’m going to make sure I say I gave it my all I have this year. My goals for the spring are that there are no-limits on the field. I’m going to look and best and play I can and go hard or go home.

PBR: Tell us something about yourself others don't know but would like to know.

Rodriguez: Something that people don't know is that I'm a good role model to others, and I love to play other sports, just love having fun. I'm one of those kids that no matter where you see me I will have a big smile on my face. I really enjoy life.

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