Derek
Figueroa

5’11 155-pound athletic frame. Starts with a wide pick, using a knee to knee leg kick to load into back side. Barrel gets vertical as leg lifts, adding rhythm to his load. Middle approach with intent. Exit velo was 83 MPH. Good athlete in the field, using momentum well for his 85 MPH arm across the infield. Will need to improve footwork if he wants to stay at SS but has enough arm to stay there. 6.96 60.

On the mound is where Figueroa’s future may be. Flashing a fastball with life up to 87 MPH. Throws with intent. Fastball control can be an issue, struggling to throw strikes to get to his best pitch, his breaking ball. Breaking ball has depth and hard bite at 77-79 MPH. It’s been a proven swing as miss pitch, if he can get to it. Change up has good fade and arm speed at 73-74 MPH. Will need to control emotions better to get most out of ability.

1/27/19 – 5’11 155-pound frame. Athletic with easy actions on the mound, in the infield and batters box. ¾ arm angle and drops down on occasion. Ball jumps out of hand with easy and clean arm swing. Late life to fastball at 83-85 MPH. Worked down in the zone well, forcing soft contact and ground balls. Stride is in line, landing slightly closed with his foot. Gets into front leg athletically, blocking it off to get everything out of the lower half. 12-6 breaking ball at 69-73 MPH.
Starts with a balance stance with feet just outside shoulder width. Hands just off shoulder, working up into his load. Sequences lower half well, delaying upper half as long as he can until releasing to start hands down behind the zone. 88 MPH exit velo. Active feet, working around the baseball. Uses momentum well with footwork working towards 1B. Left foot heel to toe as fielding the baseball helps stay in rhythm and continue momentum.

10/14/18 - Listed 5-foot-11, 155-pound frame. Shows the type of tools that could project to a number of positions. His 83 mph OF velo and 85 mph exit velo were near the top for 2021 prospects and we've previously seen him run under 7.0 and work into the mid-80's on the mound. At the plate shows balance and intent. Barrel tracks out of the strike zone at times, causing inconsistent contact. Increased offensive consistency could make Figueroa a true two-way prospect. Fastball sat 82-83 mph, flashing cutting action to glove side. Some stiffness in lower half causes quick hip and him to spin off on heel at times. Mixed in 66-68 mph curveball with 11-5 shape and straight 70-72 mph changeup in zone.

6/6/18 - 5-foot-11, 150-pound athletic frame. Projects to add considerable strength. Impressed showing ability as both a middle infielder and a RHP. Offensively he used a leg kick loading pattern and stride and a linear swing path that got on plane early. Swing has flattened out since we last saw him. Should produce plenty of line drive contact; 86 mph exit velocity. Defensively profiles well as a second baseman. Showed solid actions and rhythm, fielding the ball a hair deep at times. Could stay over ball and funnel it into his body better before transfer. Replaces feet and plays through ball. Loose, quick arm action; 82 mph infield velocity. Ran an impressive 6.96 60-yard dash. Athleticism and mobility is apparent on the mound. Dynamic lower half; able to create considerable knee flexion in the rear knee and still drive out of the position, separates well, lead leg full stabilizes and extends into ball release. Short arm action, present arm speed. Sat 82-83 with his fastball. Curveball was thrown at 69-71 mph with proper 11/5 spin and shape. Change up worked 70-72 mph flashing some fade. Interesting skill set all the way around.

1/28/18 - 5-foot-10, 140-pound frame. Showed impressive arm strength and athleticism (7.11 60-yard dash) in PBR’s first look at the young freshman prospect. Currently more advanced on the mound where he shows an athletic delivery and impressive arm speed, sitting 78-81, T82 with his fastball from a high 3/4 arm slot.. Lower half does not always work in sync as he strides slightly open, but lands with a closed toe which creates some inconsistencies. With his level of athleticism this should be corrected with continued development. Also mixed in 69-73 mph curveball and 73-74 mph changeup. Breaking balls shows proper rotation and chance to develop depth with his hand speed. Also showed some fast-twitch ability as a position player, turning in an 83 mph outfield velo with athletic actions. Offensively he uses a big leg kick to load all his weight into his back side. Gets foot down late at times, creating a slightly steep path. Definite follow moving forward.