Orlando Arcia, Shortstop, Milwaukee Brewers

Age: 21

Height: 6-foot-0 

Weight: 165 lbs.

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

2015 Minor League Stats (AA): 552 PA, .307/.347/.453, 8 HR, 69 RBIs, 74 R, 25 SB

The Milwaukee Brewers are in full-on rebuilding mode and they make no reservations about it. While their projected Opening Day lineup has some upside, Milwaukee’s starting rotation leaves a lot to be desired and will most certainly be the team’s downfall in 2016. On paper, things do not look so good at the major league level, but there is some promise in the minors that should soon arrive and starting with potential phenom at shortstop.

Back in 2010, the Brewers plucked a 16-year-old kid out of Anaco, Anzoategui, Venezuela named Orlando Arcia. At such a young age, it is hard for scouts to get a clear read on future upside, but many within the organization saw plenty of promise in Arcia. His defense at shortstop is what got him signed in the first place and it is clearly ready for the big leagues right now. Outside of deep points leagues, defense means very little in fantasy baseball, but Arcia’s outstanding ability in the field will allow him to become—and stay—a starter for Milwaukee even if his bat doesn’t completely catch up.

Arcia comes from a baseball family. He is the younger brother of Minnesota outfielder Oswaldo Arcia, but his ceiling is much, much higher. While the elder Arcia brother is the same height his younger brother, he is roughly 60 lbs. heavier and hasn’t really shown much staying power in the majors. The younger Arcia, Orlando, has shown similar power to his brother, but possesses much more speed and better plate discipline. The two aren’t really even in the same league defensively.

It will be interesting to see how Arcia’s power develops over the long haul. He isn’t overly tall and will continue to fill out his skinny frame. Currently listed at 160 lbs., an additional 20 lbs. of muscles could be the difference in ‘star’ and ‘superstar.’

At Double-A Biloxi last season, Arcia managed to club a modest eight home runs in 552 at-bats. The number that really stands out, though, is the 37 doubles that he hit. As he continues to develop and get stronger at Triple-A this year and in the majors going forward, many of those doubles are going to fly over the fence. Hitting 20 home runs a year is definitely not out of the question when Arcia hits his peak.

One thing we know that isn’t up for debate is Arcia’s speed. He has swiped at least 20 bases at every level in the Brewers’ minor league system and should have no problem continuing on that path this year. If Arcia can hit more home runs, he could easily be a 20/20 player during his prime earning years.

Plate discipline is always important, but it’s even more impressive when a teenager is able to put up advanced numbers. As an 18-year-old in Single-A Wisconsin, Arcia struck out just 8.2 percent of the time while walking at a 7.2 percent clip. Though his strikeout rate has risen slightly (11.9 at High-A and 13.2 at Double-A) over the last two seasons, Arcia continues to prove how precocious he is at the plate even as the level of competition rises. He is sure to look silly at times given the fact that he’ll be facing the world’s best pitchers, but remember—the cream always rises to the top.

The 2016 season certainly looks to be a down year at the shortstop position. After Carlos Correa—and to a point Troy Tulowitzki—the position takes a steep drop after the top tier. Rest assured though, the reinforcements are on their way led by Arcia and Phillies top prospect J.P. Crawford. Arcia’s glove is ready for the big time, but Milwaukee has zero reason to start his clock early since their chances of competing this season are dismal. Expect to see the 21-year-old budding superstar around the All-Star break if not a few weeks sooner. He’s a dynasty goldmine, but you can avoid him in redraft leagues initially.