I know, I know. I am supposed to be writing about Kyle Schwarber this week. Seriously, we are doing 2021 Hitter Profiles and I should be writing about the hottest hitter on the planet. Not counting Friday night where he hit another bomb (watch the video, it was a missile), across the last 14 days the former Cubbie has as many home runs (12) as the #2 and #3 long ball leaders during the same time span. That is like going double Vladdy Jr. So clearly everybody and their mother are writing up Schwarber and I do not want to dedicate more to the subject than has already been said. I will put it simply; he is on a heater and nobody knows when it will stop. He somehow has a .217 BABIP during this time which might explain why he only has 5 other hits. This too shall pass but for now, enjoy enjoy enjoy! Now that we have cleared the virtual air, it is time to toe the line in The Itch’s territory and talk about a player we need to be watching for the Top 100 Hitters for the rest of the season…Vidal Brujan.
Profile
Vidal Brujan’s calling card is his 70-grade speed. He is more Scott Podsednik than Billy Hamilton, but that is like comparing a Ferrari to a McLaren. Both are incredibly fast when the rest of the league is running out a Pinto (or Nick Punto in this analogy). At the end of the day, he will stuff the stat sheet with steals as shown by his 60+ steals over the last two minor league seasons or 140ish games. What is really intriguing is how he backs up that speed with really strong plate discipline. Vidal has never struck out more than 15% of the time in the minors and holds a respectable walk rate. If the story ended here it would be exciting, but the growing power profile makes it downright tantalizing. So far in 2021, we have already witnessed 9 bombs in 40 games showing us a more complete hitter than past seasons.
Projection
Upon promotion to the major leagues, Vidal Brujan would find himself in a strong lineup on a team that is already in the top three for steals on the season. Speed is one of the quickest abilities to translate to the majors so really the question will be about lineup placement and getting on base. I would love to see Vidal leading off and believe he will long-term. However, upon a call-up in 2021, I expect he will need to earn his stripes in the bottom third of the order. For a full season projection, I would be handing Mr. Brujan a line of 94/12/56/.278/46. There is nothing more Scott Podsednik than that!
Opportunity
With Tampa Bat leading the AL East, they are looking to field the best team possible and there is no better evidence than the call-up of Wander Franco. The problem for Vidal is that there is no clear spot for him to fit as we sit here today. Therefore, it is no surprise that he has played all three outfield positions and shortstop at AAA this season. Brujan’s best chance to break in will be a flexible approach like former Ray star Ben Zobrist himself. My best guess is a late July timeline giving him about one-third of the season to make an impact. With a solid approach and a high floor to get on base, he will be immediately in the Top 100 Hitters for the rest of the season when the call comes.