The Cincinnati Reds signed Claudio Finol in the 2016 international signing period on July 7th – less than a week after the signing period began. Finol wasn’t a big signing in terms of making headlines. He didn’t get a huge signing bonus. But, it’s not always the big signings that work out.
Most players that are international signings are signing contracts for the following season. Claudio Finol was one of those players and in 2017 he made the trip from his home country of Venezuela over to the Dominican Republic to play for the DSL Reds. The then 17-year-old performed quite well. In 232 plate appearances he hit .300/.380/.405 with 10 doubles, four triples, and a home run. He also walked more than he struck out – a good sign for a player in the DSL in terms of their likelihood of being ready to come stateside and handle the next step – with 23 walks and just 19 strikeouts.
The Reds were impressed with the season that Claudio Finol had and the progress he had made. So much so that they skipped him right past the complex level in Goodyear and the AZL Reds, placing him in Greeneville with the new affiliate. The Greeneville Reds season didn’t begin until late June, and the start of the season didn’t go as well as Finol would have liked it to. He hit just .190/.182/.190 in seven games played during the month. That came with six strikeouts – including a four strikeout game against Pulaski on the 23rd.
That slump carried forward over the next few weeks. In limited playing time with a crowded infield that included Top 25 prospects Jonathan India, Miguel Hernandez, and Jonathan Willems, the 18-year-old Finol only played in nine games over the first 22 days of July. He hie just .222 and had one extra-base hit. But he started showing some improvements, walking three times with just four strikeouts in 32 plate appearances.
When 1st round pick Jonathan India was promoted to Billings, it opened up more consistent playing time for Claudio Finol. Since July 23rd he’s played almost every day for Greeneville. And the young Venezuelan has taken full advantage of his opportunity. Over the 112 plate appearances in that time he’s hit .385/.411/.423. That’s a lot of singles without much power and without a bunch of walks. But, for an 18-year-old middle infielder those aren’t things to worry about much. He’s walked six times with 17 strikeouts in that span – a solid ratio, and a low strikeout rate.
Overall on the season with the Greeneville Reds in 43 games, Claudio Finol is now hitting .329/.364/.362. He’s walked nine times and struck out 27 times. As noted, the power just isn’t there yet. And while there may be some more in there in the future, it’s not likely to be a ton. He’s currently listed at 5′ 11″ and 150 lbs. There’s some room to add some good weight, but he’s probably never going to be confused with Alex Rodriguez. Still, the Reds have an 18-year-old prospect playing well above the level his age suggests he should be at, and he’s hitting .329 and that’s worth keeping a close eye on moving forward.