http://www.freep.com/article/20140617/SPORTS02/306170103/detroit-tigers-prospects-willy-adames

Willy Adames: One of the youngest players in the Midwest League, Adames assumed the role of everyday shortstop after Curt Powell was promoted to Lakeland because of an injury to Erie’s Devon Travis very early in the season. Adames had never played in America, only the Tigers’ Dominican Summer League affiliate. Tigers prospects often stop in the short-season Gulf Coast League or Connecticut, honing their skills for full-season baseball. But Adames took the bull by the horns and showed he belonged from day one, even at the age of 18.

At the plate, Adames starts with a wide base and the bat on his back shoulder. He has a toe-tap load mechanism, gets his hands into a strong hitting position and generates “plus” bat speed through the zone. He has some pop in the bat and is able to barrel up pitches.

So far, the young infielder has put up a .260/.333/.402 line, with an 8.9% walk rate. Hitting for power and walking as a teenager is always a good sign.

Adames has the lateral movement and quickness to play shortstop right now. However, he has strong, thick legs, and at 6-feet-1 and 175 pounds, some scouts think he could move to third base in the future. Regardless, Adames has a first-division starter ceiling, something that cannot be said about many Tigers positional prospects, and you should see him in the top 10 of prospect lists as early as this off-season.