Prospect Profile: Leon Paulino, Chaminade-Madonna College Prep (FL)
On Sunday afternoon the Detroit Tigers hosted Leon Paulino, a 2019 outfielder from Hollywood, FL, at their Lakeland, FL. facilities. He spoke with me after meeting with club officials.
One day earlier, Paulino took part in the Perfect Game World Showcase. Kyler Peterson joined me for the early-morning activities and we had a chance to watch the 6-foot-2 switch-hitter in person. A last minute addition to the showcase, Paulino didn’t want to miss the opportunity to improve on his outfield velocity.
“I hit 91 like a year-and-a-half ago,” he said during a phone interview. “And then six months later I went to another showcase and it was 89 and I was a little depressed.”
The decision to participate in the Perfect Game showcase turned out to be a good one — his outfield velocity topped at 95 mph on Saturday. In addition to the strong arm, his ability to drive the ball from both sides of the plate have clearly caught the eye of several major league clubs.
From the left side, Paulino shows above-average power with a bit of an upper-cut swing. He appears to flatten slightly from the right side suggesting a more line-drive approach. He reached 97-mph exit-velo on Saturday, and then during his workout with the Tigers he was clocked at 103 mph from both sides of the plate.
He’s currently listed as the eighth-ranked outfield prospect in the state of Florida. A ranking that is likely to go up after an impressive showing last weekend. Having worked out for a half-dozen MLB teams at this point, his commitment to Florida International University may be in jeopardy.