Rank History
| Year | Team | Position | Team Rank | OFP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | HOU | OF | 24 | 40 |
Grades Update: Jan 2021
| OFP | Role | Hit | Power | Field | Arm | Run |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 40 | 40 | 50 | 55 | 50 | 70 |
Jan 2021 Report
Evaluator: Geoff Pontes
Age: 22 yr
Height: 6-1
Weight: 210 lbs
Hits/Throws: R/R
Acquired: 2020 Draft, Round 4
RuleV: 2023
Physical Description: An explosive young arm that might start the second wave of the Houston Hybrid archetype. Two quality breaking balls, a well sequenced changeup, and a high octane fastball. While the range of outcomes for Lopez is wide he presents a very strong foundational profile. He has stuff and pitch ability beyond his age and some unique characteristics within his mechanics that make him an uncomfortable at bat. Starter fir now, but likely another arm capable of filling multiple roles in the bullpen.
Hit: Below average hit tool, struggled in our looks during the 2019 Cape Cod league. Swings for hard contact to his pullside with a quiet load. Somewhat linear bat path, does a good job of keeping his hands inside and staying compact. Conversely limited extension in well hit balls. Must improve his pitch selection and swing decisions to tap into his two contact and power potential. Showed strong production versus non-conference competition in 2020. Despite this there's significant swing and miss risk within the profile. Grade: 40
Power: Above average raw power that's yet to fully materialize in games. Daniels will send shots to his pull-side in batting practice but it's mostly gap to gap in games. Showed power gains in consecutive years at Tennessee with a big jump in his shortened 2020. Daniels will need to add loft and improve his pitch selection to tap into the hard pull-side contact thats lurking beneath. Grade: 50
Field: Average profile in centerfield maybe a tick better with above average overall skill in the more general category of infielders. Double plus makeup speed allow him to cover significant ground but his reads are not consistent. However, makeup speed will cover a lot of flaws in the grass. Grade: 55
Arm: Average arm with only average carry. Decent distance strength but his max numbers have been more in the average velocity range. Arm is fairly accurate and plays at all positions in the outfield. Grade: 50
Run: Double plus speed, Daniels running ability is his purest tool and one that impacts all elements of his game on both sides of the ball. Clocked consistent 60 to 70 run times during our CCBL observations. Grade: 70
Overall: A tantalizing set of tools and a raw potential profile that may exceed any player in the Houston system. The other side of the coin is he has major gaping holes in his game. His ability to make consistent contact is driven by poor recognition skills and his tools far exceed his instincts in the field. Few players' stock was impacted as much as Daniels. Some may say he was on the brink of a breakout while others may point to the level of his early season competition. The narrative fits however you spin it. In the end Daniels has tools that translate to skills on both sides of the ball it's a matter of honing the bat. Reports from the Fall were strong around Daniels performance at instructs.
OFP: 40
Role: 40 - Below-Average Player: Bench / Platoon
Risk: High
