Detroit Tigers: Top 20 prospects going into the 2020 season
By Tyler Kotila
Isaac Paredes, INF, Double-A in 2019
Back in 2017, when the Detroit Tigers traded Alex Avila and Justin Wilson to the Chicago Cubs, Isaac Paredes and Jeimer Candelario would come back to the team in return. Paredes was an international free agent who signed with the Cubs in 2015, and then was dealt to the Tigers in 2017, immediately becoming a prospect to watch. Paredes is a versatile infielder who swings it from the right-side who spent all of 2019 with the Double-A Erie squad.
The 5-foot-11, 225-pound infielder can play second base, shortstop, or third base, but mostly plays shortstop. Paredes would play in 127 games for the Seawolves last season where he hit .282/.368/.416 with thirteen home runs, an,d sixty-six RBI on the season. Paredes is poised for a promotion to Triple-A, where he can continue his rise to the big leagues.
In 2019 winter ball in the Mexican league, Paredes would also have some pretty significant numbers. He would play in forty-four games for Yaquis de Obregon in the Mexican Winter League, where he hit .295/.372.373 with two home runs and twenty RBI. He has always been a hitter who relies on the hit-tool to succeed, and hopefully, this continues to be the best tool on his way to the big leagues.
Paredes has a decently high leg kick on his swing, he swings more for contact but has some average power that could translate through the minor leagues into the big leagues. He does have a weak spot in his swing that has him pulling the ball more often than not, but Paredes does do an excellent job of covering all parts of the plate.
He is not all offense, his defense does give him some value as a Tigers prospect, and simple versatility in the infield. In the field, Paredes has a stellar arm, he fields his position well, and has clean hands when fielding the ball.
He plays mostly shortstop, but his arm could move him to third base with ease being that he can gun runners out. His speed and range can be a bit questionable, being that he is not the quickest, but he still can make up for that in arm strength.
MLB Expectations: Paredes is kind of a wild card, he is not like designated to be a future big-league shortstop for the Detroit Tigers, but he should be a staple of the teams’ lineup in the future. If all goes well, Paredes can jump in at third base, shortstop, or second base of the Detroit Tigers with reliable metrics and the sneaky home run that keeps him with average power. Paredes will have competition from other prospects, but Paredes has an exceptional skillset that should translate well to the big leagues.