Daniel Brito

Name: Daniel Brito
Born: 1/23/1998
Position: 2B
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 159lbs
Bats/Throws: L/R
Options Remaining: 3
Rule 5 Eligible: 2018
MiLB Free Agency: 2021
Drafted: International FA 2014
From: Puerto Ordaz, VE
Signed: 7/2/2014
Bonus: $650,000

Stats: MiLB | B-Ref | Fangraphs | Baseball America | Baseball Prospectus 

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2018 Midseason (#16)

After the 2016 season it looked like Brito had jumped to the front of the low level infield pile. He was coming off a great year in the GCL where he flashed power, speed, and approach at the plate. He then got off to a hot start in Lakewood in 2017, but stumbled down the stretch. A lot of Brito’s struggles were explained away as exhaustion as his slight frame may not have been ready for full season ball, but when he hit .171 in April with his swing looking like a disaster there were plenty of alarm bells raised. Brito recovered in June, hitting .284 and seeing his walk rate increase. In July he cut his strikeout rate while still hitting .291. All of this eventually earned him an August promotion to Clearwater. It is easy to see the appeal with Brito, he is projectable, athletic, quick, and a really good defender at second base. His swing can get long and loopy, and his approach can fall apart, but when right, he makes a lot of good contact, draws walks, and steals bases. Right now, Brito has below average power, but his swing indicates that he could have average or better power when he fills out his skinny frame. If Brito can have a strong final month of the year, he can do a lot to erase the bad taste left by early season scouting reports.

2018 Preseason (#11)

Role:  Above Average Regular
Risk: Extreme – Brito has the skills to be a great defender at second base, with potentially average hit and power tools. However, his feel for contact and great approach deteriorated in full season ball. He is only 20, so he has time, but he also has holes.
Summary: After a great 2016 in the GCL, Daniel Brito entered the year as a trendy sleeper. He hit .327/.377/.449 in April, which added fuel to that fire. He then hit .215/.276/.281 from that point forward in the season. Brito’s tools are evident and did not diminish over the season. He has a good swing with quick hands, and he shows what should be average power once he fills out. He is an average or better runner, who is not a particularly good base stealer. In the field, Brito is a minor league shortstop playing second base. With the shortstops already in the system, the Phillies moved Brito prematurely to second base, a move that was likely to occur because of his arm strength. Long term, he projects to be a plus defender at the position. What happened to Brito is similar to what happened to Mickey Moniak this year. Brito is physically underdeveloped, and the wear of playing everyday seemed to get to him early in the year (triggered especially by Arquimedes Gamboa’s injury changing playing time), this is something that should clear up in time as he gets bigger, but it might take a few years. Brito also began to expand the zone, and while it didn’t manifest in increasing strikeout rates, it did manifest in lower walk rates and poorer contact. Given what he showed in the DSL and GCL, there is a disciplined hitter in there, and the hope is that once he is stronger he will allow the game to come to him naturally again. Unlike Moniak and Gamboa, Brito did not show huge platoon splits. He was better against righties when it came to walks and strikeouts, but he hit slightly better against lefties overall. Brito’s tools point to the breakout potential still being very real. He could be a great defensive second baseman with a plus hit tool and average power. That projection still requires a lot of future growth, and there are plenty of things that could go wrong in the interim.
2018 Outlook: Brito is in a similar situation to Mickey Moniak. He is young and talented, and while he struggled in Lakewood, he has the talent to keep moving forward, especially if he has gotten stronger over the offseason. The Phillies could have him repeat low-A or challenge him with an assignment to Clearwater alongside double play partner Arquimedes Gamboa.

2017 Midseason (#10)

Last winter when I was compiling my Top 50, Daniel Brito was the hot name that everyone wanted to push up the list. On the surface, his batting line would indicate the hype was premature, as he has struggled since a hot start to his year, but there are plenty of things to be positive about. Brito is young and physically underdeveloped for the South Atlantic League. There have been multiple reports that he has looked worn down, and while the Phillies have tried to rest him more, he has already played 40 more games than last year and 27 more than his career high. Brito is all about projection, as he could grow into fringe average to average power, which when combined with a swing that generates plenty of contact, should make him a potent offensive player. He is a great defender at second base (and probably could handle shortstop in a pinch). It is going to take some time for Brito to get to where he needs to physically, but he has the chance to be an impact player at second base.

2017 Preseason (#18)

Role: Above Average Regular
Risk: High – Brito can hit and field, which gives him a decent floor, despite his lack of full season experience. Normally, second base only prospect are risky, but Brito’s glove is very good, and he likely could handle center field if needed.
Summary: The Phillies signed 3 Latin American shortstops in 2014, and Daniel Brito ended up being the odd man out in 2015 when Jonathan Arauz and Arquimedes Gamboa got their start in the GCL. After splitting time between 2B and SS in the DSL last year, Brito moved full time to second base for his stateside debut. I have written a lot about the risk of second base only prospects, but Brito checks all the boxes for a player who profiles to be pretty good at the position. Evaluators all believe that he is going to hit and that he is going to field. In many organizations, Brito would probably still be at shortstop with the “future second baseman” caveat due to an average arm. Because of their shortstop depth, the Phillies moved him to second base, where he projects to be a very good fielder. At the plate, Brito once again showed that he can maintain high contact rates while still drawing walks at a good rate. Brito is able to hit the ball to all fields, and this year he showed more power, especially to his pull side. He is still very skinny, but at 19 he has time to add strength to his frame, and that combined with his hitting abilities means he could hit 10-12 home runs a year at his peak. Brito is also a plus runner and has shown some ability to steal with success this season. Second base only prospects are risky, but Brito’s ability to hit has him on the short list of players that could have a breakout year in 2017.

2017 Outlook: He is polished enough to go to full season ball and should be the everyday second baseman on a talented Lakewood team.

2016 Preseason (#41)

Role: Major League Regular
Risk: Extreme – Brito is very physically underdeveloped, and there are a lot of questions about what position he plays long term.  Due to his low amount of at bats stateside, the amount of information on him remains low.
Summary: When the Phillies signed three 16 year old shortstops in the summer of 2014 there was always going to be an odd one out.  So while Arquimedez Gamboa struggled and Jonathan Arauz excelled in the GCL, Daniel Brito went down to the Dominican Summer League.  Brito came back stateside for Instructional Leagues, but no one I talked to saw him enough to really nail down what they thought about his future.  Brito is still lanky and skinny, lacking the necessary strength to make a real impact with his bat.  He has a natural feel for contact and has shown a good approach at every level.  His swing is not geared for power (even if he had the strength), so he will likely be more of gap hitter as he matures.  He was an average runner when he signed, and he wasn’t able to be successful on the base paths this summer.  There is some debate as to what position Brito will play long term, and the Phillies have already begun playing him at both second base and shortstop.  If he has to move off the infield, center field has also been mentioned as a possibility.  Much like Carlos Tocci, Brito is going to struggle to be impactful until he puts on muscle mass, but as he does the contact quality is going to make a large jump forward.  Because information on him is so scarce, his future is mostly a mystery.  What we do know is that he is a projectable hitter, with a good approach and feel for contact, who is going to play up the middle somewhere.
2016 Outlook: Brito will almost certainly go to Extended Spring Training and the GCL.  It is likely that he will still struggle to make hard contact due to his size, but making contact and having good ABs will be key.  Given that Arauz was traded, and they didn’t sign any big name Latin SSs in 2015, Brito will probably continue to see time at both second base and shortstop.

2015 Preseason (#44)

Role: Solid Regular
Risk: Extreme – July 2 signing with only pro experience coming in Fall Instructs and his needed physical projection lends extra risk.
Summary: Brito is the lowest ranked of the three Latin July 2 shortstops the Phillies spent $600k+ on this past season. In many ways Brito’s frame and abilities are reminiscent of Carlos Tocci. Brito has a long way to go physically, and there are questions about whether his frame can handle enough muscle. Also like Tocci, he has a feel for hitting beyond both his age and physical abilities. He has solid actions at shortstop, but right now seems the most likely of the group to have to make the shift to either second base or center field. Much like Arauz, Brito was under the radar having not attended many showcases. Like Gamboa and Arauz, Brito will likely begin the year in the GCL where he will be in the juggling act for playing time. It may be a few years before Brito has matured enough physically to know where his future projection is.

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