Complex and Dominican Summer League Risers

Happy Tuesday, folks. I made it safely to Charleston and will be covering The Riverdogs and the Lynchburg Hillcats this week and looking forward to seeing some fun Guardians prospects on top of the talent in Charleston.

Monday brought us a full slate of Complex and Dominican Summer League action. Here is everything you need to know about what took place and the players that stood out.

Dominican Summer League and Complex Level Standouts

Cristian Arguelles, OF, Colorado Rockies, 17, DSL

A new name for me, Arguelles was one of the youngest players to sign in the January 2024 class. He spent last season showing a solid hit tool in the DSL, posting absurd contact rates and striking out just 5.9 percent of the time. The problem was he showed no power and had six extra base hits and slashed .267/.352/.302.

This year, Arguelles has been on fire, continuing to show an impressive feel to hit and now showing some power. On Monday, Arguelles blasted his second home run in 16 games and had a four-hit day. He now has five straight multi-hit games and has already eclipsed his extra-base hit total from last year. Having five doubles, three triples, and two homers, Arguelles has shown growth in the power department.

There is some projection in his 6’0” frame, so seeing Arguelles tap into more power is not surprising. He will turn 18 soon, so repeating the DSL is not an issue for him, given his age.

Richard Matic, 3B, New York Yankees, 17, DSL

In 2024, Francisco Vilorio received the top bonus of Yankees signees at $1.75 million, but Richard Matic was the next highest. He spent last year as a 16 year old for nearly the entire DSL and showed some respectable traits, despite the slash line not showing it.

This year, Matic has returned much stronger, despite having an aggressive stroke at the plate. Yesterday, Matic collected three hits and wound up a triple shy of the cycle. His home run left the bat with a 105 mph exit velocity on a pitch that was scorched to the pull side.

It was Matic’s third homer of the year to pair with five doubles. He is striking out at a 29 percent clip which is not surprising when you watch him swing the bat, but the power is legit.

Diego Tornes, OF, Atlanta Braves, 16, DSL

Tornes got one of the bigger bonuses in the 2025 class from the Braves as a massive 16-year-old who is already 6’4”/200 lb. Having an advanced frame, the bat speed comes easily for Tornes, who ranks among the best in the class in terms of power and bat speed.

The swing can get a bit long at times, but the barrel accuracy is quite good. Starting with his hands high, Tornes uses a big leg kick and wraps his bat behind his head. The ball explodes off his bat.

After going hitless in his first ten plate appearances, Tornes now has hits in every game since, leading to an 11-game hit streak. He has multi-hit games in five of his last six, with just four total strikeouts over that span.

Tornes already has a batted ball as high as 110 mph and several others over 105 mph. He is still 16 years old and going to be a beast.

Jadyn Fielder, INF, Milwaukee Brewers, 20, CPX

Fielder has received a lot of buzz, which is not surprising given who his father is(Prince), but the performance has also been good. On Monday, Fielder turned in his best game of the season, collecting five hits, which included a home run and reached base a sixth time via HBP.

While there have been some inconsistencies at times at the complex, Fielder has put together a solid performance, especially considering he was an undrafted free agent. The slash line sits at .287/.452/.529 with an impressive approach. The strikeouts and contact are average at best, but there is some juice in the profile as well.

Fielder is likely to join the talented Carolina Mudcats team soon, which will be a huge test for him.

Jose Paulino, RHP, Miami Marlins, 18, DSL

Paulino signed with the Marlins in January 2024 for $350k, but was a pitching prospect who was hyped entering the DSL season. The 6’3” righty shoved, posting a 3.86 ERA with a 27 percent strikeout rate. The major concern is walks, as he issued 13 free passes in 21 innings.

Having a skinny frame, Paulino has plenty of room to fill out and add strength, but already sits in the mid-90s, touching 99 mph. The breaking ball has incredible depth and high spin rates. The changeup is still a developing pitch, but having an impressive fastball/slider combo at 18 years old will play.

Walk issues still remain but Paulino turned in one of his best pro starts to date on Monday. He struck out eight batters and walked just two across 3.2 innings. It was a career high in strikeouts for Paulino and he did a good job locating.

The stuff is electric, and for Paulino, it is just about command and how it progresses.

Johnny King, LHP, Toronto Blue Jays, 18, CPX

I am honestly tired of writing about King every week. It is much of the same, but I fear this will continue until we see him in the Florida State League with a new challenge. Yesterday, King tossed 4.2 innings without allowing an earned run. He struck out seven for the fourth straight start and walked just two batters. He ended the day with 12 whiffs and landed 65 percent of his pitches for strikes.

King took a step forward in velocity this season and has topped around 97 mph and has averaged just shy of 95 mph. He creates upwards of 17 inches of IVB from a 5’6” release height and gets good horizontal movement as well.

The curveball is a hammer of a pitch, having 10-12 inches of glove-side movement and up to negative 13 inches of IVB, showing strong depth. It works around 80 mph, and misses bats at a high clip.

King rounds out the arsenal with an upper-80s changeup that has strong arm-side fade. It ranges from 13-20 inches of fade, and while showing some inconsistencies in movement, it is a solid pitch.

Hopefully this was the last time King starts at the complex.