Former Royals speedster Adalberto Mondesi is trying to get back to the majors, reports Will Sammon, Ken Rosenthal, and Katie Woo of The Athletic. Mondesi is currently playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic. His last big-league stint was in 2022.
Mondesi, 31, has appeared in three games with Aguilas. He’s 4-for-12 with two doubles and a triple so far. He also has four strikeouts. It’s the first live action for Mondesi in four years. He was most recently in Boston’s organization, but knee surgery cost him all of 2023. He was released at the end of the year and never latched on elsewhere.
At his peak, Mondesi was one of the biggest threats on the bases in the league. He stole 75 bases across 2018 and 2019, his first extended look as a big leaguer. He paced the league in triples in 2019. Mondesi led the majors with 24 steals in the shortened 2020 season.
The main drawback in Mondesi’s offensive profile was contact. He punched out at an alarming clip, particularly for a player lacking premier power. Mondesi has a 30.2% strikeout rate over 1,366 career plate appearances.
Mondesi spent time at second base, third base, and shortstop with the Royals. He had up-and-down results as a defender, but generally netted out as a neutral option at each spot. He’s played both second base and shortstop with Aguilas.
Mondesi is still relatively young. He’s a switch-hitter with some defensive versatility. The question would be whether the leg injuries have sapped his best skill. If he isn’t an elite base stealer, it’s hard to see him contributing enough to be worth an MLB roster spot, regardless of his contact issues.
Photo courtesy of Lindsey Wasson, Imagn Images