BELTRE, ENGEL  
 
Image of    Nickname:   N/A Position:   OF
Home: Dominican Republic Team:   Retired
Height: 6' 2" Bats:   L
Weight: 180 Throws:   L
DOB: 11/1/1989 Agent: N/A
Birth City: Santo Domingo, Dom. Rep. Draft: 2006 - Red Sox - Free agent
Uniform #: N/A  
 
YR LEA TEAM SAL(K) G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO OBP SLG AVG
2007 AZL AZL-Rangers   22 84 19 26 3 4 4 15 3 2 8 21 .388 .583 .310
2007 GCL GCL-Red Sox   34 125 20 26 3 3 5 13 6 3 12 44   .400 .208
2007 NWL SPOKANE   9 38 3 8 0 0 0 1 2 1 2 10   .211 .211
2008 MWL CLINTON   130 566 87 160 26 9 8 47 31 11 15 105   .403 .283
2009 TL FRISCO   4 14 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 2 .133 .143 .071
2009 AZL AZL-Rangers   3 10 4 3 1 1 0 0 2 0 0 3 .364 .600 .300
2009 CAL BAKERSFIELD   84 357 44 81 13 5 3 23 17 7 17 77 .281 .317 .227
2010 CAL BAKERSFIELD   68 263 38 87 11 4 5 35 10 7 11 34 .376 .460 .331
2010 TL FRISCO   47 181 14 46 4 4 1 14 8 2 10 24 .301 .337 .254
2011 TL FRISCO   118 437 64 101 15 6 1 29 16 6 28 103 .285 .300 .231
2012 TL FRISCO   133 564 80 147 17 17 13 55 36 10 26 118 .307 .420 .261
2013 AL RANGERS   22 40 7 10 1 0 0 2 1 2 0 5 .268 .275 .250
2013 PCL ROUND ROCK   94 394 58 115 19 1 7 34 15 12 28 84 .340 .398 .292
2014 PCL ROUND ROCK   11 47 2 5 1 0 0 2 0 0 1 7 .143 .128 .106
2014 AZL SURPRISE   1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000
2014 TL FRISCO   1 4 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 .500 .500 .500
2015 IL CHARLOTTE   21 77 13 18 3 0 1 7 2 1 4 21 .268 .312 .234
2015 EL RICHMOND   86 299 33 75 8 3 5 26 4 8 9 42 .277 .348 .251

  • During the winter before 2007 spring training, the Baseball America Prospect Handbook rated Engel as the 20th-best prospect in the Red Sox organization.

    After moving to the Rangers organization, they rated Beltre as 10th-best prospect in the Texas' farm system in the spring of 2008. And during the offseason before 2009 spring training, they had him at 7th-best in the Rangers organization. In the spring of 2010, they moved Engel down to #14.

    But he was all the way back up to #5 in the Rangers' farm system in the winter before 2011 spring training.

    After fading from the book in 2012 and 2013 before reappearing at #25 in the spring of 2014.

  • In 2008, Beltre was the Midwest League's youngest player at age 18, and he was the league leader in runs (87) and hits (160), he's a fast-twitch athlete with all five tools.

  • Engel has a playful, confident and electric personality. He is a natural leader and a high-energy performer. He wants to be a great player. But he will have to learn to slow the game down to do that.

  • Early in June 2010, Beltre received a five-game suspension from the California League for being an instigator in the fight that followed his walk-off home run in Bakersfield's victory over visiting Visalia. Beltre had words for Visalia players during his drawn-out  home run trot—which ended when the fight broke out as he rounded 3rd base.

  • During the winter before 2011 spring training, Engel hit .333 (29-for-87) in 33 games for Escogido of the Dominican League. Though he struck out 17 times and took only three walks, he is showing a better approach at the plate.

  • April 27, 2011: Beltre, playing for Frisco of the Texas was suspended for 15 games after he heaved a plastic trash can into the stands at fans after water bottles were thrown near he and teammates near the end of a 6-5 loss in San Antonio.

    San Antonio police arrested three fans. The incident came soon after a controversial call in the ninth inning when umpires overturned a potential three-run, go-ahead homer by Frisco's Michael Bianucci, instead ruling it was an RBI ground-rule double.

    RoughRiders manager Steve Buechele was ejected for arguing the call. The next Frisco batter struck out for the final out of the game. San Antonio Missions president Burl Yarbrough was nearby when the melee broke out.

    "I was standing there, and all of a sudden, a trash can came flying out of the dugout," he told the San Antonio Express-News. "I've been here 24 years, and I've never seen anything like this."

    Beltre returned to the Frisco lineup on May 15.

  • In September 2012, Engel played for Spain in the World Baseball Classic Qualifier in Jupiter, Florida.


    TRANSACTIONS

  • Summer 2006: Beltre signed as a free agent with Red Sox scout Pablo Lantigua for a bonus of $600,000.

  • July 31, 2007: The Rangers sent P Eric Gagne to the Red Sox, acquiring Beltre, OF David Murphy, and P Kason Gabbard.
  • January 15, 2015: Beltre signed with the White Sox.
PERSONAL:
 

  • Beltre is an incredibly talented hitter. The comparisons started with Barry Bonds and ended with Darryl Strawberry. And they also included Kenny Lofton.

    Engel has all five tools. But there are questions about his bat, mostly because he is an undsiciplined free swinger who struggles to make contact, consistently. His bat swing path leads to a lot of balls on the ground.

  • Engel has a nice-looking, quick lefthanded stroke with natural loft. His strong hands whip the bat through the hitting zone for very good bat speed. He takes a real big cut at the ball with a natural whip in his swing. He has a loose swing and quick wrists.

  • Beltre has a lot more discipline at the plate than most young Latin American hitters. He has good bat control and works the count.

    However, Engel's stroke can get too long and he is prone to chasing pitches in the dirt. He can be too aggressive at the plate, not walking enough. He is a bad-ball hitter. He swings at everything, but he hits a lot of 'em. He is ready to hit every pitch. But at times he still tries to kill the ball, causing him to roll his front shoulder and not see the ball well.

  • Engel is improving at making contact and hitting the ball with authority. Once he matures physically, and as a hitter, he should hit 15 or 20 homers per season. And he should hit .260 to .270 or so.

    But he is going to have to slow the game down and clean up his hitting approach to be a big league regular. Right now, he looks like a 4th or 5th outfielder with good center field skills. (Spring 2013)
BATTING:
 

  • Engel has enough speed and quickness to play center field, and enough arm to play right field. He gets good jumps and reads on the ball off the bat and glides to the ball.

    Beltre's defense in center field is his best tool. It is outstanding.

  • Beltre plays shallow and does a fine job of tracking down balls hit over his head. He has good instincts out there.

  • His arm is both strong and accurate.

  • In September, 2012, Beltre was awarded a minor league gold glove after manning center field for 119 games and committing only one error. He also had 12 assists.
FIELDING:
 

  • Engel has very good speed.

  • Beltre is still learning how to best apply his speed on the bases, learning base-stealing technique and improving how he reads pitchers' moves.

  • He is an aggressive baserunner—sometimes too aggressive.
RUNNING:
 

  • July-September 2009: Beltre was on the D.L. 

  • August 2010: Engel was on the D.L. for a week or so.
  • March 26, 2014: Beltre began the season on the D.L. with a fractured right tibia.
CAREER INJURY REPORT:
 
 
Last Updated 5/9/2019 9:15:00 PM. All contents © 2000 by Player Profiles. All rights reserved.