Hendry Mendez, OF
You may not be familiar with this name, as Hendry Mendez was originally signed out of the Dominican Republic as a 17-year-old in 2021 by the Milwaukee Brewers. Now 20, the corner outfielder came over to the Phillies organization in the offseason Oliver Dunn trade.
Playing in High-A Jersey Shore, Mendez is having his best season since his time in Rookie ball. He's slashing .297/.435/.352 with three doubles, a triple and a pair of steals in 29 games for the BlueClaws. The Phillies No. 22 prospect hasn't popped a home run yet, which isn't really surprising, as he isn't known for his power stroke.
He does have a good eye at the plate though, and makes lots of contact. His 22 walks to 17 strikeouts bear that out. Mendez uses the entire field at the plate, with 42.9 percent of his batted balls going the opposite way.
🦀 1-0 Claws on Hendry Mendez's RBI single... https://t.co/uDoFjvYZgo / @ballylivenow / https://t.co/sj3jRWBdY8 pic.twitter.com/w6RcIBcOrz
— Jersey Shore BlueClaws (@BlueClaws) May 30, 2024
Per his MLB Pipeline scouting report, he has some raw power and bat speed, with strength to come as he matures. However, he'll need to, "... learn not to pound the ball into the ground."
There's where the left-handed hitting Mendez can vastly improve his stock this season. He's running a 67.2 percent ground ball rate and needs to get that down and learn to get the ball up in the air.