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Jerar Encarnación, Elly De La Cruz and more prospects breaking out in the winter leagues

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If you assumed, a year ago, that Albert Pujols was on his last legs and headed for retirement, washed after an OK-but-not-great 2021 playing between the Angels and Dodgers, you could be forgiven. He was 41 that year and 21 years into his MLB career. But you missed some signs to the contrary.

On Halloween night, Pujols debuted for Leones del Escogido in the Dominican Winter League, his first appearance playing in his home country. And in his first game, Pujols legged out a walk-off single to take down Tigres del Licey in the 10th inning at Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal in Santo Domingo.

“It was a special day, something I have been dreaming for a long time,” Pujols said afterwards. “I felt so many emotions. It was a historic moment for me and for my career.”

But it was no farewell tour. A little more than a month later, Pujols smashed a home run off Brewers draft pick Tyler Alexander that cleared the billboards in left field. It was a signal that, perhaps, Pujols had more in the tank: “I don’t think my time to retire has come.”

And sure enough, he played another year with the Cardinals, a historic season that put him in the record books with 703 career home runs.

The winter leagues can tell us a lot — if we’re looking. Pujols isn’t playing again this winter, but plenty of players are trying to gain steam for next season like he did. Here are six who have improved their MLB chances in the winter leagues this season.

OF/1B Jerar Encarnación, Miami Marlins
Águilas Cibaeñas, Dominican Professional Baseball League

Once among the Marlins’ top prospects, Encarnación graduated to the majors last season and immediately made a mark. In his July debut, he hit a game-breaking grand slam in the seventh inning to beat the Mets. But in 23 games, he struggled to a .182 batting average. He needed more at-bats. So the Dominican native landed with Águilas.

And he’s crushing the ball. His .950 OPS led the league in the regular season among batters with at least 50 plate appearances. In November, hitting cleanup, Encarnacíon tagged a game-winning home run off Brewers right-hander JC Mejía to beat Tigres del Licey. Águilas and Licey are historically two of the top teams in LIDOM and among the strongest clubs this winter. And Encarnación, 25, is leading the way for Águilas.

CF Ceddanne Rafaela, Boston Red Sox
Criollos de Caguas, Puerto Rican Winter League

Rafaela — whose baseball-ready full name is Ceddanne Chipper Nicasio Marte Rafaela — ranks among the Red Sox’s top prospects, as high as No. 3 on some lists. Boston moved the natural shortstop to center field last season as he worked his way from Low-A Greenville in the Sally League to Double-A Portland in the much more difficult Eastern League, where he continued to produce with an .824 OPS over 71 games .

He joined the Puerto Rican Winter League with a specific plan: to tighten his strike zone awareness. “Sometimes, it’s a bad pitch, and I know I can hit it,” Rafaela told The Athletic last month. “That’s why I’m going to Puerto Rico.”

In 76 plate appearances for Criollos, he has 16 strikeouts against nine walks. And at 22, he’s among the best, youngest players in the league. His .738 OPS ranks 16th. The Red Sox have a close eye on Rafaela. Their manager, Alex Cora, grew up in Caguas. And Criollos is managed by Red Sox first base coach Ramón Vázquez.

SS Elly De La Cruz, Cincinnati Reds
Tigres Del Licey, Dominican Professional Baseball League

De La Cruz, who won’t turn 21 until January, now ranks as the Reds’ top prospect and one of the best prospects in baseball. He is on a superstar arc, with seemingly elite quickness, arm strength and bat speed. At Double-A Chattanooga last season, De La Cruz offered something incredible almost every day.

And, playing in a championship chase in the best of the winter leagues, even as a 20-year-old, De La Cruz is keeping pace against much more experienced players. His .813 OPS tied for fourth in the LIDOM regular season, making him one of the best young players in the league. He stole nine bases in 24 games and is one of only six players with multiple triples.

In one sequence against Estrellas Orientales last month, De La Cruz singled in a run, then stole second base, then stole third. He can fly around the bases:

OF/1B Pavin Smith, Arizona Diamondbacks
Tigres del Licey, Dominican Professional Baseball League

A bummer of a 2022 season saw Smith dropped to Triple A, where he then broke his hand diving for a ball in the outfield. While he was in Reno, he rocked the ball, with a four-digit OPS. In Arizona, less so, although Smith hit .313 in a late-season call-back with three doubles in 10 games. The Diamondbacks have an outfield stacked with promising young players. Smith is among them. But they need to know better what he can be.

“When it’s right,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said last season, “he can take over a lineup and control a lineup and people around him are better.”

In LIDOM, Smith is doing exactly that. His .920 regular season OPS trails only Encarnación and Michael Perez among hitters. And he had more walks (15) than strikeouts (13). His .462 on-base percentage was best in the league. And, like Lovullo said, he seems to be keying Licey into good things. Collectively, they are the highest-scoring team in the Dominican, finishing first in the regular season.

The Diamondbacks recently traded one of their young outfielders, Daulton Varsho, to the Blue Jays. Whether they make Smith part of their long-term plan or flip him to fill in other blanks, he is showing his potential.

UTIL Jermaine Palacios, Detroit Tigers
Cardenales de Lara, Venezuelan Professional Baseball League

The 26-year-old utilityman returned to his native Venezuela to play for Cardenales de Lara this winter and seems back on track, with a 1.104 OPS that trails only Oswaldo Arcia in the LVBP.

In November, the Tigers claimed Palacios off waivers from the Twins. As a multi-positional defender, he is the kind of depth piece that teams rely on throughout a season. They just need to know those players can handle an at-bat, even when coming in cold off the bench, and remain competitive in difficult situations. And while the Tigers outrighted Palacios off their roster, they quickly re-signed him to a minor-league deal.

To get back to the bigs, Palacios needed to find a groove at the plate. And his .471 on-base percentage, sixth-best in the league, is a good sign. He’s walked (16 times) almost as often as he’s struck out (19).

RHP Bowden Francis, Toronto Blue Jays
Criollos de Caguas, Puerto Rican Winter League

Francis arrived in Toronto as part of the Rowdy Tellez trade with the Brewers last year. And he debuted with a single inning of work last season. But Francis needed more seasoning. He’s working on a relatively new slider, one that he throws with a similar velocity to his fastball. It’s his fourth active pitch, but it’s been perhaps his most effective. He ranks among the Blue Jays’ top 10 on some prospect lists.

And in the Puerto Rican Winter League, Francis is rolling. In seven starts and 27 1/3 innings, he has 36 strikeouts against just five walks, with a 1.98 ERA. Whatever pitch mix he’s working with on any given night, it’s working. Francis has helped lead Criollos to the top of the league.

(Photo of Jerar Encarnación: Wendell Cruz / USA Today)

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