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[The Glove]

Age: 19
Born: January 20, 1987
Hialeah, FL
Height: 6-3
Weight: 215
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Drafted: 31st round, 2005
College: St. Petersburg
High School: Champagnat Catholic (FL)

Luis Exposito was a DFE out of high school in Florida, currently playing for Lowell.

Stats for this year at St. Pete:
Luis Exposito - .350 AVG., 9 2B, 3 3B, 5HR, 41 G, 56/160,

Soxprospects scouting report:
"Scouting Report: Big catcher was All-Conference, All-State, and All-Region for St. Pete in 2006. Good ability to get on base and moderate power potential."

Sox Prospects: Luis Exposito

From Peter Gammons:
"One scouting director claims that while some clubs will overdraft a catcher out of desperate need, "none of the catchers in this draft are much better than second or third rounders." That includes Pepperdine's Chad Tracy, who comes with extraordinary bloodlines as Jim's son, as well as high schoolers Max Sapp of Windermere, Fla., and Hank Conger of Huntington Beach, Calif. "We liked Luis Esposito (signed by Boston out of St. Pete J.C. as a draft and follow) better than almost any of them," says a scouting director."

[The Glove]

Luis' current statistics:

.217/.333/.304, 2 2B, 4/9 BB/K ratio

7 G, 23 AB, 5 H, 3 R, 1 RBI

[The Glove]

Just over a week later...Luis has a larger sample size with which to work.

.271/.386/.313

48 AB, 13 H, 2 2B, 4 RBI, 5 R. 7/14 BB/K ratio.

The Ks are a little worrisome, at 29.2% of ABs, but it's also still a very small sample. The BBs are very encouraging, but overall it's a little too early to tell us much. It'll be interesting to see how Mr. Exposito hits the rest of this summer and whether we will see more power out of him.

[The Glove]

.315/.390/.397, 6 2B, 7/18 BB/K ratio in 73 ABs.

All looks good except the SLG. The BB rate is low, but it's also a small sample size. Hopefully we'll see some more pop soon.

[The Glove]

.315/.390/.397, 6 2B, 7/18 BB/K ratio in 73 ABs.

All looks good except the SLG. The BB rate is low, but it's also a small sample size. Hopefully we'll see some more pop soon.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Luis "I'm holding my own in the NYPL at age 19" Exposito continues to hit at about the same rate.

.300/.370/.378, 7 2B, 8/23 BB/K ratio in 90 ABs.

Expo has one SB as well.

I'd like to see the Ks go down as well as the BBs go up, but the Sox have to be happy with his current progress.

[The Glove]

Luis "I'm holding my own in the NYPL at age 19" Exposito continues to hit at about the same rate.

.300/.370/.378, 7 2B, 8/23 BB/K ratio in 90 ABs.

Expo has one SB as well.

I'd like to see the Ks go down as well as the BBs go up, but the Sox have to be happy with his current progress.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Exposito's performance has gone south since my last update.

On the positive side, he was named an NYPL All-Star.

.239/.296/.297, 10/33 K/BB ratio, 8 2Bs

He's 6 for his last 48 with one double.

[The Glove]

Exposito's performance has gone south since my last update.

On the positive side, he was named an NYPL All-Star.

.239/.296/.297, 10/33 K/BB ratio, 8 2Bs

He's 6 for his last 48 with one double.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

.243/.287.320, 10/39 K.BB ratio in 181 ABs.

I hate my adopt-a-prospects. (Hate's probably too strong, but they're unbelievably frustrating).

He has 11 2B and 1 HR. At least his IsoP is pushing .080 now....

[Cumberland Blues]

I've hardly the finest honed scouts eye, but in the game I saw him play the other night - his swing seemed way better than his stats and he did hit the ball hard twice. Looked to me to have a very good arm behind the plate too.

[amfox1]

Courtesy of http://www.bradfordonbaseball.com

Somebody asked about minor league catching prospect Luis Exposito and his absence from camp. He isn't currently present in Fort Myers due to personal issues, but is expected to arrive within the next few weeks.

[The Glove]

Exposito has so far only played in 9 games this year, all coming between May 19 and May 29.

In this span he posted a .233/.283/.233 line, with a 2/5 K/BB ratio.

Small sample size warning, but still not encouraging, particularly given his lack of hitting success in Lowell last year.

[The Glove]

Exposito has so far only played in 9 games this year, all coming between May 19 and May 29.

In this span he posted a .233/.283/.233 line, with a 2/5 K/BB ratio.

Small sample size warning, but still not encouraging, particularly given his lack of hitting success in Lowell last year.

It appears Exposito will not be returning to the team this year.

I guess I have to find a new adopt-a-prospect.

I'm calling Will Middlebrooks RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW.

Time and date it so I don't get swiped if he signs.

[TheGoldenGreek33]

Exposito went 3/5 with 3 R, HR(3), 3 RBI(9), BB last night pushing his season totals to .317/.391/.561.

[Saturnian]

Exposito went 1-4 with a 2B Thursday in his first game since being promoted to Lancaster.

Edited by Saturnian, 27 June 2008 - 02:46 AM.

[PeeplesPerson]

Exposito gets a little love from Mike Hazen in this morning's Boston Globe:

Catcher Luis Exposito, 21, was promoted from low Single A Greenville to high Single A Lancaster Wednesday. The 6-foot-3-inch, 210 pounder was a 31st-round pick in 2005 out of St. Petersburg (Fla.) Junior College. Hazen said, "He has done really well. Big, strong [catcher]with raw power." Exposito hit .283 for Greenville with 11 home runs in 191 at-bats.

Complete line for Greenville this year, courtesy of SoxProspects: .283/.328/.508/.836

Exposito's made impressive strides this year, especially in light of what was essentially a lost year in 2007. It will be interesting to see how he's impacted by Lancaster. Although the conditions are obviously not the same challenge for hitters as for pitchers, catchers must be mentally taxed by the need to make adjustments in the game calling department.

[PrimusSucks626]

Exposito's current line in Lancaster: .291/.321/.514. He has 9 home runs.

He's currently the 12 best prospect in the farm according to the Soxprospects.com rankings, which makes him the highest-ranked catching prospect in the organization.

His current scouting report:

Catcher out of Florida with a strong, broad frame. At the plate, Exposito makes decent contact. Doesn't strike out too much, but can struggle with breaking pitches on occasion. Excellent present power with the ability to add even more pop, ultimately has 25 home run potential. Plate discipline is not great, but he is showing regular improvement in that area. Minimal speed on the basepaths, about average for a catcher. Behind the plate, Exposito has tremendous catcher's tools, including top notch blocking skills, a cannon arm, great instincts, and outstanding game calling ability. He could use some improvement with his glovework and his arm accuracy. Very personable - a popular teammate, as he speaks English and Spanish very well. He was suspended for much of the 2007 season for disciplinary reasons, but by all accounts he has turned that around and has been a model citizen and teammate ever since. Exposito was selected as a draft-and-follow in the 2005 draft, and really improved his stock by being named All-Conference,All-Conference, All-State, and All-Region for St. Petersburg in 2006. The Sox signed him to a decent bonus following his JuCo season and just prior to the 2006 draft. According to Peter Gammons, at least one scouting director indicated after the 2006 draft that Exposito would have been one of the top few catchers selected in that draft had the Red Sox not signed him a month prior.

[irish_stephen]

Exposito is clearly the top catching prospect on the team, but what odds would you give on him making the Majors?

[LondonSox]

Exposito is clearly the top catching prospect on the team, but what odds would you give on him making the Majors?

Excellent arm, good defensively from what I read and good power, decent contact. To me he can be an elite prospect if he could learn some plate discipline he just doesn't walk and that will be a bigger problem as he moves up.

I think there is a high flame out risk here, but hsi defensive skills and power would suggest he's KottAras with better defense as a lower case. Which should mean he's got a good chance of playing in the bigs

[Saturnian]

I agree with London, his biggest shortcoming right now is his plate discipline. Only 20 walks total this year in ~400 plate appearances. I know Lancaster helps, and I would imagine it's more of an anomaly than anything else, but the consistency of his numbers at two levels is at least interesting:

Greenville - 49 G, 54-191, 8 2B, 1 3B, 11 HR, 34R, 31 RBI, 12 BB, 42 K, .283/.328/.508/.836
Lancaster - 49 G, 61-202, 11 2B, 2 3B, 10 HR, 28 R, 37 RBI, 9 BB, 42 K, .302/.335/.520/.855

If the reports on his arm and defensive ability are accurate, I see no reason why he shouldn't be considered the Sox' top catching prospect.

[John DiFool]

Help us, Luis Exposito. You're our only hope...

[Saturnian]

SP previews Exposito, Tazawa

Nice overview of Luis Exposito and what he needs to do this year to continue establishing himself as the Red Sox' best catching prospect and potential long-term solution at the major league level. He made excellent strides last year, but I think the lost 2007 season makes this year a critical one for Exposito. He may confirm that his 2008 season was indicative of his true talent. As the preview mentions if he can improve his plate discipline and throwing accuracy, he'll likely spend considerable time in Portland in this, his age 22 season. If Exposito is unable to build on last year's breakthrough, the likelihood of him being a solution at the big league level diminishes considerably.

[phrenile]

"Taking a closer look at top Red Sox prospects" (Portland Press Herald):

Mark Wagner used to be considered the top Red Sox catching prospect, but Exposito has passed him. He is not as advanced as Wagner but shows potential defensively and at the plate. He hit .283 in Greenville, then .301 in Lancaster.

Exposito will return to high Class A (now in Salem, Va.) and should get a midyear promotion to Portland. Wagner, who dropped from 20th to 30th on the BA list, will be back at Hadlock.

[Saturnian]

Luis Exposito has thrown out 3 of the first 5 attempted base-stealers on the new year, a promising start after throwing out 28.5 % of base stealers last year.

[Saturnian]

Exposito was 4-8 throwing out runners on the year going into tonight's game. However, Potomac is 5-5 in steals through 3 tonight, including a triple (!) steal. This was likely Weiland's fault more than Exposito's, but I'd still like to see less five-steals-in-three-innings performances.

On the bright side, Exposito has started well at the plate: 5/16 with 3 2B, 3 RBI and 4 BB against only 2 K's.

[Cuzittt]

However, Potomac is 5-5 in steals through 3 tonight, including a triple (!) steal. This was likely Weiland's fault more than Exposito's, but I'd still like to see less five-steals-in-three-innings performances.

Likely Weiland's fault? I would think so... since a triple steal by it's very nature includes a steal of home. A straight steal of home. It's going to screw with Exposito's stats... but I can't blame him for a triple steal.

[Saturnian]

Likely Weiland's fault? I would think so... since a triple steal by it's very nature includes a steal of home. A straight steal of home. It's going to screw with Exposito's stats... but I can't blame him for a triple steal.

I guess I should have said not Exposito's arm's fault. Having not seen the play, I was thinking that if Exposito was slow to see the play develop or dropped the ball, it would reflect badly on his overall defensive ability.

[Saturnian]

Luis Exposito had a two-out RBI single to win the game for Salem 3-2.

Exposito has put up a line of .256/.353/.395/.748 in 12 games so far this season. He has 1 one home run, has scored 3 runs and driven in 7.

He has thrown out 6 of 20 runners on the year, and has two passed balls.

[John DiFool]

The real news is that his K-W ratio is almost 1:1, after being worse than 4:1 last year.

I'd expect a promotion to Portland by midseason if that keeps up and he also gets the average up, and just maintains the power he had last year.

[Saturnian]

The real news is that his K-W ratio is almost 1:1, after being worse than 4:1 last year.

Good point. Exposito walked 21 times in 104 games last year, so 5 free passes in 12 games so far is cause for hope.

He's been somewhat unlucky on the year, with a .265 BABIP despite a 19.4 LD% (both figures through Friday's games).

[John DiFool]

Now 8 walks vs. 5 K's. That's phenomenal development in terms of plate discipline (of course I said the same thing at the end of May last year w.r.t. Ellsbury). His BABIP is only .238, so expect a significant correction upward on that, and his ISO is now .192. Anyone have any inside scoop of what Sox coaches may have done with him in the offseason?

Edited by John DiFool, 29 April 2009 - 09:58 AM.

[John DiFool]

&^%^%$# Sorry for jinxing him guys, as he K'ed 3 times today in the morning game. Perhaps as a C his manager should have gone to a backup with such an early game time.

[Saturnian]

Luis Exposito has had a strong May to date, especially since Ryan Kalish's promotion to Portland on May 14 moved him up in the lineup. Since then, Exposito is putting up a .394/.412/.576/.988 line.

Looking deeper into his numbers, I think he's improved significantly this season offensively. Last year between Lancaster and Greenville, Luis had a .329 BABIP, despite an LD rate of 13.9%, and his K/BB ratio was 4.24. This season, his BABIP is at .293, despite an LD rate of 19.8%, and his K/BB ratio is 2.18.

Behind the plate, Exposito has thrown out 5 of 21 attempted base stealers this month.

[John DiFool]

A timely bump after his 4-4 (+ 2 walks) day yesterday. Now at .293/.357/.471, K-W ratio at 36-20 (was 89-21 last year). Can't imagine his promotion is too far off...

[Saturnian]

Here's a quick comparison to Luis' YTD compared to last season:

Luis Exposito

Season	Team	League	BA	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	TB	BB	SO	SB	CS	OBP	SLG	OPS	BABIP	LD%
2009	SAL	CAR	0.292	64	243	26	71	24	1	5	43	112	20	41	3	1	0.352	0.461	0.813	0.335	16.60%
2008	Total		0.293	104	417	65	122	21	3	21	68	212	21	89	1	2	0.330	0.508	0.838	0.329	13.90%
2008	GRE	SAL	0.283	49	191	34	54	8	1	11	31	97	12	42	1	1	0.328	0.508	0.836	0.312	14.80%
2008	LNC	CAL	0.301	55	226	31	68	13	2	10	37	115	9	47	0	1	0.331	0.509	0.839	0.343	13.30%

While the HR and SLG numbers are down, I think he has made solid progress overall. His K/BB ratio is down from ~4.5 to ~2 so far this season, and he appears to be making solid contact at a higher rate this season.

I would imagine he'll be promoted sooner than later, as platooning him with Federowicz doesn't seem to make the most sense.

[Quintanariffic]

Here's a quick comparison to Luis' YTD compared to last season:

Luis Exposito

Season	Team	League	BA	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	TB	BB	SO	SB	CS	OBP	SLG	OPS	BABIP	LD%
2009	SAL	CAR	0.292	64	243	26	71	24	1	5	43	112	20	41	3	1	0.352	0.461	0.813	0.335	16.60%
2008	Total		0.293	104	417	65	122	21	3	21	68	212	21	89	1	2	0.330	0.508	0.838	0.329	13.90%
2008	GRE	SAL	0.283	49	191	34	54	8	1	11	31	97	12	42	1	1	0.328	0.508	0.836	0.312	14.80%
2008	LNC	CAL	0.301	55	226	31	68	13	2	10	37	115	9	47	0	1	0.331	0.509	0.839	0.343	13.30%

While the HR and SLG numbers are down, I think he has made solid progress overall. His K/BB ratio is down from ~4.5 to ~2 so far this season, and he appears to be making solid contact at a higher rate this season.

I would imagine he'll be promoted sooner than later, as platooning him with Federowicz doesn't seem to make the most sense.

Interesting. When you look at his improved LD rate this year, it seems clear that Lancaster was turning a lot of doubles or F9s into HRs. He's going to smash his previous bests for doubles and walks, while cutting down on his K rate noticeably. These are good things.

[3rd Degree]

From his Facebook profile:

Luis Exposito Is Going To Double A

[FelixMantilla]

More on his promotion here.

[Beomoose]

Seems to be enjoying his promotion, hitting .448 after 7 games in Portland. OPS .966

[phrenile]

WEEI:

Earlier this week, a coach teased catcher Luis Exposito about the shirt he was wearing on the field, which seemed too small for his massive frame. “Triple-XL,” Exposito said. “Biggest size they have.” Exposito weighed in at 6-foot-4, 230 pounds in his physical, an enormous frame for a catcher. He looks like a linebacker, though he was actually a defensive end in high school until his sophomore year, when his father convinced him to focus on baseball full time. Though his size is atypical for the position, Exposito gives reason to believe that he can stick at the position thanks to good footwork and quick hands.

In 2009, he suggests that he was able to continue to make strides in his work behind the plate. While he made technical strides in his receiving and footwork, Exposito cited another area as his biggest step forward in ‘09.

“I think it was mostly the mental [side of the game], adjusting to the increase of scouting in Double A, how you have to work with the pitchers,” he said.

As for his strong offensive numbers in Portland (.337/.371/.489/.860) following a mid-year promotion, Exposito suggested that he was “not surprised, but it was not expected either. I work hard, and just went out there had fun. I let the results work themselves out.”

[SaveBooFerriss]

Exposito 6'4", 230 lbs.

I just checked over at soxprospects.com. They had him listed as 6'3", 215. If the numbers in the article are correct, he has grown a bit. I am sure soxprospects will try to verify this information.

[Saturnian]

After a poor start, Exposito has 12 hits in his last 21 at bats, including 5 doubles and a triple. He is sitting at .289/.402/.447/.850 so far this season.

Also came across this article from last Friday's Herald:

Link

He seems to say all the right things, and it's not the first time his clubhouse presence has been mentioned as a positive.

[Beomoose]

He seems to say all the right things, and it's not the first time his clubhouse presence has been mentioned as a positive.

Good to see considering the discipline problems he had in 2007.

Man, he is one not-handsome dude.

[Beomoose]

SoxProspects' The Ladder on Expo today.

Impressive numbers so far in May after a slow April.

[rglenmt]

One of the aspects of both Vmart and Vtek going on the DL, is the question of whether Luis Exposito will be elevated to AAA PawSox for the 2nd half of the season. Luis has hit pretty well with the Sea Dogs and continue to improve his catching skills. Mark Wagner who has a broken hand has gone from the 15 Day DL to the 60 Day DL and Dusty Brown will likely come off the DL any day. If as most think, VMart will come off DL right after the All Star game, Gustavo Molina will likely either go back to the PawSox or be DFA and since the Red Sox traded for Kevin Cash, it is more likely Molina has served his purpose and will not likely be retained. Apodaca has been playing at AAA while Brown and Wagner have been on DL, but will likely be returned to the Sea Dogs. It will tell a lot whether the FO thinks Exposito will learn more by sharing catching duties with Dusty Brown, it would not surprise any of us if Exposito gets to AAA this season. With the decisions the FO has to make regarding whether it tries to re-sign VMart, the FO may well want to see Exposito at the AAA level and Federowicz at the AA level before the end of the season. Evaluation of both will have impact on what the Red Sox decide to try to do with both VMart and Vtek for 2011, whether the Red Sox need to again look at the trade market. The Red Sox know what they have in Dusty Brown, certainly want to see what they have in Exposito and Federowicz and it seems unfortunate that Mark Wagner has lost almost the whole season when he was the front runner going into 2010.

[Cuzittt]

One of the aspects of both Vmart and Vtek going on the DL, is the question of whether Luis Exposito will be elevated to AAA PawSox for the 2nd half of the season. Luis has hit pretty well with the Sea Dogs and continue to improve his catching skills. Mark Wagner who has a broken hand has gone from the 15 Day DL to the 60 Day DL and Dusty Brown will likely come off the DL any day.

Mark Wagner is rehabbing in the GCL. He will be back sooner than you think.

[Saturnian]

Luis is 4 for 5 with 2 doubles and 4 RBI to begin August on a high note after a solid July. .288/.364/.452/.816 in July, .265/.341/.407/.748 on the year. It will be interesting to see how the minor league catching depth chart shakes out going forward. With Saltalamacchia joining Wagner and Brown in AAA, Ibarra on the way and Lavarnway already up in AA with Exposito, there could a bit of a logjam, to say the least.

[Brianish]

After recent years, I can support a young catcher logjam.

[ELMER FLICK]

Luis is 4 for 5 with 2 doubles and 4 RBI to begin August on a high note after a solid July. .288/.364/.452/.816 in July, .265/.341/.407/.748 on the year. It will be interesting to see how the minor league catching depth chart shakes out going forward. With Saltalamacchia joining Wagner and Brown in AAA, Ibarra on the way and Lavarnway already up in AA with Exposito, there could a bit of a logjam, to say the least.

Probably temporary, though. Salty is unlikely to stay in the minors long--not past Sept 1, and there is a good chance he is the MLB back-up next year. Brown is out of options, I think, and if he gets sent down to keep Cash, I doubt he is in the long term plans. That leaves Wagner, Ibarra, Lavarnway, and Exposito for AA/AAA next year. Lavarnway could probably use more work on his catching skills at AA, and presumably Ibarra will start there next year after time in the AFL. So it should be manageable, I think, and even if Salty spends part of the year in AAA, they can rotate three catchers on one of the teams, getting extra ABs at DH and maybe 1B.

[FanSinceBoggs]

Some may chalk this season up as a subpar one for Exposito, who was really expected to blossom. He has had some shaky moments behind the plate, and his numbers with the bat have remained somewhat so-so.

But he’s been batting near .290 since the start of July, continues to drive in runs at an impressive clip (82, third in the Eastern League, in only 106 games) and has shown significant improvement in plate discipline. After walking 27 times against 76 strikeouts in two levels last year, he has drawn 49 free passes against 74 whiffs in 2010.

While it might not be the sexy numbers everyone wants to see, it signals progress as much as anything else.
http://www.nesn.com/...t-rankings.html

[Beomoose]

Expo shows up in in a MLB vid series about the rookie development program.

Edited by Beomoose, 14 January 2011 - 05:09 PM.

[Beomoose]

Mike Andrews has a good piece on Expo up on ESPNBoston.