23-year-old Cuban slugger Yasmani Tomas defects, has insane amounts of power

23-year-old Tomas defects from Cuba

By Dakota Gardner

June 20, 2014

We've seen several Cuban imports make their MLB debuts and bend minds with their talent in recent years -- players like Yoenis Cespedes, Aroldis Chapman, Jose Abreu and that guy who plays out in LA.

Well, the next big prospect out of Cuba is already on his way over; his name is Yasmani Tomas.

Tomas is a 23-year-old outfielder with monstrous power. Scouting Cuban players is notoriously difficult, but here's what we know about him so far:

According to BaseballdeCuba.com, Tomas hit .286 last season with 15 home runs, 60 RBIs and 45 runs scored.

Tomas, a 6-foot-1, 230-pound slugger, is most noted for his power. Reports indicate that Tomas' power is a 70 on the 20-80 scouting scale. He profiles as a corner outfielder and will most likely need time at Triple-A before joining a Major League team.

Baseball America adds to the scouting report:

A righthanded-hitting corner outfielder, Tomas can hit towering home runs thanks to the strength from his thickly-built 6-foot-1, 230-pound frame. Tomas has 70 raw power on the 20-80 scale, and with Jose Abreu already gone, the only player still in Cuba with more raw power than him was Alfredo Despaigne. He has some experience in center field and is a decent runner for his size, but his speed is still below-average and he's going to be a corner outfielder in pro ball.

But why read words when you can watch the man in action?

Tomas showed off that power during the 2013 World Baseball Classic. Here he is hitting a towering homer off Japanese pitcher Kenji Otonari:

He actually has the cameraman fooled -- that ball is still orbiting the Earth.

Here's one from later in the tournament off Chinese Taipei's Yao-Hsun Yang:

While Tomas likely won't be in the Majors to start the 2015 season, here's hoping he makes it up come Home Run Derby time. There's a proud Cuban tradition in that tournament: