I began to prep for my next PLIVE+ article focusing on the Complex leagues and one player really caught my eye. It wasn't the top complex ranked hitter Rainiel Rodriguez, it was actually the second ranked player in Victor Figueroa. Given his eye popping numbers and the lack of fanfare, I decided to immediately write this profile.

So what's all the fuss about? Simply, I was blown away by his stat line to begin his minor league career:

11 G, 44 PA, 5 HR, 13.6% BB, 15.9% K, .605/.659/1.263

Yep, that's a .605 BA over 44 PA. Add in 3 triples and 4 doubles to his 5 home runs and you've got 12 extra base hits over 11 games. Unsurprisingly, everything has been in the air with 45.2% FB and 32.3% LD rates.

Physically, the 21 year old backs up the power numbers. He is a massive human being standing 6 foot 5 inches and comes in at 240 pounds. Watching video, and we'll have some video later, he just looks like a man amongst boys.

Who is Victor Figueroa?

From Florida Southwestern State

Figueroa is a left handed hitting first baseman who began his collegiate career at Mississippi Valley State, slashing .400/.485/.623 with 8 HR. The performance earned him a SWAC 1st Team All-Conference award.

He then went on to play summer ball in the wood bat Prospect League and dominated. His .430/.503/.662 triple slash ranked among the top five in each category, leading the league in batting average. Figueroa posted 2 minutes worth of his highlights at the Prospect League below on X. It's worth the watch:

Last year, Figueroa played JUCO at Florida Southwestern State where he won the FCSAA Triple Crown batting .421 with 17 HR and 79 RBI over 58 games. After the season he was named FCSAA Athlete of the Year. Here is how his school summarized his performance:

Figueroa ends his Buccaneer career as the most decorated male student-athlete in FSW history, now having earned FCSAA Athlete of the Year, 1st Team NJCAA All-American, FCSAA and Citrus Conference Player of the Year, as well as 1st Team All-FCSAA and All-Citrus Conference accolades
... He set new FSW single season records with his .421 average while also putting himself at the top of the Bucs single season hits (88) and RBIs (79) lists. He will play next season at the University of Pittsburgh.

Prior to getting drafted, Figueroa played summer ball once more, this time in the Valley League. He would appear in 18 games slashing .284/.377/.403 with a pair of home runs.

Then came the 2024 MLB Draft where the San Diego Padres selected Figueroa in the 18th round as the 540th player off the board. He signed for $150k, foregoing his commitment to Pitt.

From Victor Figueroa @Victorfiggy56 on X

Moving Forward in Pro Ball

After an unforgettable 11 games at the complex, it appears Victor Figueroa is headed to Single-A for a much needed new test of his skills.

What excites me about him the most, aside from the 11 game sample, is that he sprays the ball with power all over the field. That's highlighted by the 26% Pull, 39% Center, 35% Oppo batted ball data at the complex. Also, just by watching him hammer baseballs in all directions across the limited video I could find.

But if you want a quick example, watch this grand slam to deep center:

Or this oppp home run to left:

Or this pulled no-doubt shot to right:

If you were to force me to nitpick Victor Figueroa's short complex stint, the 12.1% SwStr is a bit high and points to an increased K% moving forward. Additionally, he appears fixed at 1B which means the entire profile hinges on his bat.

Dynasty Outlook

In dynasty leagues, I'd be aggressive and add Figueroa in leagues with 250+ prospects. There appears to be an advanced feel with the bat and he could move up levels quickly, especially given the organization. Looking at our latest Top 600+ Fantasy Prospect ranks, other 1B in the 200-300 range are: Abimelec Ortiz, Luis Merejo, Ernesto Martinez Jr., and Tim Elko. In most league contexts I'd want to roster Figueroa over each of those guys.

It's unclear why Figueroa was overlooked for so long in the draft. But now that he's in pro ball it doesn't really matter. He has the opportunity to perform on the same field as players with pedigree and so far... he's out-hitting them all.

For fun, we'll end with the heavily regressed PLIVE+ peak projection that initially piqued my interest. It's one that looks somewhat similar to Nick Kurtz' peak projection.

25 HR, 7 SB, 8.4% BB, 24.5% K, .253/.319/.450, 114 wRC+