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After the jump, we continue by taking a look at the #18 player in the LSB Community Prospect Rankings, first baseman/outfielder Nomar Mazara...
Nomar Mazara is a 6'5", 200 lb. lefthanded hitter who was signed by the Rangers on July 2, 2011, to a record deal variously reported at $4.95 million and at $5 million. Either way, the bonus was seen by many as an overpay -- Ben Badler predicted that Mazara would end up with the 10th highest signing bonus in the J-2 crop, and most folks had Mazara ranked behind another outfielder and Ranger J-2 signee, Ronald Guzman, who ended up with "only" a $3.45 million bonus.
Mazara has yet to play professionally in anything other than instructionals, so there's no statistical data to work off with him. All we have is the scouting reports, which are mixed. Mazara's raw power is his calling card -- it has elite potential and, along with a big, projectable body, is what got him a huge signing bonus.
The downside with Mazara, though, is that his power appears to be his only plus tool. He's not fast, doesn't have a big arm, isn't much of a defender, and his hit tool is still a big question mark. In contrast to Guzman, who was considered one of the most polished J-2 signees, Mazara is viewed as being extremely raw. While Guzman could end up in Spokane this season, it would be very surprising of Mazara played anywhere other than the Arizona complex league in 2012, and he may not make it out of the complex leagues until 2014.
What sort of ceiling does Mazara have? The power, by all accounts, is real, but it won't do much good unless the hit tool develops, a problem illustrated by the two players who Mazara was compared to after he signed -- Wily Mo Pena and Miguel Cabrera. Mazara is a long way away, and has a high bust potential, but if you want to dream, Cabrera is a nice dream.