State of the Farm: “When I hold you in my arms (oh, yeah). And I feel my finger on your trigger (oh, yeah). I know nobody can do me no harm (oh, yeah). Because, (happiness) is a warm gun, mama (bang bang shoot shoot).”
Prospect rankings primer
The Top Ten
- C Travis d'Arnaud
- RHP Noah Syndergaard
- RHP Aaron Sanchez
- LHP Sean Nolin
- CF D.J. Davis
- RHP Roberto Osuna
- LHP Daniel Norris
- RHP Marcus Stroman
- LHP Matt Smoral
- RHP Alberto Tirado
1. Travis d'Arnaud
Position: C
DOB: 02/10/1989
Height/Weight: 6’2’’ 195 lbs.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Drafted/Acquired: 1st round, 2007 draft (Phillies), Lakewood High School (Lakewood, CA)
2012 Stats: .333/.380/.595 at Triple-A Las Vegas (67 games)
The Tools: 5 hit; 6 power potential; 6 arm; 5+ glove
What Happened in 2012: A knee injury ended his season before he could climb to the majors, but the 23-year-old backstop is ready to take his turn on the biggest stage.
Strengths: Balanced skill-set; shows above-average bat speed; hands/hips work well; good contact ability; ability to drive to all fields; swing characteristics for power production; good lift and leverage to swing; profiles as above-average hitter for position; quality receiver; good catch and throw skills; arm strength is 6; good body for position; makeup for success on both sides of the ball.
Weaknesses: Setup can get noisy; aggressive approach; tendency to pull-off balls on outer-third; hit tool might only play at 5; game power might play under plus; can play fast behind the plate, lose accuracy on throws, rush footwork.
Overall Future Potential: 6; first-division player
Explanation of Risk: Low risk; some injuries on resume; ready for primetime
Fantasy Future: Could develop into top-shelf bat at position, with .275-plus batting average and 17-25 HR power potential.
The Year Ahead: If fully healthy, d’Araud is ready for the major league challenge, with a mature bat and a game-ready skill-set behind the plate. His biggest hurdle will be the adjustment against major-league quality pitching, as his approach and setup both show signs of vulnerability. Some sources see d’Arnaud as future all-star, and the dearth of above-average hitters at the position could make that a reality if his tools find full utility.
Major league ETA: 2013
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