Post by rog on Dec 25, 2018 13:33:14 GMT -5
The Giants' choice of outfielder Drew Ferguson was the only pick in Round 2 of the major league facet of the Rule 5 Draft. I initially wasn't very strong on him because he relied on a .394 BABIP for his .305 batting average in AAA last season. A .394 BABIP simply isn't sustainable.
But what I missed was that his on base percentage was a resounding .436. That's a huge number which implies that Drew can get on base even if he isn't hitting a ton. Other than Barry Bonds and maybe Eddie Stanky, I don't remember Giants players with a .436 OPS.
Here is a Baseball America scouting report on Drew:
Ferguson parlayed a .395/.486/.682 senior season into a $1,000 bonus as a 19th-rounder in 2015. He advanced rapidly in the Astros system, struggling briefly when he got to Triple-A in August 2017 but playing well when he returned last season. When Houston couldn't find a spot for him on its 40-man roster, the Giants swooped in and grabbed him in the Rule 5 Draft.
Ferguson earns raves for his baseball IQ, which helps him play above his tools -- not that there are any glaring deficiencies with his tools. He makes consistent hard contact with a sound right-handed swing and a patient gameplan. Though he has a compact build, he has average power and could produce 15 homers per year if he tried to drive the ball more often.
Ferguson has solid speed and uses it well on the bases and in center field. After getting relegated to the corners in his first two seasons while playing along higher-profile prospects, he showed that he could handle center the last two years. His average arm adds to his versatility, allowing him to man all three outfield spots.
Even though Steven Duggar hit southpaws better with the Giants last season than right-handers, the Giants don't seem totally convinced he couldn't use a right-handed hitting platoon partner. Having played a fair amount of center, Ferguson might make a decent platoon partner for Duggar. And as the Giants are postioned in the outfield right now, he might be strong enough to get playing time elsewhere as well.
Drew's most impressive stat is his .393 career OBP. He could drop 40 points off that and still be pretty good. He hits a lot of line drives, and in AAA last season, he hit a fly ball only three out of 10 times. That indicates he shouldn't be badly affected by AT&T. I can see why he drew four out of five stars in his chances to stick this season.
Sounds like he fits our prefered profile of speed, defense and getting on base. And for a fourth outfielder, that's not bad.
But what I missed was that his on base percentage was a resounding .436. That's a huge number which implies that Drew can get on base even if he isn't hitting a ton. Other than Barry Bonds and maybe Eddie Stanky, I don't remember Giants players with a .436 OPS.
Here is a Baseball America scouting report on Drew:
Ferguson parlayed a .395/.486/.682 senior season into a $1,000 bonus as a 19th-rounder in 2015. He advanced rapidly in the Astros system, struggling briefly when he got to Triple-A in August 2017 but playing well when he returned last season. When Houston couldn't find a spot for him on its 40-man roster, the Giants swooped in and grabbed him in the Rule 5 Draft.
Ferguson earns raves for his baseball IQ, which helps him play above his tools -- not that there are any glaring deficiencies with his tools. He makes consistent hard contact with a sound right-handed swing and a patient gameplan. Though he has a compact build, he has average power and could produce 15 homers per year if he tried to drive the ball more often.
Ferguson has solid speed and uses it well on the bases and in center field. After getting relegated to the corners in his first two seasons while playing along higher-profile prospects, he showed that he could handle center the last two years. His average arm adds to his versatility, allowing him to man all three outfield spots.
Even though Steven Duggar hit southpaws better with the Giants last season than right-handers, the Giants don't seem totally convinced he couldn't use a right-handed hitting platoon partner. Having played a fair amount of center, Ferguson might make a decent platoon partner for Duggar. And as the Giants are postioned in the outfield right now, he might be strong enough to get playing time elsewhere as well.
Drew's most impressive stat is his .393 career OBP. He could drop 40 points off that and still be pretty good. He hits a lot of line drives, and in AAA last season, he hit a fly ball only three out of 10 times. That indicates he shouldn't be badly affected by AT&T. I can see why he drew four out of five stars in his chances to stick this season.
Sounds like he fits our prefered profile of speed, defense and getting on base. And for a fourth outfielder, that's not bad.
