Jared Goedert – Minor League Home Run Leader

Jared Goedertcurrently leads the minor leagues with 15 home runs. And the question is; who
is Goedert? He’s never made a prospect list, wasn’t on a Baseball America
Top-100 draft list,  barely received any
ink at all, heck, why should we care about some unknown low Single-A
21-year-old?

 

He’s
going to garner a fair bit of ink in the near future, on the minds of many for
the fast start. He’s not likely to keep up the pace; a promotion to high
Single-A should be in the cards shortly although there is depth at the next
rung above him. Obviously age-at-level plays a role, but a .357/.480/.743
performance with 40 RBI and a 23/34 K:BB ratio in only 40 games is notable,  particularly when the age issue is due to his
being drafted in 2006 as an NCAA player, when Indians chose him in the ninth
round after picking him in the 36th round in 2003 out of high
school.

 

He’s a switch hitter with 13-of-15 dingers coming from the left side. Don’t get caught
up in that game at present noting that only 37-of-140 at-bats have come
right-handed, his slugging from that side still robust at .595. The Kansas State University product profiled with raw power potential coming into the year, with solid discipline and a line drive stroke.
The numbers are not really all that surprising, and I’m sure everyone is taking
the wait-and-see approach on how he’ll do at the higher levels, an aggressive
development schedule always preferable for overage power hitters coming out of the
college ranks.

 

As a defensive third baseman he’s currently being referred to as average, an upgrade
from the draft-year scouting reports in which most felt he’d become an outfielder
at some point in his pro career. Neither is a particularly glamorous spot to be
in with the Indians. Andy Marte –struggling in the majors –and Wes Hodges,
currently fairing well at high Single-A, are the higher-up third-sackers in the organization,
while the outfield is a minefield of solid prospects. He needs to be promoted
but the timetable to the majors is diluted by the depth. He’ll really need to
force the issue to see the majors by 2009.   

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