MsStateBaseball
01-02-2015, 02:05 PM
2. Hunter Renfroe
Position: OF
DOB: 01/28/1992
Height/Weight: 6?1? 200 lb
Bats/Throws: R/R
Drafted/Acquired: 1st round, 2013 draft, Mississippi State University (Mississippi State, MS)
Previous Ranking: #4 (Org), Just Missed The Cut (Top 101)
2014 Stats: .232/.307/.353 at Double-A (60 games), .295/.370/.565 at High-A Lake Elsinore (69 games)
The Tools: 5 potential hit; 7 potential power; 6 arm; 5+ potential glove; 5+ run
What Happened in 2014: After punishing High-A arms through the first half of the season, Renfroe sputtered in 60 Texas League contests, ultimately reasserting himself as an alpha power bat via a strong Arizona Fall League showing in which he paced the league in slugging (.569) and tied for the league lead in home runs (6).
Strengths: High-level athlete; big raw that plays in game; swing brings natural loft and carry; easy backspin; above-average run and aggressive implementation of tool; arm can be a weapon; covers ground and capable of the flashy finish; strong competitor; swagger.
Weaknesses: Aggressive approach can limit power utility; Double-A pitching further exposed holes in approach, particularly with respect to same-side secondaries; failure to shrink coverage holes could soften profile to one-dimensional power bat with limited kill zone.
Overall Future Potential: High 6; first-division regular/all-star
Realistic Role: High 5; above-average regular
Risk Factor/Injury History: Low; achieved Double-A; high floor through broad value base with impact power potential.
Bret Sayre?s Fantasy Take: With some of Renfroe?s contact troubles, he?s more attractive in an OBP format, but that certainly doesn?t mean he should be undersold in standard 5x5. A potential .260 hitter who could hit 25-30 homers, even in Petco, Renfroe could sweeten the pot with 15-20 steal ability. The odds are low he?ll get to that point, but he has many paths to value.
The Year Ahead: Despite some choppy stretches with Double-A San Antonio, Renfroe ended 2014 on a high note, impressing evaluators throughout his AFL stint with loud BP showings and in-game at-bats demonstrative of a solid overall approach and power that plays. With the bat speed to turn on premium velocity, Renfroe revels in rising to fastball challenges, which can get him in to trouble when he locks into his search for heaters, something Double-A arms were able to exploit. To his credit, the former Mississippi State Bulldog was able to somewhat tame those urges in the fall, and the positive results were apparent. Whether he can continue to maintain a more focused and methodical plan of attack has yet to be seen, and will be the ultimate determinant as to whether he is able to maximize his opportunities for hard contact and fully tap into that double-plus raw. With an influx of major-league outfielders making their way to San Diego this winter, the organization has the latitude to afford Renfroe more developmental time in Double-A to start the 2015 campaign. He could debut as early the end of next season, and should in any event by ready to contribute in earnest by 2016.
Major league ETA: 2016
Position: OF
DOB: 01/28/1992
Height/Weight: 6?1? 200 lb
Bats/Throws: R/R
Drafted/Acquired: 1st round, 2013 draft, Mississippi State University (Mississippi State, MS)
Previous Ranking: #4 (Org), Just Missed The Cut (Top 101)
2014 Stats: .232/.307/.353 at Double-A (60 games), .295/.370/.565 at High-A Lake Elsinore (69 games)
The Tools: 5 potential hit; 7 potential power; 6 arm; 5+ potential glove; 5+ run
What Happened in 2014: After punishing High-A arms through the first half of the season, Renfroe sputtered in 60 Texas League contests, ultimately reasserting himself as an alpha power bat via a strong Arizona Fall League showing in which he paced the league in slugging (.569) and tied for the league lead in home runs (6).
Strengths: High-level athlete; big raw that plays in game; swing brings natural loft and carry; easy backspin; above-average run and aggressive implementation of tool; arm can be a weapon; covers ground and capable of the flashy finish; strong competitor; swagger.
Weaknesses: Aggressive approach can limit power utility; Double-A pitching further exposed holes in approach, particularly with respect to same-side secondaries; failure to shrink coverage holes could soften profile to one-dimensional power bat with limited kill zone.
Overall Future Potential: High 6; first-division regular/all-star
Realistic Role: High 5; above-average regular
Risk Factor/Injury History: Low; achieved Double-A; high floor through broad value base with impact power potential.
Bret Sayre?s Fantasy Take: With some of Renfroe?s contact troubles, he?s more attractive in an OBP format, but that certainly doesn?t mean he should be undersold in standard 5x5. A potential .260 hitter who could hit 25-30 homers, even in Petco, Renfroe could sweeten the pot with 15-20 steal ability. The odds are low he?ll get to that point, but he has many paths to value.
The Year Ahead: Despite some choppy stretches with Double-A San Antonio, Renfroe ended 2014 on a high note, impressing evaluators throughout his AFL stint with loud BP showings and in-game at-bats demonstrative of a solid overall approach and power that plays. With the bat speed to turn on premium velocity, Renfroe revels in rising to fastball challenges, which can get him in to trouble when he locks into his search for heaters, something Double-A arms were able to exploit. To his credit, the former Mississippi State Bulldog was able to somewhat tame those urges in the fall, and the positive results were apparent. Whether he can continue to maintain a more focused and methodical plan of attack has yet to be seen, and will be the ultimate determinant as to whether he is able to maximize his opportunities for hard contact and fully tap into that double-plus raw. With an influx of major-league outfielders making their way to San Diego this winter, the organization has the latitude to afford Renfroe more developmental time in Double-A to start the 2015 campaign. He could debut as early the end of next season, and should in any event by ready to contribute in earnest by 2016.
Major league ETA: 2016