ProfileHt.: 5'10" / Wt.: 200 / Bats: L / Throws: R
School
North Carolina
Drafted in the 7th round (231st overall) by the Cleveland Guardians in 2008 (signed for $725,000).
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Tim Fedroff turned 21 early this season and is a prospect for 2008. At 5-foot-11, 182 pounds, Fedroff is not an imposing figure, but he has strong forearms and wrists and packs a powerful punch at the plate. With a compact lefthanded swing, Fedroff has hit for average and power this season, leading the Tar Heels with 12 home runs in the regular season. An above-average runner out of the box, Fedroff can put pressure on the defense with his speed, as he consistently posts sub-4.0-second times to first base. In the outfield he has a fringe-average arm, making him more of a candidate for left field at the pro level.
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The Indians spent $725,000 to sign Fedroff in 2008, but he has moved slower than expected. He has split the last two seasons between Double-A and Triple-A and was one of the International League's top hitters in the second half last year, which helped him claim a spot on the Indians' 40-man roster in November. Fedroff always has stood out for his compact swing, selective approach and ability to hit to all fields. He doesn't expand his strike zone but his lack of power has been an issue since he signed. He adjusted his set-up to be able to get to inside pitches more easily and pull them with more authority, and his 12 homers in 2012 exceeded his total for his four previous pro seasons. His pop still projects as fringy at best, however. Despite his stocky build, Fedroff is athletic and possesses average speed, showing even a little more quickness under way. He has split time between left field and center, but he struggles getting good reads off the bat, so he's better suited for left--where his lack of power limits his value. He'll be 26 this season and still has time to carve out a big league role as an extra outfielder.
Fedroff became North Carolina's starting right fielder as a freshman and helped the Tar Heels reach the College World Series twice in two years. He batted .404 and led the Heels with 12 homers and a .642 slugging percentage as a draft-eligible sophomore in 2008, then signed for $725,000 (the second-highest bonus in the seventh round last year) shortly before the Aug. 15 deadline. Fedroff isn't imposing physically, but he has good strength, particularly in his forearms and wrists. He drives balls to the gaps with occasional home run power. His plate discipline is solid and he has a nice, compact lefty swing, but he needs to quiet his approach, stay on the ball longer and use his legs better. Despite his stocky build, Fedroff is a good athlete with above-average speed. He broke into pro ball as a center fielder, though his defense elicits mixed reviews and his arm strength is fringy. He might be better suited to play on a corner, though he'd have to develop more power to be a regular there. Fedroff should reach high Class A at some point during his first full pro season.
Minor League Top Prospects
The undersized Fedroff flew under the radar at his New Jersey high school, but his bat garnered plenty of attention in his two seasons at North Carolina. A draft-eligible sophomore, he signed for $725,000 as a seventh-rounder a few days before the deadline. Fedroff stood out for his compact lefthanded stroke in college, though his swing got too big at times this summer despite his .319 average. He packs plenty of strength into his 5-foot-11 frame and routinely peppers hard line drives from gap to gap, with occasional home run power. He's an average to slightly above-average runner with a fringe-average arm, and he's a good, aggressive defender. Fedroff played some center field for Mahoning Valley but profiles better on a corner. A classic gamer, he plays above his tools. "He's an intense kid. I appreciate his intensity," Scrappers manager Travis Fryman said. "He's a gritty player who gets the bat on the ball, fights hard at the plate and has command of the strike zone. He's short but real strong, a solid kid with a Giles brothers-type physique."
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