Wes Hodges Stats & Scouting Report

AB	2447
AVG	.277
OBP	.328
SLG	.438
HR	74

Full name Wesley Michael Hodges
Born 09/14/1984 in Chattanooga, TN
Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 205 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Georgia Tech
Drafted in the 2nd round (69th overall) by the Cleveland Guardians in 2006 (signed for $1,000,000).

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When Hodges injured his wrist as a high school senior, he taught himself to bat lefthanded and still hit .400. The White Sox drafted him in the 13th round, but he chose to attend college and looked like a cinch first-rounder entering his junior season. His stock has steadily slipped this spring, and some scouts wonder if he is healthy. He missed a series in May with a calf injury, and his defense had regressed. Hodges has outstanding eye-hand coordination and makes consistent contact. He has shown above-average bat speed in the past, though it wasn't as impressive this season. He doesn't project to hit for considerable power, yet he has a penchant for finding holes and has a good hitter's mentality, with good plate discipline and pitch recognition. He's a below-average runner. He has shown above-average arm strength in the past, but many of his throws lacked carry this spring. Clubs placing an emphasis on his track record could still take Hodges as early as the sandwich round.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

It was hard for scouts to get a handle on Hodges in 2009, when wrist and shoulder injuries limited him to 91 games and often relegated him to DH. The injuries took a noticeable toll on his hitting and defense, getting him out of his rhythm and his routine. Staying healthy has been a longtime problem for Hodges. He broke a bone in his hand--and taught himself to hit lefthanded--as a high school senior in 2003, then had a stress fracture in his leg when he was draft-eligible again in 2006. Paid first-round money ($1 million) as a second-round pick, he broke a toe and strained a hamstring in his 2007 pro debut. At his best, Hodges has shown advanced feel for hitting and the ability to use the whole field with average power. Scouts are concerned about his body and his fielding, with many predicting a move off third base in the near future. He has decent hands and an average arm, but he's a below-average runner with limited range and first-step quickness. Cleveland showed its faith in Hodges by protecting him on its 40-man roster in November. He'll return to Triple-A to get back on track in 2010.
After battling injuries the previous two years--a stress fracture in his leg in his draft year in 2006, then a broken toe and a strained hamstring during his pro debut in 2007--Hodges came into last season in better physical condition and put together a strong first half in Double-A, earning a spot in the Futures Game and the Eastern League all-star game. He has good barrel awareness, spraying the ball and hitting for power to all fields. He has a natural feel for hitting, so much so that he taught himself to hit lefthanded after breaking a bone in his hand during his senior year of high school--and batted .430. Hodges' hands work well at the plate, and he maximizes his strength by getting good leverage in his swing. Most of his value is tied up in his bat, as he's a below-average runner and scouts question whether he can remain at third base. His hands are decent, but he lacks first-step quickness and agility and his footwork gets him into trouble. He committed 28 errors in 125 games at third base with Akron, then eight more in 22 Arizona Fall League games. Hodges has average arm strength, but he doesn't get his body into his throws and doesn't use his legs properly. The Indians have had a revolving door at third base in recent years, and Hodges may be able to put an end to that after spending some time in Triple-A.
Hodges always has shown a gamer mentality. When he broke the hamate bone in his left wrist as a high school senior, he taught himself to bat lefthanded and hit .430. A 13th-round pick of the White Sox in 2003, he opted to attend Georgia Tech and played through a leg injury that was ultimately diagnosed as a stress fracture during his draft year. Injuries again hampered him during his pro debut in 2007, as a broken toe and hamstring injury cost him three weeks in May. Hodges has an easy, fluid stroke that produces line drives to all fields. His swing has good leverage and he has opposite-field power. He grades out as an average defender with soft hands and average arm strength. He worked with Kinston manager Mike Sarbaugh and infield coordinator Ted Kubiak to push off his back leg and get better extension on his throws. He has a reputation for good plate discipline, but Hodges didn't show it in 2007. He struggled to recognize breaking balls, especially against righthanders. While his throws improved, he struggled charging grounders and ranging to his right, and some in the organization question whether he can stick at third base. Hodges will begin 2008 as the everyday third baseman in Double-A. He's a better defender than Beau Mills, but he needs to stay healthy to be the club's long-term answer at the hot corner.
A natural self-starter, Hodges taught himself to bat lefthanded after a wrist injury as a high school senior and still hit .430. A 13th-round pick by the White Sox in 2003, he opted to go to Georgia Tech and became a three-year starter. Hodges' stock slipped in 2006 due to a mysterious leg injury, finally diagnosed in late May as an early stress fracture. The Indians were able to nab him in the second round and signed him for $1 million. Hodges has advanced plate discipline and shows good power with a fluid line-drive stroke. His excellent hand-eye coordination aids his above-average bat speed, as he's able to make consistent contact with pitches all over the strike zone. He has soft hands and above-average arm strength. Though he seemed like a shoo-in first-rounder heading into last spring, the injury killed Hodges' range and cost him defensively. The Indians believe he'll have plenty of range for third base and more life in his lower half when he's 100 percent, though he's a below-average runner. With Andy Marte ahead of him, Hodges has time to get healthy and develop. His bat could force the issue, though, and Hodges may start at and definitely should reach high Class A in his pro debut.

Minor League Top Prospects

Hodges long has been known as a player with a knack for hitting, such as when he taught himself to hit lefthanded after breaking his hand during his senior year in high school. After a strong three-year career at Georgia Tech, Hodges hit well again in his first year in Double-A, leading the EL for 97 RBIs. He showed a feel for the barrel and the ability to square up good pitching, and he has above-average raw power. Scouts agreed, however, that Hodges has become a below-average defender at third base. He made 28 errors, due mostly to poor footwork that led to errant throws. One AL scout didn't like his body language and lack of defensive confidence "He has throwing issues and he may have lost some life in his lower half," an NL scout said, citing a leg injury that hampered Hodges in 2006. "I think he's better suited at first base, but he's going to be an offensive player. He could be an Aaron Boone kind of hitter."
After signing for $1 million as a second-round pick in 2006, Hodges didn't get medical clearance to play until instructional league because of a stress fracture in his leg. In his pro debut, the ball jumped off his bat. He showed power to all fields as well as a mature approach at the plate. Hodges went through some growing pains at third base, in part because he had a broken toe and a hamstring pull. Scouts question his range to both sides as well as his arm strength to remain at the hot corner. The Indians worked to improve his arm action--Hodges regularly flips his throws to first--to use his back leg to get more strength behind a more over-the-top release. "You wonder if he might wind up at first down the road," an AL scout said. "He comes in on balls well, but doesn't have real good lateral movement at all."