David Renfroe
| AB | 1191 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .232 |
| OBP | .3 |
| SLG | .357 |
| HR | 23 |
- Full name David C. Renfroe
- Born 11/16/1990 in Charlotte, NC
- Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 200 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School South Panola
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Drafted in the 3rd round (107th overall) by the Boston Red Sox in 2009 (signed for $1,400,000).
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Renfroe's father Laddie played baseball at Ole Miss, where he was a pitcher and a two-time all-Southeastern Conference selection. If the younger Renfroe makes it to Oxford, he has a chance to exceed his father's accomplishments as a power pitcher who also could be an outstanding college hitter. That's the problem for Ole Miss, though--Renfroe may be too good to get to school. He's a legitimate prospect both ways and reportedly put the word out that he wanted to hit, and that he wanted to sign if the money was right. Renfroe has a polished approach as a hitter, with solid-average power and hitting tools. He's a smooth defender with good hands who should be a capable college shortstop and an outstanding third baseman at the pro level. He has obvious arm strength that also plays on the mound. He sits at 88-92 mph with his fastball and has touched higher, up to 95 at times. He has the ability to spin a breaking ball and has shown a feel for a changeup. Scouts are split on whether he has more upside as a pitcher or as a hitter. He showed his wood-bat power with a home run last year during the Under Armour/Baseball Factory all-star game, easily reaching the Wrigley Field seats. He could go late in the first round as a hitter for a team that wants to buy him away from Ole Miss, though the consensus had him as a second- to third-round talent.
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Organization Prospect Rankings
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Renfroe's background is similar to Casey Kelly's. Both were star prep quarterbacks (Renfore's South Panola High team won 89 straight games) who could have played football in the Southeastern Conference (Mississippi wanted him to walk on), and both of their fathers had brief big league careers (Laddie Renfroe pitched four games for the 1991 Cubs). They both were outstanding two-way players, too. While Kelly will focus on pitching after dabbling as a shortstop, Renfroe will be a full-time position player. He dropped to the third round of the 2009 draft because of signability questions, and the Red Sox anted up $1.4 million to sign him--more than they gave first-rounder Reymond Fuentes. Renfroe packs power in his compact righthanded stroke, which he demonstrated by homering during the 2008 Under Armour All-America Game at Wrigley Field. He needs to improve his timing at the plate and use his lower half better, but those aren't major adjustments. Renfroe has a strong arm and soft hands, but he has just average range and speed and figures to lose a step as he matures. He'll get the opportunity to play shortstop but profiles better at third base. Renfroe prefers to play every day but could have a future on the mound if he desired. He touched 95 mph with his fastball in high school and showed feel for a curveball and changeup. He'll open 2010 in extended spring training and make his pro debut in Lowell in June.
