Justin Sellers Stats & Scouting Report

AB	252
AVG	.198
OBP	.28
SLG	.294
HR	3

Full name Justin Ryan Sellers
Born 02/01/1986 in Bellflower, CA
Profile Ht.: 5'10" / Wt.: 175 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Marina
Debut 08/12/2011
Drafted in the 6th round (191st overall) by the Oakland Athletics in 2005 (signed for $150,000).

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Sellers is a tremendous baseball player in a small package. His tools, instincts and style of play compare to former Arizona State All-America shortstop Dustin Pedroia, who pound-for-pound may have been the best player in college baseball in 2004 and is rapidly climbing the ladder in the Red Sox system. Scouts say Sellers is the best defensive shortstop in Southern California, combining sure, soft hands with excellent range. At the plate, he's wiry strong and swings the bat well, but his power potential is negligible, especially with wood. He was hitting .407-4-16 in 86 at-bats this spring. Beyond his tools, his greatest strength is an advanced knowledge of how to play the game--not surprising because his father is former big league pitcher Jeff Sellers, who played for the Red Sox from 1985-88. Sellers is considered signable in spite of his commitment to Cal State Fullerton.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

A high school teammate of Daric Barton, Sellers is the son of former big league righthander Jeff Sellers. He opted to sign with Oakland for $150,000, bypassing a commitment to play at Cal State Fullerton. Sellers is a natural defender at shortstop, with soft hands and above-average range. His arm strength isn't great, but it's enough to get the job done and plays up because of his ability to read balls off the bat and get a quick first step. Sellers has exceptional instincts that translate in the field as well as on the bases. Offense is the question. Sellers led the organization in fly outs in 2006 and he still hits too many balls in the air. He drops his back shoulder and pulls off pitches, minimizing his ability to drive balls. He needs to stay to the middle of the field and work to his strengths and not try to sell out for power, mostly because there simply isn't much power there. He went 9-for-16 to finish his Hawaii Winter Baseball stint on a roll, batting .281 there overall. Sellers profiles as a solid-average defender who'll hit at the bottom of a lineup. While he improved some areas of his approach, he needs more maturity and added strength when he reports to Double-A this spring.
The son of former big league righthander Jeff Sellers, Justin committed to play for Cal State Fullerton but signed for a relatively modest $150,000 bonus as a 2005 sixth-rounder. A Marina High (Huntington Beach, Calif.) teammate of Daric Barton in 2003, Sellers was the youngest Kane County player for much of 2006. Oakland has considered making him a switchhitter but hasn't gone ahead with the experiment yet. Sellers has passed fellow 2005 draftee Cliff Pennington as the best defensive infielder in the system. He has a feel for defense, making difficult plays look easy thanks to soft hands, smooth footwork, surprising range and a solid-average, accurate arm. Offensively, he controls the strike zone and has the bat speed to sting balls from gap to gap. His above-average instincts play well defensively and on the bases, where he's a slightly above-average runner. Sellers had more fly outs than any A's farmhand in 2006. He hasn't adjusted his homer-oriented approach despite evidence that homers won't be a big part of his game. They definitely won't be if he doesn't respond to the organization's pleas that he hit the weight room and get stronger. Today's A's value defense more than most clubs. Sellers will need to show more professionalism to reach his ceiling as an everyday shortstop whose bats profiles for the bottom of a lineup. A stronger, more coachable Sellers will earn a spot in high Class A.
The son of former big league pitcher Jeff Sellers, Justin played at Marina High (Huntington Beach, Calif.) with top A's prospect Daric Barton. Marina also has produced big leaguers Kevin Elster, Marc Newfield, Steve Springer and Craig Wilson. Sellers' tools and feel for the game impressed many teams, but his lack of size dropped the Cal State Fullerton recruit to the sixth round. One A's official insists that if Sellers were even 6 feet tall, he could have been a late first-round pick. Signed for $150,000, he's fluid in all aspects of the game. He has a smooth, level swing that allows him to hit for a high average. A baseball rat with fantastic instincts, he's an excellent defender with good range to both sides and solid arm strength. He's also an above-average runner. Sellers isn't expected to fill out much because he has a small frame, and he offers little in the way of power. Oakland has worked with him to tame his approach at the plate and help him with his transition from metal to wood bat. With a good spring, he'll be the everyday shortstop in low Class A.

Minor League Top Prospects

Last year, Cliff Pennington was everyone's favorite gamer in the MWL. This season, Sellers inherited that mantel as well as Pennington's job as Kane County's shortstop. The league's best defender at short, Sellers has the range, hands and moxie to make all the plays. At 5-foot-10 and 160 pounds he looks more like a batboy than a threat in the batter's box, but he handles the bat well and wasn't overmatched. He needs to mature physically and cut down his huge swing, and he should be able to do that with time. "He's the best baseball player this league has had in five years," the second NL scout said. "He'll hit and he has some surprising pop. He's a plus shortstop, arm, runner and makeup. He can flat-out play. He's my favorite player, not the best but my favorite, in the Midwest League."
Managers loved Sellers' knowledge of and passion for the game, which should come as no surprise because his father Jeff pitched in the majors. "He's such an aggressive player," Forkerway said. "He gets after it every day. It's impressive for someone so young. Usually these high school guys are a deer in the headlights, but not him." Those intangibles are a big reason why the Athletics placed Sellers in the NWL as a high school player, yet necessary for a 5-foot-10, 155-pounder. He already has started to draw David Eckstein comparisons, but he does have physical skills. His range, hands and footwork all stick out, and he has an average arm. He handles the bat very well, making consistent contact and refusing to chase bad pitches. He doesn't project to have much power.