Luke Scott

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Houston Astros #15 prospect in 2006
  As if getting the rights to Willy Taveras for Jeriome Robertson weren't enough, the Astros also got Scott in a March 2004 deal with the Indians. With Lance Berkman sidelined with a knee injury, Scott became a surprise Opening Day starter for Houston in 2005. He went down to Triple-A in May and led the Pacific Coast League in homers despite playing in just 103 games, then came back up in August and made the National League Division Series roster. He has huge lefthanded power, a commodity the Astros valued coming off their bench, and can crush balls out of the park to all fields. He's an incredibly streaky hitter, and he'll sometimes get himself out when he's going good, needlessly making adjustments because he fears pitchers will do the same. He controls the strike zone well for a slugger, and he holds his own in left field. Scott's speed and arm are both below-average tools but not liabilities. The 27-year-old doesn't figure to win a regular job with Houston, but he should be able to claim a reserve role in spring training.
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  Ranked Houston Astros #17 prospect in 2005
  Every time Scott seems to make progress, his career takes a detour. He announced himself as a legitimate prospect when he led the Cape Cod League with 11 homers in 2000, but blew out his elbow and required Tommy John surgery in 2001, preventing him from making his pro debut after signing with the Indians as a ninth-round pick. He started to establish himself in the Cleveland system with a 20-homer season while reaching Double-A in 2003, only to get included in the Jeriome Robertson-Willy Taveras trade last March. Because he joined the Astros after they had their minor league rosters mostly set, Scott had to go back to high Class A at age 25. When Houston finally found a Double-A job for him in late June, he raked for the rest of the season. The Astros are short on lefthanded power, and that's Scott's best tool. They love his makeup but want to see him do a better job of using the whole field and dealing with breaking pitches. His speed and arm are below-average but not terrible, and he fits better in left field than in right. Scott will begin this year in Triple-A and could get his first big league callup later in the season.