Travis Harrison
| AB | 2014 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .239 |
| OBP | .351 |
| SLG | .358 |
| HR | 33 |
- Full name Travis J. Harrison
- Born 10/17/1992 in Aliso Viejo, CA
- Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 215 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Tustin
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Drafted in the C-A round (50th overall) by the Minnesota Twins in 2011 (signed for $1,050,000).
View Draft Report
Harrison established himself as one of the top power hitters in Southern California early, homering off future Rockies first-rounder Tyler Matzek with a wood bat as a freshman in scout ball. He easily rates as the region's best high school bat this year. Harrison has a physical 6-foot-2, 215-pound frame and above-average righthanded power potential. Some scouts think he could be an above-average hitter, too, if he does a better job protecting the outer half and adjusting to breaking balls. He can make loud contact, but he centers balls on the barrel inconsistently, and other scouts see him as just an average hitter. It's unclear where he'll play on the diamond. His arm has improved to the point that some scouts now consider it average, but his actions at third base are stiff and his range and footwork are fringy. He'll get a chance to stay at the hot corner, however, before falling back to first. He's a below-average runner with solid instincts on the basepaths. Harrison plays hard and loves to compete, and scouts expect a club to buy him out of his commitment to Southern California.
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Organization Prospect Rankings
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Signed for $1.05 million as the 50th overall pick in 2011, Harrison played just 15 games at third base in 2014 as he made the transition to left field. His actions at third base were too stiff and mechanical, and he fielded just .881 at the hot corner for his career. The power-hitting Harrison struggled with his reads and routes in the outfield but relied on his plus arm and solid instincts to improve by season's end. With his improved conditioning, he projects as an average defensive left fielder in the majors. Harrison remains a below-average runner lacking in first-step quickness, but his plate discipline has greatly improved. Harrison slashed his strikeout rate from 23 percent at low Class A Cedar Rapids in 2013 to 16 percent with the Miracle. His power stroke suffered in the thick air and larger ballparks of the FSL, but his .361 on-base percentage tied for ninth in the league. He still gets too pull conscious at times and will chase breaking balls, but he has plenty of bat speed and a short swing that enables him to drive the ball to all fields. His positional value will suffer if he stays in left field, which he likely will, but he should get a chance to recapture the natural lift in his swing at Double-A Chattanooga in 2015. -
Signed for $1.05 million as the 50th overall pick in 2011, Harrison is doing his part to make up for the struggles of first-round shortstop Levi Michael. After averaging 25 errors his first two seasons at third base, Harrison spent much of his instructional league learning to play left field. He predictably struggled with his reads and routes but showed more than enough arm and instincts to make the move. He will probably split time in 2014 at high Class A Fort Myers between left and third base, where he has a tendency to be too mechanical and lacks the requisite first-step quickness and agility. Better going to his left with an average third-base arm, Harrison is a below-average runner who will go as far as his bat takes him. His 15 homers ranked second at low Class A Cedar Rapids to Adam Brett Walker, but Harrison led the way with 68 walks and 125 strikeouts, many of them on breaking pitches out of the zone. He tends to get too pull-conscious at times and his swing can get closed-off, but he has good bat speed and a short swing that generates solid power to all fields. Harrison's overall athleticism improved after he devoted himself to the organization's agility program. -
The 50th overall pick in the 2011 draft, Harrison signed late for $1.05 million and made his pro debut last summer at Elizabethton. Taken for his bat, he finished eighth in the Appalachian League in hitting (.301) and settled in as a consistent complement to college-drafted sluggers Adam Brett Walker and D.J. Hicks. Harrison has a strong upper body to go with natural rhythm and hitting. His swing is more line-drive oriented now, but he should tap into his plus raw power as he learns his strike zone. He has started using the whole field more after being too pull-conscious as an amateur. Harrison improved greatly at third base last season, shortening his arm stroke to have a consistently average, accurate arm. He isn't the most graceful athlete and lacks ideal first-step or lateral quickness, so his footwork never will be a plus. Some scouts think he'll hit enough for his defense at third to be playable. He's a fringy runner who could wind up in left field or first base. Harrison has to produce at the plate to make an impact. He'll head to Cedar Rapids in 2013. -
Southern California's Tustin High has produced three big league all-stars in Heath Bell, Shawn Green and Mark Grace, and Harrison's career there ranks with any of theirs. He hit 33 homers at Tustin and several tape-measure shots on the showcase circuit, including a 504-foot shot at Tropicana Field in the 2010 Power Showcase. He spurned a Southern California scholarship when he signed for $1.05 million as the 50th overall pick in the 2011 draft. The Twins took Harrison for his bat. He's a baseball rat who eschews batting gloves and has a feel for the barrel. He doesn't have much of a stride and has enough strength to pull it off, leading to a balanced, line-drive swing. As he learns to loft the ball, he's expected to hit for above-average home run power. His swing and strength remind some club officials of Paul Goldschmidt. Harrison isn't a fluid athlete and is limited to a corner spot. He'll get time at third base but is expected to move to first eventually. He's a below-average runner but not a clogger. Harrison likely will start 2012 in extended spring training before debuting at Elizabethton.
