Michael Durant Stats & Scouting Report

Full name Michael A. Durant
Born 01/02/1987 in Oakland, CA
Profile Ht.: 6'5" / Wt.: 230 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Berkeley
Drafted in the 4th round (127th overall) by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2005 (signed for $247,500).

View Draft Report

Six-foot-3, 260-pound Henry Sanchez of San Diego would be the undisputed favorite in a home run derby among the nation's top high school power hitters in this year's draft, but Durant would be right on his heels. He launched a number of tape-measure shots this spring while hitting .435-11-30 in his first 46 at-bats. He's a better, more versatile athlete than Sanchez because he plays third base and pitches for his high school team, but he's not as polished as a hitter. The ball jumps off his bat, but he gets beat on inside pitches, swings and misses too often and has difficulty hitting a breaking ball. He's surprisingly mobile around the bag but will be limited to first base. The Dodgers surprised a lot of people by picking 6-foot-1, 230-pound first baseman Cory Dunlap in the third round last year, but it wouldn't surprise anyone this year if Durant was selected about the same time. He is considered easier to sign than the average high school player.

Top Rankings

Durant's size and immense power remind the Phillies of a righthanded-hitting Ryan Howard. He hit .450 with 13 home runs in 26 games as a high school senior. At the behest of fellow Oakland native Jimmy Rollins, Durant attended a predraft workout at Citizens Bank Park and jacked nine home runs, including one that went 20 rows deep into the left field stands and nearly reached the second deck. Durant's mother was 15 when he was born, so his grandmother raised him for five years until she died of cancer. Durant returned to his mother's care until the seventh grade, when the family of one of his junior-high friends adopted him. He lived in a cottage in their backyard from the eighth grade on. Durant passed on a scholarship to Fresno State to sign for a $247,500 bonus. His raw power rates a 70 on the 20-to-80 scale, but he remains a work in progress. Adjusting to breaking balls and making more contact top his to-do list. Durant, who played third base in high school, is surprisingly agile for his size with quick feet and soft hands. He also pitched in high school, so arm strength is not a question. He could emerge as an above-average defender at first base. Durant needs lots of game experience and will start 2006 in extended spring training before moving up to Batavia.