Mat Gamel Stats & Scouting Report

AB	240
AVG	.229
OBP	.305
SLG	.367
HR	6

Full name Mathew Lawrence Gamel
Born 07/26/1985 in Jacksonville, FL
Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 220 / Bats: L / Throws: R
School Chipola Junior College
Debut 09/03/2008
Drafted in the 4th round (115th overall) by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2005 (signed for $226,000).

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A juco player who wasn't under control was Chipola 3B Matt Gamel, who proved to be one of the best hitters in the state at any level. A juco all-American, Gamel has a short, quick lefthanded swing that he repeats. He's also considered a solid defender at third base with good enough hands and arm strength for the position. Committed to Louisiana-Monroe, he should go in the first 10 rounds.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

The Brewers figured both they and Gamel would profit from a midseason promotion to the majors, with his primary role as DH in interleague road games. But he had trouble adjusting to irregular playing time, lost his stroke and never got going again, even after returning to Triple-A. He batted .267 in 2009, down 39 points from his previous career average. When he's on his game, Gamel uses a compact stroke to spray the ball to all fields, mainly from gap to gap. He has enough pop in his bat to hit 20 homers annually in the majors. He normally hangs in well against lefties, taking breaking balls the other way. He has average speed and plenty of arm strength at third base. Gamel made strides defensively in 2009, but scouts still doubt his ability to handle the hot corner in the majors. He's not as bad as he was when he led the minors with 53 errors in 2007, but he still has flawed footwork that leads to erratic throws. He needs a better two-strike approach after whiffing a career-high 143 times last season. In an attempt to recapture his stroke, Gamel played winter ball in Venezuela. The Brewers have no plans to move him to first base or the outfield, but his status as their third baseman of the future became clouded when Casey McGehee turned in a strong rookie season in 2009. The 2010 season will determine where Gamel fits in Milwaukee.
Gamel was the best hitter in the minor leagues in the first half of the 2008 season, batting .375/.433/.612 in Double-A. His emergence as a legitimate force made it easier for the Brewers to include 2007 first-round pick Matt LaPorta in the C.C. Sabathia trade. Gamel's production plummeted dramatically in the second half, and he later revealed that his right elbow had been bothering much of the time. Gamel uses the entire field, drives balls to the gaps and has enough pop in his bat to hit for high average with at least 20 homers per year in the majors. He knows the strike zone--he reached base in 53 consecutive games last year--and has a quick, compact swing. He hangs in well against lefthanders because of his willingness to take the ball the other way. He's mentally tough and doesn't give away many at-bats. He's an average runner with solid arm strength. The Brewers insist Gamel will have to play his way off third base, and he just might do that. A year after leading the minors with 53 errors, he committed 32 in 131 games. Poor footwork still leads to some atrocious throws, and his errors often come in bunches when his mechanics fall apart. He has worked hard to improve but still is far short of being ready to play defense in the majors. Gamel's bat will get him to the big leagues but it's difficult to project where he'll fit defensively. He could take over at first base if the Brewers decide to trade Prince Fielder, while others think he should move to the outfield. Gamel will open 2009 at the hot corner, most likely in Triple-A.
The Brewers locked onto Gamel while evaluating junior college teammate Darren Ford as a draft-and-follow in 2005. Gamel put together a 33-game hitting streak in 2007, the longest in the high Class A Florida State League in 56 years. He led the minors with 53 errors in 128 games at third base. A professional hitter, Gamel knows the strike zone, sprays balls to all fields and is developing more home run power. His pop was improving rapidly as he challenged for the triple crown in Hawaii Winter Baseball. He has decent speed, runs the bases well and has the arm strength to play third base. Gamel's arm isn't as accurate as it is strong, so he makes a lot of throwing errors, often related to poor footwork. The volume of errors gets in his head at times; he must stop thinking too much in the field and just react. The Brewers think he'll eventually figure it out. He was working on his defense in Hawaii, and Milwaukee has no plans to move Gamel off third base despite his defensive struggles and the presence of Ryan Braun in the majors. He'll make the jump to Double-A in 2008.
Undrafted out of high school, Gamel spent a year Daytona Beach (Fla.) Community College before transferring to Chipola (Fla.) Junior College, where the Brewers spotted him while scouting teammate Darren Ford, a draft-and-follow. In his first full pro season, Gamel was named MVP of the South Atlantic League all-star game. He wowed the crowd by hitting 15 bombs in the second round of the home run derby, which he lost in the finals. Gamel can hit for average and power. He has a sound lefthanded stroke, hits balls from gap to gap and can pull a pitch out of the park if a pitcher challenges him inside. A former pitcher, he has plus arm strength to go with decent speed and agility. His swing can get long at times, but Gamel doesn't strike out excessively. After making 52 errors in 157 pro games at third base, he must improve his footwork to reduce his wayward throws. With Ryan Braun ahead of him, he could move to the outfield in the future. There are no plans to shift Gamel off the hot corner this year. He'll make the jump to high Class A and could be big league-ready by the end of 2008.
Gamel is a grinder who can hit, a good combination. He played at Jacksonville high school baseball power Bishop Kenny and didn't start until his senior season, keeping his name under the radar. He spent his first college season at Daytona (Fla.) Community College, and Milwaukee didn't spot him until last year at Chipola, where he played with Brewers draft-and-follow outfielder Darren Ford (now the fastest player in the system). Gamel earned a reputation as one of Florida's top hitters in a down draft year in the Sunshine State, and the Brewers had to grab him in the fourth round. Gamel, who had committed to Louisiana-Monroe, was a juco all-American after hitting .433-14-63, and followed up with a solid pro debut. Chipola coach Jeff Johnson called him the best hitter he had ever coached. Gamel has a good lefthanded stroke that lashes line drives from gap to gap. At times his swing gets a little long, but when his mechanics are right it's a short stroke that should lend itself to good pull power. Gamel's best defensive tool is his arm strength, and the Brewers already have talked of moving him to the outfield. He'll probably open this year in low Class A after finishing 2005 there.

Minor League Top Prospects

Gamel injured his upper back in spring training, keeping him on the shelf for most of the season's first two months. He joined Nashville in June and had a typically strong season with the bat, though Casey McGehee's continued strong play in Milwaukee blocks his path to the majors. Gamel's bat is what carries him. His swing is direct to the ball, with above-average bat speed and good extension. He'll use the whole field and can hit balls out of any part of the park, though he still struggles to control the strike zone and recognize breaking pitches. Though he has range and strong arm, Gamel continues to lack accuracy on his throws and rates as a below-average defender at third base. He could be a candidate to eventually replace Prince Fielder at first base, but Gamel made just two appearances there this year and would have to learn the position.
Gamel has become well known for his tremendous raw power as well as his defensive deficiencies, both of which were on display in the PCL. He has the ability to drive the ball to all fields, the bat speed to catch up to quality fastballs and the natural timing to center the ball. His only real drawback at the plate is his lack of a two-strike approach, as he won't give up on trying to crush balls, no matter what the count. "He has really strong hands to the ball," a National League scout said. "He does let the ball travel and hit it deep and still drive it out to left-center and drive it over the fence. He's just one of those guys where the ball comes off the bat differently than most other guys." Though Gamel was better defensively than in past years, his .910 fielding percentage was still substandard. His speed, range, reactions and arm strength are fine, but his footwork and throwing mechanics still fall apart at times. One manager said he thought Gamel had lapses of concentration and got careless in the field.
Gamel established his offensive credentials before arriving in Huntsville, batting .297 in three pro seasons and fashioning a 33-game hitting streak in 2007. He managed to boost his stock even further by setting career highs in average (.329) and homers (19) while leading the SL in RBIs (96) and extra-base hits (61). Though he doesn't have LaPorta's plus-plus power, Gamel should hit for above-average pop and is a better pure hitter. He handles lefties and righties, fastballs and breaking balls. He recognizes pitches well and drives the ball with authority to all fields, letting pitches travel deep in the zone before turning on them. Defense is the biggest question mark for Gamel, who led the minors with 53 errors in 2007 and made 30 miscues this year. He's athletic but lacks fluidity and has struggled with his footwork, affecting his fielding and throwing mechanics. Many scouts project him to follow LaPorta's path and move to the outfield rather than first base because of the presence of Fielder in Milwaukee.
Mosebach and Gamel were two of the better players available in a disappointing Florida junior college crop this year. Undrafted in 2004, Gamel was a junior college all-American and signed for below slot money ($226,000) as an early fourth-round pick. He has a quick swing from the left side and stays inside the ball well. He stays balanced and has power to all fields. His defense was poor this summer, as he made 14 errors in 41 games, but most of his miscues stemmed from poor footwork, a correctable flaw. He has an above-average arm.