T.J. Steele Stats & Scouting Report

AB	1164
AVG	.247
OBP	.284
SLG	.379
HR	23

Full name Thomas R Steele
Born 09/21/1986 in Tucson, AZ
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 205 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Canyon De Oro
Drafted in the 4th round (122nd overall) by the Houston Astros in 2008 (signed for $267,000).

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Steele played at Canyon del Oro High, a powerhouse program in Tucson that is the alma mater of big leaguers such as Chris and Shelley Duncan and Ian Kinsler, among others. He stayed in Tucson for college and has been a three-year starter at Arizona. Steele's athletic ability stands out in a college class short on such players. He's a plus runner with good range in center field; combined with his instincts and adequate arm, he's an above-average defender. Steele has raw power potential and good instincts to go with his speed on the bases, and potentially could be a middle-of-the-order, 20-homers, 20-steals threat. However, Steele's bat lacks refinement, mostly due to too much aggressiveness and too little pitch recognition. Miscast as a leadoff hitter, Steele gets himself out early in counts too often and isn't patient enough to bring his plus raw power to the fore. Steele isn't the average college draft pick in several ways and should take more time to develop than most. But in a year nearly devoid of college outfielders with upside, he stands out.

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He outperformed former college teammate Jon Gaston at Arizona and in 2009 at Lancaster, but Steele couldn't stay in the JetHawks' lineup. He injured his hamstring in spring training and missed the first two weeks of the season, then appeared in just 50 games because he kept tweaking the muscle. Steele is one of the toolsiest players in the system. He's an excellent defensive center fielder with plus speed and arm strength. He has above-average bat speed and average raw power, and there's also projection remaining in his athletic frame. He shows ability to put backspin on a ball and has cut down on his propensity to swing and miss since college. Despite Steele's tools and college pedigree, he remains raw and his offensive game is still a question mark. He lacks pitch recognition and is too impatient at the plate to get on base at a high clip. He has drawn just 15 walks in 90 pro games. He hasn't shown much home run power yet, partly because he doesn't get himself into hitter's counts. Steele could become an everyday center fielder if he becomes more selective at the plate. That's his top priority when he advances to Double-A in 2010.
Scouts are mixed when it comes to Steele, though everyone agrees the Astros will have something if his hitting emerges from a cupboard of tools. The Astros are gambling that it will, having signed him to a $267,000 bonus as their fourth-round pick last year. They've actually been on his trail since he was at Canyon del Oro High, a Tucson powerhouse that also produced Ian Kinsler and Shelley and Chris Duncan. He was Houston's 22ndround pick in 2005 but headed to Arizona, so the Astros finally got their man. Steele comes packaged in a big frame but with the speed and athleticism to play center field. He covers a lot of ground thanks to plus speed and instincts, and his arm is playable. He's a plus runner who swiped 28 of 30 bags for the Wildcats last year, and at times he provides pop. He has big holes in his swing, however, particularly against breaking balls. He has trouble recognizing the spin on offspeed pitches. The Astros are emphasizing that he recognize fastball counts better, which would make him more selective, and not worry about offspeed stuff all the time. The Astros had to shut him down in mid-August after he injured his thumb diving for a ball in the outfield, but they'll still expect him to win a job with their Lancaster club in the spring.