Jim Negrych Stats & Scouting Report

AB	2632
AVG	.296
OBP	.375
SLG	.4
HR	30

Full name James William Negrych
Born 03/02/1985 in Buffalo, NY
Profile Ht.: 5'9" / Wt.: 185 / Bats: L / Throws: R
School Pittsburgh
Drafted in the 6th round (170th overall) by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2006 (signed for $150,000).

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There is quality at the top of Pennsylvania's college ranks, but little depth. Third-team preseason All-America second baseman Jim Negrych lived up to his lofty offensive expectations, leading Pittsburgh in the triple crown categories (.396-11-60). At the same time, Negrych is undersized (he's generously listed at 5-foot-10), not very athletic, a below-average runner and a poor defender at second base. He plays above his tools to get the job done, and his lone above-average tool is the most important: He can really hit. Early in the year, Negrych was trying to elevate everything, but as the season progressed he returned to his smooth line-drive stroke and his statistics improved. Negrych generates good bat speed and slightly above-average power with his quick hands, but he thrives when he stays in control and drives balls to the gaps or the opposite field. He has improved his approach and pitch recognition this season, becoming a more selective, mature hitter. Defensively, Negrych has below-average arm strength, he plays the wrong hops, and he never has forward momentum when he fields the ball. His bat and makeup will likely carry him to the top five rounds, and the paucity of position players could inflate his stock further, but he would be a reach in the top three rounds.

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Completely healthy for the first time since being drafted in 2006 from Pittsburgh--where he was the Panthers' first-ever baseball All-American--Negrych was the Pirates' minor league player of the year last season. After missing part of 2006 following thumb surgery and part of 2007 with a strained oblique, he won the high Class A Carolina League batting title with a .370 average and hit well in Double-A in August. Negrych is essentially a one-tool player, but his ability to hit for average is exceptional as he has a knack for putting the bat on the ball. Managers said he had the best strike-zone judgment in the Carolina League last season, and one veteran scout said Negrych reminded him of Wade Boggs at the same stage of his career. He has no more than doubles power, however, and is a below-average runner and poor defender. He has a weak arm and little range at second base, and he wasn't a good fit at third base, which he tried last year to see if he could have a future as a utilityman. Negrych will begin this season back in Altoona and will go as far as his bat takes him.
Ed Creech has made a concerted effort to draft more local players since taking over as scouting director in 2002. The Pirates made Negrych, an All-American who hit .396 with 11 homers, the first player drafted by the club out of the University of Pittsburgh since Ken Macha in 1972. Signed for $150,000, he went down in August with a torn ligament in his left thumb, requiring surgery. Negrych's best tool is clearly his bat, and he has the ability to hit for a high average with solid power while also showing good plate discipline. He's not a naturally gifted athlete, and his defense at second base is below-average, especially his footwork in turning the double play. He's also a below-average runner. His work ethic is legendary, however, and he spent countless hours in the batting cage and weight room at Pitt. Negrych may begin the season on the disabled list, but he'll go to low Class A when he's ready. How the injury affects his hitting will be a major question because his bat will determine if he gets to the major leagues.