Kyle Russell Stats & Scouting Report

AB	2058
AVG	.266
OBP	.36
SLG	.507
HR	100

Full name Kyle Douglas Russell
Born 06/27/1986 in Houston, TX
Profile Ht.: 6'5" / Wt.: 220 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Texas
Drafted in the 3rd round (93rd overall) by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2008 (signed for $410,000).

View Draft Report

Russell topped NCAA Division I with a school-record 28 homers in 2007, yet that wasn't enough to answer questions about his bat. His poor history with wood bats and his seven-figure asking price dropped him to the Cardinals in the fourth round. When the two sides couldn't come to an agreement, he returned for an up-and-down junior season. Russell hit one homer in March and 12 in April, and scouts still aren't sure his swing and approach will work with wood. He offers power to all fields, though he has been more pull-conscious this spring. He's a decent athlete with a right-field arm, but it's his bat that will have to carry him to the majors. Russell could get drafted in the same area he did a year ago, though it's unlikely anyone will match St. Louis' reported willingness to give him an $800,000 bonus.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Russell set single-season (28) and career (57) home run records at Texas. Along the way, he passed up a reported $800,000 offer as the Cardinals' fourth-round pick in 2007. A year later, he landed $410,000 in the third round from the Dodgers. He has more raw power than any hitter in the system, and he draws comparisons to Russell Branyan for his homer and strikeout totals. Russell has a lean frame but generates good leverage and loft in his swing. He swings hard every time, and while he'll punish mistakes, he struggles to make adjustments against quality pitching. He has holes in his stroke and is helpless against lefthanders, who held him to .175/.279/.360 numbers in 2011. Russell might hit 25-30 homers annually in the majors, but it would come with the tradeoff of a subpar average and plenty of strikeouts. He has solid defensive tools in his arm and speed, though he doesn't stand out in right field. Russell moved up to Triple-A late last season and will head back to Albuquerque to start 2012. While his power could lead to big numbers in one of the minors' best launching pads, Los Angeles is eager to see how he'll handle veteran pitching.
Russell set the University of Texas single-season home run record when he belted 28 as a draft-eligible sophomore in 2007, but he opted to return for his junior season rather than sign for a reported $800,000 as the Cardinals' fourth-round pick. He hit another 19 home runs as a junior in 2008, setting the program's career record at 57, but settled for $410,000 as the Dodgers' third-rounder. Russell has hit 52 home runs in his two full seasons in the minors, and there's little doubt what he's at the plate to do. Russell has an uppercut swing with outstanding bat speed, giving him plus raw power, and he swings for the downs almost every time. While he'll always be able to crush mistakes, Russell's swing is long and he struggles to recognize breaking pitches. His throwing arm is average to a tick above, but that looks like his only other potentially plus tool. He gets good reads and runs well enough to be solid corner outfielder who can play center field in a pinch. Russell could deliver 20-25 home runs a year in the majors if given a chance to play everyday, though he won't hit for much average against big league pitching. If nothing else, he should be able to carve out a career as lefthanded power threat off a big league bench. He still has to conquer Double-A, though, and he'll return to Chattanooga to start 2011.
Russell holds the single-season and career home run records at Texas, connecting for 28 as a sophomore and 57 in his three-year career. He took a calculated gamble and turned down a reported $800,000 offer from the Cardinals after they selected him in 2007's fourth round as a draft-eligible sophomore. Russell wound up getting $410,000 from the Dodgers a year later as a third-rounder. He had a fine first full pro season in 2009, sharing Midwest League MVP honors with Great Lakes teammate Dee Gordon. Russell led the MWL in homers (26), RBIs (102), extra-base hits (72) and slugging (.545). His calling card is his light-tower power, as he has the bat speed and strength to hit the ball out to all fields when he gets his long arms uncoiled. He always has been prone to strikeouts--he ranked second in the minors with 180 last year--and is trying to strike that delicate balance between being more patient at the plate without losing his aggressiveness. Russell is athletic enough to play center field with slightly above-average speed, but he's better in right field, where he has a plus arm. Russell is 23 and Los Angeles may begin pushing him more. He'll start 2010 in high Class A but could finish the year in Chattanooga. He has a chance to be a middle-of-the-order hitter in the majors but needs to cut down on his strikeouts.
Russell turned down a reported $800,000 offer from the Cardinals as a fourth-round pick in 2007, when he led NCAA Division I with 28 homers as a draft-eligible sophomore at Texas. He hit 19 homers as a junior, giving him the Longhorns career record of 57, and Los Angeles signed him for $410,000. Long, lean and athletic, Russell is a high-risk, high-reward pick. He has long levers and generates tremendous raw power but has many holes in his swing. He had significant struggles throughout his amateur career when using wood bats, from the Area Code Games in high school to summer college circuits such as the Cape Cod League (where he struck out in more than half his at-bats in 2006). He also gets pull-happy at times and will probably never hit for a high average. With a narrow build, he tends to use his quick hands and not his body, but more strength may come in the future. His swing is short despite his long arms and he hangs in well against lefty pitching. Russell is already a major league-caliber defender in right field and can play center if needed, with good instincts in the outfield, an above-average arm and average speed. Russell should begin 2009 in low Class A.

Minor League Top Prospects

Russell was the dominant slugger in the Cal League during his time in Inland Empire before a promotion to Double-A in early June. He showed off his usual light-tower power and quick enough hands to drive any fastball. His smooth lefthanded stroke can be a little long in the back, but he generates enough power to make pitchers pay for any mistakes left over the plate. "If you pitch him in the same sequence, he will absolutely crush you," Vicente said. "You have to mix it up." An overly aggressive approach and vulnerability to breaking pitches, particularly with two strikes, contributed to Russell ranking fourth in minors with 177 strikeouts (including his time in Double-A), after he ranked second with 180 in 2009. He continues to do most of his damage against righthanders, though he handled lefties well in the Cal League before struggling against them in Double-A. He runs well for his size and has enough athleticism and arm strength to play anywhere in the outfield, profiling best in right field.
Russell shared MVP honors with Gordon after leading the league in homers (26), RBIs (102), extra-base hits (72) and slugging (.545). He also paced the MWL with 180 strikeouts, the second-highest total in the minors. In other words, he was the same old Kyle Russell. In high school and while setting home run records at the University of Texas, he always was a streaky boom-or-bust hitter. He has the size, strength and leverage to drive balls great distances, but he also has a long stroke, a pull-conscious approach and little discipline. He'll draw walks but won't tone down his swing with two strikes. Russell isn't a one-dimensional player however. He has good speed and athleticism for his size, and he plays a solid right field with a plus arm. Gabella compared him to Russell Branyan, and scouts who saw him in the MWL gave him a chance to be a platoon player or a regular in the majors.
Russell led NCAA Division I with 28 homers as a draft-eligible sophomore in 2007, then turned down a reported $800,000 offer from the Cardinals as a fourth-rounder. He went one round higher this June, though he had to settle for $410,000. Russell has long arms but still gets the bat head through the zone well and gets good leverage in his swing, which helps him generate tremendous power. However, his swing and pull-oriented approach lead scouts to question how much he'll hit with wood bats. With Ogden, he continued his track record of hitting homers (11) and striking out with great frequency (82 times in 219 at-bats). A good athlete, he has a strong arm and fits best in right field.