Chris McGuiness Stats & Scouting Report

Full name Christopher Ryan McGuiness
Born 04/11/1988 in Charleston, SC
Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 210 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Citadel
Debut 06/07/2013
Drafted in the 13th round (408th overall) by the Boston Red Sox in 2009 (signed for $100,000).

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First baseman Chris McGuiness has a much more polished approach at the plate and better tools. He has decent bat speed and a fluid swing, and he knows the strike zone as well as any college hitter. His 65 walks led the nation entering super regional play, and he ranked 12th in the country in on-base percentage. McGuiness has arm strength (he pitched as a freshman) and is a solid defender at first base. He's a below-average runner who probably can't move to the outfield. Both Bulldogs could go in the seventh- to 10th-round range.

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When the Rangers shipped Jarrod Saltamacchia to the Red Sox in July 2010, they received McGuiness and righthander Roman Mendez in return. An oblique strain, back strain and bruised knee limited him to just 55 games in 2011, but McGuinness got healthy and hit 23 homers to rank fourth in the Texas League, and he also finished fourth with 69 walks. The Rangers opted not to protect him on their 40-man roster after the season, and the Indians grabbed him in the major league Rule 5 draft. If he doesn't stick on the major league roster, he has to clear waivers and get offered back to Texas for half his $50,000 draft price. McGuiness stays inside the ball, hits with power to all fields and shows a disciplined approach. He gets through a hitch in his swing that doesn't seem to affect his timing. McGuiness will have to prove he can go deep outside of Frisco's Dr. Pepper Ballpark, where 18 of 23 homers came last year. Though he's not very athletic, he's a fine defensive first baseman with agility, good hands and an average arm. He's a well below-average runner.