Mark Hamilton Stats & Scouting Report

AB	61
AVG	.197
OBP	.258
SLG	.246
HR	0

Full name Mark Alan Hamilton
Born 07/29/1984 in Baltimore, MD
Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 215 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Tulane
Debut 09/20/2010
Drafted in the C-B round (76th overall) by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2006 (signed for $465,000).

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Hamilton doesn't generate as much buzz as might be expected from a slugger with 16 homers this spring and 13 over the last two summers in the Cape Cod League. Hamilton offers significant power and has been willing to accept walks when other teams opt not to challenge him. Of the rest of his tools, only his hitting ability is close to average. He has come a long way at the plate from his freshman year, when he batted .227 and had laser eye surgery at midseason. Hamilton is a marginal defender at first base, and his arm and speed are below-average. Some scouts believe he won't handle adversity well, though that's not entirely fair considering how he has rebounded from a slow start in his draft year. His lefthanded power alone merits second- or third-round consideration, but his choice of Scott Boras as his adviser clouds his signability. If Hamilton seeks more than slot money, he could plummet.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

As Memphis made a second straight run to the Pacific Coast League championship series, Hamilton provided the power. A brawny, lefthanded hitter, he slugged 18 homers in 258 at-bats with the Redbirds--his 18th clinched the division for the Redbirds--with two more in the playoffs. After a decorated college career that included All- America and Conference USA player of the year honors in 2006, Hamilton took a few years to adjust to pro ball but finally established himself as one of the best power-hitting prospects in the system. He missed parts of the 2010 season with two stays on the disabled list (hand, groin) and still set a career high for homers. His value is in his bat. Hamilton has a quick-enough swing and the leverage to damage more than just mistakes, and he knows how to work the count in his favor. He slimmed down for 2010, improving his conditioning and stamina. An experiment in the outfield proved difficult, but with experience he could be serviceable there. He's also below average at first, and the Cardinals don't expect to have an opening there for awhile anyway. Because he is so limited defensively, Hamilton isn't a natural fit for the bench and is probably best suited as a DH. He'll return to Triple-A to open the season, trying to expand his resume or swing his way through the roadblocks or into a trade.
Hamilton slugged his way out of Tulane and into the second round of the 2006 draft with a trove of honors in his wake. He was an All-American and the Conference USA player of the year in 2006, as well as a two-time Cape Cod League all-star. After hitting 20 homers in his final season with the Green Wave, he didn't show that kind of power in pro ball until last season. He staked his place as one of the top sluggers in the system by helping revive a pedestrian Memphis lineup in time for the Redbirds to make a Pacific Coast League title run. Hamilton has a stout, muscular frame and bat speed to go with the strength that allows him to catapult balls. He's comfortable working deep counts and isn't easily fooled. All his value lies in his bat because he's a limited athlete and defender who profiles best as a DH. He has below-average athleticism, speed and arm strength. He's a substandard first baseman and he's not going to dislodge Albert Pujols anyway. Hamilton headed to the Dominican League to try to play left field, but his team released him after he batted .191 in 15 games. The Cardinals added him to the 40-man roster, and he'll return to Triple-A in 2010 and try to force them to find a place for his bat.
With three swings of the bat, Hamilton underscored his claim as one of the best power prospects in the Cardinals system. He ripped three home runs and drove in seven runs in a 16-8 victory that clinched Springfield's berth in the Texas League championship series, adding to the 19 home runs he hit during the regular season. No matter the level, Hamilton has always had a hammer. He hit 20 home runs in his final year at Tulane in 2006, then tied for the short-season New York-Penn League lead with eight homers in just 30 games. He uses a muscular frame and an authoritative lefthanded swing to generate plus raw power, getting most of his energy from his upper body. He has a selective approach but also some definite holes in his swing. While Hamilton is a threat at the plate, he offers little else. First base is his lone defensive option because of his below-average arm and speed, and he's not especially adept as a defender. With Albert Pujols at first base in St. Louis, Hamilton's best-case scenario may be to hit his way into a trade to an American League team for whom he could DH.
Hamilton swatted 20 home runs last spring for Tulane and finished second in Conference USA with a .461 on-base percentage. He got the Cardinals' attention when he hit balls to the train tracks in left field at Minute Maid Park in Houston during a February tournament. He signed quickly for $465,000, then tied for the New York-Penn League home run title with eight (despite leaving State College after just 30 games). Hamilton has been a known commodity to scouts since his junior year of high school, but despite his power production at Tulane, some scouts have never warmed up to him, questioning how his power would translate as a pro and where he'd play on defense. Hamilton has a seasoned approach to go with his muscular frame and powerful lefthanded swing. He's willing to work deep into a count to find a pitch to drive, and he has tremendous power, though he could add more by using his whole body when he swings. He can drive anything on the inner half, but his swing has holes. His other tools don't measure up. He has settled in at first base, but even in college moved around the field to keep his bat in the lineup. He's a marginal defender at first and needs work there. His arm and speed are below-average. A lack of a position won't hold him out of high Class A this year, though he may find himself pigeonholed as a future DH--a problem for a National League club.

Minor League Top Prospects

Hamilton didn't even spend a half-season in the league, yet he still won a share of the home run title. Power long has been his calling card. He hit 20 in the spring for Tulane, even while the Green Wave played at Triple-A Zephyr Field rather than cozy Turchin Stadium, and he had 13 with wood bats in two summers in the Cape Cod League. Hamilton uses his strong frame to simply overpower anything on the inner half. He also trusts himself as a hitter enough to go deep into counts, willing to work a walk while waiting for a pitch he can drive. His swing has holes, though, and he's considered just an average hitter. Hamilton's athletic ability limits projections for him. He's a below-average runner and defender, and his lack of agility around the bag had some managers pegging him as a future DH.