Shea Hillenbrand

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Boston Red Sox #25 prospect in 2001
  Hillenbrand would rank considerably higher on this list had he been able to stay behind the plate. He played shortstop in junior college, moved to first base for his first two seasons as a pro, then broke out by hitting .349 to finish second in the Class A Midwest League batting race in 1998, his first year as a catcher. He caught some in Double-A in 1999 as well, but played strictly first and third base last year. Hillenbrand improved his batting average 64 points in his second shot at Double-A, hitting .383 against lefthanders while leading the Eastern League in hits and plate appearances per strikeout (14.31). However, his ability to make contact and his penchant for swinging at everything severely cuts into his walks and his on-base percentage. And because he lunges at pitches, his strength translates more into gap power than into home runs. There's also some thought that he feasts on mediocre pitchers and won't be able to hit better ones. Hillenbrand doesn't run well or move well enough to offer anything defensively. He best fits as a DH or as a bat off the bench. He'll move to Triple-A in 2001 and his future in Boston figures to be as a bench player.
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  Ranked Boston Red Sox #10 prospect in 1999
  Background: Hillenbrand was a standout soccer and baseball player in high school. He played shortstop in high school, became a corner infielder after signing, then began a conversion to catcher in Australia last winter. He finished second in the Midwest League in hitting. Strengths: How far Hillenbrand goes likely will depend on whether he continues to hit the way he did at Class A Michigan this year, a quantum leap from his first season and a half. He puts the ball in play and doesn't swing at bad pitches, and he has good makeup. Weaknesses: It's hard to figure out where Hillenbrand will play on defense. Some scouts liked the way he played behind the plate in his first season there, while others didn't. He also may not have more than cripple power--he can crush bad pitches but not good ones. The Future: Depending on spring training, Hillenbrand could skip past Sarasota, where he spent a half-season in 1997, and head to Trenton.