Tyrell Godwin Stats & Scouting Report

AB	3
AVG	0
OBP	0
SLG	0
HR	0

Full name Carlton Tyrell Godwin
Born 07/10/1979 in Wilmington, NC
Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 200 / Bats: L / Throws: R
School North Carolina
Debut 05/27/2005
Drafted in the 3rd round (91st overall) by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2001 (signed for $480,000).

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Godwin is the biggest enigma in the draft. He turned down $1.9 million as a first-round pick of the Yankees out of high school. He agreed to a $1.2 million bonus from the Rangers as a supplemental first-rounder last year, but a physical showed damage to the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. Texas wanted to reduce his bonus, so Godwin declined to sign. He also decided not to play as a senior at North Carolina, sitting out the season before working out for teams in May. Scouts weren't impressed, because Godwin was limited by a strained hamstring and didn't show much. He has plenty of speed and power potential, but he lacks baseball instincts and didn't improve significantly in three years with the Tar Heels. Many scouting directors question his desire to play baseball, and several have said they won't touch him in the draft.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Acquired from the Blue Jays in the major league Rule 5 draft after the 2004 season, Godwin had his best full-season performance to date in his first taste of Triple-A last year. A two-time first-round pick--by the Yankees in 1997 out of high school and the Rangers in 2000--he didn't sign until the Blue Jays took him in the third round of the 2001 draft. He always has had some juice in his bat, but this was the first time it translated into extra-base hits, thanks in part to ditching his high leg kick in favor of a more natural move with his front foot. He remains a plus runner, though he needs to improve his basestealing skills as he was caught 12 times in 34 tries. A former University of North Carolina running back, he's a more physical player than fellow Triple-A speedster Brandon Watson, but Godwin is 26 and doesn't have much projection left in him. Despite his speed and average arm, he's not a good defensive outfielder, even in left field. At this point he looks like an extra outfielder, and he might not get that chance with the Nationals because of their crowded outfield.
The first of two major league Rule 5 picks by the Nationals in December, Godwin was a first-round pick by the Yankees in 1997 and a supplemental first-rounder by the Rangers in 2000, but he didn't sign until the Blue Jays took him as a third-rounder in 2001. He still has the tools that always have endeared him to scouts, but he has yet to realize his potential and is coming off his worst season as a pro. Godwin has struggled with adjustments from level to level, and he didn't respond well when Toronto tried to tinker with his approach. He has a decent stroke and showed improved mechanics and plate discipline in 2004. But his power never has manifested itself and he struck out at an alarming rate last year. He did make better use of his speed, taking a step forward as a basestealer and continuing to play a solid center field. His arm is average. Godwin wants to improve, and he paid his own way to attend instructional league. His talent makes him a long-term project worth sticking with, but getting chosen by Washington wasn't the best move for his development. Instead of seeing if he could put it all together in Triple-A in 2005, he has to remain with the big league club or be offered back to Toronto for half the $50,000 draft price before being sent to the minors.
Godwin still flashes the tools that got him drafted in the first round twice, out of high school in 1997 by the Yankees, and as a North Carolina junior in 2000 by the Rangers. The one-time Tar Heels kickoff returner remains a plus runner and is putting his speed to use more on the bases, stealing 26 bases in 34 tries last year. His power, projected to be above-average while he was an amateur, has yet to show up consistently in games. Godwin chafed when the Blue Jays altered his swing to try to take advantage of his speed, and he hit for better power down the stretch in Double-A after reverting to his old approach. He also backtracked in plate discipline, after showing improvement in high Class A. Godwin's bat speed allows him to catch up to the best fastballs. His greatest improvement as a pro has come in throwing. His arm graded as a 35 on the 20-80 scouting scale when he was an amateur, and the Jays now consider it major league average, though his release needs to be quicker. He has become an average defender in center field and can play either corner as well. He needs a breakout season in Double-A to emerge from the organization's deep group of outfielders.
Godwin's background, which includes turning down the Yankees as their first-round pick in 1997, has been well-documented. Originally a two-sport athlete at North Carolina, he dropped football (where his highlight was a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Stanford) to concentrate on baseball. Drafted again as a supplemental first-rounder by the Rangers in 2000, he never signed after a physical revealed a pre-existing right knee injury. Instead of returning for his senior season at North Carolina, Godwin finished his degree in the fall (he was on a full academic scholarship) and sat out the spring, rehabbing his knee after reconstructive surgery. After signing with the Jays, he had an explosive debut, but tempered hopes with an injury-plagued followup in 2002. Shoulder and hamstring injuries kept him in extended spring training for most of April, and his season ended June 28 when he broke his hand sliding headfirst into home. Godwin made improvements, steadily strengthening his arm--though it's still below-average, making a move to left field necessary--and gaining better control of the strike zone. He still has excellent bat speed and some power potential. His speed and hitting ability lead to comparisons to former Braves first baseman Gerald Perry. But Godwin must stay healthy and show what he can do over a full season.
The Yankees drafted Godwin 24th overall in 1997, but he turned down a $1.9 million bonus to attend North Carolina to play baseball and football. The Rangers picked him 35th overall in 2000 and withdrew their $1.2 million bonus offer when they discovered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. He signed with the Blue Jays for $480,000 a year ago. Godwin has blazing speed (3.9 seconds to first base) and a quick bat that lashes line drives to all fields. He improved significantly in a short time, cutting down what was a violent swing. The Jays project him as a center fielder, though he worked out in right in instructional league and could wind up there. Some scouts soured on Godwin's desire after he twice didn't sign as a first-round pick and didn't play baseball as a senior, instead working on rehabbing his knee. The Blue Jays say Godwin is hungry to prove 29 other teams wrong. His knee held up well in his debut, though he had lingering hamstring problem. Godwin's ceiling isn't much lower than that of Gross, but his lesser power potential is the difference. He'll start the year at Dunedin and could move quickly.

Minor League Top Prospects

It took three drafts, but Godwin finally started his career. The Yankees drafted him in the first round out of high school, but Godwin spurned their $1.9 million offer to play football and baseball at North Carolina. After the Rangers drafted him in the supplemental first round last year, Godwin agreed to a deal that got scuttled when he failed a physical. He had surgery to repair an injured knee last September, received his degree in December and didn't play baseball in the spring. The Blue Jays feel like they landed a first-round talent in the third round this June. He didn't show any signs of rust and reached base by hit or walk in 25 of his last 27 games. His physical tools are impressive across the board, particularly his speed. "He swings the bat good," Beasley said. "He can go get 'em in the outfield. We hit a lot of balls we thought were going to drop that he ran under."