Matthew Allegra Stats & Scouting Report

AB	2718
AVG	.248
OBP	.323
SLG	.423
HR	92

Full name Matthew Joseph Allegra
Born 07/10/1981 in Atlanta, GA
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 214 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School State College Of Florida
Drafted in the 16th round (483rd overall) by the Oakland Athletics in 1999.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Allegra remains a raw player, but the improvements he has made excite the A's. He made considerable progress in instructional league following the 2000 season, then bombed in high Class A in 2001. When he returned there last year, he hit a career-high .281 and unleashed his considerable power. Allegra is still far from a finished product, as evidenced by his 160 strikeouts last year and his 369 whiffs in 289 career games. Yet he has legitimate five-tool potential, with above-average skills across the board. He has enough speed to play center field in a pinch but is probably best suited for a corner job, with the arm and instincts to become an above-average defender. Allegra will work on making more consistent contact when he moves up to Double-A this season.
Selected in the 16th round out of high school in 1999, Allegra signed as a draft-and-follow the next year after a stint at Manatee (Fla.) CC. He was named Oakland's most improved position player in the 2000 instructional league camp, where he altered his batting approach. When he proved unable to handle high Class A as a teenager last season, the A's moved Allegra to Vancouver, where he began to display the power potential they believe he has. He wows opponents during batting practice, showing thunder in the cage and excellent arm strength in the outfield. However, he's very raw and has trouble hitting inside pitches. He's going to have to severely upgrade his ability to make contact after fanning 165 times in 2001. Allegra is ready for another shot at the California League.

Minor League Top Prospects

Allegra, a draft-and-follow who debuted last year in the Arizona League, began 2001 in the high Class A California League, which proved to be too much of a leap. After hitting .209-2-17 with 61 strikeouts in 153 at-bats, he was sent to Vancouver's spacious Nat Bailey Stadium. The strikeouts continued to come in droves--he led the league with 104--and he finished the year in a 5-for-68 slump that included 32 whiffs. His swing may be long, but Allegra still showed plenty of talent. He was drastically more effective on the road (.255-8-24, .463 slugging) than at home (.177-3-15, .290 slugging). His lanky frame and above-average speed helps him play a solid center field, though some questioned whether he has enough arm for the position. "I think he'll figure it out at the plate," Gardner said. "He's got a big body and the ball jumps off his bat. There's a flaw in his stroke, but it should be correctable."