Jason Esposito
| AB | 738 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .21 |
| OBP | .258 |
| SLG | .285 |
| HR | 9 |
- Full name Jason Michael Esposito
- Born 07/19/1990 in Bethany, CT
- Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 200 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Vanderbilt
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Drafted in the 2nd round (64th overall) by the Baltimore Orioles in 2011 (signed for $600,000).
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The Royals drafted Esposito in the seventh round out of high school in 2008, but he turned down a reported $1.5 million offer to attend Vanderbilt. He may not get that much this time around, but he'll be close. He got hot offensively this spring at the right time, hitting .376 in SEC play. Esposito is a college version of Marlins prospect Matt Dominguez in that his glove is ahead of his bat. He played some shortstop this spring but is an above-average defender at third with good hands and plus arm strength. Offensively, he has backed up a bit. An average runner with good instincts, he has been less proficient on the bases this year (11 SB, 10 CS) after going 51-for-60 his first two seasons, and stolen bases won't be a significant part of his game as a pro. He has struggled against velocity at times and lost his rhythm, which tends to happen with players with a big leg kick. Some scouts wonder if he's a natural hitter and believe he'll wind up as a utility player, with his glove as his calling card.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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A seventh-round pick of the Royals coming out of a Connecticut high school in 2008, Esposito turned down a reported seven-figure offer to attend Vanderbilt. He was the Commodores' third baseman from the day he set foot on campus, starting all 196 games of his college career. The Orioles took him with the 64th overall pick last June and signed him for $600,000. Esposito is a prototype third baseman defensively, with good actions and soft hands. He has the range to play shortstop at times, and he has plenty of arm for the hot corner, having worked as a pitcher in high school and touching 90 mph. Esposito's bat improved as his college career went along and he slugged .530 last year despite the less-lively metal bats, but there are questions about how he'll fare against pro pitching. He struggled against velocity at times in college and has more power to the gaps than over the fence. He stole 66 bases in three college seasons, though he's just an average runner who relies more on instincts than speed. Interestingly, Esposito was compared to fellow Northeast prep product and Vanderbilt star Ryan Flaherty coming out of high school. Baltimore hopes Esposito will hit enough to be an everyday third baseman and may challenge him by sending him to high Class A for his pro debut.
Scouting Reports
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Background: A seventh-round pick of the Royals coming out of a Connecticut high school in 2008, Esposito turned down a reported seven-figure offer to attend Vanderbilt. He was the Commodores' third baseman from the day he set foot on campus, starting all 196 games of his college career. The Orioles took him with the 64th overall pick last June and signed him for $600,000. Scouting Report: Esposito is a prototype third baseman defensively, with good actions and soft hands. He has the range to play shortstop at times, and he has plenty of arm for the hot corner, having worked as a pitcher in high school and touching 90 mph. Esposito's bat improved as his college career went along and he slugged .530 last year despite the less-lively metal bats, but there are questions about how he'll fare against pro pitching. He struggled against velocity at times in college and has more power to the gaps than over the fence. He stole 66 bases in three college seasons, though he's just an average runner who relies more on instincts than speed. The Future: Interestingly, Esposito was compared to fellow Northeast prep product and Vanderbilt star Ryan Flaherty coming out of high school and now both are in the organization. Baltimore hopes Esposito will hit enough to be an everyday third baseman and may challenge him by sending him to high Class A for his pro debut.
