D’ Vontrey Richardson

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Milwaukee Brewers #30 prospect in 2014
  Richardson fell completely off the radar when he quit baseball in 2012, with the former football/baseball star at Florida State saying he was burned out. But he had a change of heart and asked the Brewers to return in 2013. Told he'd have to start over from scratch and obey every team rule, Richardson did just that, advancing from the Rookie-level Arizona League to high Class A Brevard County. With the Manatees, he began flashing the skills that had the Brewers excited when they drafted him in 2009 and convinced him to give up football. Richardson has the speed and range to play center field, while possessing the strong arm that many lack at that position. He obviously has the tools to do many things but needs to refine his all-around game. He didn't flash as much power as might be expected in 2013, but he did show improved plate discipline by cutting down his strikeouts. Because he sat out a year, Richardson turned 25 in the middle of 2013 and is behind the curve. He may move to Double-A Huntsville in 2014, where he'll continue to fight long odds to become a big league contributor.
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  Ranked Milwaukee Brewers #21 prospect in 2012
  Richardson was limited to 97 games last year by hip and vision problems, not good for a player who needs plenty of development time after a limited baseball career at Florida State. He went to Tallahassee on a football scholarship and set a Seminoles record for the longest run by a quarterback with a 55-yard touchdown in 2008. He would have shifted to defensive back had he not signed with the Brewers for $400,000 as a fifth-round pick the following summer. Richardson is the system's best athlete, but his lack of baseball instincts has limited his success. That has been particularly evident on the basepaths, where he has been caught stealing 28 times in 54 attempts despite above-average speed. After fanning 164 times in his 2010 pro debut, he cut down his swing, though that also reduced his power. He tightened his strike zone and started to make adjustments against breaking balls, lending hope that he can become a tablesetter who can get on base and provide some occasional pop. Richardson also is still learning as a center fielder, needed to improve his reads and jumps to maximize his considerable range. He has a strong arm and has recorded 30 assists in two pro seasons. Ticketed for Double-A this year, he has a long ways to go to reach his ceiling and no guarantee that he'll do so.
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  Ranked Milwaukee Brewers #24 prospect in 2011
  Richardson was primarily a football player in college, showing tremendous speed as a quarterback. He was preparing to make the transition to defensive back when the Brewers drafted him and convinced him to commit to baseball with a $400,000 signing bonus spread over multiple years under baseball's provision for two-sport athletes. As might be expected for an athlete with limited baseball experience--he'd received 210 at-bats in two seasons for Florida State in baseball--he was very raw and signed too late to play pro ball in 2009. Nevertheless, Milwaukee had Richardson skip Rookie ball and assigned him to low Class A last season. Depending on what night you saw him, he either looked impressive or lost. His inexperience at facing breaking balls resulted in a high strikeout total (164 in 522 at-bats) and his lack of instincts in tracking balls in the outfield also showed at times. Big and athletic, Richardson's 70 speed on the 20-80 scale was negated at times by a lack of savvy on the bases. Basically, what the Brewers have is a raw player with tremendous tools who is still learning how to play baseball. Richardson does display solid power when he makes contact and has the range to play center field, with the plus arm for right. He has a long way to go and may never reach his lofty ceiling, but Milwaukee will be patient.
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  Ranked Milwaukee Brewers #18 prospect in 2010
  Though Richardson had sporadic success playing baseball at Florida State, he wowed the Brewers in a predraft workout. They grabbed him in the fifth round and signed him for $400,000, spreading his bonus over multiple years under baseball's provisions for two-sport athletes. Richardson attended Florida State on a football scholarship, showing electrifying speed. He set a Seminoles record for the longest run by a quarterback with a 55-yard touchdown in 2008, and he would have become a defensive back had he not signed with Milwaukee. On the diamond, Richardson hit .351 as a freshman, but sat out 2008 to focus on his classwork and played sparingly last spring. His raw tools are undeniable, however, and his ceiling is huge. He's the best athlete in the system and the fastest of several speedsters whom the Brewers drafted in June, capable of covering 60 yards in 6.4 seconds. Though he hit just two homers in 210 college at-bats, Richardson has power and the ball jumps off his bat. Making consistent contact and controlling the strike zone are the main skills he's still working on. His speed gives him the range to play center field, and he has an above-average arm. The Brewers realize they'll need to be patient and he'll need at-bats. Richardson will likely make his pro debut in low Class A in April.