| AB | 412 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .226 |
| OBP | .3 |
| SLG | .432 |
| HR | 21 |
- Full name Ryan Michael Jeffers
- Born 06/03/1997 in Raleigh, NC
- Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 235 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School UNC Wilmington
- Debut 08/20/2020
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Drafted in the 2nd round (59th overall) by the Minnesota Twins in 2018 (signed for $800,000).
View Draft Report
Jeffers has put up remarkably consistent numbers in his three years at UNC-Wilmington, and is a career .325/.452/.623 hitter with the Seahawks through the first 54 games this spring, with none of his individual season lines far off from that mark. Since becoming an everyday player as a sophomore, Jeffers has tapped into double-digit home run power, though there are scouts who are skeptical of that sort of home run production continuing at the next level. A team not convicted in his power might be out on Jeffers, as he's a below-average runner with an average arm behind the dish, and questions about whether he can stick there. If a team buys into the bat being real--and there's also wood bat track record to suggest it's not--he could be an interesting offensive option in the middle of the top ten rounds.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Hitting: 55. Power: 50. Run: 20. Fielding: 60. Arm: 45.
TRACK RECORD: The Twins’ selection of Jeffers in the second round of the 2018 draft was seen as a bit of a reach at the time, but it looked like Minnesota was on to something after a strong pro debut. Jeffers solidified that hunch when he rushed all the way to the majors in 2020 and performed on both sides of the ball.
SCOUTING REPORT: Jeffers is big for a catcher at 6-foot-4, 235 pounds but has taken to Minnesota’s new school approach to catching with aplomb. Setting up in one-knee stances, Jeffers has shown outstanding ability to receive, frame and block in the majors. He does a tremendous job stealing low strikes and can improve in the future by getting better at the top half of the zone. Jeffers doesn’t control the running game well—14 of 16 big league basestealers against him were successful—but he excels in the areas the Twins have made a priority. Offensively, Jeffers has a simple setup with a low-maintenance swing and a chance to be an above-average hitting catcher with average or a tick better power. He occasionally leaks out, but when he holds his back hip and lets the ball travel, he does damage.
THE FUTURE: Jeffers is a success story for the current Twins’ player acquisition and development group. He has all the tools to be an everyday catcher. -
TRACK RECORD: The Twins plucked a bit of a wild card when they drafted Jeffers in the second round in 2018, who was not on many radars that high on the board. He put together a solid pro debut between the Appalachian and Midwest leagues, then reached Double-A at the end of 2019. He ranked as the No. 19 prospect in a loaded Florida State League.
SCOUTING REPORT: Jeffers was one of just 22 players in the pitcher-friendly Florida State League to hit double-digit homers and was the only non-first baseman to do so in 80 or fewer games. He added four more home runs after a promotion to Double-A. He'd shown burgeoning power in college, but scouts were skeptical about whether it would translate into pro ball. He produces the power thanks to the strength provided by his massive frame and a solid understanding of the strike zone that allows him to zero in on the pitches that give him the most potential for impact. Jeffers also adapted well to the new setups being taught to Twins catchers and used his strong hands to receive and frame pitches with aplomb. He allowed just six passed balls in 627.1 innings behind the plate while throwing out 26 percent of runners. As expected, Jeffers is a below-average runner.
THE FUTURE: Jeffers finished 2019 in Double-A Pensacola and is likely to return there in 2020. He has the upside of an offensive-minded catcher with value on both sides of the ball. -
Track Record: Drafted 59th overall and signed for a below-slot figure of $800,000, Jeffers wasted little time making the Twins look smart for snatching him from a deep group of draft-eligible catchers. A standout catcher at UNC Wilmington, where he helped the Seahawks reached the NCAA Tournament, he came out mashing at Rookie-level Elizabethton and quickly earned a promotion to the Midwest League.
Scouting Report: Two semesters shy of completing his physics degree, Jeffers has a natural curiosity that plays well with the pitchers he must handle and the coaches who work with him. Catching coordinator Tanner Swanson helped him build on the natural feel he showed in college for pitch framing. Jeffers has enough arm strength, but his blocking and footwork are below-average. A Buster Posey fan growing up in North Carolina, he is determined to stay behind the plate. When Jeffers did cool off with the bat, it was because he was trying to let the ball get too deep in the zone. He quickly made the adjustment and resumed raking with a smooth, natural stroke that generates easy power.
The Future: The Twins are committed to keeping Jeffers behind the plate, so he could return to low Class A Cedar Rapids. Rival scouts are skeptical about his glove--he doesn’t profile at other positions because of his body type and actions--but love his bat.
Draft Prospects
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Jeffers has put up remarkably consistent numbers in his three years at UNC-Wilmington, and is a career .325/.452/.623 hitter with the Seahawks through the first 54 games this spring, with none of his individual season lines far off from that mark. Since becoming an everyday player as a sophomore, Jeffers has tapped into double-digit home run power, though there are scouts who are skeptical of that sort of home run production continuing at the next level. A team not convicted in his power might be out on Jeffers, as he's a below-average runner with an average arm behind the dish, and questions about whether he can stick there. If a team buys into the bat being real--and there's also wood bat track record to suggest it's not--he could be an interesting offensive option in the middle of the top ten rounds.
Minor League Top Prospects
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The Twins trusted their scouts in 2018 when they took Jeffers in the second round, and his first full season as a pro provided plenty of positive feedback. He was always a productive hitter in college, but there were questions about whether part of that success was due to playing in the less-heralded Colonial Athletic Association. Jeffers was one of just 22 FSL players to hit double-digit home runs, was one of just four to do so in fewer than 80 games and was the only one of those four to play a position other than first base. He showed a solid feel for hitting as well and was a studious enough player to learn how pitchers were attacking and adjust accordingly. The Twins believe Jeffers is an elite receiver with an average throwing arm who could improve his caught stealing rate (26 percent between the FSL and Double-A Pensacola) by quickening his transfer. Jeffers hit well in a small sample at Double-A, and the Twins believe he should develop into a catcher with strengths both offensively and defensively. -
A somewhat surprising day one selection in the 2018 draft, Jeffers has proven himself to be worth a shot in the second round and tore through the Appalachian League in 28 games before earning a promotion to low Class-A Cedar Rapids. The bat is Jeffers' calling card and he led the Appy League in hitting with outstanding .422/.543/.578 slash line with plus raw power. Some scouts are skeptical of what Jeffers' bat will be against better minor league competition and his production dropped off significantly upon his promotion to Cedar Rapids, with his strikeout-to-walk rate flipping on its head as well. There's also a lot of work that needs to be done behind the plate and many evaluators believe that he'll eventually need to move to first base where more pressure will fall on his ability to hit for power, though he is a solid pitch-framer.
Top 100 Rankings
Scouting Reports
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Hitting: 55. Power: 50. Run: 20. Fielding: 60. Arm: 45.
TRACK RECORD: The Twins’ selection of Jeffers in the second round of the 2018 draft was seen as a bit of a reach at the time, but it looked like Minnesota was on to something after a strong pro debut. Jeffers solidified that hunch when he rushed all the way to the majors in 2020 and performed on both sides of the ball.
SCOUTING REPORT: Jeffers is big for a catcher at 6-foot-4, 235 pounds but has taken to Minnesota’s new school approach to catching with aplomb. Setting up in one-knee stances, Jeffers has shown outstanding ability to receive, frame and block in the majors. He does a tremendous job stealing low strikes and can improve in the future by getting better at the top half of the zone. Jeffers doesn’t control the running game well—14 of 16 big league basestealers against him were successful—but he excels in the areas the Twins have made a priority. Offensively, Jeffers has a simple setup with a low-maintenance swing and a chance to be an above-average hitting catcher with average or a tick better power. He occasionally leaks out, but when he holds his back hip and lets the ball travel, he does damage.
THE FUTURE: Jeffers is a success story for the current Twins’ player acquisition and development group. He has all the tools to be an everyday catcher. -
Hitting: 55. Power: 50. Run: 20. Fielding: 60. Arm: 45.
TRACK RECORD: The Twins’ selection of Jeffers in the second round of the 2018 draft was seen as a bit of a reach at the time, but it looked like Minnesota was on to something after a strong pro debut. Jeffers solidified that hunch when he rushed all the way to the majors in 2020 and performed on both sides of the ball.
SCOUTING REPORT: Jeffers is big for a catcher at 6-foot-4, 235 pounds but has taken to Minnesota’s new school approach to catching with aplomb. Setting up in one-knee stances, Jeffers has shown outstanding ability to receive, frame and block in the majors. He does a tremendous job stealing low strikes and can improve in the future by getting better at the top half of the zone. Jeffers doesn’t control the running game well—14 of 16 big league basestealers against him were successful—but he excels in the areas the Twins have made a priority. Offensively, Jeffers has a simple setup with a low-maintenance swing and a chance to be an above-average hitting catcher with average or a tick better power. He occasionally leaks out, but when he holds his back hip and lets the ball travel, he does damage.
THE FUTURE: Jeffers is a success story for the current Twins’ player acquisition and development group. He has all the tools to be an everyday catcher. -
TRACK RECORD: The Twins plucked a bit of a wild card when they drafted Jeffers in the second round in 2018, who was not on many radars that high on the board. He put together a solid pro debut between the Appalachian and Midwest leagues, then reached Double-A at the end of 2019. He ranked as the No. 19 prospect in a loaded Florida State League.
SCOUTING REPORT: Jeffers was one of just 22 players in the pitcher-friendly Florida State League to hit double-digit homers and was the only non-first baseman to do so in 80 or fewer games. He added four more home runs after a promotion to Double-A. He’d shown burgeoning power in college, but scouts were skeptical about whether it would translate into pro ball. He produces the power thanks to the strength provided by his massive frame and a solid understanding of the strike zone that allows him to zero in on the pitches that give him the most potential for impact. Jeffers also adapted well to the new setups being taught to Twins catchers and used his strong hands to receive and frame pitches with aplomb. He allowed just six passed balls in 627.1 innings behind the plate while throwing out 26 percent of runners. As expected, Jeffers is a below-average runner.
THE FUTURE: Jeffers finished 2019 in Double-A Pensacola and is likely to return there in 2020. He has the upside of an offensive-minded catcher with value on both sides of the ball. -
TRACK RECORD: The Twins plucked a bit of a wild card when they drafted Jeffers in the second round in 2018, who was not on many radars that high on the board. He put together a solid pro debut between the Appalachian and Midwest leagues, then reached Double-A at the end of 2019. He ranked as the No. 19 prospect in a loaded Florida State League.
SCOUTING REPORT: Jeffers was one of just 22 players in the pitcher-friendly Florida State League to hit double-digit homers and was the only non-first baseman to do so in 80 or fewer games. He added four more home runs after a promotion to Double-A. He'd shown burgeoning power in college, but scouts were skeptical about whether it would translate into pro ball. He produces the power thanks to the strength provided by his massive frame and a solid understanding of the strike zone that allows him to zero in on the pitches that give him the most potential for impact. Jeffers also adapted well to the new setups being taught to Twins catchers and used his strong hands to receive and frame pitches with aplomb. He allowed just six passed balls in 627.1 innings behind the plate while throwing out 26 percent of runners. As expected, Jeffers is a below-average runner.
THE FUTURE: Jeffers finished 2019 in Double-A Pensacola and is likely to return there in 2020. He has the upside of an offensive-minded catcher with value on both sides of the ball. -
The Twins trusted their scouts in 2018 when they took Jeffers in the second round, and his first full season as a pro provided plenty of positive feedback. He was always a productive hitter in college, but there were questions about whether part of that success was due to playing in the less-heralded Colonial Athletic Association. Jeffers was one of just 22 FSL players to hit double-digit home runs, was one of just four to do so in fewer than 80 games and was the only one of those four to play a position other than first base. He showed a solid feel for hitting as well and was a studious enough player to learn how pitchers were attacking and adjust accordingly. The Twins believe Jeffers is an elite receiver with an average throwing arm who could improve his caught stealing rate (26 percent between the FSL and Double-A Pensacola) by quickening his transfer. Jeffers hit well in a small sample at Double-A, and the Twins believe he should develop into a catcher with strengths both offensively and defensively.
