Casey Kotchman Stats & Scouting Report

AB	3071
AVG	.26
OBP	.326
SLG	.385
HR	71

Full name Casey John Kotchman
Born 02/22/1983 in St. Petersburg, FL
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 220 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Seminole
Debut 05/09/2004
Drafted in the 1st round (13th overall) by the Los Angeles Angels in 2001 (signed for $2,075,000).

View Draft Report

Kotchman missed all of 2000 because of a stress fracture in his back that came from pitching. He still rated as the top high school position player entering the 2001 season, and while he didn't have a huge senior season, Minnesota catcher/quarterback Joe Mauer is the only hitter who has surpassed him. The son of Angels scout/minor league manager Tom Kotchman, Casey is as advanced as a high school hitter can be. His 40-2 walk-strikeout ratio (both whiffs were looking) speaks for itself. Scouts expect he'll have little trouble making the transition to wood and envision him as a Rafael Palmeiro type, capable of batting better than .300 with 40 homers while contending for Gold Gloves. With the loss of projected first-round picks Bryan Bass (ineligibility) and Dixon, Kotchman struggled early with the pressure of carrying the nation's No. 1 high school team before surging later in the spring. Having spent his summers with his father in pro ball, he's prepared for what awaits him. Kotchman never committed to a college

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Some club officials have known Kotchman, the son of longtime Angels scout and minor league manager Tom, since he was 7 years old. In 2004 they got a firsthand look at how he has developed into one the best pure batting prospects in baseball, as he made his major league debut after a red-hot month in Double-A. He was called up to Anaheim in May to replace injured first baseman Darin Erstad and recorded four multi-hit games in his first eight starts. He didn't strike out until his 48th plate appearance, and his first hit came off Mariano Rivera in a nine-pitch at-bat. Kotchman became Pedro Martinez' 2,500th career strikeout victim, but only after an epic 15-pitch at-bat. He was sent to Triple-A Salt Lake and continued to rake. He was back in Anaheim in September and received a spot on the postseason roster, thanks in part to injuries to other players. Kotchman has more walks (116) than strikeouts (100) as a pro and manages the balance between selectivity and aggressiveness better than any hitter in the minors. He has a natural, fluid swing and keeps the barrel of his bat in the hitting zone a long time. He makes consistent, sharp contact to all fields. Kotchman is adept at quickly identifying the spin and break of pitches. He rarely chases pitches and frequently works deep into counts. When he gets his pitch, he's content to lash it to both alleys, though he displays more over-the-fence power potential in batting practice. He projects to hit at least 20-25 homers annually once he learns when to lift the ball. He is smooth around the bag at first and is a future Gold Glover. He has good hands and easily scoops up errant throws. Kotchman never has been healthy for a complete season. He did play in a career-high 114 games in 2004 after totaling just 156 in his first three seasons, but he missed all but one game in July with a sprained right wrist and a bruised shoulder. In previous years, he missed time with wrist, back and hamstring injuries. After tearing his right hamstring running from first to third base in 2003, he was timid on the basepaths in 2004. His speed is below average, but he previously had shown good baserunning instincts. While his home run power is expected to develop, he has gone deep just 24 times in 985 pro at-bats and showed little pop in his big league debut. Kotchman has hit .343 in the minors and has nothing left to prove at that level. Erstad profiles better as a center fielder, but the free-agent signing of Steve Finley means he won't move back there to open first base for Kotchman. As a result, he could return to Triple-A Salt Lake rather than sit on the bench in Anaheim at the start of 2005. If he gets a chance to play in the majors, Kotchman will be a leading contender for Rookie of the Year.
Kotchman has been Anaheim's top position prospect since signing for a $2.075 million bonus in 2001. His father Tom has enjoyed a long career in player development and scouting with the Angels, and he served as Casey's adviser during negotiations. Kotchman was considered one of the most advanced hitters in the draft while leading Seminole High to the 2001 national championship. Various injuries have hampered his progress and limited his playing time in each of his three pro seasons. Last year a torn right hamstring kept him on the shelf for nearly three months in the first half of the season at high Class A Rancho Cucamonga. He was knocked out of the California League playoffs when he was hit by a pitch on the wrist. He was hit in the face during instructional league and then had to be shut down during the Arizona Fall League when he reinjured his hamstring. Wrist and back injuries limited Kotchman during his first two seasons, but nothing seems to keep him from raking when he's in the lineup. Kotchman has a fluid swing in the classic lefthander's mold of a Todd Helton or Will Clark, and he creates explosive contact with the fat part of the bat on a consistent basis. He displays uncanny strike-zone awareness and early-pitch recognition. He manages to put himself in good hitter's counts by rarely chasing balls out of the zone. He still maintains his aggressiveness, though, and attacks the pitch he's looking for. Kotchman is content to smack hard line drives all over the field and into the alleys. He saves most of his power for batting practice and is still learning when to use it during games. He projects to hit 25-plus homers a year. Defensively, he's as good as any first baseman in the minors, combining good instincts, accurate throws and excellent footwork around the bag. Growing up around pro clubhouses with his father, Kotchman was more prepared for pro ball than most any player coming out of high school. His problem has been staying healthy. Several of Kotchman's injuries have been freak accidents, but some scouts still wonder if he's injury prone and why. Some have noticed his body tighten up since high school. He spent this offseason in Arizona conditioning himself in hopes of preventing another injury. He deserves credit for not allowing the lack of playing time to frustrate him or keep him from hitting, though who knows where he'd be right now had he received consistent playing time. Kotchman doesn't run well, but he isn't a clogger and his instincts give him an advantage on the bases. The Angels' 2001 draft could go down as one of the strongest in recent history if Kotchman, Jeff Mathis and Dallas McPherson all continue on their current tracks. Anaheim's scouts evaluated all three as first-round talents. Despite his persistent injuries, Kotchman probably would excel in Triple-A now. The Angels are more likely to take a conservative approach and assign him to Double-A Arkansas to begin 2004. He profiles as prototypical No. 3 hitter who will be among the league leaders in average, doubles and on-base percentage on an annual basis.
The son of longtime Angels scout and minor league manager Tom Kotchman, Casey shot straight to the top of this list a year ago. After he led Seminole High to a No. 1 national ranking, the Angels popped him with the 13th overall pick. Kotchman is from the same classic mold as Will Clark and Mark Grace. He doesn't have the same picturesque stroke, but Kotchman combines rhythm and timing with bat speed and explosive contact. He has plenty of gap power now and projects to hit for above-average home run power as he matures. He has mastered the strike zone, and while there's some effort to his stroke, he rarely swings and misses. He's equally outstanding on defense. Kotchman played in just 10 games for low Class A Cedar Rapids after June, and has had each of his first two seasons cut short by wrist injuries. It shouldn't be a long-term concern, but he needs to prove his durability over the course of a full season. Kotchman returned to the Cedar Rapids lineup in time for the Midwest League playoffs and showed no ill effects by hitting .389. If healthy, he could be batting third in the Angels lineup by 2005.
The centerpiece of one of the most talented high school teams ever assembled, Kotchman led Seminole (Fla.) to a wire-to-wire No. 1 ranking in the Baseball America/National High School Coaches Association poll. The Warhawks won the national title despite injuries and a transfer violation that caused them to forfeit 10 victories. Kotchman earned high school All-America honors by hitting .465-5-39 in 88 at-bats. Though his season wasn't a disappointment by any standards, Kotchman slid slightly in the draft because he got pitched around and didn't take good swings. Anaheim was surprised and delighted to find him available with the 13th overall pick in June, and his father Tom--an Angels scout and minor league manager--negotiated Casey's $2.075 million bonus. Casey has been around pro ball all his life, often accompanying his father during the summer, and they were reunited at Rookie-level Provo last August before a sprained wrist ended Casey's pro debut. Kotchman had little difficulty leaving aluminum bats behind. He treated pro pitchers like high schoolers. Comparisons to sweet-swinging lefthanders abound, starting with Todd Helton and Rafael Palmeiro. Some scouts give Kotchman top grades on the hitting scale, and he's expected to develop well-above-average power because of his strong frame, bat speed and uncanny ability to put the barrel on the ball. He's an aggressive hitter, but he stays inside the ball well and uses the whole field. Kotchman's fielding and throwing also project as plus big league tools. He has all the makings of a future Gold Glover, playing a textbook first base with graceful actions, soft hands and solid footwork. The ball seems to disappear into his glove. Though Kotchman is a flexible athlete who excites scouts with his loose, limber body, he's a below-average runner. Any other perceived flaws are just nitpicking, however. After getting hurt at Provo and being limited by a back injury in 2000, he'll have to prove he's durable. Kotchman missed instructional league with the wrist injury, but he was on schedule with his rehab and should be 100 percent for spring training. Most scouts can barely contain their enthusiasm when talking about him. Much like Joe Mauer, the No. 1 overall pick in 2001, Kotchman is quite refined for a teenager and ready to jump on the fast track. He should be the first high school player from last year's draft to reach the majors, perhaps in 2004.

Minor League Top Prospects

Ranking first on this list the previous year and hitting .358 in spring training would have earned most players a starting job in the big leagues. Blocked by Darin Erstad with the Angels, Kotchman instead returned to the PCL intent on addressing concerns about his power. Trying to hit homers only messed up his swing, as he went hitless in his first 19 at-bats and batted .138 with no extra-base hits in the first three weeks. Once he shortened his stroke and stopped trying to pull and lift everything, he became the same high-average hitter with gap power he always had been. He may peak at 20-25 homers in the majors, but as a potential .320 hitter and Gold Glover, that still would make him a star at first base.
Kotchman is such a gifted young hitter that he went 48 plate appearances in the majors before striking out for the first time. He batted .372 in 2004 to raise his minor league career average to .343. His classic lefthanded swing has delivered line drives to all fields since he signed in 2001. His over-the-fence power will come. One scout thinks the low finish in Kotchman's stroke will limit him to 25 homers annually, but two others believe he easily could hit 30 and as many as 40. He controls the strike zone so well that it's just a matter of getting stronger and translating his batting-practice pop to games. Also slick with the glove, Kotchman has been named his league's best defensive first baseman in each of his three full seasons. The only blemish on his résumé is a consistent history of injuries. He missed all but one game in July with wrist and shoulder strains, and there's some concern that he may be brittle.
Freak injuries continue to interrupt Kotchman's development. He missed the first half with a torn hamstring, then was knocked out of the playoffs when he was hit on the hand by a pitch. The ailments haven't prevented him from raking when he's in the lineup, however. In 558 career at-bats, he boasts a .326 average with 47 doubles and 16 home runs. He also has walked more than he has struck out at every stop since Anaheim drafted him 13th overall in 2001. Kotchman grew up around pro baseball because his father Tom is a longtime Angels minor league manager and scout, and his approach and preparation reflect his pedigree. "He shows raw power in BP," Rancho Cucamonga manager Bobby Meacham said. "He's a selective hitter but a guy who's aggressive at the same time. He always seems to be ahead in the count and doesn't swing at garbage they throw early in the count. He does that better than anybody in the league. He waits as long and sees the ball a lot longer than anybody else." Kotchman is also a potential Gold Glover whom managers rated the league's best defensive first baseman.
The 2001 first-round pick's only difficulty since turning pro has been staying healthy. He sprained his right wrist last summer, then jammed his left wrist in an awkward slide in 2002. Because his father Tom is a longtime manager and coach in the Angels system, Kotchman has been around pro ball for years. Little wonder, then, that he's extremely advanced in all phases of the game. He was considered both the smartest hitter and the best defensive first baseman in the MWL. Kotchman walked more than he struck out and drilled 30 doubles in 81 games, a preview of the above-average power he'll develop. He drew comparisons to Todd Helton, another slick fielder who was known more for line drives than home runs until he turned 25. Kotchman won't reach that age until 2008.