Kevin Mench
| AB | 2362 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .268 |
| OBP | .324 |
| SLG | .456 |
| HR | 89 |
- Full name Kevin Ford Mench
- Born 01/07/1978 in Wilmington, DE
- Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 215 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Delaware
- Debut 04/09/2002
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Drafted in the 4th round (118th overall) by the Texas Rangers in 1999.
View Draft Report
This year, OF Kevin Mench, the leading home run hitter in college baseball a year ago with 33, should be Delaware's highest draft pick. He got off to a slow start with a lot of scouts in attendance and didn't come close to matching that total this year, which may have cost him some bonus money. Mench's best upside tool is power. He swats balls in the same manner as Jeff Bagwell. He has no real weaknesses and is a good baserunner, but not a basestealer. He has solid-average left-field skills with an average arm and good ball-hawking skills.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Mench won the NCAA Division I home run title in 1998 with 33 as a Delaware sophomore. He slipped as a junior, hurting his draft status, but has been a power hitter in the pros. He led the Appalachian League in home runs in 1999 and has 71 in 323 pro games. Mench has been compared to a Pete Incaviglia with better outfield skills. He has become more and more of a dead-pull hitter with exceptional power. He crushed lefthanders in the Texas League last season, hitting .352 with 10 homers in 128 at-bats against them. He has shown slightly above-average speed, but lingering hamstring problems kept him from running last season. He also bulked up last season, which may have been the cause of his leg problems. If he sticks with the pull-everything approach, he'll never hit for average. He hit just .233 against righthanders in 2001 and his patience at the plate slipped. His arm limits him to left field. Mench must keep his body under control. He's in danger of getting too stiff across the shoulders, a development that could tie up his swing. The Rangers hope he'll make some improvements in Triple-A this year. -
As a sophomore at Delaware in 1998, Mench led NCAA Division I in homers (33) and ranked fourth in hitting (.455), but it didn't help his draft status. After a subpar junior season, he went in the fourth round. Mench hit .357 in his pro debut and was ranked the No. 1 prospect in the high Class A Florida State League in 2000. Mench has been described as a Pete Incaviglia who can play the outfield. Mench has Incaviglia's power and is a more refined hitter. He ranked among the FSL leaders in average and on-base percentage (.427) last season. Mench is muscular but runs well. He does everything with enthusiasm. Somewhat older than the competition in his first two professional seasons, Mench has been able to get away with being a pure pull hitter. He'll need to expand his swing as the level of competition increases. Because he lacks arm strength, Mench probably is limited to left field. Mench batted .354 in the Arizona Fall League, leading Grand Canyon to the league title. He'll move up to Double-A in 2001 and could push for a spot in Texas sometime during the following year.
Minor League Top Prospects
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Mench was a terror in college at Delaware, winning the NCAA Division I home run title as a sophomore in 1998, but he was not regarded as a premium prospect last year. Even after hitting .357 in his pro debut, he didn't show up on any prospect lists. That changes now, after a dominant offensive year that should remove doubts about his adjustment to wood bats. In addition to appearing at or near the top of all the FSL offensive categories, Mench was second in the minors in slugging percentage--the only member of the top five who didn't play in the Pacific Coast League. Mench has power to all fields and was noted as the most polished hitter in the league. Unlike many Class A players, he goes to the plate with a plan and is already a good situational hitter. Managers said he was deadly in RBI situations, and the numbers certainly bear that out. He’ll be adequate defensively in left field. Yet what managers liked most about him was his approach to the game. Mench plays with tremendous passion. "He has great bat speed and loves to play," Charlotte manager Bob Miscik said. "If there is one thing that stands out about him over everything else, it's how much he enjoys playing the game."
Top 100 Rankings
Scouting Reports
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Mench was a terror in college at Delaware, winning the NCAA Division I home run title as a sophomore in 1998, but he was not regarded as a premium prospect last year. Even after hitting .357 in his pro debut, he didn't show up on any prospect lists. That changes now, after a dominant offensive year that should remove doubts about his adjustment to wood bats. In addition to appearing at or near the top of all the FSL offensive categories, Mench was second in the minors in slugging percentage--the only member of the top five who didn't play in the Pacific Coast League. Mench has power to all fields and was noted as the most polished hitter in the league. Unlike many Class A players, he goes to the plate with a plan and is already a good situational hitter. Managers said he was deadly in RBI situations, and the numbers certainly bear that out. He’ll be adequate defensively in left field. Yet what managers liked most about him was his approach to the game. Mench plays with tremendous passion. "He has great bat speed and loves to play," Charlotte manager Bob Miscik said. "If there is one thing that stands out about him over everything else, it's how much he enjoys playing the game."
