Mitch Einertson Stats & Scouting Report

AB	1970
AVG	.255
OBP	.326
SLG	.407
HR	53

Full name Mitch A. Einertson
Born 04/04/1986 in Oceanside, CA
Profile Ht.: 5'10" / Wt.: 178 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Rancho Buena Vista
Drafted in the 5th round (154th overall) by the Houston Astros in 2004 (signed for $170,000).

View Draft Report

In a normal year in San Diego, Einertson's talents wouldn't stand out. He's a 5-foot-9, righthanded-hitting outfielder--hardly a profile that excites scouts. But it's not a normal year for the traditional hotbed and only one player, Matt Bush, ranks as a better prospect. Einertson is a gritty player with fine defensive instincts. He has an outstanding arm, and his fastball has been clocked at 92 mph, though he has little feel for pitching. Finding the right position has been a challenge, and most teams seem to think he could settle in at second base in pro ball. Einertson's bat is solid by high school standards, but he has holes in his swing and there are questions how he'll hit with wood. Along with Bush, he's a San Diego State recruit, but he's considered signable--especially if he's selected in the first five rounds.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Will the real Mitch Einertson please step forward? Is he the guy who has won league MVP awards in the Appalachian (2004) and Carolina leagues (2007), and tied a 44-year-old Appy record with 24 homers in his pro debut? Or is he the guy who batted .222 in two years in low Class A, taking four weeks off in 2005 to deal with off-field issues? The Astros sure hope he's the first one, though there's mixed opinion within the organization. Einertson says his Appy League homer binge was the worst thing that could have happened to him, because it fouled up his approach. Last year, he finally realized that he had to shorten his swing and use the whole field rather than taking a huge hack and trying to pull everything out of the park. He also looked more balanced at the plate and understood that he can just let his power, which is at least average, come naturally. He's making more consistent hard contact now, though he still doesn't walk much. Einertson is a decent runner but not a basestealing threat. He played all three outfield positions in 2007, spending the most time in center field, but scouts who saw him play in the Arizona Fall League didn't like his routes and jumps. He has the arm for right field but may wind up in left, and an experiment at second base in instructional league in 2004 didn't go well. Houston will watch with fingers crossed to see if Einertson can continue to make progress in Double-A this year.
Einerston's first full season was the exact opposite of his pro debut. An unheralded fifth-round pick in 2004, he tied a 44-year-old Appalachian League home run record, went deep twice more as Greeneville won the playoffs and won the MVP award after also leading the league in extra-base hits, RBIs, total bases and slugging percentage. One scout said no Astros prospect had the ball jump off the bat like Einertson since Jeff Bagwell. Einertson's encore was a huge disappointment, however. He started 2005 in a 3-for-32 slump, didn't homer until May 11 and took four weeks off in midsummer to resolve personal issues. With that behind him, Houston hopes he'll revert to his previous form in 2006. The power potential is still in there, though he has a long way to go with pitch recognition. Even when he was crushing Appy League pitching, he struck out in nearly one-third of his at-bats, so he has to close a lot of holes in his swing. Einertson got some time at second base in instructional league after the 2004 season, but had footwork problems and will stay in the outfield. His range, arm and instincts are all fine for right field. He'll get a second chance to prove himself in low Class A this year.
An unheralded fifth-round pick in June, Einertson tied a 44-year-old home run record in the Rookie-level Appalachian League. He went deep twice in the playoffs as Greeneville won the title, won the MVP award, and led the league in extra-base hits, RBIs, total bases and slugging. One scout said the last Astros prospect to have the ball jump off his bat like Einertson was Jeff Bagwell. He can turn around good fastballs and already has started to use the whole field. He's aggressive in the outfield, where his range, jumps and arm are all decent to solid. Einertson struck out in nearly one-third of his at-bats, so it remains to be seen if he'll be as explosive against higher quality pitching. While he played mostly center field in his pro debut, he doesn't cover enough ground to play there in the majors. Houston tried him at second base in instructional league, but he had problems with his footwork and the switch didn't take. Einertson projects best as a right fielder. He's headed to low Class A Lexington, where the franchise home run mark of 25 is within his reach.

Minor League Top Prospects

After Einertson tied the Rookie-level Appalachian League record with 24 homers and won league MVP honors in his 2004 pro debut, he struggled just to stay afloat the next two years in low Class A. He reinvented himself in 2007, using the whole field with a line-drive stroke and grabbed the CL batting title (.305) and MVP award. Einertson shortened his swing and achieved better overall balance at the plate this season, which allowed him to hit for average while maintaining the ability to turn on inside fastballs. He hit just 11 homers but topped the circuit with 40 doubles. "He's more concentrated on being a better hitter," Salem manager Jim Pankovits said. "Not a home run hitter, but a better hitter." A fringe-average runner with a below-average arm, Einertson is limited to left field, where he's an average defender. His bat will determine whether he's an everyday player or a fourth outfielder down the road.
Einertson's quick, powerful stroke generated pop to all fields and league-wide acclaim. Power will be Einertson's ticket to the majors, but he also has a balanced swing, a willingness to draw walks and the ability to adapt to pitchers' varying plans of attack. He did strike out a lot (70 times in 63 games), but that's an acceptable tradeoff for his homers. "What's amazing to me is everybody knows who he is and what he does now and are trying to pitch him different," Greeneville manager Tim Bogar said. "But he's making the adjustments." Einertson gets good jumps on balls, but might not have the speed to play center field at the major league level. His average to plus arm strength will allow him to play in right field if necessary. The Astros also might try him at second base during instructional league.