Drafted in the 3rd round (103rd overall) by the New York Mets in 2009 (signed for $315,000).
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Shields wasn't highly recruited despite a strong senior season in high school, when he hit 18 homers for Pasco High. He wound up at Division II Florida Southern and was having a solid college career, hitting .348 as a sophomore with nine home runs. Still, he was not a well-known commodity before he went to the Cape Cod League. In a short stint with Cotuit, he burst on the scene as a potential first-round pick. Ten games into his stint there, he was hitting .429 with two home runs, but a hurt his right wrist sliding head-first into third base. He wound up staying for five more games before shutting down his summer with what proved to be a hairline fracture and some ligament damage. Shields has had plenty of scrutiny this season as the top talent in the competitive Sunshine State Conference and has had some draftitis, as he had just five homers after hitting 17 in his first two seasons. Shields showed early-round tools with strength in his hands, average speed and middle-infield actions, but he's more likely an offensive second baseman or perhaps a third baseman in the David Bell mode rather than a true shortstop. His modest spring performance likely drops him into the third-round range, but he still has a shot to challenge the second-round record set by Moccasins alumni Lance Niekro (1999) and Brett Tomko (1995).
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Shields settled at NCAA Division II Florida Southern when no D-I program recruited him. He started from day one for the Moccasins, and his draft stock really took flight when he hit .429 with two homers over 10 games in the Cape Cod League following his sophomore season. Shields' time on the Cape was cut short, however, when he fractured his wrist while sliding headfirst into third base, and he hasn't looked like the same player since. He had a lackluster junior year and signed with the Mets for $315,000 after going in the third round of the 2009 draft. The injury bug bit Shields one more time when he had Tommy John surgery in late October of his draft year, which helped explain his brutal pro debut. He got back on the field late last June, spending a month in Rookie ball before taking over as Savannah's everyday shortstop. A steady player with modest tools across the board, Shields has strong hands and average offensive potential. He figures to hit about .280 with gap power. He's not flashy at shortstop but makes the routine play with average range and running speed. However, many scouts pegged Shields as a future second baseman even before elbow surgery, and he hadn't fully recovered his arm strength at the conclusion of the 2010 season. The Mets say his arm played a tick above-average prior to his injury. Shields figures to begin 2011 with a club for which he can play shortstop everyday, and his assignment may hinge on the Opening Day destination for teen phenom Wilmer Flores.
Shields had a history of performing well at Pasco High (Dade City, Fla.) and NCAA Division II Florida Southern, but he really opened eyes with his play in the Cape Cod League in the summer of 2008. He looked like a potential first-round pick before injuring his right wrist on a headfirst slide, but he let the draft affect his performance last spring. The Mets were able to grab Shields in the third round and sign him for $315,000. He had a disappointing pro debut, batting .178 with little power at Brooklyn. The Mets blamed a sore elbow, which required Tommy John surgery after the season. A baseball rat, Shields should put up solid batting averages and on-base percentages. He uses the whole field, and his strong hands should enable him to hit for some power once he does a better job of incorporating his lower half into his swing. He has average speed and good instincts, so he may steal a few bases. Shields will remain at shortstop for now, though he has just average range and arm strength. He may slide over to second base in the future. His surgery is not expected to keep him out for all of 2010, and when he returns to the diamond in mid-2010, he'll head to low Class A.
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