Aaron Shipman Stats & Scouting Report

AB	1019
AVG	.25
OBP	.369
SLG	.314
HR	1

Full name Aaron Lamont Shipman
Born 01/27/1992 in Quitman, GA
Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 175 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Brooks County
Drafted in the 3rd round (92nd overall) by the Oakland Athletics in 2010 (signed for $500,000).

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The "pop-up" player in Georgia this year shouldn't have been off the radar. Shipman comes from a baseball family, as his father Robert--a 10th-round pick in 1987 by the Tigers--is his high school coach and his brother Robert III is a freshman at Georgia. While his older brother is a slugging first baseman and baseclogger, Aaron Shipman is a fast-twitch athlete who compares favorably to anyone in Georgia's deep class of athletic center fielders. He just hasn't played in the East Cobb program as a south Georgia kid, but he was getting plenty of attention as the draft approached and could go in the second round. Shipman earns above-average grades from scouts in speed, throwing arm and future center field defense, though he could use some polish. His swing is perhaps just as exciting, as it's smooth and low-maintenance. Shipman also pitches and runs his fastball up to 91 mph, but he is a much better prospect in the field and doesn't figure to wind up at Mercer, his college commitment.

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Organization Prospect Rankings

Shipman was viewed as too physically immature to garner much attention for most of his high school career, but he took off as a senior and landed a $500,000 bonus. Shipman entered the system offering a promising array of tools, but he's battled injuries the last couple years and has yet to really take off. He missed much of the first half of 2013 with low Class A Beloit due to a shoulder problem but did come back to hit .314/.417/.361 after returning in late June. Shipman has a sweet lefthanded swing with an up-the-middle approach. He's always been able to control the strike zone, posting consistently strong walk-to-strikeout rates, but it's been a constant battle for the A's as they try to turn up his aggressiveness. He hasn't homered as a pro and has succeeded on just 61 percent of stolen base attempts the last two seasons. He played left field primarily in 2013 but is capable of playing all three spots with above-average speed and arm strength. The A's hope the offensive environment at high Class A Stockton encourages Shipman to start unlocking his top-of-the-order potential.
Shipman flew under the radar for most of his high school career, playing for a small school in south Georgia, before zooming up draft boards leading up to the 2010 draft. Shipman's father Robert was a Tigers 10th-round pick in 1987, and the A's made Aaron their 2010 third-rounder and signed him for $500,000. He has some of the most enticing tools in the system, but his performance hasn't shown it yet. Shipman has a short swing, good bat control and a discerning eye, though his selectivity can work to his detriment. While it's laudable that he works deep in counts, he gets overly passive. The A's have pushed him to attack hittable pitches earlier in at-bats, and he has struggled to find a happy medium. There was hope he could develop average power when he came out of high school, but those projections have dropped as he has yet to homer as a pro. Shipman can be an elite defender in center field, with above-average speed and an arm that was capable of throwing 90-91 mph fastballs in high school. He's fast enough to be a basestealing threat, though he succeeded in just 11 of 22 attempts last season. Shipman's potential as a leadoff hitter remains. He could repeat low Class A in 2013, though a promotion to the more hitter-friendly California League might help him get going.
Shipman learned the game from his father Robert, who was a 10th-round pick of the Tigers in 1987 and coached him in high school. His stock soared shortly before the 2011 draft, in which he received $500,000 in the second round. Playing against older competition in the short-season New York-Penn League last year, he got off to a slow start but hit .293/.418/.320 in August. Shipman is an outstanding athlete with plus-plus speed. He has quick wrists and the A's believe he'll add some gap power as he gets stronger. Despite his youth, he's one of the most patient hitters in the system, to the point that Oakland would like him to be a little more aggressive. He already has a good idea of how to read pitchers, stealing 17 bases in 20 tries last season. Though Shipman saw more time in left field in 2011, he's a true center fielder who gets good jumps and take proper routes. He has solid arm strength and accuracy. Ticketed for the low Class A Midwest League, Shipman will face another challenging offensive environment in 2012. Even if he doesn't develop much home run power, he has all the tools to be a major league center fielder and leadoff hitter.
Shipman didn't get as much exposure as other top Georgia high school prospects because he never played for the Atlanta-based East Cobb juggernaut. He would have been the biggest recruit in Mercer baseball history, but his stock soared as the 2010 draft approached. The A's drafted him in the third round and signed him at the Aug. 16 deadline for $500,000. His father Robert played briefly in the minors and coached him in high school, and his brother Robert is a sophomore outfielder at St. Petersburg (Fla.) JC. Shipman has the potential for four plus tools, with power his lone shortcoming. He has a short, slashing swing that produces consistent hard contact. He still has to learn to stay back better on pitches, but he has shown a nice aptitude for making adjustments. He could develop some power as he matures physically, but it's not going to be a focus of his game. Shipman has plus-plus speed and the chance to be an impact defender in center field, where he has above-average range and arm strength. Shipman projects as a dynamic leadoff man and ballhawking center fielder. He'll need some time to develop though, and he'll likely begin his first full professional season in extended spring training before heading to Oakland's new short-season Vermont affiliate.