Micah Hoffpauir

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Chicago Cubs #12 prospect in 2009
  After missing the last three weeks of 2006 with a left knee injury, Hoffpauir had been selected to play in the Triple-A all-star game and was on the verge of his first big league callup in 2007 when he tore cartilage in his right knee. He recovered from surgery to correct that problem, only to strain his left oblique in big league camp last spring. Once he got back on the diamond in May, Hoffpauir took out his frustration on pitchers. The Cubs 2008 minor league player of the year, he became the fifth player in modern PCL history to hit four homers in one game, finishing with 25 homers and 100 RBIs in just 71 Triple-A contests. He also hit well in four trips to Chicago, putting himself in the team's plans for 2009. Hoffpauir has power to all fields and looks to hit mistakes early in the count before toning his swing down if he gets two strikes. He did a better job of using the opposite field last season than he had in the past. He could put up Lyle Overbay-type numbers if he got the chance to play every day. Managers rated Hoffpauir the best defensive first baseman in the PCL, and he shows soft hands and a solid arm for the position. He also saw time on the outfield corners in 2008, and the consensus is that his speed, range and arm are below-average but he could fill in there for short stints. He's not going to displace Derrek Lee as the Cubs' first baseman, but he could fill Daryle Ward's role as a lefty bat off the bench while offering much more defensive ability than Ward. Chicago spent the offseason looking for a lefthanded-hitting right fielder, and Hoffpauir is a dark horse in that competition.