Vince Faison
| AB | 2323 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .242 |
| OBP | .312 |
| SLG | .378 |
| HR | 47 |
- Full name Vincent LaRue Faison
- Born 01/22/1981 in Vidalia, GA
- Profile Ht.: 5'11" / Wt.: 195 / Bats: L / Throws: R
- School Toombs County
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Drafted in the 1st round (20th overall) by the San Diego Padres in 1999 (signed for $1,415,000).
View Draft Report
OF Vince Faison is the best athlete in the state. He has excellent tools and has been compared favorably to Corey Patterson, the third player drafted a year ago. Patterson is just more refined. Faison runs the 60 in 6.4 seconds, has an above-average arm and surprising pop. He has committed to Georgia as a defensive back, and that will give him leverage in his negotiations--especially if he is asked to forgo a football career. He would be a perfect pick for the Braves, who love talented-but-unfinished home-state players (see George Lombard). They don't pick until 82nd overall, though, and Faison should be long gone by then.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Faison was one of the top defensive backs in the nation and had committed to play football at the University of Georgia before the Padres made him the first of their six first-round picks in 1999. As he has gotten stronger, he has lost some of the raw speed that used to be his best tool. Nevertheless, San Diego still envisions him as a potential Ray Lankford. Faison is learning to develop patience and power, and he set full-season career highs for batting average, on-base percentage and slugging in 2002. However, he still has a ways to go. It's important for him to not worry about hitting for power at the expense of using the whole field. Faison has accepted that baseball will be a challenge and his athleticism won't carry him, and he's working harder than he did earlier in his career. Because his range has diminished and he never has had a strong arm, he projects as a left fielder. The Padres keep expecting him to blossom, and 2003 would be a good time to start. -
The first of San Diego's six first-round picks in 1999, Faison accepted a $1.415 million bonus to give up a scholarship to play defensive back at Georgia. He was named the No. 1 prospect in the Arizona League that summer but has hit just .220 since leaving Rookie ball. Faison reminds the Padres of a young Ray Lankford, and the club still sees him as an impact player if he can produce at the plate. He has power potential that remains mostly untapped because he's still learning his swing and the importance of plate discipline. His raw speed makes him a terror on the bases but he doesn't get on often enough. Faison covers lots of ground in center field, and his arm is adequate for the position. He was promoted to high Class A last year to ease Ben Johnson's burden by shifting him to right field, and Faison hit a little better at that level. Then he turned in a lukewarm performance in instructional league. He's not ready for Double-A yet, and he needs to start making progress this year. -
One of the nation's top-rated high school defensive backs, Faison would have played football at the University of Georgia had he not signed with the Padres for $1.415 million as the first of their six first-round picks in 1999. He has been compared to Cubs center-field prospect Corey Patterson, another Georgia high school product, but while Faison has similar athleticism, he lacks Patterson's power and feel for the game. Faison was ranked the No. 1 prospect in the Arizona League in his pro debut, then struggled in his first taste of full-season ball in 2000. He does have tools, including raw speed that has allowed him to steal 58 bases in 67 attempts as a pro. He also has power potential, plus the range and arm to play center field. He'll become more of a stolen base and home run threat if he can learn the strike zone. For now, he's a free swinger who tries to pull too many pitches and gets himself out. Midwest League managers didn't think he handled adversity well, so a return trip rather than a promotion to high Class A might be best at the start of 2001.
Minor League Top Prospects
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The Padres had to lure the fleet-footed Faison away from a football scholarship with the first of their multiple first-round picks. Along with top-of-the-scale speed, Faison showed an impressive ability to drive the ball to all fields. The only knock of Faison is his below-average arm strength A's manager John Kuehl saw similarities between the lefthanded hitting Faison and a current big league center fielder. "He has Kenny Lofton-type tools, with maybe a click less speed. He could become an impact center fielder and he really knows how to hit."
