Matt Macri Stats & Scouting Report

AB	34
AVG	.324
OBP	.361
SLG	.441
HR	1

Full name Matthew Michael Macri
Born 05/29/1982 in Des Moines, IA
Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 215 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Notre Dame
Debut 05/24/2008
Drafted in the 5th round (140th overall) by the Colorado Rockies in 2004 (signed for $205,000).

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Macri was a two-way standout and a potential first-round draft choice out of high school, but he intended to fulfill his scholarship commitment to Notre Dame. The Twins still drafted him in the 17th round in 2001 as a backup plan in case No. 1 overall pick Joe Mauer didn't sign. Macri's career with the Fighting Irish was sidetracked by Tommy John surgery during his freshman year. He went undrafted as a sophomore-eligible in 2003, and went in the fifth round a year later because concerns about his bat arose after he hit .172 with wood in the Cape Cod League. He has answered those questions with two solid years as a pro. After using an inside-out swing in college, he has begun to turn on pitches and show budding power in the minors. He still strikes out too much, which may be his undoing at higher levels. A good athlete who earned Iowa Mr. Football honors in 2000, he has average speed and is one of the top defensive infielders in the system. Where he'll wind up remains in question. He played third base at Notre Dame and in his debut, but the Rockies are loaded at the hot corner, starting with No. 1 overall prospect Ian Stewart. As a result, Macri moved to shortstop in 2005, but Colorado's last two first-round picks (Chris Nelson and Troy Tulowitzki) are better suited for the position than he is. He has good hands, and while his arm action isn't smooth in the wake of his elbow surgery, he has plenty of arm strength. Macri is a true professional, working hard to improve and showing a very good feel for the game. His biggest problem as a pro has been staying healthy. He missed time in 2004 with plantar fascitis in his foot, and again in 2005 with a sprained left wrist. He's ticketed for Double-A along with Stewart and Tulowitzki, so Macri could move to second base this year.
If Macri had been willing to give up his scholarship from Notre Dame, he would have been Iowa's first-ever high school first-rounder in 2001. A two-way star armed with a low- 90s fastball, his pitching aspirations came to an end when he had Tommy John surgery as a freshman. Some clubs soured on him when he hit .172 with wood bats in the Cape Cod League in 2003, though others were intrigued by the power he showed. Macri helped allay concerns about his bat with an all-star performance in the Northwest League. The lone negative was plantar fascitis in his foot, which ended his debut in mid-August. His power is his best tool, and he shows it to all fields. After having trouble with wood bats on the Cape, he figured out to how get his hands inside the ball quicker. He did strike out a lot, something he'll have to watch at higher levels. Macri is a first-class defensive player with soft hands and arm strength. Because Ian Stewart looks like the Rockies' third baseman of the future, Macri spent time at second base in instructional league. He also could get time at shortstop this year, which he'll probably open in low Class A.

Minor League Top Prospects

Macri ranked second in the league in slugging by using his strong wrists to shoot balls into the gaps. His season ended prematurely because of plantar fasciitis. He's more a doubles hitter than a true home run threat but can drive the ball whether he pulls it or goes the other way. He normally stays on pitches well and demonstrates an understanding of the strike zone (fifth in the league in on-base percentage), but will chase pitches when he's struggling. Macri plays third base with adequate range (he's better going to his glove side), good hands and a strong, accurate arm. "He's got shortstop-type actions at third base," Kennedy said of Macri, who played that position some in college. The Rockies are looking to move him to second base in instructional league, and his bat could make him a standout offensive player at that position.