Eric Stamets Stats & Scouting Report

AB	41
AVG	.049
OBP	.149
SLG	.073
HR	0

Full name Eric James Stamets
Born 09/25/1991 in Dublin, OH
Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 183 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Evansville
Debut 03/28/2019
Drafted in the 6th round (207th overall) by the Los Angeles Angels in 2012 (signed for $169,900).

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Stamets offers two tools that are rare among college prospects: plus-plus speed and legitimate shortstop defense. He can get from the right side of the plate to first base in 4.1 seconds and has stolen 100 bases in three seasons at Evansville. He covers a lot of ground at shortstop, and he also has sure hands to go with a solid arm. A team that values speed and defense could grab Stamets as early as the fourth round, but he could last longer because of questions about his bat. The 6-foot, 185-pounder uses a short stroke and slaps at the ball. He has good hand-eye coordination and makes consistent contact but produces very little power. He had just two extra-base hits (both doubles) in 42 games with wood bats in the Cape Cod League last summer, and some scouts worry that he won't be able to handle good velocity in pro ball.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Stamets was the highest-drafted player from Evansille in 24 years when the Angels took the shortstop in the sixth round in 2012, though that honor now goes to Rockies lefthander Kyle Freeland, a 2014 first-round pick. Stamets would be one of the top prospects in baseball if he could hit as well as he plays defense. He's a plus defender with sure hands, quick feet, excellent range and a strong, accurate arm, and he's the best athlete in the organization. He also is an average runner and opportunistic basestealer. At the plate, Stamets is a slap hitter with a short stroke who makes weak contact. He's got a little power when he makes good contact, but he lacks consistency at the plate. He could have a major league career as a utility infielder based strictly on his defense. Stamets will advance to Triple-A Salt Lake in 2015 and could get a call to the big leagues if the Angels need a slick-fielding reserve infielder.
The rare glove-first, speedy, athletic shortstop out of college, Stamets made the Cape Cod League all-star team in 2011 and set the Evansville record for assists in a single season as well as the school's single-season stolen base record. He was the highest-drafted Purple Aces hitter in 24 years, yet because hitting is Stamets' weakest tool, he lasted until the sixth round of the 2012 draft. Scouts always have had skepticism about his bat, with 20 power and a swing that leaves him largely cut off from his lower half. While he makes plenty of contact, it's rarely hard contact. His best offensive attribute is 70 speed, which he needs to put to use more as a basestealer instead of just turning infield outs into hits. His defensive strengths include excellent hands, easy lateral movement and the requisite arm strength to make the play in the hole. Stamets projects at best as a bottom-of-the-order hitter whose defense and speed help cover for his deficiencies with the bat. More likely, he's a useful utility infielder whose bat falls well short of acceptable for a regular. He'll continue to team with second baseman Alex Yarbrough at Double-A Arkansas in 2014.
Stamets was one of the best defensive shortstops in college baseball in 2012, though concerns about his bat dropped him to the sixth round, where he signed for $169,000. He makes all the routine plays with excellent hands, clean footwork and a solid arm. He's also a plus-plus runner whose speed and first-step quickness give him the range to make spectacular plays. He's especially good on balls to his right, showing the ability to jump and make a throw from deep in the hole. He's more athletic and explosive than Andrew Romine, another plus defender at shortstop in the system. While Stamets' defense gets glowing reviews, his bat is a huge question mark. He has good hand-eye coordination and doesn't strike out excessively, but there's funkiness to his swing and he rolls over a lot of balls because he tries to hook them rather than use the whole field. He has limited power, and some scouts are concerned he won't be able to catch up to good fastballs as he moves up the system. He could hit for a decent average while providing little in the way of on-base or slugging percentage. Stamets held his own offensively against low Class A pitching in his pro debut, so he'll move up to high Class A this year.

Draft Prospects

Stamets offers two tools that are rare among college prospects: plus-plus speed and legitimate shortstop defense. He can get from the right side of the plate to first base in 4.1 seconds and has stolen 100 bases in three seasons at Evansville. He covers a lot of ground at shortstop, and he also has sure hands to go with a solid arm. A team that values speed and defense could grab Stamets as early as the fourth round, but he could last longer because of questions about his bat. The 6-foot, 185-pounder uses a short stroke and slaps at the ball. He has good hand-eye coordination and makes consistent contact but produces very little power. He had just two extra-base hits (both doubles) in 42 games with wood bats in the Cape Cod League last summer, and some scouts worry that he won't be able to handle good velocity in pro ball.