BJ Boyd Stats & Scouting Report

AB	3388
AVG	.287
OBP	.351
SLG	.409
HR	63

Full name Bijon Montell Boyd
Born 07/16/1993 in Palo Alto, CA
Profile Ht.: 5'11" / Wt.: 230 / Bats: L / Throws: R
School Palo Alto
Drafted in the 4th round (139th overall) by the Oakland Athletics in 2012 (signed for $300,000).

View Draft Report

Boyd benefited from playing right across the street from Stanford, making it easy for crosscheckers to see Boyd and the Cardinal's many prospects in one trip. Boyd has a compact, muscular frame at 5-foot-10 and 190 pounds. He starred on Palo Alto's football team as a running back, wide receiver and kick returner and his speed is above-average or maybe a little better. He has drawn Division I interest as a football player, but remained uncommitted and scouts believe he is more interested in baseball. His two-sport focus means he'll need instruction and reps at the next level, but he has tools and quick-twitch athleticism that can't be taught. He has put his above-average speed to use this year, stealing 25 bases in his team's 32 games. His speed helps him cover ground in center field, though he'll need to improve his routes, and his arm is below-average right now. He also has the elements to be an above-average hitter from the left side of the plate and projects to hit around 10 home runs annually as a pro.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Boyd put together his best minor league season by far in 2017. With Double-A Midland, Boyd led the Texas League in hits (172) and finished third in average (.323). Boyd employs a compact stroke and is adept at hitting the ball to the opposite field. Boyd knows how to make contact (74 strikeouts in 578 plate appearances in 2017). He has plus speed, but doesn't get great jumps on the bases. Boyd had alternated between center field and left for most of his pro career. He spent the bulk of 2017 in center, and his defense clearly improved. He doesn't possess a plus arm, so remaining in center could be problematic, but he doesn't have the power associated with many corner outfielders. Some believe that his power could improve to the point that he might hit 10-15 homers per season in the big leagues. He'll likely begin 2018 with Triple-A Nashville.
Boyd was more raw than the Athletics' other high-profile 2012 high school draft picks, having also been a football recruit as a running back/wide receiver at Palo Alto High. Baseball was his first choice, however, and he signed with Oakland as a fourth-rounder for $300,000. Given his relative inexperience, Boyd stayed behind in extended spring training in 2013 before joining short-season Vermont. The youngest regular in the Lake Monsters' lineup, he hit .331/.399/.531 through the end of July before tailing off. Boyd struggled to maintain his swing mechanics at times at Vermont, but when he was going well he showed a balanced swing with nice wrist action. He has some feel for hitting and is willing to use the whole field, though he'll lapse into getting pull happy like most young hitters. Boyd does have some physicality and sneaky power. With above-average speed, he profiles as a table-setting center fielder, though he primarily played left field in 2013. His routes in center need refinement and his arm grades below-average. Boyd should move to center and up to low Class A Beloit in 2014.
Boyd attracted football recruiters as a running back/wide receiver, racking up 1,108 yards and 17 touchdowns as a senior at Palo Alto (Calif.) High. He preferred baseball, though, and signed for $300,000 as a fourth-round pick last June. Like many multisport athletes, Boyd is raw because he hasn't focused on baseball, but he does have some instincts to go with his explosive tools. He shows a good eye at the plate and a quick bat, though the A's worked on refining his swing during instructional league. They believe he has the raw power for 10-15 homers annually, but he had a flat stroke and tended to let pitches travel almost too deep. Oakland wants him to start his swing earlier and add loft to it. He often just shoots balls the other way and the A's would like to see him turn on more pitches. Boyd has plus speed and knows how to use it, stealing 16 bases in 39 pro games. His reads and angles in center field aren't ideal, but his quickness helps him make up for most of his mistakes. His arm is below-average. Boyd has the components to be a future leadoff hitter. He could get a shot to open his first full year in low Class A with the rest of Oakland's premium 2012 high school picks, though it's more likely he'll stay in extended spring training to keep honing his swing before heading to Vermont.

Draft Prospects

Boyd benefited from playing right across the street from Stanford, making it easy for crosscheckers to see Boyd and the Cardinal's many prospects in one trip. Boyd has a compact, muscular frame at 5-foot-10 and 190 pounds. He starred on Palo Alto's football team as a running back, wide receiver and kick returner and his speed is above-average or maybe a little better. He has drawn Division I interest as a football player, but remained uncommitted and scouts believe he is more interested in baseball. His two-sport focus means he'll need instruction and reps at the next level, but he has tools and quick-twitch athleticism that can't be taught. He has put his above-average speed to use this year, stealing 25 bases in his team's 32 games. His speed helps him cover ground in center field, though he'll need to improve his routes, and his arm is below-average right now. He also has the elements to be an above-average hitter from the left side of the plate and projects to hit around 10 home runs annually as a pro.

Minor League Top Prospects

Physical and athletic, Boyd drew interest from Division I football programs out of high school, and he has refined his baseball skills quickly since signing with the A?s for $300,000 in 2012. He doesn?t always repeat his swing mechanics, and he gets into ruts where he tries to pull everything, but he showed the ability to hit balls hard from line to line when he was at his best. Breaking balls from lefthanders can give Boyd trouble, and he still chases too many pitches out of the zone, but other times he manages the zone better and takes his walks. He projects as a fringy to average hitter with average power. An average runner with a below-average arm who will likely be tied to left field going forward, Boyd filled in adequately in center this summer. Routine fly balls can still be an adventure for him, but he is getting better at coming in on balls, and he should become an average defender in left. One NY-P manager suggested Boyd could become a lefthanded-hitting version of Marlon Byrd down the road.