Jacob Scavuzzo
| AB | 2562 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .26 |
| OBP | .311 |
| SLG | .46 |
| HR | 111 |
- Full name Jacob L. Scavuzzo
- Born 01/15/1994 in Orange, CA
- Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 185 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Villa Park
- Drafted in the 21st round (656th overall) by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2012.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Scavuzzo's combination of athleticism and physicality drew the Dodgers to draft him out of high school in 2012, taking the chance that his raw hitting approach would come around. He appeared to progress in 2015 once he got promoted to high Class A Rancho Cucamonga and performed well after the season in the Arizona Fall League, but his offensive output leveled off in 2016 when he got to Double-A Tulsa. Scavuzzo has quick hands, strong wrists and generates above-average raw power, which is now his best tool. He has overhauled his hitting mechanics, loading his swing with a big leg lift and staying compact for a big man. He isn't a free-swinger, but he's also not a pure hitter, with his pitch recognition and plate discipline holding him back from fully tapping into his power. Scavuzzo's speed and arm strength are both fringe-average, so he's limited to left field. He should head to Triple-A Oklahoma City in 2017. -
Scavuzzo's size and athleticism attracted the Dodgers when they drafted him out of high school in 2012, even if his hitting approach was on the raw side. He seemed to be trending in the right direction after a big year at Rookie-level Ogden in 2013, but he fell flat in 2014 at low Class A Great Lakes. Scavuzzo put in a lot of mechanical work to get himself into a better launch position and give himself a better chance to recognize pitches. He used to over-coil in his swing, so he worked to create better angle to the ball when he lifted his front leg without messing with his posture and over-rotating. He didn't immediately get comfortable with the changes, but as the 2015 season progressed, Scavuzzo's performance improved, particularly at high Class A Rancho Cucamonga, where he cranked 32 extra-base hits in 61 games. He isn't a pure hitter, but he has tremendous wrist strength and hand speed to compensate when his timing is off, with the power to go deep from right-center field over to his pull side. As he's added weight and strength, Scavuzzo's arm and speed now fit best in left field. He hit well in the Arizona Fall League, albeit with few walks and many strikeouts, but Double-A Tulsa will be a big test in 2016. -
The Dodgers were drawn to Scavuzzo for his combination of size and athleticism coming out of high school, where he also played football and competed in the 100 meters, triple jump and long jump in track and field. He signed as a 21st-round pick out of the 2012 draft, then looked like a raw free-swinger when he showed up to the Rookie-level Arizona League that summer. The speed of the game was too quick for Scavuzzo in his debut, but he emerged as a pleasant surprise in 2013 by leading the Rookie-level Pioneer League with 14 home runs. He made an adjustment to more fully incorporate his lower half into his swing, which helped him tap into his raw power. He's still prone to chasing pitches, but he improved his pitch selection, and he has the bat speed, swing path and hand-eye coordination to square up balls with authority. Scavuzzo has lift in his swing, but it's not a total uppercut that leaves him with glaring holes for pitchers to exploit. He's an average runner who played center and left field in 2013, but with his size he'll slow down, and his fringy arm strength make him fit best in left field, where he could be an above-average defender. Scavuzzo isn't the type of pure hitter who could move through the system in a hurry, but his 2013 production combined with his bat speed and athleticism were encouraging signs as he heads to low Class A Great Lakes in 2014.
Minor League Top Prospects
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Scavuzzo emerged as one the bigger surprises in the PL this season. A multi-sport athlete in high school who played football and competed in the 100 meters, triple jump and long jump in track and field, he played sparingly in the AZL in his first pro season. Scavuzzo broke out this year at Ogden, leading the league with 14 home runs and making a believer of his manager Damon Berryhill. ?His pitch selection has gotten much better,? Berryhill said. ?He has the ability to get a good pitch to hit and drive the baseball.? The manager cited Scavuzzo?s bat speed, swing path and hand-eye coordination as the main reasons for his improvement at the plate. He?s an average runner who could steal more bases with experience. Scavuzzo split time between left and center field and has raw edges on defense in terms of positioning, but he covers a lot of ground. His arm grades as slightly below-average but could improve with attention to throwing mechanics and release point. Scavuzzo is more of a long-term project who will need to move one level at a time.
