Eric Jagielo
| AB | 1598 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .221 |
| OBP | .317 |
| SLG | .36 |
| HR | 47 |
- Full name Eric Stephen Jagielo
- Born 05/17/1992 in Downers Grove, IL
- Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 210 / Bats: L / Throws: R
- School Notre Dame
-
Drafted in the 1st round (26th overall) by the New York Yankees in 2013 (signed for $1,839,400).
View Draft Report
Jagielo went 15 picks from the bottom of the 2010 draft out of high school in Illinois, and he should go roughly that far from the top this year. He combines the ability to hit for power and average like few players available. He finished second in the Cape Cod League last summer with 13 homers, showing pop to all fields as the ball exploded off his lefthanded bat. The knocks on Jagielo were a tendency to chase pitches and questionable defense at third base, but the 6-foot-3, 215-pounder has addressed both this spring. He has shown more discipline, made more contact and done a better job of using the whole field. He now projects to hit for a solid average with at least plus power. While he's a below-average runner and his agility and reactions still need improvement, scouts believe Jagielo will be able to stick at the hot corner. His actions, hands and arm all are fine for the position. He played all four corner positions for the Fighting Irish, not becoming a full-time third baseman until mid-2012. Jagielo has a chance to surpass Ken Plesha (17th overall in 1965) and A.J. Pollock (ditto in 2009) as the highest-drafted position players in Notre Dame history.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
-
With the first of their three first-round picks in 2013, the Yankees took Jagielo after a standout college career at Notre Dame that included a star turn in the Cape Cod League. The Yankees saw Jagielo as a polished hitter who could move quickly and stick at third base, but he hasn't stayed healthy since signing for $1.875 million, missing time with a sprained ankle (2013), being hit in the face with a pitch (2014) and knee surgery to remove bone chips (2015). Injuries forced him to miss the Arizona Fall League two years in a row. Evaluators who saw Jagielo in 2015 at Double-A Trenton gave him little chance to stick at third base and didn't like what they saw from him at first base, thanks to limited range, agility and mobility. He still has a plus throwing arm. Even so, there's still offensive potential. Jagielo got rid of a leg kick in 2015 in favor of a stride. The results were a more complete hitter capable of shooting the ball to all fields with power. Jagielo may hit enough to have value as a DH, but the Yankees want to see how he fares, when healthy, at third base. He should return to Trenton in 2016. -
A three-year starter at Notre Dame and a standout in the Cape Cod League, Jagielo impressed the Yankees enough to earn a $1.875 million bonus as 26th overall pick in the 2013 draft, the first of the club's three first-round selections that year. The big knock on Jagielo has been his defense at third base, where he's a slow-twitch player with limited athletic ability. He worked diligently to improve his actions and first-step quickness in 2014, and he came a long way during the course of the season. As a hitter, he produced as expected, putting forth 16 home runs at high Class A Tampa despite missing a month and change with a strained muscle near his rib cage. His power grades as at least plus, though frequent strikeouts project to make him a well below-average hitter. Slated to play in the Arizona Fall League to make up for that lost time, Jagielo was hit by a pitch during instructional league and fractured a bone in his face. After a successful stint at Tampa, Jagielo should move up to Double-A Trenton, where he will be part of a star-studded lineup with outfielder Aaron Judge. Scouts who aren't sold on his defense believe he will wind up as a first baseman in the long run. -
Jagielo started for three seasons at Notre Dame, slamming 13 homers as a sophomore and 13 more in the Cape Cod League before ranking sixth in the nation in on-base percentage (.500) as a junior. A late-season strained quad muscle meant that as soon as the Yankees signed him for $1.875 million with the first of three first-round selections, he went on the disabled list. He debuted on June 27 in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League before heading north to short-season Staten Island. Jagielo is a polished hitter with above-average vision that allows him to turn on fastballs and stay back on breaking pitches. He has the ability to make hard contact to all fields, as well as above-average power that projects to 20-25 homers a year. Most of the questions about Jagielo center on defense. He's a below-average runner with fair agility and footwork, but most scouts think he has the hands, actions and arm strength for third base. He figures to start 2014 at low Class A Charleston but could battle with Dante Bichette Jr. for a spot at high Class A Tampa. As a polished college bat, he should move past Bichette sooner rather than later.
Draft Prospects
-
Jagielo went 15 picks from the bottom of the 2010 draft out of high school in Illinois, and he should go roughly that far from the top this year. He combines the ability to hit for power and average like few players available. He finished second in the Cape Cod League last summer with 13 homers, showing pop to all fields as the ball exploded off his lefthanded bat. The knocks on Jagielo were a tendency to chase pitches and questionable defense at third base, but the 6-foot-3, 215-pounder has addressed both this spring. He has shown more discipline, made more contact and done a better job of using the whole field. He now projects to hit for a solid average with at least plus power. While he's a below-average runner and his agility and reactions still need improvement, scouts believe Jagielo will be able to stick at the hot corner. His actions, hands and arm all are fine for the position. He played all four corner positions for the Fighting Irish, not becoming a full-time third baseman until mid-2012. Jagielo has a chance to surpass Ken Plesha (17th overall in 1965) and A.J. Pollock (ditto in 2009) as the highest-drafted position players in Notre Dame history.
Minor League Top Prospects
-
Jagielo hit .388/.500/.635 to earn second-team All-America honors this spring as a junior at Notre Dame, and the Yankees drafted him with the No. 26 overall pick. He hit for some power in his pro debut, ranking 11th in the NY-P in slugging (.451), but he also struck out twice as often as he walked. During his three college seasons, Jagielo walked about as much as he fanned, developing a reputation as a disciplined hitter. He has a smooth lefthanded swing with good rhythm, and he can turn on a fastball or wait back for an offspeed pitch. His swing can get long at times, but he projects as a solid-average hitter with plus power potential. Jagielo?s defense at third base drew mixed reviews this summer (as it did in the spring), with some managers questioning his range, instincts and actions. He?s a below-average runner, and he doesn?t figure to have the mobility to be a standout at third, but most evaluators give him a chance to stick at the position. He has enough arm strength and good accuracy, and he made just three errors this summer (.969 fielding percentage).
