Sammy Ayala
| AB | 30 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .267 |
| OBP | .371 |
| SLG | .367 |
| HR | 1 |
- Full name Samuel David Ayala
- Born 07/12/1994 in San Diego, CA
- Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 195 / Bats: L / Throws: R
- School La Jolla Country Day
-
Drafted in the 17th round (531st overall) by the Chicago White Sox in 2012 (signed for $258,800).
View Draft Report
Ayala's three-sport prowess kept him somewhat under the radar in baseball circles, but he made a name for himself at the Southern California Invitational at the MLB Urban Youth Academy in June, hitting an inside-the-park homer against top prep lefthander Max Fried and an RBI single to the opposite field against righty Andrew Potter. A standout defensive end in football, Ayala has a physical, 6-foot-2, 205-pound frame. He projects for average or slightly better power down the road, but scouts are divided on whether he will hit. He tends to get pull-happy and is vulnerable against soft pitches away or hard pitches in. He'll look bad at times in the batter's box, but his feel for hitting has improved and should solidify once he focuses on baseball. Ayala's arm is above-average, but his receiving and blocking is a work in progress. He moves well enough to play a corner outfield spot, but plenty of scouts think he has a chance to stick behind the plate. A club that believes in his power and defense could take him as high as the second or third round, while other teams would be content to let him go to UC Santa Barbara.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
-
A three-sport athlete in high school, Ayala put himself on the scouting radar by producing against advanced prospects Max Fried (the No. 7 overall pick in 2012) and Andrew Potter in a tournament at the MLB Urban Youth Academy before his senior year. Ayala lasted until the 531st pick in June because teams thought he would honor his commitment to UC Santa Barbara. The White Sox were able to sign him for $258,800, the equivalent of fifth-round money. He had a reputation for being pull-conscious in high school and often looked overmatched in his pro debut. Chicago believes he'll improve at the plate now that his focus is on baseball, and he has solid power potential. A defensive end in football, Ayala has a nice build for a catcher. He's athletic, with good speed for the position and a plus arm, though he has a long way to go behind the plate. He needs to improve his flexibility and quicken his transfer on throws after erasing just 15 percent of pro basestealers. Ayala isn't ready for a full-season assignment at age 18, so his next stop figures to be Rookie-level Great Falls.
Draft Prospects
-
Ayala's three-sport prowess kept him somewhat under the radar in baseball circles, but he made a name for himself at the Southern California Invitational at the MLB Urban Youth Academy in June, hitting an inside-the-park homer against top prep lefthander Max Fried and an RBI single to the opposite field against righty Andrew Potter. A standout defensive end in football, Ayala has a physical, 6-foot-2, 205-pound frame. He projects for average or slightly better power down the road, but scouts are divided on whether he will hit. He tends to get pull-happy and is vulnerable against soft pitches away or hard pitches in. He'll look bad at times in the batter's box, but his feel for hitting has improved and should solidify once he focuses on baseball. Ayala's arm is above-average, but his receiving and blocking is a work in progress. He moves well enough to play a corner outfield spot, but plenty of scouts think he has a chance to stick behind the plate. A club that believes in his power and defense could take him as high as the second or third round, while other teams would be content to let him go to UC Santa Barbara.
