Barry Bonds

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #1 prospect in 1986
  Bonds was the sixth player chosen in the 1985 draft, and there’s no question about his talent. On skills alone, he probably would have been the first player taken, but some teams were scared off by what one scout described as “a Mel Hall mentality--talk, talk, talk, me, me, me.” The Pirates prefer to call it “a healthy confidence.” Bonds had no trouble adjusting to a wooden bat at high Class A Prince William (.299, 13 home runs, 37 RBIs, 15 stolen bases), and he also showed more consistent power than he had at Arizona State. His announced goal of following in the footsteps of his father Bobby, as a 30-30 player in the big leagues may not be out of the question, although he’s more of a runner than a basestealer. He’s instinctive in center field and can cover the alleys, but his arm may keep him in left. The early reports on his play in Venezuela this winter were so good the Pirates were beginning to have ideas about him possibly jumping to the varsity in the spring.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Carolina League #3 prospect in 1985
  Bonds was the Pirates’ first-round pick in the June draft and the No. 6 pick overall. Therefore, he didn’t join the the Carolina League until mid-June, but Bonds managed to impress just about everyone who saw him. “He can do it all,” Hagerstown manager Greg Biagini said. “He has the quickest bat in the league. His swing has no extra motion in it at all. He can do just about what he wants to. He’s fun to watch.” On the other hand, one manager questioned Bonds’ work habits. “His attitude, which tends to be weak at time, does not go unnoticed,” said the manager, who asked to go unnamed. “I know Prince William was out of the race early, but you’d think that a young guy in his first year in pro ball would want to play hard all the time. But I just didn’t see that the last time we played them.”

• December, 1985 Scouting Report
  Bonds was the sixth player chosen in the 1985 draft, and there’s no question about his talent. On skills alone, he probably would have been the first player taken, but some teams were scared off by what one scout described as “a Mel Hall mentality--talk, talk, talk, me, me, me.” The Pirates prefer to call it “a healthy confidence.” Bonds had no trouble adjusting to a wooden bat at high Class A Prince William (.299, 13 home runs, 37 RBIs, 15 stolen bases), and he also showed more consistent power than he had at Arizona State. His announced goal of following in the footsteps of his father Bobby, as a 30-30 player in the big leagues may not be out of the question, although he’s more of a runner than a basestealer. He’s instinctive in center field and can cover the alleys, but his arm may keep him in left. The early reports on his play in Venezuela this winter were so good the Pirates were beginning to have ideas about him possibly jumping to the varsity in the spring.
• December, 1984 Scouting Report
  Bonds was the Pirates’ first-round pick in the June draft and the No. 6 pick overall. Therefore, he didn’t join the the Carolina League until mid-June, but Bonds managed to impress just about everyone who saw him. “He can do it all,” Hagerstown manager Greg Biagini said. “He has the quickest bat in the league. His swing has no extra motion in it at all. He can do just about what he wants to. He’s fun to watch.” On the other hand, one manager questioned Bonds’ work habits. “His attitude, which tends to be weak at time, does not go unnoticed,” said the manager, who asked to go unnamed. “I know Prince William was out of the race early, but you’d think that a young guy in his first year in pro ball would want to play hard all the time. But I just didn’t see that the last time we played them.”