Carlos Quentin Stats & Scouting Report

AB	2790
AVG	.252
OBP	.347
SLG	.484
HR	154

Full name Carlos Jose Quentin
Born 08/28/1982 in Bellflower, CA
Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 235 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Stanford
Debut 07/20/2006
Drafted in the 1st round (29th overall) by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2003 (signed for $1,100,000).

View Draft Report

Quentin has been a high-profile player since early in his high school days in San Diego. He's been a three-year starter in right field at Stanford and starred with Team USA the last two summers. He'll finally be drafted for the first time this year, possibly late in the first round. There were mounting concerns leading up to the draft that he may need treatment for elbow problems that had bothered him most of the year, though he didn't miss a game. He's had a breakthrough season with the bat, riding a 26-game hitting streak to improve his average by more than 100 points. He's been much better at hitting breaking balls and walked twice as often as he struck out. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Quentin's power has been slower to develop. After hitting 10 balls out of the park in preseason intrasquad games, he went through a 20-game drought to start the season. That prompted him to alter his approach at the plate, ditching a Gary Sheffield-like bat wrap in favor of a flatter, calmer approach. His power returned in the second half. Quentin is a warrior. He plays hard day-in and day-out and should be well suited for the pro game. Veteran Stanford coach Mark Marquess has called him the best practice player he's ever had.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Quentin's pro debut was delayed by Tommy John surgery after he was drafted in 2003, but he has made up for lost time. He has batted .316 with 42 homers in two pro seasons. Quentin is a classic corner outfielder with above-average hitting skills, plate discipline and power. Despite his plate-crowding tactics--he leads the minors with 72 hit by pitches in the last two years--he can cheat on inside pitches and crush them as easily as he takes outside pitches to the opposite field. His instincts make him a plus baserunner and have enabled him to get by in center field when he moved there in July. His arm hasn't regained its pre-surgery strength but is solid for right field. Quentin's effort in center field was universally praised, but he just doesn't cover enough ground to play there on a regular basis. His pure speed is average at best. Luis Gonzalez, Shawn Green and Chad Tracy are blocking Quentin on Arizona's outfield corners, but he has nothing left to prove in Triple-A. He could begin his big league career in center and move to right down the road.
Quentin had a storied amateur career. As a three-sport star at University of San Diego High--also Mark Prior's alma mater--he set school records for homers and RBIs; was his league's defensive player of the year in football; and was a member of a state champion basketball team. He hit a three-run homer in his first career at-bat at Stanford, where he was the Pacific-10 Conference freshman of the year in 2001 and an all-league selection in each of his three seasons. He led the Cardinal to a final four appearance at the College World Series each year. Though they knew impending Tommy John surgery would delay his pro debut until the following season, the Diamondbacks grabbed Quentin with the second of their two first-round picks in 2003 and signed him for $1.1 million. He was initially rusty when he returned to the diamond, hitting just .150 in his first 10 games at high Class A Lancaster. He hit .350 the rest of the year, which included a midseason promotion to Double-A El Paso. Quentin finished fifth in the minors with a .435 on-base percentage and set what is believed to be a minor league record by getting hit by 43 pitches. Everything about Quentin's game screams prototypical right fielder, as his tools grade out average or above across the board. He's a strong yet graceful athlete with good bat speed and a smooth swing. He makes excellent contact with power to all fields, and projects as a .280-.300 hitter with 25-plus home run power. He has a mature approach at the plate and recognizes which pitches he can drive. An excellent defender, Quentin gets good jumps and has above-average range. His accurate arm already bounced back to a tick above average just 18 months removed from surgery. He displays tremendous baseball instincts, and Arizona loves his leadership and his bulldog mentality, which was made clear at Stanford when he played his entire junior season with the injured elbow. Quentin's biggest strength is his lack of any glaring weakness. He sets up on top of the plate and his swing brings much of his torso over the plate, which is why he gets plunked so often. Some scouts think this will make him susceptible to getting busted inside with good fastballs, but he has yet to have that problem. He could become more patient at the plate, but his aggressive approach has done wonders so far. He hit lefthanders well in his pro debut, but rarely for power, and can be susceptible to outside breaking balls. Both of his minor league stops were hitter-friendly environments, so his 2004 numbers may be inflated. The Diamondbacks believe Quentin could succeed in the majors right now, but they'll probably play it safe and start him at Triple-A Tucson in 2005. If Luis Gonzalez can't return from his own Tommy John surgery by Opening Day, Arizona fans might get an early preview of Quentin's skills. He's almost assured of making his major league debut in 2005 and assuming a starting job in 2006.
A product of San Diego's University High, where he was two years behind Mark Prior, Quentin became one of the best hitters in Stanford history. He played most of the 2003 season with a sore right elbow that required Tommy John surgery, which he had after signing for $1.1 million. He played on Team USA with Conor Jackson in 2002, and they should be reunited in Arizona's outfield of the future. With a powerful bat and arm, Quentin has classic right-field tools. He should regain his plus arm strength. He drives the ball to all fields and doesn't have to pull pitches to send them out of the park. He's a disciplined hitter who gets on base. While Quentin has a lot of juice in his bat, he needs to do a better job of translating it into homers. He went deep just 35 times in 199 college games. He'll have to rebuild his arm strength, though with his determination that shouldn't be a problem. Quentin started taking batting practice three times a week in November while finishing his political-science degree at Stanford. He'll open 2004 as a DH, probably at high Class A, and should be ready for right field in May.

Minor League Top Prospects

Quentin played well enough during spring training to earn a job in the big leagues, but an overcrowded outfield in Arizona led to his return to Tucson after ranking seventh on this list a year ago. When he did get a full-time job with the Diamondbacks, he homered in his first game and became the fourth player ever to hit four longballs in his first nine days in the majors. Quentin steps up to the plate with a plan. He produces line drives to all fields, has an excellent knowledge of the strike zone and is a magnet for baseball. He set a PCL record by getting hit with 31 pitches in just 85 games, breaking the record of 29 he set in a full season in 2005. The Diamondbacks considered using him in center field before trading for Young, but Quentin is better suited for right. He has a solid arm and his instincts make his average speed play up in the outfield and on the bases.
Jackson and Quentin constantly have been compared to each other since Arizona took them in the first round of the 2003 draft. While Quentin doesn't have Jackson's eye at the plate, he has fine plate discipline to go with more raw power and leverage in his swing. Jackson should hit for a higher average and Quentin should produce more homers for the Diamondbacks, and neither should be a slouch in either category. Quentin also is much more athletic than Jackson. He's a good right fielder with a solid arm, and he got nice jumps when he saw time in center this year. Playing there would expedite his path to the majors because Arizona has several corner-outfield options, but Quentin lacks the natural speed for the position.
Quentin showed no rust despite coming back from Tommy John surgery last summer. His toughness, already clear after he played most of his junior season at Stanford with a bum elbow, showed again as he led the minors in hit by pitches with 43. With size and strength, Quentin profiles as an impact bat in a corner outfield spot. He's strong enough to hit balls out to all fields and smart enough to make consistent, hard contact. His arm came back well and is considered average or slightly above for a right fielder.
After taking Quentin 29th overall in the 2003 draft, the Diamondbacks knew that his pro debut would be delayed until this year because of impending Tommy John surgery. He made up for lost time by earning a promotion to Double-A in late June. Quentin is a complete hitter, showing the ability to hit for average and power as well as strong plate discipline. While he set a minor league record by getting hit by 43 pitches in 2004, one scout saw a weakness in his ability to get plunked. "He's already right on top of the plate," the scout said. "When he swings, his whole body lunges over the plate. I fear he could struggle once pitchers start busting him inside." Quentin has average speed and good instincts in right field. He's regaining the plus arm strength he had before his elbow was reconstructed.