Gift Ngoepe Stats & Scouting Report

AB	72
AVG	.181
OBP	.272
SLG	.236
HR	0

Full name Mpho' Gift Ngoepe
Born 01/18/1990 in Pietersburg, South Africa
Profile Ht.: 5'8" / Wt.: 200 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Rand Park
Debut 04/26/2017

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Ngoepe became the first black South African to sign a contract with an affiliated club when he caught the Pirates' eye at a tournament in Italy in 2008. Ngoepe's story has been well-chronicled. He was literally raised in the clubhouse of an amateur baseball team in Randburg, a suburb of Johannesburg, during apartheid while his mother Maureen worked as the team's cleaning woman and groundskeeper. Ngoepe has the tools to be an above-average shortstop, with good range and instincts along with a strong arm. He is also an above-average runner and a threat on the bases. While Ngoepe is willing to take walks, his offensive game has been sabotaged by his inability to lay off breaking pitches out of the zone, which has led to plenty of strikeouts. He began 2013 at Double-A Altoona, then missed a month after heading home to attend his mother's funeral. Ngoepe headed for high Class A Bradenton once he returned to the U.S., and he hit well, leading to hopes he will do better in 2014 in his second taste of Double-A.
Ngoepe is proving to be more than a great story. The Pirates signed him for $15,000 in 2008 after seeing him play at Major League Baseball's academy in Italy, and his tale of becoming the first black South African ever signed by a big league organization was prominently featured in Sports Illustrated in 2009. Ngoepe has made huge strides in going from a raw athlete to an above-average defender with outstanding range and a strong arm. Managers rated him as the Florida State League's top defensive shortstop last year. His speed is a tick above-average and he has improved his instincts on the bases, though he still has more work to do in that regard. Ngoepe's bat is still a major question mark. He hit just .232 in high Class A in 2012, and he must make more contact from both sides of the plate and learn to use the whole field. After hitting just four homers in his first three pro seasons, he went deep nine times last year, and he has enough strength in his wrists to develop decent power for a middle infielder. Ngoepe has the defensive ability to play shortstop in the major leagues, but his bat will dictate whether he gets there. Double-A will provide a stern test for him in 2013.

Minor League Top Prospects

The FSL was filled with glove wizards at shortstop, none better than Ngoepe. The South African has plus range and arm strength to go with soft hands, though like many young shortstops he sometimes tries to do too much. Ngoepe has a chance to be a respectable hitter (albeit without much power) as well. A switch-hitter, he needs to use the opposite field more often but has the work ethic to make the necessary adjustments. He's an aggressive baserunner with solid speed. "This guy may come on like crazy in the next couple of years," Jupiter manager Andy Haines said. "Every time I saw him I liked him more. He has strong hands and wrists. I think the bat can develop."