Alex Rodriguez

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Seattle Mariners #1 prospect in 1995
  Drafted first overall in 1993, Rodriguez and agent Scott Boras waged a long, contentious and highly publicized battle with the Mariners during negotiations. The parties finally struck an 11th-hour deal where the Mariners gave Rodriguez a $1 million bonus and a major league contract. Despite missing his first year, Rodriguez adapted so well to the professional game that he spent only a half-season in the minors. By July he was in Seattle, where he became the first 18-year-old since Robin Yount in 1974 to start at shortstop in the big leagues. But major league pitchers soon exposed his inexperience, and he was sent back to Triple-A, his fourth stop to finish the 1994 season. Rodriguez is a shortstop all the way. He glides instinctively to balls, especially to his left, and throws runners out with a strong, accurate arm. Defense is the most advanced part of his game. With experience, he'll become above-average in all other phases. He projects as a .280 to .300 hitter with annual totals of 20-25 home runs and 20-25 stolen bases--superior numbers for a shortstop. Rodriguez has shown his greatest improvement as a pro with the bat, but he still has holes in his swing. Rodriguez was getting a heavy dose of reality this winter in the Dominican League, where he was struggling to reach .180 at midseason. Scouts say Rodriguez needs to be more selective and relaxed at the plate and refrain from lunging at pitches. Defensively, balls hit right at Rodriguez give him his biggest challenge. He needs to work harder on positioning himself on in-between hops. If Seattle's player development people have their way, Rodriguez will start 1995 in Triple-A, where they'd like to see him repeat what he did at the end of 1994. He can use more time to work on his hitting and make routine defensive plays more consistently.
• 
  Ranked Seattle Mariners #1 prospect in 1994
  Scouts last spring regarded Rodriguez as the best position prospect in the draft since Ken Griffey in Jr. 1987. The Mariners chose both players with the first pick. Signing Rodriguez became a difficult matter. Agent Scott Boras initially was rejected by the Rodriguez family, but persisted and won favor by promising to deliver a $2.5 million to $3 million deal and by cutting his fee from 5 percent to 2.5 percent. The Mariners held firm at $1 million. In September, a day before Rodriguez was to attend his first class at the University of Miami and the Mariners were to lose his rights, the club and the family struck a $1.3 million major league deal, much to the chagrin of Boras. The agent since has filed a grievance with the players’ union on behalf of Rodriguez, alleging the player was denied accredited representation by the Mariners. Rodriguez is a major league shortstop now. He glides instinctively to the ball, and is so quick with his hands it appears he never gets a bad hop. He has exceptional range, especially to his left, and throws with a strong, accurate arm. Rodriguez has the strength and the bat speed to hit for a high average and produce 20 homers annually, and he is a slightly above-average runner. The Mariners were impressed with with his work habits in instructional league last fall. Rodriguez tends to be impatient at the plate and jumps at the ball, which slows his hands. Pitchers in instructional league got him out by pounding fastballs inside, then throwing breaking pitches away. Assuming he remains with Seattle, Rodriguez will likely begin his pro career at low Class A Appleton. He will advance as quickly as his bat allows. Scouts think he could be ready by 1996. Rodriguez needs to mend fences in Seattle, where the organization and fans have been put off by his perceived money-grubbing family and agent.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Pacific Coast League #1 prospect in 1995
  Rodriguez, the No. 1 overall pick in the 1993 draft, already was noted for batting skills and defensive prowess despite his large frame. This season, his mental approach was put to the test. Rodriguez was yo-yoed from Seattle to Tacoma three times, but he persevered. In one stretch, he hit home runs in six of seven games, many of them mammoth, 400-foot-plus shots. Tacoma manager Steve Smith noted Rodriguez for his positive influence in the clubhouse. He always talked about the team first rather than himself. “Rodriguez’s approach is admirable,” Salt Lake manager Phil Roof said. “The only negative, and it might not even be one, is his size. If he gets bigger, he might have to move to third base, but he can excel there just as much.”
• 
  Ranked Midwest League #1 prospect in 1994
  Rodriguez dazzled more with his hitting than his fielding but has exceptional major league talent in both areas. Midwest League managers rated his arm, power and speed above-average big league tools. “Alex has a good swing and a lot of range,” his Appleton manager Carlos Lezcano said. “But I think the best thing about Alex is that he is eager to learn the game. He applies what you teach him very quickly. "Alex is a take-charge kind of guy. I think it was good for him to get a taste of the big leagues this year. I think he’s going to stay up there all year next year and for a long time to come.”

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #1 prospect in 1995
• Ranked Baseball America's #6 prospect in 1994

• December, 1994 Scouting Report
  Drafted first overall in 1993, Rodriguez and agent Scott Boras waged a long, contentious and highly publicized battle with the Mariners during negotiations. The parties finally struck an 11th-hour deal where the Mariners gave Rodriguez a $1 million bonus and a major league contract. Despite missing his first year, Rodriguez adapted so well to the professional game that he spent only a half-season in the minors. By July he was in Seattle, where he became the first 18-year-old since Robin Yount in 1974 to start at shortstop in the big leagues. But major league pitchers soon exposed his inexperience, and he was sent back to Triple-A, his fourth stop to finish the 1994 season. Rodriguez is a shortstop all the way. He glides instinctively to balls, especially to his left, and throws runners out with a strong, accurate arm. Defense is the most advanced part of his game. With experience, he'll become above-average in all other phases. He projects as a .280 to .300 hitter with annual totals of 20-25 home runs and 20-25 stolen bases--superior numbers for a shortstop. Rodriguez has shown his greatest improvement as a pro with the bat, but he still has holes in his swing. Rodriguez was getting a heavy dose of reality this winter in the Dominican League, where he was struggling to reach .180 at midseason. Scouts say Rodriguez needs to be more selective and relaxed at the plate and refrain from lunging at pitches. Defensively, balls hit right at Rodriguez give him his biggest challenge. He needs to work harder on positioning himself on in-between hops. If Seattle's player development people have their way, Rodriguez will start 1995 in Triple-A, where they'd like to see him repeat what he did at the end of 1994. He can use more time to work on his hitting and make routine defensive plays more consistently.
• December, 1994 Scouting Report
  Rodriguez, the No. 1 overall pick in the 1993 draft, already was noted for batting skills and defensive prowess despite his large frame. This season, his mental approach was put to the test. Rodriguez was yo-yoed from Seattle to Tacoma three times, but he persevered. In one stretch, he hit home runs in six of seven games, many of them mammoth, 400-foot-plus shots. Tacoma manager Steve Smith noted Rodriguez for his positive influence in the clubhouse. He always talked about the team first rather than himself. “Rodriguez’s approach is admirable,” Salt Lake manager Phil Roof said. “The only negative, and it might not even be one, is his size. If he gets bigger, he might have to move to third base, but he can excel there just as much.”
• December, 1993 Scouting Report
  Scouts last spring regarded Rodriguez as the best position prospect in the draft since Ken Griffey in Jr. 1987. The Mariners chose both players with the first pick. Signing Rodriguez became a difficult matter. Agent Scott Boras initially was rejected by the Rodriguez family, but persisted and won favor by promising to deliver a $2.5 million to $3 million deal and by cutting his fee from 5 percent to 2.5 percent. The Mariners held firm at $1 million. In September, a day before Rodriguez was to attend his first class at the University of Miami and the Mariners were to lose his rights, the club and the family struck a $1.3 million major league deal, much to the chagrin of Boras. The agent since has filed a grievance with the players’ union on behalf of Rodriguez, alleging the player was denied accredited representation by the Mariners. Rodriguez is a major league shortstop now. He glides instinctively to the ball, and is so quick with his hands it appears he never gets a bad hop. He has exceptional range, especially to his left, and throws with a strong, accurate arm. Rodriguez has the strength and the bat speed to hit for a high average and produce 20 homers annually, and he is a slightly above-average runner. The Mariners were impressed with with his work habits in instructional league last fall. Rodriguez tends to be impatient at the plate and jumps at the ball, which slows his hands. Pitchers in instructional league got him out by pounding fastballs inside, then throwing breaking pitches away. Assuming he remains with Seattle, Rodriguez will likely begin his pro career at low Class A Appleton. He will advance as quickly as his bat allows. Scouts think he could be ready by 1996. Rodriguez needs to mend fences in Seattle, where the organization and fans have been put off by his perceived money-grubbing family and agent.
• December, 1993 Scouting Report
  Rodriguez dazzled more with his hitting than his fielding but has exceptional major league talent in both areas. Midwest League managers rated his arm, power and speed above-average big league tools. “Alex has a good swing and a lot of range,” his Appleton manager Carlos Lezcano said. “But I think the best thing about Alex is that he is eager to learn the game. He applies what you teach him very quickly. "Alex is a take-charge kind of guy. I think it was good for him to get a taste of the big leagues this year. I think he’s going to stay up there all year next year and for a long time to come.”