Ryan Zimmerman Stats & Scouting Report

AB	6654
AVG	.277
OBP	.341
SLG	.475
HR	284

Full name Ryan Wallace Zimmerman
Born 09/28/1984 in Washington, NC
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 215 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Virginia
Debut 09/01/2005
Drafted in the 1st round (4th overall) by the Washington Nationals in 2005 (signed for $2,975,000).

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Zimmerman played second base for a high school summer team that featured B.J. Upton at shortstop and David Wright at third base, but he went undrafted out of high school. Teams won't miss out on the opportunity this time around. His bat control and elite defensive ability have the Royals and Expos targeting Zimmerman, and his polish could give them a quick return on that investment. His professional stock soared he earned MVP honors at the World University Championship last summer, leading Team USA to a gold medal in Taiwan while setting a USA Baseball record with a .468 average. Even more impressive to scouts were his team-best numbers in home runs (four) and RBIs (27) with wood bats. That allayed concerns about a lack of power after he finished with only one home run for Virginia in 2004, though he always has shown gap power. He was among the Atlantic Coast Conference batting leaders again this season and had six home runs. Zimmerman rarely strikes out because of his balanced, up-the-middle approach and shows average speed and good instincts on the basepaths. He's always had excellent defensive skills, with hands, feet, arm strength and range that all rate above-average. He has even played at least a dozen games at shortstop for Virginia, allowing the Cavaliers to get more offense in the lineup, and a pro club might try him in the middle infield. One scout called him the best defender he had ever seen--at any position--and said the only question about Zimmerman was how many Gold Gloves he would win. His makeup also gets high marks; he returned from his strong summer playing with the intensity of a walk-on.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Signed for $2.975 million after being drafted No. 4 overall out of Virginia in June, Zimmerman wasted no time asserting himself as the Nationals' top prospect. Washington's scouting department had coveted Zimmerman for almost a year, dating back to his breakout performance for Team USA in the summer of 2004, when he set a national-team record with a .468 average to go with four home runs and 27 RBIs in 77 at bats. Zimmerman kept up his high level of play for the Cavaliers as a junior, batting .393-6-59 with 17 stolen bases on his way to second-team All-America honors. He already had proven he could excel with a wood bat for Team USA, so his quick adjustment to pro ball wasn't a surprise. Zimmerman got a 17-at-bat tuneup at low Class A Savannah, then hit for power and average at Double-A Harrisburg before being called up to the majors Sept. 1. With Cristian Guzman struggling mightily for their major league team, the Nationals tried Zimmerman out at shortstop--where he had filled in occasionally at Virginia--for eight games at Harrisburg. He showed the ability to play the position, but his best spot is third base and that's where he saw most of his action with Washington. Zimmerman is a once-in-a-generation defender at the hot corner, where his soft hands, good range to both sides and above-average arm make for a legitimate Brooks Robinson-like package. He makes plays coming in on bunts as well as any current major leaguer, is adept at making backhand plays in the hole, and his throws are crisp and accurate regardless of whether his feet are set or he's throwing on the run. Zimmerman is already a near-Gold Glover, and he should be a star at the plate as well. He's a polished hitter with excellent pitch recognition and a patient approach. He doesn't chase pitches out of the zone and isn't afraid to work the count, but if he gets a pitch he likes he attacks it. He hits hard line drives to all fields, and he also has over-the-fence power and projects to hit 20 homers annually to go along with a .300-plus batting average. His speed is average. Zimmerman's makeup is off the charts, as he carries himself with a quiet confidence and never gets rattled. Zimmerman just needs to keep playing to fine-tune his offensive game. Shortly after signing, he made a minor adjustment, quieting down some of the movement with his lower half and getting his hands into position a little earlier rather than dropping them down. As a result, his hands are more direct to the ball. There are no other holes in his game. He got to the big leagues in a hurry, and Zimmerman could hold the Nationals' third-base job for the next decade. There's a chance he could begin the season at Triple-A New Orleans, and a couple hundred more minor league at-bats couldn't hurt him, but he's just about ready to start in the majors now. He's a perennial Gold Glove winner and all-star in waiting.

Minor League Top Prospects

Some scouts preferred Zimmerman's polished package of tools and advanced feel for all phases of the game to the higher ceilings that Milledge and Ramirez offer. The fourth overall pick in June, Zimmerman signed quickly for $2.975 million. The first position player from the 2005 draft to reach the majors, he had six hits (including four doubles) in his first 16 at-bats for Washington. Zimmerman comparisons run the gamut from a poor man's Scott Rolen and Wright to Joe Randa and Scott Brosius, but everyone agrees he's a future Gold Glove winner. His hands are soft, he moves well to both sides and plays slow rollers extremely well. His throws are accurate and crisp, both on the run and from deep behind the bag. He deploys a line-drive approach to all fields and peppers the middle of the diamond. He has some pop and should produce 15-20 homers on an annual basis. He's aggressive early in the count but seldom chases balls out of the zone. His makeup rates as high as his defense.