Jason Donald Stats & Scouting Report

AB	552
AVG	.257
OBP	.309
SLG	.362
HR	7

Full name Jason Thomas Donald
Born 09/04/1984 in Fresno, CA
Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 195 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Arizona
Debut 05/18/2010
Drafted in the 3rd round (97th overall) by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2006 (signed for $400,000).

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Donald turned down a significant bonus out of high school, though the size of the bonus has grown as the tale has spread through the scouting grapevine. It was south of the $1 million some have speculated about. Whatever the bonus offer was, however, Donald will be hard-pressed to match it after failing to significantly improve his pro profile in college. He helped Arizona to the 2004 College World Series and hit .272 in the Cape Cod League in 2005, and scouts praise Donald's makeup. He's a gamer with one above-average tool, his plus throwing arm. Otherwise, his tools grade out average or below (speed), and his swing can get long and slow. He probably lacks the range to be an everyday shortstop in pro ball, though his smarts and hands could allow him to get by. Overall, Donald has a utilityman's skills and tools with an everyday pricetag and Scott Boras as an adviser. Position scarcity still could result in Donald being drafted in the first five rounds.

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Donald was teammates with Jordan Brown on Arizona's 2005 College World Series team and was signed by the same scout who signed Lou Marson. Donald had a breakout year in 2008, playing in the Futures Game, performing as one of Team USA's top players at the Olympics and finishing the season with a good effort in the Arizona Fall League. He couldn't replicate that success in 2009, when injuries limited him. With Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley blocking Donald in Philadelphia, the Phillies included him in the four-player package to acquire Cliff Lee. Donald played just 10 games in Triple-A after the trade because of a strained back, after missing time earlier in the year with a torn meniscus in his left knee. Donald has solid but not spectacular tools across the board. When healthy, he shows a solid feel for hitting and for the strike zone, with good hands and strong forearms generating a tick below-average power. An average runner, Donald has an average arm but is a fringy defensive shortstop whose range and overall defensive skill set might be better suited for second base. He's also capable at third base. Added to the 40-man roster in November, Donald could get a chance to crack Cleveland's Opening Day roster, but the more likely scenario is a return to Triple-A. Some scouts see him as a utility player, but he has the upside of a solid starter if he regains his 2008 form.
Considered an underachiever in college, Donald has overachieved as a pro. He continued hitting for good power in his first trip to Double-A last year, then was one of Team USA's top players in the Olympics, helping lead the Americans to a bronze medal. He finished up by crushing his way through the Arizona Fall League, ranking second in the league in batting (.407) and extra-base hits (19). Donald is an offensive player with a feel for hitting. He's patient but aggressive, pouncing in hitter's counts and pounding mistakes. He has excellent hands and strong forearms that produce average power to all fields, and he's developing more pop to his pull side. He's a solid, smart runner with an average arm. He prepares well and has excellent work habits. A mechanical fielder, Donald grades out as a below-average shortstop and likely won't be a regular at the position in the majors. He should be average at second base and has enough arm for third, though he needs more work there. At times he can be too hard on himself, taking bad at-bats into the field and vice versa. Both Chase Utley (hip) and Pedro Feliz (back) had offseason surgeries, and Donald played both of their positions in the AFL. He's the Phillies' top in-house option to fill in for Utley at second and to replace Feliz long-term at third. Donald doesn't fit the classic third-base profile and may fit better as a super utility player.
A 20th-round pick of the Angels out of high school, Donald turned down a reported $1 million bonus to attend Arizona. After signing for $400,000 as a third-round pick in 2006, he has proven himself with the bat. Last year, he raked in low Class A in the first half before playing a key role in Clearwater's Florida State League championship run. Donald has a short, compact stroke that produces gap power. He draws walks and has slightly above-average speed, though he won't be a basestealing threat. Scouts question his range and arm strength at shortstop, but Donald makes up for his deficiencies with outstanding positioning. The Phillies aren't completely sold on him staying at shortstop, and he might be better suited as a utilityman who can play both middle-infield spots and provide a line-drive bat off the bench. He'll move up to Double-A in 2008.
Donald turned down big money out of high school to attend Arizona. Donald helped the Wildcats to the College World Series in 2004, then hit .272 in the Cape Cod League in 2005 before eventually signing for $400,000 as a third-round pick last June. Scouts love his gamer mentality and overall makeup, but Donald has one true above-average tool--his plus throwing arm. Donald has a compact, line-drive stroke that produces gap power. The Phillies grade him as a 55 runner on the 20-80 scouting scale, and though he lacks range defensively, his instincts and hands allow him to make up for it. For as compact as Donald's swing is, he goes through mechanical breakdowns at times, and it tends to become long and slow as a result. His arm strength grades higher than Brad Harman's at shortstop, though Harman is the better overall defender. Donald will start his first full season in low Class A.