Donavan Tate Stats & Scouting Report

AB	1049
AVG	.226
OBP	.331
SLG	.321
HR	10

Full name Donavan Reed Tate
Born 09/27/1990 in Cartersville, GA
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 200 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Cartersville
Drafted in the 1st round (3rd overall) by the San Diego Padres in 2009 (signed for $6,250,000).

View Draft Report

Widely regarded as the top prep position player in the class entering the spring, Tate has done little to dissuade scouts of that notion. He earned that status with premium athletic ability, graceful actions, good bloodlines and emerging baseball skills. Tate showed his athleticism during a rigorous summer, playing for USA Baseball's 18U team, and in the Aflac and Under Armour games. The long summer prompted him to consider quitting football, but his father Lars played football at Georgia and in the NFL, and Tate has committed to play both football and baseball at North Carolina. So Tate changed his mind after one week and returned to the gridiron. His two-sport stardom has left his skills in need of some polish, particularly his hitting ability. He can get pull-happy and doesn't have a natural feel for hitting, but that doesn't significantly limit his ceiling. He has earned comparisons to fellow Georgia prep Jeff Francoeur for his athleticism, and has more feel for hitting than the Braves outfielder, with similar power potential. Tate has true bat speed and strength, and makes adjustments against better pitching. His other tools are outrageous: he's a plus-plus runner with Gold Glove potential in center field and a strong throwing arm that grades out above-average as well. Tate plays with supreme confidence that goes hand-in-hand with his well-above-average athletic ability. A Scott Boras Corp. client, Tate was considered a tough sign, and some teams wonder about his willingness to sign. Still, he remained near the top of every club's position-player board.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Tate pulled down a franchise-record $6.25 million bonus as the third overall pick in the 2009 draft, but he hasn't played enough subsequently to showcase his true abilities. Beset by injuries and other setbacks, he has played in just 64 pro games since signing. Tate sustained a sports hernia and a broken jaw after turning pro in 2009, and then concussion-like symptoms, a shoulder strain and a stomach virus in 2010. An assignment to Fort Wayne in 2011 lasted for six games until he collided with teammate Everett Williams and hyperextended his knee. His season later ended prematurely with a right wrist injury that sapped his power and required surgery. Tate also failed two drug tests in 2011, both related to synthetic marijuana. He served a 25-game suspension, and the penalty would have totaled 50 games had he not received half credit for attending substance-abuse counseling following the first failed test. When on the field, Tate still demonstrates the same plus raw tools he did as an amateur: bat speed, running speed, arm strength and center-field range. He swiped 19 bases and hit .288 while showing an improved ability to manage the strike zone. His bat tends to loop through the strike zone, so unless he corrects his path he may never hit for a high average. He'll take another pass at low Class A in 2012 and still has a shot at developing into productive regular.
Tate signed for $6.25 million as the 2009 draft's No. 3 overall choice, setting a bonus standard for high school position players and Padres picks, but he has been beset by injuries and illnesses since. He had sports hernia surgery and a broken jaw in 2009, then contended with concussion-like symptoms (from a beaning) and a tweaked shoulder (after diving for a ball) in extended spring training last year. He didn't make a full-season club and played in just 25 games in the Arizona League as he battled a stomach virus. Tate's athleticism is obvious, but he hasn't played enough to properly showcase his talent. His plus raw power was his most evident tool in 2010. He runs very well and ranges gracefully to both gaps in center field. His arm grades as above-average. Tate did nothing to allay concerns about his feel for hitting in the AZL, where he struck out in nearly half of his at-bats with a swing that loops through the hitting zone. He tends to tilt his shoulders forward when he loads, which pushes his back elbow up and sets his stroke off kilter. Tate won MVP honors at the Padres' instructional league program, and San Diego hope he'll use that as a stepping stone to low Class A in 2011. His ceiling remains high, but he's not even the best center-field prospect in the system after Reymond Fuentes arrived in the Adrian Gonzalez trade.
The No. 3 overall selection in June, Tate nearly doubled the franchise bonus record held by the ill-fated Matt Bush when he signed for $6.25 million at the Aug. 17 signing deadline. Tate also set a new mark for a high school pick, surpassing the $6.15 million the Rays gave Tim Beckham a year earlier. Widely regarded as the top prep position player available in 2009, Tate starred as a quarterback for Cartersville (Ga.) High and had committed to play football as well as baseball at North Carolina. His father Lars was a standout running back at Georgia and spent three seasons in the NFL. Tate followed in the footsteps of Allan Dykstra and Nick Schmidt, the Padres' previous two first-rounders, when the revelation of an injury sucked some of the excitement out of his signing. In just his second day working out with the Rookie-level Arizona League club, he was immobilized with a sports hernia and had surgery to reattach an abdominal muscle to his pubic bone. As a result, he missed the balance of the season and spent his instructional league time rehabbing. Tate compounded matters when he had surgery in late November to repair a broken jaw he sustained in an ATV accident near his Georgia home. The Padres expect him to be healthy in time for his first spring training. Tate's premium athleticism stands out as the best in the system. Unlike many two-sport amateurs, he features graceful, fluid actions on the diamond, and he isn't stiff and mechanical like some ex-footballers. Best of all, he shows natural baseball instincts and he makes in-game adjustments against better pitching. Tate's potential to develop five plus tools, highlighted by huge raw power and plus-plus range in center field, has the Padres justifiably excited. He also has plus-plus speed and an above-average arm. His feel for hitting is less refined, but he reacts well to the ball and maintains good balance at the plate. Tate played with intensity all spring, even when he wasn't being scrutinized by a throng of scouts, and his mature and passionate demeanor translates into what one club official deems special makeup. The biggest question facing Tate remains his feel for hitting. Some scouts said his swing was better when he was a sophomore in high school and regressed over the next two seasons. Like most young hitters with strength, he can get pull-happy. Now that he has committed to baseball full-time, he can polish his batting approach and learn through repetition what works for him. While hitting with metal bats, he could afford to simply trust his hands and his natural bat speed. San Diego intends to work with him on lengthening his stride and separating his hands when he loads his swing. Tate's abdominal injury cost him valuable development time. He first felt a twinge in his abdomen during the spring, but because he played only a handful of games each week, he didn't feel inhibited by the injury. The Padres envision Tate developing into a power/speed center fielder who combines the best attributes of Mike Cameron and Andruw Jones. A solid showing in spring training should earn him an assignment to low Class A Fort Wayne, and from there the speed at which his bat develops will dictate his pace.

Minor League Top Prospects

Since being the third overall pick in the 2009 draft, Tate has had setback after setback. He had a sports hernia and a broken jaw in 2009; concussion-like symptoms, a shoulder strain and a stomach virus in 2010; and a hyperextended knee and a sprained right wrist this year. He also has failed two drug tests, both related to marijuana, and served a 25-game suspension this summer. On the rare occasions when he's on the field, Tate shows the flashes of brilliance that led the Padres to give him a $6.25 million bonus two years ago. The son of former NFL running back Lars Tate is a natural athlete with plus speed, center-field defense and arm strength. He has bat speed and strength, too, but he has difficulty making consistent contact or hitting for power with a swing that can get loopy.
The best athlete available in the 2009 draft, Tate went third overall to the Padres and signed for $6.25 million, the most ever for a high school position player. But his career has been on hold because of a succession of injuries and illnesses. He played in just 25 AZL games, and only one after August 5, while battling stomach and flu-related issues. Opinions from AZL managers were across the board. Some raved about Tate's athleticism, as he has plus-plus speed, plenty of raw power and the potential to become a five-tool center fielder. Others expressed significant concerns about the holes in his swing. Padres manager Ivan Cruz believes Tate just needs to get consistent playing time for his talent to break through. "The athleticism jumps out," Cruz said. "Every time you see him on the field, he's doing something that has flashes of brilliance. I've seen flashes of him be able to take over a ballgame."