Hank Conger Stats & Scouting Report

AB	1013
AVG	.221
OBP	.294
SLG	.366
HR	31

Full name Hyun Choi Conger
Born 01/29/1988 in Federal Way, WA
Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 220 / Bats: L / Throws: R
School Huntington Beach
Debut 09/11/2010
Drafted in the 1st round (25th overall) by the Los Angeles Angels in 2006 (signed for $1,350,000).

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Hyun Conger, given his nickname by his Korean grandfather in honor of Hank Aaron, has carried a lofty reputation ever since he swatted 34 home runs and helped pitch his Huntington Beach Little League team to within one victory of the 2000 Little League World Series. Now, he's the top catching prospect in the Class of 2006. His decorated amateur career has included stints with USA Baseball's youth national team and Aflac All-American honors. Conger didn't have a great junior season, and scouts doubted whether the switch-hitter could remain a catcher defensively. While he hasn't turned into Johnny Bench, he has impressed scouts with his aptitude and improvement, showing better receiving skills and footwork. His desire to improve is evidenced by one-on-one work he's done with former big leaguer Brent Mayne. His arm strength remains a plus, though he needs to make smoother transfers. Still, Conger's bat remains his best tool. He has well-above-average power, particularly from the left side, and he makes consistent contact for a power hitter. While some compare him to Athletics prospect Daric Barton, Conger has more power and less hitting ability than Barton.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

The top power hitter in the 2006 high school ranks, Conger signed for $1.35 million as the 25th overall pick. He hit for power from the outset, but hand, back, hamstring and shoulder injuries prevented him from logging many innings behind the plate until he reached Double-A in 2009. He belted a three-run homer to win MVP honors at the 2010 Futures Game in Anaheim and made his big league debut in September. A switchhitter, Conger can put a charge into the ball from the left side, where his bat is noticeably quicker. He's geared more for gap power, however, with his line-drive stroke. He makes steady contact and gets on base consistently from both sides. Observers aren't as sold on Conger's defense. He receives and blocks well, but his footwork on throws gets out of whack on any pitch he doesn't handle cleanly, detracting from his average arm strength. He's an easily below-average runner who will have to stay in shape to remain behind the plate. Even his detractors concede Conger is a safe bet to hit between .270-.280 with 15-20 homers at his peak. But that presents the Angels with a tough profile if he has to move to first base or DH. He'll work on refining his defense at Triple-A Salt Lake to start 2011.
High school catchers historically have been the riskiest of first-round gambles. For every Joe Mauer, taken with the No. 1 pick in 2001, teams end up with a dozen players like Max Sapp, who hasn't advanced past low Class A since the Astros selected him 23rd overall in 2006. Conger, taken two picks after Sapp, is starting to live up to expectations after battling injuries early in his career. A second-generation Korean-American, he was nicknamed in honor of his grandfather's favorite player, Hank Aaron. Considered the top prep power hitter in the 2006 draft, Conger signed quickly for $1.35 million and rated as the Rookie-level Arizona League's No. 1 prospect in his pro debut. However, he missed time with a broken hamate bone in his right hand, setting the tone for injury-shortened seasons in 2007 (lower back and hamstring issues) and 2008 (a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder). Healthy last season, Conger caught 87 games for Double-A Arkansas, nearly doubling his career total. With his well above-average bat speed and power from both sides of the plate, Conger's potential as a run producer has been readily apparent since he signed. He makes more consistent hard contact than many power hitters. He lets the ball travel deep in the hitting zone and his swing plane suggests increased power output as he matures. Conger remains a more dangerous hitter from the left side of the plate, but he closed that gap in 2009, posting a higher OPS from the right side (.840 versus .772). His overall plate discipline took a step forward too, as he logged more pro plate appearances than ever before. Behind the plate, Conger draws compliments for his game management skills. He's a leader who receives and blocks well, and he has above-average arm strength. He threw out 30 percent of basestealers last season. The power-suppressing dimensions of Little Rock's Dickey-Stephens Park initially got in Conger's head. But when he focused on stroking line drives in the second half, his productivity soared and he batted .305/.404/.457. Some scouts think he can unlock more power by leveling his swing path slightly and producing more backspin on the ball. Conger lacks accuracy on his throws because of shaky footwork that cuts off his extension. Despite his arm strength and an improved transfer, there's some question as to how much he'll be able to deter big league basestealers. A well below-average runner who's more agile than his bulky frame suggests, Conger will need to maintain flexibility to stay behind the plate. The Angels have a lot riding on Conger, their only first-round pick in four drafts from 2005-08. Big league manager Mike Scioscia demands much from his catchers, and Conger has much work to do on the defensive side before he's ready to play in Los Angeles. He may return to Double-A, at least to begin 2010. He has all-star potential if he can stay healthy and behind the plate.
A second-generation Korean-American, Conger's grandfather nicknamed him after his favorite player, Hank Aaron. Since signing for $1.35 million, Conger has been limited from showing off his own power by a string of hand, back, hamstring and shoulder injuries. He didn't begin the 2008 season until May 31 and caught only 10 games. But he was a postseason hero, with 13 RBIs in eight games as Arkansas won an improbable Texas League championship. Conger has prodigious power from both sides of the plate, making him a bigger offensive threat than most catchers. He can let balls travel deep before turning his quick bat loose and driving them a long way. Above-average arm strength is his biggest asset on defense. Because he has caught just 91 games in three pro seasons, Conger has yet to prove he can stay behind the plate. He's a well-below-average runner who lacks agility and quick footwork, which in turn hampers his release on throws. He can get too aggressive as a hitter, and he's much more effective hitting lefthanded than righthanded. The Angels didn't want Conger to risk re-injuring his shoulder, so they didn't have him throw in instructional league. He'll resume catching in Double-A in 2009 and has all-star potential if he can stay healthy and improve defensively.
Like Nick Adenhart, Conger was a high profile amateur player long before he started to shave. A second-generation Korean, his given name is Hyun and his Atlanta-based grandfather nicknamed him after Hank Aaron. He has had repeated injuries since signing for $1.35 million in 2006, missing much of his pro debut with a broken hamate bone in his right wrist. He missed another six weeks in 2007 because of lower-back and hamstring issues, and he tweaked the same hamstring in his first game of instructional league, which cost him the rest of the year. Conger has a good feel for hitting and plus power from both sides of the plate. He has above-average bat speed and a willingness to use all fields. He tracks balls deep into the hitting zone and controls the strike zone adequately for a young hitter. His defensive package has a long ways to go, but he has plus arm strength that elicits 1.9-second home-to-second times. Strong makeup and work ethic are just two reasons to believe he'll improve defensively. Improving his righthanded swing was on top of Conger's instructional league to-do list, as he's significantly better from the left side (.304 with a .866 OPS in 2007 versus .250 and .647 from the right). His swing is looser with better plate coverage from the left side. He's a well-below-average runner and needs to improve his flexibility. He doesn't have quick feet, which inhibits his release and explains why he threw out just 21 percent of basestealers last season. Conger has all the tools to become a frontline, switch-hitting run producer in the big leagues. If he can stay healthy, 2008 could be a monster year for him as he's ticketed to spend the season about an hour from his hometown in high Class A Rancho Cucamonga.
Conger was tabbed as a future star when he slugged 34 home runs for an Ocean View, Calif., team that fell one win shy of the 2000 Little League World Series. A second-generation Korean, his given name is Hyun and his grandfather, who lived in Atlanta, nicknamed him after Hall of Famer Hank Aaron. Conger signed for $1.35 million and rated as the No. 1 prospect in the Arizona League, though his debut there ended after 19 games when he broke the hamate bone in his right hand. He has an aggressive approach with plus power from both sides of the plate. He's also an intelligent hitter who makes consistent hard contact. He has well-above-average arm strength and championship-caliber makeup. There have been questions about whether Conger will stay behind the plate, as he's not light on his feet. But early returns were positive, as his hands and receiving skills are playable, and he blocks adequately. He has an uppercut swing and tends to try to muscle balls out of the park rather than let his hands and leveraged stroke do the work. He's a well-below-average runner. Whether he arrives in the big leagues behind the plate, at an infield corner or as a DH will determine his ultimate value.

Minor League Top Prospects

Though Conger just completed his third full season, he had been limited by injuries in previous seasons. He appeared in 87 games behind the plate this year, nearly doubling his previous career total, and he was the catcher on the TL's postseason all-star team. He's still raw behind the plate, however, because of his inexperience. He shows athleticism and quickness with good hands and good blocking skills, and he works well with pitchers. While he has raw arm strength, though, he lacks accuracy and needs work on his game-calling. He threw out 30 percent of basestealers this season. Few doubt Conger's bat, and most liked his approach and swing and think he'll be a run producer. He has a quick bat and generates a lot of power. Those who doubt him think his swing is too violent and he needs to tone it down, though the bigger concerns are his health and his ability to stay behind the plate.
Switch-hitting catchers with power are a rare breed, and the Angels may have one in Conger. He has a sound swing with plus pop from both sides of the plate. He takes an aggressive approach and consistently makes hard contact, and there's no question that his bat can take him to the big leagues. But it's still uncertain whether he'll get there as a catcher. MWL managers believe he will but scouts are less sanguine. Conger has a very strong arm and can get the ball down to second base in as fast as 1.9 seconds, but he also threw out just 21 percent of basestealers. He doesn't have quick feet, which slows down his release, and his receiving also most improve. Conger's development behind the plate has been slowed by injuries. He broke the hamate bone in his right hand during his pro debut, then missed six weeks at midseason this year because of lower back and hamstring issues.
Following surgery, Conger stayed in Arizona and worked out with the team. As soon as he got his cast removed, he was back behind the plate, catching bullpens and doing as much side work as he could. While his makeup has earned plaudits since his prep days, Conger's bat and ability behind the plate are what made him the 25th overall pick in June. He's a switch-hitter with power from both sides of the plate and the swing to make hard contact consistently. Conger worked hard on his defense leading up to the draft, taking instruction from former big leaguer Brent Mayne. His leadership and improved receiving make him a potentially above-average defender, though his arm was sore much of the summer and he didn't show great arm strength.