Jordan Schafer Stats & Scouting Report

AB	1292
AVG	.228
OBP	.308
SLG	.307
HR	12

Full name Jordan James Schafer
Born 09/04/1986 in Hammond, IN
Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 205 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Winter Haven
Debut 04/05/2009
Drafted in the 3rd round (107th overall) by the Atlanta Braves in 2005 (signed for $320,000).

View Draft Report

Back in 2000, BA rated Schafer as the nation's top 13 year-old after he had a stellar summer and started at first base for his high school team as a seventh-grader. He was known mostly as a pitcher back then, though scouts are intrigued with both his ability on the mound and in the outfield. He looked good at showcases last summer and fall, but lacked some of the looseness in both his swing and arm stroke this spring, becoming mechanical and stiff. His tools rate average to slightly below across the board, but he's described as a baseball rat who dives for balls in batting practice and takes swings after most of his teammates have left the park. "Out of all the kids in the area, this guy is going to die before he doesn't make the big leagues," a scout said. He's a tireless worker in the weight room and has a defined, mature frame. He pitched in the high-80s this spring with an average breaking ball. His future is probably in the outfield, where his advanced instincts aid his average speed. Some scouts say he could develop into a player in the mold of Mark Kotsay if he maximizes his tools.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

The No. 1 prospect on this list a year ago, Schafer began 2008 with a 50-game suspension for accusations of human growth hormone use. He tried too hard to make up for lost time when he returned in May but salvaged his season with a hot August. Schafer has good hand-eye coordination with quick wrists and plus bat speed. He uses the entire field and has surprising power for his wiry frame. A premier defender in center field, he has excellent range and plus arm strength. He possesses above-average speed and has a knack for taking the right angle on hard-hit balls in the gaps. He's a supremely confident player with a tireless work ethic. Schafer hit just .196/.306/.299 against lefthanders last season, struggling to center the ball on the barrel of the bat. He's prone to streakiness and strikes out excessively during slumps, which often come from his tendency to put extreme pressure on himself. He runs well but isn't a standout basestealer. The suspension should have no long-term effect on his career. He'll probably open 2009 in Triple-A but could take over as Atlanta's center fielder by the end of the season.
Schafer may have made more progress than anyone in the minor leagues in 2007. After struggling to hit his weight for much of the 2006 season at low Class A Rome, he made adjustments and improvements to lead the minors with 176 hits last year. He also ranked third in the minors with 49 doubles, tied for sixth with 74 extra-base hits and missed nary a beat following his early May promotion to high Class A Myrtle Beach. Schafer first attracted attention when Baseball America rated him the nation's top 13-year-old in 2000, when he started at first base for his high school team as a seventh-grader. He drew some interest as a pitcher, but the Braves wanted to put his solid tools across the board to use in the outfield when they drafted him 107th overall in 2005. After signing for $320,000, Schafer struggled with the bat in his first season and a half. He was hitting just .214 at the end of June 2006, but started to find his groove during the last two months, when he raised his batting average 26 points and hit six of his eight home runs. A baseball rat, he focused nearly every waking moment on his game in the offseason and reaped the rewards in 2007. He batted a combined .312/.374/.513 and was rated the top prospect in the high Class A Carolina League and the sixth-best prospect in the low Class A South Atlantic League. Schafer has a line-drive stroke from the left side of the plate and the ability to drive and loft the ball. He took off in 2007 after improving his pitch recognition as well as his understanding of what pitchers are trying to do against him. Though projected to be a leadoff hitter, he has the ability to hit anywhere in the top third in the batting order. Schafer's defensive wizardry has been evident since he signed with Atlanta. He has advanced instincts in center field with immediate recognition of the ball off the bat, a lightning-quick first step and impeccable routes. He frequently makes highlight-reel catches. The owner of a high-80s fastball as a high school pitcher, Schafer has a plus-plus arm as an outfielder. He has solid speed and should be at least a 20-20 man in his major league prime. Despite making solid adjustments at the plate, Schafer still swings and misses more often than a leadoff hitter should. If he can cut down on his strikeouts, he'll be even more dangerous at the plate. Though he ranked fifth in the system with 23 steals in 2007, he also was caught 15 times and must learn how to read pitchers better so he can improve his jumps. Despite the arrival of Gorkys Hernandez in the Edgar Renteria trade, Schafer eventually should be Andruw Jones' long-term replacement in center field, and some club officials believe he could take over in 2008. But he has yet to play above high Class A and may struggle to make consistent contact against big league pitchers. He's ready to make the jump from a defensive standpoint, but he'd benefit from another full season in the minors, starting at Double-A Mississippi.
Schafer has been on the prospect radar since he played first base for his high school team as a 13-year-old, at which time Baseball America ranked him as the top player in the nation for his age group. By the time he graduated in 2005, he attracted serious consideration as a lefthanded pitcher, but his solid tools and desire to play every day led to his signing as a center fielder. Schafer's production to this point has been lackluster, but the Braves aren't concerned. He has a quick bat and should be more of a force once he gets stronger. He also needs to improve his plate discipline and pitch recognition. Schafer has good speed but needs to get better at reading pitchers because he has been caught in 15 of his 43 pro steal attempts. He has stood out the most in center field. Managers rated him the best defensive outfielder in the South Atlantic League last year, a credit to his instincts, quick first step and plus arm. Schafer's spring-training performance will determine whether he repeats low Class A or moves up to high Class A. A return trip to Rome wouldn't be considered a setback, but he needs to start making some positive strides at the plate.
Baseball America rated Schafer as the nation's top 13-year-old player in 2000, when he played first base for his high school team as a seventh-grader and also starred during the summer. He was more highly regarded as a pitcher back then, and some clubs still liked him more on the mound when it came to the 2005 draft. The consensus is that he has a brighter future as a position player, and the Braves made him a full-time center fielder after signing him for $320,000 in June. Schafer's tools are at least average across the board. Though he didn't put up gaudy numbers in his pro debut, he has a good approach at the plate. He slumped late in the summer when he became too aggressive. He has average speed, good instincts and a plus arm in the outfield. If everything works out for him, he could become another Mark Kotsay. Schafer will bid for a starting job in low Class A during spring training.

Minor League Top Prospects

After a breakout season in 2007, Schafer ranked as the top prospect in the Braves system. But just four games into the year, Schafer was suspended for 50 games for an human growth hormone-related infraction despite never failing a drug test. He struggled initially after his return, but he kicked into gear down the stretch to help Mississippi win the SL championship. Schafer's tools are legitimate. He's a very good athlete who generates plus bat speed with his quick hands and wrists. He has a good approach at the plate and power to all fields. At times his swing remains on one plane through the zone, which gave him problems against lefties (.196/.306/.299), though he showed the ability to make in-game adjustments. In the field, Schafer's instincts help him read the ball well off the bat, giving him excellent jumps and range in center. He has solid speed and well above-average arm strength.
Schafer entered the 2007 season rated as a top defensive center fielder, but his bat was a different story. Scouts wondered if he would generate enough bat speed and make enough cnsistent contact to reach the major leagues. Schafer answered those questions by batting .372 in the SAL and made impressive adjustments that allowed him to succeed after a promotion to high Class A. He led the minors with 176 hits and ranked third with 49 doubles and sixth with 74 extra-base hits. He ranked as the Carolina League's No. 1 prospect. He runs well and should become an even better leadoff hitter as he learns how to read pitchers better and cut down on his strikeouts. A pitcher in high school, he has a stronger arm than most center fielders.
Schafer hit just .228 in his first two seasons after the Braves made him a third-round pick in 2005. But he broke out by leading the minors with 176 hits and hitting .312/.374/.513 between two Class A stops, and his stock has risen considerably. A lefthanded hitter with a line-drive stroke that generates above-average loft power, Schafer uses the whole field. He still needs to cut down on his strikeouts. He's an above-average runner with outstanding range and a plus-plus arm in center field, though he needs to improve his instincts to become a more effective basestealer. "Think Grady Sizemore meets Steve Finley," one American League scout said. "All five tools profile, and he's a gamer with tremendous work ethic."
A lengthy season-ending slump lowered Schafer's final average to .203 with 49 strikeouts in 182 at-bats, but managers were impressed with the way he swung the bat early in the year. He had a plan at the plate, was patient, hit to all fields and made pitchers come to him. As he slumped, he got overly aggressive and was slow to make adjustments. Schafer approaches his job with all-out energy. Also a top pitching prospect in high school, he has an excellent arm in center field, runs well and excels at taking away extra-base hits.