Denard Span Stats & Scouting Report

AB	5326
AVG	.281
OBP	.347
SLG	.398
HR	71

Full name Keiunta Denard Span
Born 02/27/1984 in Washington, DC
Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 210 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Tampa Catholic
Debut 04/06/2008
Drafted in the 1st round (20th overall) by the Minnesota Twins in 2002 (signed for $1,700,000).

View Draft Report

An all-state wide receiver at the 2-A level, Span would have the opportunity to play college football had he not chosen to focus on baseball. Like Greinke, he's a solid first-round pick who has improved his stock significantly this spring. His best tool is his speed, which grades as a 70 on the 20-to-80 scouting scale, and it's easy to look at him and dream of Kenny Lofton. He's still a bit raw on the bases and at the plate, where he's more of a slap hitter and needs to settle down his feet. He does have gap power and it's hard to ignore a lefthanded hitter with plus tools. He tracks balls well in center field, though his arm is no more than playable.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

The Twins drafted Span and Matt Moses in back-to-back years in the first round, and expected them to be ready to fill holes in the big league team by now. Span got an extra year to develop when the Twins signed Torii Hunter to a one-year contract extension last offseason, but he proved he still wasn't ready for the majors with a poor start in Triple-A. He finished strong, however, hitting .306 after the all-star break with improved plate discipline. Span's offensive ceiling appears to be lower than Minnesota had hoped. He's an outstanding bunter and is more effective when he does that, draws walks and keeps the ball on the ground. His swing lacks a load needed to hit for power. More disappointing is his grasp of baserunning. His poor instincts keep him from putting his excellent speed to work offensively. Defensively, his speed helps him outrun his mistakes and make plays, but he's not smooth. His fringy arm plays well enough in center for him to be an average big league defender. The acquisition of Jason Pridie in the Delmon Young trade with the Rays means Span will need a huge spring training to win the Twins' center-field job. Otherwise, he's headed back to Triple-A.
The Twins have been patient with Span, and with Torii Hunter manning center field in Minnesota it was a luxury they could afford. Now Hunter has gotten expensive and has a contract that runs out after 2007, meaning Span is poised to replace him. That will only happen if Span makes a significant leap forward, for while he still has first-round tools and athleticism, he has not delivered first-round performance. Span remains among the fastest Twins, a 70 runner on the 20-80 scale, and he's a premium athlete. With a bit more polish, he should be a fine big league defender, though his arm is fringy. He lacks instincts and the savvy to take advantage of his speed on the basepaths, where he barely succeeded more than two-thirds of the time in 2006. Like Matt Moses, he's a streaky hitter who doesn't drive the ball consistently and is at times overpowered by hard stuff. He also tends to wear down over the course of long seasons and must get stronger. Span answered some concerns on that end--and in terms of his commitment, which has been questioned--by playing winter ball in Venezuela. Tools aren't Span's problem; putting those tools to use are. He has one more year to close the gap between prospect and polished pro, and he'll try to prove himself as a Triple-A leadoff hitter in 2007.
A star wide receiver in high school, Span received interest from NCAA Division I-A football programs until they realized baseball was his first love. He turned down a 2002 predraft deal to go ninth to the Rockies and wound up signing for $1.7 million as the 20th pick. Nagging injuries to his legs and ankle slowed him in 2003, and a broken hamate bone in his right wrist caused him to miss more than two months in 2004, but he stayed healthy in 2005. The fastest player, best athlete and best defensive outfielder in a deep system, Span improved more than any other Twins farmhand last year. He has been timed at 3.8 seconds to first base and has learned to use his speed. He has sharpened his bunting, taken more pitches, done a better job of keeping the ball out of the air and generally warmed to the role of leadoff hitter. Span doesn't have much power. He sometimes has to rely on his quickness to make up for mistakes on routes in center field. His arm is fringe average at best, though he makes up for it by playing shallow. He gets caught stealing more than he should because he's still perfecting his leads and jumps. With Torii Hunter the subject of trade rumors, Span's window of major league opportunity is drawing closer. Hunter isn't likely to be in Minnesota beyond 2006, at which point the Twins hope Span is ready for his close-up. He'll probably open the season in Triple-A.
Span began his high school career at famed baseball power Hillsborough High in Tampa-- the alma mater of Carl Everett, Dwight Gooden and Gary Sheffield, among others--before transferring to Tampa Catholic and winning a Florida 3-A title as a junior. Also a star wide receiver, he drew interest from NCAA Division I-A football programs until it became clear his future was in baseball. The Rockies wanted to cut a predraft deal with Span and take him ninth overall in 2002, but he wouldn't accede and fell to the Twins at No. 20, where he signed for $1.7 million. He has played just 114 games as a pro because he signed a 2003 contract, spent that season in Rookie ball and then broke the hamate bone in his right wrist last year. The best athlete and fastest player in the system, Span has been timed at 3.8 seconds to first base. He has the potential to be a game-changer on the bases, and in center his speed enables him to outrun mistakes. He does show some prowess for drawing walks, helping him achieve his main goal: to get on base. The Twins believe he'll develop some gap power down the road, though he's been just a slap hitter to this point. Span must prove he can stay healthy after nagging ankle and leg injuries limited his availability in 2003 as well. He has a below-average arm and remains extremely raw. Span was the talk of instructional league, where he began to make significant improvements in nearly every area of his game. He put more balls in play, bunted for base hits and showed a physical and mental maturity that had been missing. Despite his limited experience, he figures to begin 2005 in high Class A.
Span helped Tampa Catholic win the Florida 3-A title as a junior after transferring from Hillsborough High (home of Carl Everett, Dwight Gooden and Gary Sheffield). Also a star wide receiver, he almost went ninth overall in 2002 until predraft negotiations broke down with the Rockies. The Twins took him 20th and signed him for $1.7 million until late in the summer, delaying his pro debut until last June. Span is the fastest player in the system and has impact basestealing potential, though nagging ankle and leg injuries hampered him in 2003. He made encouraging strides in honing his leadoff skills. He shortened his stroke and cut down some of his natural uppercut, which improved his ability to hit grounders to the left side and let his speed turn them into singles. Span is still unrefined in most aspects of the game. His speed disguises many of his mistakes in the outfield, and his arm is below-average. His new approach at the plate isn't conducive to power, though the Twins say he'll learn to drive the ball to the gaps as he matures. The Twins understand Span will need time to develop into a premium leadoff man. He'll play in low Class A this season and likely will need a full year at each level.
Span transferred from Hillsborough High (the alma mater of Carl Everett, Dwight Gooden and Gary Sheffield) to help Tampa Catholic win a Florida 3-A state title as a junior. He hit .456 as a senior and led the county in receiving yards for the football team. Span was a key member of the U.S. junior team that finished second in a Pan American tournament in Cuba in 2001. After signing for $1.7 million in August, he got his first pro exposure in instructional league. Span's profile and mindset are those of a classic top-of-the-order catalyst like Kenny Lofton. He puts pressure on the defense with his speed and has been clocked at 6.4 seconds in the 60-yard dash. He has a live, athletic frame with first-step quickness and average arm strength for center field. He makes solid contact and will drive the ball to the gaps with more authority as he fills out. Span is raw. He doesn't have a classic stroke, and the Twins altered his spread-out approach at the plate in the fall. He won't hit for plus power and needs to understand his limitations. Span will make his pro debut in low Class A. He's the Twins' leadoff hitter of the future.

Minor League Top Prospects

Span had stagnated in the high minors before catching fire in May. He hit .340/.434/.481 for Rochester and carried that success into the majors, where he seized the Twins' leadoff job by the end of July. Span has quick hands and he stays within his swing, making him an above-average hitter. He has good pitch recognition and commands the strike zone, looking for any way to get on base. He has home run power when he turns on the ball, but for the most part he's geared for doubles and triples in the gaps. Span's fast-twitch athleticism, plus-plus range in center field and above-average speed are all obvious. He also throws well enough to handle right field in the majors, with Carlos Gomez entrenched in center field for Minnesota.
The EL featured three speedy, tablesetting center fielders. Span stood out more than Reading's Michael Bourn and Altoona's Rajai Davis after he was called up following an outstanding first half in the high Class A Florida State League. Span showed a little pop at the plate this year, but he knows his game revolves around his speed. He makes consistent contact with the top half of the ball and profiles as a reliable leadoff hitter in the mold of Kenny Lofton, though he has yet to develop that kind of plate discipline. He also needs to refine his basestealing technique to maximize his value. Span improved defensively this season, though he too often relies on his speed to make up for late jumps. His arm is about average for a center fielder.
Span's game is built around his exceptional speed. He beats out any groundball that isn't scorched and runs down potential doubles and bloop hits in center field. Span has a very quiet approach at the plate and usually slaps pitches to the opposite field to give him a chance to run. He has little power but understands that and is content to use a quick swing to make contact. For all his speed, he's not an accomplished basestealer yet because he struggles to get great jumps and isn't particularly aggressive. Span played the shallowest center field in the league, daring hitters to try to burn him. They rarely could, as he has good instincts and reads balls off the bat. His arm is below average but playable in center. "He challenges hitters because he feels he can run down the ball hit over his head," Fort Myers manager Riccardo Ingram said. "He can do some special things in center field. He takes pride in it."
Span may have had the best pure tools in the league. But he's still learning to translate his natural ability into production. The 20th overall pick in 2002, Span has well-above-average speed. He played the shallowest center field in the league and spent most of the season atop the Elizabethton lineup. His 6-foot-1, 170-pound frame is lean and muscular. "He's making tremendous progress in all phases of the game," Smith said. "He's starting to drive the ball and improving the jumps he's getting on fly balls. He's working on lengthening his throws. He's a hard worker who has all the ability to be a Willie Wilson type of player."