Brett Eibner

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Kansas City Royals #17 prospect in 2016
  There were many times when evaluators who saw Eibner rack up another 0-for-4 with 2 strikeouts could sit and daydream about what he would look like as a righthanded reliever with a power arm. But Eibner's dream was to be a position player who played every day, not a pitcher. Injuries and strikeouts have caused plenty of detours but it looks like Eibner is about to prove his faith in his bat was warranted. Eibner missed time in 2015 with hamstring and thumb injuries, but in between he had his best offensive season as a pro thanks to better pitch recognition and more aggressiveness early in counts. Eibner fits the Royals' needs for Kauffman Stadium as a plus defender in center who can play all three outfield positions with a plus arm. He's an above-average runner who could be more aggressive on the bases. Eibner jumped on fastballs better while demonstrating why scouts have long thought he had 15-plus home run power. Eibner has always been a streaky hitter with a high-maintenance swing. When he's on, he can carry a team, but he's also just as prone to hit .150 for three to four weeks. That works against him contributing as a role player in Kansas City because his swing doesn't respond to sporadic work, but as a member of the 40-man roster he'll head to spring training with a shot at a big league job. In the long-term, Eibner could fit on the Royals' roster in a similar one to the role Paulo Orlando filled last season.
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  Ranked Kansas City Royals #17 prospect in 2014
  For the first time since he signed with the Royals as a second-round pick in 2010, Eibner quieted some of the voices calling for him to move to the mound. He produced the best season of his pro career at Double-A Northwest Arkansas, improving his power production and showing a modest improvement in his always-outsized strikeout rate. Much like a lesser version of Drew Stubbs, Eibner provides power and above-average defense in center field, but it comes with a well-below-average hit tool. As you would expect for a former pitcher with a low- to mid-90s fastball, his arm is above-average, and Eibner has a tick-above-average speed that gets better once he's underway. But his power comes from a big, righthanded swing that has never been conducive to making consistent contact. Adopting a more closed stance in 2013 helped him stop pulling off as many balls, improving his plate coverage and triggering an .854 OPS in the second half. Eibner can drive the ball for extra bases to all fields and crushed lefthanders in 2013, batting .341/.442/.635. His defensive chops and power give him a chance to at least be a reserve outfielder and possible platoon player, and if his second-half improvements stick, he could end up being even more. He's expected to join Triple-A Omaha in 2014.
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  Ranked Kansas City Royals #29 prospect in 2013
  When Eibner came out of Arkansas as a two-way player in 2010, many scouts thought he had more promise as pitcher than as a hitter. He wanted to hit and the Royals liked his potential at the plate, so they gave him $1.25 million in the second round and made him an everyday player. Two pro seasons later, it looks like the scouts who preferred him on the mound were correct. For a player with significant Southeastern Conference experience, he has found it surprisingly difficult to hit minor league pitching. Eibner has batted .203 and struck out 255 times in 196 pro games. His noisy set-up makes it tough for him to catch up to good velocity, and he sometimes swings through hittable pitches. He has some of the best raw power in the system but throws too many at-bats away. A solid runner and center-field defender, Eibner's most usable tool may be his arm. With the Razorbacks, he showed a 92-93 mph fastball that touched 97. He also showed flashes of a plus slider and a developing changeup. He'll continue to try to make it as a hitter in 2013 when he repeats high Class A, but the clamor to see him pitch will get louder and louder unless he starts to have some success.
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  Ranked Kansas City Royals #12 prospect in 2012
  A fourth-round pick of the Astros out of high school, Eibner turned down pro ball to attend Arkansas. He starred as a two-way player for the Razorbacks, and many teams preferred him as a pitcher whose natural athleticism would help him take off once he focused on the mound. But he wanted to hit, and the Royals agreed to let him do so after signing him for $1.25 million as a second-round pick in 2010. Eibner homered in his first pro at-bat last April, but injured his left thumb diving for a ball the next day and missed two months. Once he returned, he showed excellent bat speed and power potential but also the same propensity to swing and miss too much that plagued him in college. He throws away too many at-bats by chasing pitches out of the zone. When he does work counts to get a pitch he can drive, he has easy plus power. Though he's only a slightly above-average runner, Eibner is a quality center fielder. He has an advanced ability to read balls off the bat, which allows him to take direct routes that give him more range than his speed should allow. His plus arm would fit well in right field if needed and delivered fastballs clocked as high as 97 mph in college. Eibner has four solid tools, but he'll have to improve his contact ability to get to the big leagues. He'll roam center field in high Class A this year.
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  Ranked Kansas City Royals #10 prospect in 2011
  The Astros made Eibner a fourth-round pick as a high school pitcher in 2007, but he turned down their $180,000 slot offer to attend Arkansas as a two-way player. That move paid off handsomely, as the Royals signed him for $1.25 million as a second-round pick three years later. Though he can hit 97 mph on the mound, Kansas City drafted Eibner to hit, his preference. Eibner's raw power is just as impressive as his fastball. His swing can get sweepy and long at times, but he can drive the ball out of any part of any ballpark. He doesn't always make consistent contact, but he improved during his college career and should be at least an average hitter now that he's focusing on it full-time--he showed significant improvement as a college junior. He's a slightly above-average runner who gets good enough jumps to stay in center field, but he projects better in right field, where his plus arm strength will be quite useful. He always could fall back on being a pitcher, as he also flashed a plus slider and showed feel for a changeup. Eibner signed late and is still a relatively raw hitter for a college product, so he could begin his pro career at the Royals' new low Class A Kane County affiliate. By 2013, he could be another powerful bat in the middle of Kansas City's lineup.