Nick Weglarz Stats & Scouting Report

AB	2018
AVG	.253
OBP	.38
SLG	.441
HR	80

Full name Nicholas E. Weglarz
Born 12/16/1987 in Stevensville, ON, Canada
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 240 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Lakeshore Catholic
Drafted in the 3rd round (94th overall) by the Cleveland Guardians in 2005 (signed for $435,000).

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The Braves drafted Canadian Scott Thorman with the 30th pick in 2000 because of his tremendous power potential, and the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Weglarz is the best power-hitting prospect Canada has produced since. He has long arms and generates good bat speed and leverage but has mechanical issues that will need to be corrected. Weglarz' bat will have to carry him because he's a below-average runner and limited to first base, though he's mobile around the bag and his arm plays well enough to allow him to play in the outfield on occasion. Scouts got their best chance to see him this spring when he made trips to Florida with Canada's junior national team and the Montreal-based ABC academy. He was not overly impressive the first time through but showcased his raw power the second time. He was also a member of Canada's junior national squad that trekked to the Dominican Republic for a series of exhibition games in mid-May. Weglarz is one of the youngest players in this year's draft. There is no clear consensus where he'll be drafted, but he should go somewhere between rounds three and five. He's the only Canadian attending school north of the border projected to go that early.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Weglarz has been equal parts promising and frustrating, with most of the frustration resulting from injuries. A broken hand wiped out his 2006 season, and he missed time with a stress fracture in his left shin in 2009 and a sprained right thumb in 2010. The worst was yet to come. Weglarz tore the meniscus in his left knee in spring training last year, costing him the season's first two months and hampering him the entire year. He hurt his throwing elbow in August, putting an end to his most disappointing season. Even when not at full health, Weglarz always has shown an excellent batting eye. He lays off pitches out of the strike zone and works counts to draw walks. He has plus raw power but takes a big uppercut swing and gets pull-conscious, with a tendency too fly open early. He's a well below-average runner and a limited left-field defender with a fringy arm. If Weglarz can stay healthy his bat still has value, but he's unlikely to become the middle-of-the-order hitter the Indians were expecting. He should open the year in Triple-A, where he hit well at the end of 2010.
After devoting part of 2008 to the Olympics and part of 2009 to the World Baseball Classic, Weglarz committed the entire 2010 season to the Indians. He reached Triple-A in late May, but in July a sprained right thumb ended his season. Weglarz is a very patient hitter with outstanding pitch recognition. He's still learning to be aggressive against pitches in the zone in order to better tap into his above-average raw power. There's some effort to his swing but he doesn't chase pitches out of the zone. Weglarz's bat will have to carry him, as his defense in left field is adequate at best. He's a well below-average runner with a fringy arm and substandard range. Staying healthy has been a problem for Weglarz, who missed time with a broken hand (2006) and a stress fracture in his left shin (2009). Weglarz has the potential to slot into the middle of the order and produce a high OBP with power, though he'll have to work on his defense to make sure he doesn't give back too many runs in the field. He'll report to major league spring training but will likely end up starting the year in Columbus, though he should make his big league debut at some point in 2011.
After playing sparingly for Canada as one of the youngest players in the World Baseball Classic, Weglarz got off to a brutal start in 2009, going 5-for-56 with one extra-base hit in April. He tore through Double-A pitching in May and June, but his numbers tailed off as a back injury took a toll, and he went on the disabled list with a stress fracture in his left shin. He went to the Arizona Fall League after the season but left early to have surgery on his shin. Weglarz is one of the most patient hitters in the minors and has the potential to draw 100 walks over a full season. He has a massive frame and outstanding raw power with the ability to hit the ball out to all fields. He has made strides with his hitting mechanics, using his legs more and doing a better job of getting the back half of his body through the ball. Weglarz could tighten his mechanics to hit for a better average, including a more consistent hand trigger. While his patience is a virtue, he could be more aggressive on certain pitches in the strike zone. Weglarz's size and injuries are a concern for some scouts. His fringy arm and well-below-average speed limit him to left field. The Indians expect Weglarz to be ready to play by the beginning of spring training. He could open 2010 in Triple-A, though at age 22 he could return to Akron for another season.
After missing nearly the entire 2006 season with a broken hamate bone in his right hand, Weglarz has had two successful years in Class A ball. He was one of the Carolina League's youngest players before he joined Canada's Olympic team in August. Weglarz belted two home runs in a loss against Cuba and was Canada's best hitter despite being its second-youngest player.Weglarz has uncanny discipline for a player his age and size, rarely offering at pitches outside of the strike zone and showing the potential to draw 100 walks in a season. He generates excellent loft, bat speed and leverage with his swing and shows plus-plus power potential, giving him an outstanding combination of power and patience. Weglarz reduced some of his extraneous hand movement in his trigger, but his hand setup is still a work in progress. His legs help him generate his power, but he needs to consistently get the back half of his body through the ball. With his enormous size, he'll have to work to maintain his already below-average speed and to stay in left field. His range and arm are both fringy at best. Weglarz is on the same track as Matt LaPorta, one level behind him. Weglarz will open 2009 with Double-A Akron and he could crack the major league roster by mid-2010.
Weglarz was the first Canadian selected in the 2005 draft, going in the third round after being touted as the best power hitter his country had to offer. He struggled in his pro debut, then missed nearly all of 2006 after breaking the hamate bone in his right wrist in spring training. He bounced back last season, ranking among the low Class A South Atlantic League leaders with 23 homers and 82 RBIs as a 19-year-old. Weglarz is comparable to fellow Canadian slugger Justin Morneau for his size and power. Weglarz' long arms allow him to have plenty of plate coverage and he has outstanding natural leverage and loft in his swing. He has good instincts, and he has shown the ability to shorten his stroke and use the opposite field. He's a patient hitter with advanced strike-zone discipline. Weglarz still has trouble getting extended with his swing at times. He'll cut it off at the point of contact and not follow through consistently. He was drafted as a first baseman and played right field during his debut, but his limited arm strength and range will relegate him to left field. He's a below-average runner. Weglarz' bat will have to carry him, and the Tribe thinks it will. He'll begin 2008 in high Class A.
The first Canadian high school player drafted in 2005, Weglarz went in the third round and signed for $435,000. Scouts said he was the best power hitter Canada has produced since the Braves made Scott Thorman a first-round pick in 2000. However, Weglarz' profile more closely resembles that of another Canadian, Justin Morneau, for the size and raw power in his bat. Weglarz left Burlington before the season ended to play for Canada's junior national team, helping it win a bronze medal at the Pan-Am Junior Championships in Mexico. He has long arms and solid bat speed with good leverage. The Tribe worked to make fundamental adjustments in his swing in instructional league, getting his hands further back to get maximum effort from his swing, which he tended to cut off through the zone. Weglarz' bat will have to carry him. He's a below-average runner and was drafted as a first baseman, though he spent his pro debut in right field. His range and arm weren't bad but may not be enough to stick there for the long term. Weglarz is considered a bit of a project, but at 17 he was the youngest player in the Appalachian League last summer. He'll probably start 2006 in extended spring before joining Mahoning Valley in June.

Minor League Top Prospects

A Canadian national team stalwart, Weglarz played in the Olympics last summer and the World Baseball Classic this spring. Injuries, including back soreness and shin splints, slowed him later in the season and kept him out of the EL playoffs and World Cup. His body is his biggest obstacle, as he's a massive slugger who needs to carry less weight in order to stay healthy, keep from being a complete base-clogger and give him a chance to stay in the outfield. Offensively, he's a three-true-outcomes player who takes plenty of walks and has the power to hit 30 homers annually. Scouts and managers mentioned a lower-end Jim Thome as a comparison for Weglarz, though at Weglarz's age, Thome was athletic enough to play the infield. "He's so big and muscular, at times he misses good fastballs," a NL scout said, "But he's got such good discipline at the plate, and he's got real power and bat control."
Weglarz is just tapping into his power potential, and the 6-foot-3, 245-pounder is still growing. He has figured out how to take advantage of his size, using his lower half in his swing to generate power that led to 35 extra-base hits in 375 at-bats during his first full season. He also delivered two homers for Team Canada in a loss to Cuba at the Olympics. Weglarz is a bit inexperienced, but his strike-zone judgment already is advanced and bodes well for his chances to hit for average in addition to power. So does his habit of driving the ball to the opposite field. "He's the most exciting and explosive position player in that system," a scout said. Weglarz's value will be even greater if he can remain in left field, particularly considering the logjam of first basemen ahead of him in the Indians system. He's an adequate defender at best right now, with fringy range and arm strength. He needs to improve his routes and angles to the ball.