Brian Fletcher
| AB | 1660 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .279 |
| OBP | .341 |
| SLG | .457 |
| HR | 61 |
- Full name Scott Brian Fletcher
- Born 10/26/1988 in Fayetteville, GA
- Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 195 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Auburn
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Drafted in the 18th round (539th overall) by the Kansas City Royals in 2010 (signed for $275,000).
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The son of ex-big league infielder Scott, Fletcher is a different player than his dad. Scott was a bat-control middle infielder, while Brian is a slugging left fielder known for his power. Fletcher should join Chad Bettis, Derek Dietrich and Brett Eibner as unsigned members of the Astros' 2007 draft class who go in single-digit rounds in 2010. Fletcher has a pro mentality, shaking off failure well, which comes in handy because he has 192 strikeouts in 612 at-bats at Auburn (31 percent). Fletcher's more athletic than Kevin Patterson, so he's capable of being an average left fielder as a pro. While he lacks Patterson's pure strength and size, he has electric bat speed and can catch up to good fastballs. He's just too aggressive early in counts and gets himself into pitcher's counts too often.
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Now that Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer are in the big leagues and Wil Myers and Clint Robinson have been traded, the Royals don't have many possible big league bats in the upper levels of the system. Fletcher is one possibility, though he'll have to cut down on his strikeouts to allow his plus power potential to play in games. While he has succeeded throughout most of his career with an unconventional front-foot approach because his hands work well, he had problems against more advanced pitching, striking out in 38 percent of his Double-A at-bats last year. The son of former big leaguer Scott Fletcher, Brian will have to produce at the plate because the rest of his tools are lacking. He's a well below average runner with subpar arm strength. He projects as average at best at first base, and his lack of speed limits him in left field. Fletcher's status as a righthanded-hitting first baseman will make his road to the majors tougher, but his power gives him a chance. -
The son of former big leaguer Scott Fletcher, Brian turned down the Astros as a 39thround pick out of high school in 2007, when Brett Eibner did the same. After three years at Auburn, Fletcher went in the 18th round and signed for $275,000, the equivalent of fourth-round money. He doesn't have a conventional approach at the plate, but his style works for him and has produced a .328/.384/.566 numbers in pro ball. While he gets out on his front foot too quickly and pushes his hands through the zone, he manages to square up his share of pitches, which allows his solid power to come through. Some scouts wonder if Fletcher's approach won't work as well against more advanced pitchers, but the Royals aren't going to change him as long as he keeps producing. His aggressiveness at the plate sometimes works against him, though he has a good gameplan with two strikes. Fletcher is a below-average runner, but he does have a feel for when to take an extra base. His below-average arm limits him to left field, and he also could see some time at first base, where his power might profile. Kansas City left Fletcher in low Class A all of last year because he was integral in Kane County's run toward the Midwest League playoffs. With a solid start, his stay in high Class A this year could be shorter.
