Matt Esquivel
| AB | 1825 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .262 |
| OBP | .337 |
| SLG | .45 |
| HR | 75 |
- Full name William Matt Esquivel
- Born 12/17/1982 in San Antonio, TX
- Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 225 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Douglas Macarthur
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Drafted in the 5th round (165th overall) by the Atlanta Braves in 2001.
View Draft Report
OF Matt Esquivel was the best football player in the San Antonio area last fall and will walk on at Nebraska as a running back. He runs a 4.5-second 40-yard dash, and has power and athleticism . . .
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Several Appalachian League managers considered Esquivel to be the circuit's best defensive outfielder in 2003. The 6-foot-2, 220-pounder covered center field from gap to gap and made at least one spectacular play per series. Despite his bulky appearance, Esquivel has above-average speed and excellent acceleration, and makes plays with his ability to get great jumps on balls. His only defensive shortcoming is his arm, which lacks strength and accuracy. Esquivel is expected to hit for enough power to play on an outfield corner should he switch positions at the higher levels. He's an aggressive hitter but needs to make more consistent contact. A fifth-round pick in 2001, he signed late that summer while deciding whether he wanted to try to walk on the University of Nebraska football team as a running back. One of the top high school football players in the San Antonio area, he had surgery as a sophomore to graft bone cells from his hip to fill a gap where bone had died in his knee. After spending the last two years in Rookie ball, he'll get his first taste of full-season ball with a promotion to low Class A in 2004.
Minor League Top Prospects
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At 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, Esquivel doesn't look like a center fielder. But in his second stint in the Appy League, he was one of the more productive power hitters and made all the plays in the outfield. Esquivel has excellent athleticism and hits the ball with authority. He'll need to make more contact at higher levels. Defensively, he runs down balls in the gaps with his great first step and has an above-average arm. "He was the best center fielder in the league," Danville manager Kevin McMullan said. "He gets great jumps off the bat and has plus acceleration that allows him to get to balls most people wouldn't try to reach."
