Mark Reed
| AB | 1742 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .238 |
| OBP | .295 |
| SLG | .316 |
| HR | 15 |
- Full name Mark Garland Reed
- Born 04/13/1986 in Upland, CA
- Profile Ht.: 5'11" / Wt.: 180 / Bats: L / Throws: R
- School Bonita
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Drafted in the 3rd round (96th overall) by the Chicago Cubs in 2004 (signed for $650,000).
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Reed is the younger brother of White Sox outfield prospect Jeremy Reed, who led the minor leagues with a .373 average last year. Both are lefthanded hitters and have similar approaches at the plate. Mark, at 5-foot-10 and 170 pounds, may have more power than his brother, who was a singles hitter in college and has become a gap hitter in pro ball. Both play the game hard. Mark's arm and receiving skills are a little short for an everyday catcher. He has the versatility and speed to play almost anywhere but prefers to catch. Like his brother, Reed has committed to Long Beach State, and it may take at least the same $650,000 bonus Jeremy received from the White Sox in 2002 to entice him to sign. Reed is projected to be a third- or fourth-round pick, but the White Sox or Angels, who have made the signing of local high school players a priority, could overdraft him.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Like his older brother Jeremy, who has struggled in the majors with the Mariners, Reed hasn't hit as expected the last two years. When the Cubs took him in the second round in 2004, they thought he'd be an offense-first catcher, and they still think he can. Reed has a short, smooth lefthanded swing that should allow him to be productive, and he hit .312 in the first three months of last season. But he faded horribly, batting .167 with no home runs the rest of the way because he wore down physically and his approach deteriorated. He lacks discipline and tries to hit homers, lengthening his stroke and swinging through pitches. Reed is more athletic and runs better than most catchers. He has encouraged Chicago with his progress behind the plate. He has fringy arm strength but makes accurate throws, which helped him nail 42 percent of basestealers in 2006. His receiving skills are good enough and he moves well behind the plate. The Cubs continue to compare his total package to that of Greg Zaun. Reed will have to get stronger and get his bat going to fit that profile, and that will be his main task this year in high Class A. -
Signed away from a Washington State football scholarship in 2002--he was recruited as a long snapper--Petrick had developed into one of the system's best righthanders before last year was a total loss. His shoulder had bothered him for the last couple of years, and doctors found fraying in his labrum that had to be fixed with arthroscopic surgery. The problem was discovered before he did major damage. Before he got hurt, Petrick threw a heavy sinker at 90-93 mph. The pitch was difficult to lift, and he has surrendered just seven homers in 280 pro innings. He made strides with his breaking ball in 2004, replacing a loopy curveball with a slider, and had improved his changeup. He still needs to improve his location and do a better job of throwing his changeup with fastball arm speed. Petrick may not be ready to pitch at the beginning of spring training, in which case he'd probably start the season in extended spring. He's still just 21, so the Cubs can afford to take it slow with him. -
Hitting apparently runs in the Reed family. Mark's older brother Jeremy won the minor league batting title with a .373 average in 2003 and hit .397 after the Mariners called him up last September. Mark hit .351 in his brief pro debut before he broke his thumb in a sliding mishap. The Cubs believe Mark will hit, as he has an advanced approach and a loose swing. He should have more power than his brother, who's more of a gap hitter. Reed lives for baseball and loves to hone his stroke in the batting cage. As a bonus, he swings from the left side. He'll have to prove he can handle the responsibilities of catching. Reed is athletic for a backstop, and he has the receiving skills and makeup to succeed, but his arm strength may be a little short. If he can't stay behind the plate, he profiles as a possible corner infielder or outfielder. Because the Cubs have signed a lot of catchers and have a backlog at the lower levels, Reed will probably open 2005 in extended spring before playing at Boise.
Minor League Top Prospects
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Reed suffered from being compared to more advanced catchers such as Teagarden and Hundley, but still rated as above-average defensively and threw out 39 percent of basestealers. His hands are a plus, and he showed good instincts and quickness in blocking balls. His arm strength will grade out better if he can stop flying open too soon in his throwing motion. Compared as a hitter to his older brother Jeremy, Mark struggled at the plate. He began the year by hitting .135 in low Class A before a demotion to extended spring training, and he never really got going at Boise. Managers spotted holes in his swing and watched him swing through hittable pitches. However, Reed still showed good bat speed. He isn't likely to become a power hitter, but patience could yield a solid lefthanded hitter for average, a nice trait in a defensive-minded catcher. "He's still young and in his first full season and has promise behind the plate," Forkerway said. "He's a good receiver with a good arm and his main tool is youth. He's exactly the type of player his brother is. He hits the ball in the gap, uses whole field and runs the bases extremely well."
