Jeff Gelalich Stats & Scouting Report

Full name Jeffrey Scott Gelalich
Born 03/16/1991 in Los Angeles, CA
Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 210 / Bats: L / Throws: R
School UCLA
Drafted in the C-A round (57th overall) by the Cincinnati Reds in 2012 (signed for $825,000).

View Draft Report

Gelalich played alongside Astros 2009 first-round pick Jio Mier in high school in California, but he wound up at UCLA after being drafted by the Phillies in the 41st round that year. He showed flashes of potential before finally coming into his own as a junior, more than doubling his career home run total while lowering his strikeout-walk ratio from 2-1 over his first two seasons to 1-1 this year. Gelalich has a solid all-around tools package. He is a plus runner who plays a solid right field, though his average arm probably fits better in left at the big league level. He has a simple approach, with a wide base, a short stride and the ability to barrel up hard line drives from the left side. He has improved significantly at hitting the ball where it is pitched, taking sliders away to the opposite field while turning on fastballs in. He flashes good power, hitting home runs off the center-field batter's eye and atop the hitting structure at UCLA this spring, but most scouts project him as a solid-average hitter with average power.

Top Rankings

A high school teammate of Astros 2009 first-rounder Jio Mier, Gelalich is part of a baseball family. His younger brother Matt is a starting outfielder for Pepperdine, while his younger brother Danny is a high school center fielder. Jeff had an All-America season at UCLA in 2012, helping the team to the College World Series for the second time in his career, playing his way into the supplemental first round and an $825,000 bonus. He didn't get to show much as a pro as a hand injury limited his effectiveness. When healthy, Gelalich is an above-average runner with a knack for getting good jumps on the basepaths. He's a tick above average defensively in right or left field, though his average arm makes him a better fit for left, and he can play center field for a game if needed. At the plate, Gelalich projects as an average to solid hitter with average power. He was a patient hitter in college, unafraid to go deep in counts, but that didn't show in his pro debut. Gelalich never really got a chance to get going as a pro in 2012, but now healthy, he'll get a shot at low Class A in 2013.

Gelalich played alongside Astros 2009 first-round pick Jio Mier in high school in California, but he wound up at UCLA after being drafted by the Phillies in the 41st round that year. He showed flashes of potential before finally coming into his own as a junior, more than doubling his career home run total while lowering his strikeout-walk ratio from 2-1 over his first two seasons to 1-1 this year. Gelalich has a solid all-around tools package. He is a plus runner who plays a solid right field, though his average arm probably fits better in left at the big league level. He has a simple approach, with a wide base, a short stride and the ability to barrel up hard line drives from the left side. He has improved significantly at hitting the ball where it is pitched, taking sliders away to the opposite field while turning on fastballs in. He flashes good power, hitting home runs off the center-field batter's eye and atop the hitting structure at UCLA this spring, but most scouts project him as a solid-average hitter with average power.

Gelalich hit .284 with four homers in his first two seasons at UCLA, then batted .351 with 11 homers this spring. That performance helped the Bruins reach the College World Series and boosted him into the supplemental first round. A hand injury marred his production at Billings and he never really got to show off the skills that made him a star at UCLA. Gelalich's simple approach and ability to barrel the ball should make him a solid hitter with average power. A right fielder who could play center in a pinch, he has solid speed and arm strength and gets good jumps on balls. He has fine baserunning instincts, adding another dimension to his package.