Greg Golson Stats & Scouting Report

AB	41
AVG	.195
OBP	.214
SLG	.244
HR	0

Full name Gregory Joseph Golson
Born 09/17/1985 in Austin, TX
Profile Ht.: 5'11" / Wt.: 190 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School John B. Connally
Debut 09/03/2008
Drafted in the 1st round (21st overall) by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2004 (signed for $1,475,000).

View Draft Report

Golson's package of five tools is as attractive as any in the draft, and there's really nothing he can't do. His most obvious tool is his top-of-the-line speed, which takes him from the right side of the plate to first base in as quick as 3.8 seconds. He has the bat speed and hand-eye coordination to hit for power and average. Defensively, both his range and arm are plus tools. Though Golson missed six games with a strained right hamstring and hasn't been at 100 percent for much of the spring, he still has performed well. He'll need to make some offensive adjustments as a pro, as his swing is more choppy than fluid, but scouts believe he'll be able to do so. He hit .515 this spring. Like Homer Bailey, Golson has signed with the University of Texas but will forego college after he gets picked in the first round.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

The best athlete in the 2004 draft, Golson bypassed a commitment to the University of Texas to sign with the Phillies as the 21st overall pick. He has progressed slowly, showing several premium tools but vexing Philadelphia with his lack of feel for the game. He had his best pro season in 2008 and earned six late at-bats and several pinchrunning chances with the eventual World Series champion Phillies. But they ran out of patience with him and swapped him in November for another slow-developing first-round experiment, John Mayberry. Golson immediately became the best athlete in a Rangers system stocked with good athletes. His plus-plus speed plays very well in center field, where he's a plus defender with excellent range and instincts and a strong arm. Golson also has average power despite a poor contact rate. He always has struggled with pitch recognition and making contact against breaking balls, averaging 1.2 whiffs per game during his career. But after whiffing a minor league-leading 173 times while drawing just 23 walks in 2007, he showed some signs of progress by posting a 130-34 K-BB last season. Rated the most exciting player in the Eastern League by managers in 2008, Golson draws frequent comparisons to fellow Texas native Ron Gant. In order to become that kind of player, he'll need to continue to improve his bat. At the least, his speed and defense could help him carve out a niche as a reserve in the big leagues, maybe even by season's end.
The Phillies have preached patience with Golson since signing him for $1.475 million as the 21st overall pick in 2004. While he still has a long way to go before he's a finished product, he took another step in the right direction in 2007. He finally reached Double-A in late July, and set career in hits, doubles, homers, RBIs and steals. Golson's five-tool package makes him the system's top athlete. His plus-plus speed stands out the most, as he can get from the right side of the plate to first base in less than 4.0 seconds. He also provides above-average raw power, center-field defense and arm strength. Golson's ability to recognize pitches remains his biggest liability. He especially struggles with breaking balls, and tends to get tangled up thinking about what he should do at the plate rather than just seeing the ball and cutting loose. His 49-2 strikeout-walk ratio in Double-A is indicative of his problems, and he led the minors with 173 strikeouts. Golson possesses the tools of a young Ron Gant, but he'll need to show he can make consistent hard contact and take pitches if he's going to move beyond Double-A. The Phillies think he can play a big league center field right now, and if everything clicks offensively, he could make the final leap quickly.
The Phillies have been patient with Golson since signing him for $1.475 million as the 21st overall pick in 2004, and it may finally be starting to pay off. Though he repeated low Class A at the start of 2006 and hit just .220, he surged following a promotion to high Class A in late July. The best athlete in the 2004 draft, Golson possesses the best speed, center-field skills and outfield arm in the system. He consistently gets from the right side of the plate to first base in 4.0 seconds. He has above-average raw power to go along with those wheels. Area scouts who saw Golson as an amateur thought he'd have to make a lot of adjustments at the plate in pro ball, and he has struggled to do so. His pitch recognition and plate discipline are still very raw, and he's too pull-conscious. He has the speed to become an electrifying basestealer, but that hasn't happened. He was disappointed at returning to Lakewood, and his play reflected that. His upside is the highest among the system's position players, but he needs to start performing in what will be his fourth pro season.
The consensus best athlete in the 2004 draft, Golson signed for $1.475 million as the 21st overall pick. Injuries hampered him in 2005, as a high ankle sprain cost him six weeks at the beginning of the year and a sprained knee sidelined him for more than a week in July. Golson boasts five-tool potential, as well as solid baseball instincts and a willingness to learn. He has the bat speed to hit for average and the strength to hit 15-20 homers annually in the majors. His above-average speed makes him a threat on the bases, and that and his plus arm make him a plus defender. Golson still must refine his overall plate discipline and his pitch recognition in particular. He did most of his damage against lefthanders in 2005, hitting .346 compared to .241 against righties. He continues to work on his reads in the outfield. Because Golson lost 150 at-bats to injury, he could begin 2006 back at low Class A Lakewood. If he dominates the South Atlantic League, he'll move up quickly to high Class A Clearwater. There's substantial center-field depth in the system, so he won't be rushed even though he should become the best of the group.
The best athlete in the 2004 draft, Golson turned down the University of Texas to sign for $1.475 million as the 21st overall pick. There were some questions about his swing, but he made adjustments and finished eighth in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League batting race. Golson displays excellent baseball instincts along with blazing speed that gets him from home to first base in 3.8 seconds. Those feet, along with an above-average arm that would play in right field, make him a top-flight center fielder capable of stealing doubles from hitters and bases off pitchers. He also has the strength to become a 20-homer threat. Golson's older brother Justin is a Naval Academy graduate, and he shows similar makeup and work ethic. Though he fared well in the GCL, Golson needs to see more professional-quality breaking balls to get better at hitting them. He struck out too frequently in his debut, which cut down on his chances to use his speed. With the similar Michael Bourn two steps ahead of him, the Phillies have no need to rush Golson. If he has a good spring he'll open the season at low Class A Lakewood.

Minor League Top Prospects

No one in the league, save Erie's Wilkin Ramirez, had tools that could compare to Golson's across the board. Both Ramirez and Golson struck out at least 100 times more than they walked, calling their hitting ability into question. Golson's struggles have gone on since he was a first-round pick in 2004, but scouts who have seen him throughout his pro career have discerned slow, steady improvement in his pitch recognition and ability to lay off breaking balls outside the strike zone. While Ramirez has more hitting ability now, Golson's other tools give him the edge as a prospect, as he has much more defensive value. Golson's power plays as average even with his low contact rate, and he's a well above-average runner with excellent outfield range and a plus arm. Managers rated him as the EL's most exciting player. "He swings like Ron Gant," Oliveras said. "If he learns to hit breaking balls, look out."
A guy who hit .224 in a return trip to low Class A doesn't seem like a prime candidate for the FSL Top 20. But Golson improved after a promotion to Clearwater and his ceiling remains high, even if he remains raw. "He's got all the tools," Legg said. Golson is a standout center fielder with plus range and arm strength, though his routes to the ball could use improvement. He's a plus-plus runner who's still learning how to pick his spots to steal. And he shows above-average power potential at the plate. Golson's only problem is a big one. He has yet to show the ability to make consistent contact, as evidenced by his .233 batting average and 160 strikeouts between two Class A stops this year. He doesn't recognize pitches well and he pulls off the ball too much. But he also has quick hands and a quick bat, which lead some to believe he'll figure it out. "He's young," Warner said. "He'll chase here and there, but if you make a mistake, it's a different sound coming off of his bat."
Golson slipped on wet grass in late April, coming down with a high ankle sprain that sidelined him for six weeks, and went on the disabled list again in July with a sprained right knee. But he didn't let injuries ruin his season, impressing managers with his aptitude and desire to get better. Golson has plenty of tools, with well above-average speed and a strong throwing arm. He's a fastball hitter at this stage and needs to recognize breaking balls better. He earned comparisons to a young Marquis Grissom for his build and game. He also been has compared to Jeffrey Hammonds for his tightly-wound body, which some fear leaves him injury-prone. "He improved since he came back and really wants to learn," Lakewood manager P.J. Forbes said. "Then you put that together with what could be four above-average tools, maybe his power is average and he's a five-tool guy. He's just scratching the surface of what kind of player he can be."
Baseball America rated Golson as the best athlete and best five-tool talent among high school players in the June draft. But Philadelphia's first-round pick impressed managers just as much with his approach to the game. "He's got great makeup," Phillies manager Roly DeArmas said. "He's very focused with a great work ethic and has a clear idea what he wants to do with his career." Golson's best present tool is speed. He has been clocked from home to first in 3.8 seconds and can chase down balls in center field like few players can. As a hitter, he's a leadoff type now. He handles the bat well and is a good bunter. He also has gap power and should add legitimate over-the-fence pop as he fills out his 6-foot, 185-pound frame.