Johnny Giavotella Stats & Scouting Report

AB	1246
AVG	.255
OBP	.294
SLG	.359
HR	14

Full name Johnny Arthur Giavotella
Born 07/10/1987 in Metairie, LA
Profile Ht.: 5'8" / Wt.: 185 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School New Orleans
Debut 08/05/2011
Drafted in the 2nd round (49th overall) by the Kansas City Royals in 2008 (signed for $787,000).

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At 5-foot-8 and 185 pounds, Giovatella is the smallest player on our Top 200 Prospects list, but his bat isn't short. He has hit .348 or better with more walks than strikeouts in each of his three seasons at New Orleans, including an outstanding 48-18 BB-K ratio in the regular season this year. Using a short, compact swing, he waits patiently for pitches he can drive to either of the gaps. He also hit a respectable .255 with wood bats in the Cape Cod League last summer. As an offensive second baseman, he draws comparisons to the likes of Dustin Pedroia (without the same defense), Dan Uggla (without the same power) and Mike Fontenot (with more strength). Giovatella is a solid-average runner who can steal a few bases. He also has arm strength, though he's just an adequate defender at second base. He receives praise for his passion and toughness.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

An offensive second baseman, Giavotella has proven he can turn on just about any fastball. He has very good awareness of the strike zone, and his ability to draw walks is enhanced by his pronounced crouch in his stance. He has gap power, though he takes aggressive swings like a power hitter. While he has slightly below-average speed, he does run the bases well. Giavotella's long-term future depends on his glove. After he had a disappointing 2009 season, the Royals challenged him to become a better defender. While he didn't turn into a Gold Glove candidate, Giavotella's work to improve his agility did pay off. He's now adequate rather than below-average at second base. His range still leaves something to be desired, especially on balls up the middle. His arm is good for his position, and he has improved at turning double plays. If Giavotella can't cut it at second base, he doesn't have enough bat to move to the outfield and lacks the versatility to fill a utility role. But if he can handle second base, his bat would make him a useful regular. He'll continue to polish his defense this year in Triple-A.
Like fellow Wilmington infielders Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer, Giavotella found the Carolina League much less inviting than the Midwest League. But at least Giavotella did make an impressive turnaround during the second half, hitting .292/.355/.423. He still projects as an offensive second baseman with solid on-base skills and adequate power. He's a constant tinkerer at the plate, adjusting his feet and hands from slump to slump, but his hands generally work well with a short stroke. He has a good knowledge of the strike zone. None of that will matter if he doesn't improve defensively, though. After making significant strides during instructional league in 2008, Giovatella regressed last season. He seemed to take bad at-bats into the field and showed a slower first step and shoddy footwork. His range, especially to his right, was poor. His best tool on defense is his slightly above-average arm. Even at his best, Giavotella projected as a fringe-average defender whose bat would carry him. He looked more like a below-average defender last year, and his bat isn't good enough to carry that kind of glove. He's a slightly below-average runner but is aggressive on the basepaths. Giavotella will head to Double-A to continue to work on his defense.
New Orleans' Tom Walter named Giavotella a team captain as a sophomore--the first time he'd done that in 11 years as a head coach. It was a reward for Giavotella's intensity and his leadership skills. He showed the same qualities when he helped spark Burlington to the Midwest League title after signing with the Royals for $787,000 as a second-round pick last summer. Giavotella was an all-state second baseman on New Orleans Jesuit High's state championship team, and even though he's only 5-foot-8, he was a standout linebacker on the football team as well. He's built like a fire hydrant with massive forearms and a barrel chest. Giavotella has a compact swing that allows him to turn on fastballs and wait on breaking balls and changeups, though he's currently vulnerable to being pitched on the outer half. He has a very good batting eye and should continue to rack up high on-base percentages thanks to advanced pitch-recognition skills. Giavotella will have to hit because his defense will never be a strength. He showed improvement on the double-play pivot after the Royals moved his hands up to quicken his exchange, but he doesn't have much range to his right and likely never will rate better than a 45 defensively on the 20-80 scouting scale. He has solid arm strength and average speed. On the basepaths, the Royals have worked to get him squared him up more so he can get a better first step on his jumps. Giavotella should head to high Class A for his first full pro season.

Minor League Top Prospects

A prototypical blue-collar player, Giavotella won over PCL observers with his gritty performance and earned a major league callup in August. He's an offensive-minded player who makes consistent line-drive contact and has good pop for his size, most of it coming in the form of doubles. A career .305 hitter in the minors, he struggled in his Royals debut because pitchers got him to expand his strike zone. Giavotella isn't the most athletic second baseman, but he gets the most out of his tools. He runs the bases well despite below-average speed, and he's a sure-handed defender who has worked hard to increase his agility.