Ben Paulsen Stats & Scouting Report

AB	480
AVG	.271
OBP	.316
SLG	.446
HR	16

Full name Benjamin Michael Paulsen
Born 10/27/1987 in Plymouth, WI
Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 210 / Bats: L / Throws: R
School Clemson
Debut 05/22/2014
Drafted in the 3rd round (90th overall) by the Colorado Rockies in 2009 (signed for $391,000).

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Paulsen's father Tom Riginos is Clemson's assistant coach and recruiting coordinator, and Paulsen has made him proud by being the Tigers' best hitter this season. He's more of a hitter in the Mark Grace mold, with a smooth lefthanded swing. He uses the whole field and ranked second in the ACC (behind only Dustin Ackley) in hits. Paulsen's ultimate value is tied to his power; he's just an average defender and is limited to first base. His lack of patience at the plate works against him in terms of getting to his power, as at times he doesn't work himself into power hitter's counts. Teams that focus on his strong Cape Cod League performance (.290/.335/.497, eight home runs) could pop Paulsen as high as the third round. Skeptics will recall Michael Johnson, a Clemson first baseman drafted 54th overall in 2002 whose slider bat speed made him a 4-A player.

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After hitting .303/.346/.449 in his first two pro seasons, Paulsen found Double-A more challenging last season. He still showed his plus raw power, which started to emerge as he hit a career-high 19 homers. But he has a long swing with a lot of moving parts and tends to drift to the ball, raising concerns about whether he can hit more advanced pitching. He batted just .241 in 2011 and did a poor job of controlling the strike zone. While he has some looseness and quickness to his stroke, Paulsen hasn't shown the ability to stay back on pitches and make adjustments. His head would dip when he took his stride, but he started holding the bat at a 45-degree angle in the Arizona Fall League and solved that problem. The change also rid him of a habit of moving his hands in front of his face and not getting loaded in time. He batted just .267/.327/.378 in the offensive-minded AFL, however. Though he's a well below-average runner, Paulsen moves decently around the bag at first base. He has a strong, accurate arm but is tentative with his throwing. He'll move up to Triple-A this year and see if the adjustments he made in the AFL will help.
At Clemson, Paulsen played for his father, assistant coach Tom Riginos, who since has become the head coach at Winthrop. Paulsen's pure hitting ability prompted the Rockies to jump him to high Class A for his first full pro season, and he handled it well. He led the team with 83 RBIs and hit .311. Paulsen has big-time power potential, although he has only 13 home runs in pro ball, thanks to his hand-eye coordination and a textbook swing. He already understands the value of using all fields, and his strong enough to hit the ball out of any spot in a ballpark. He'll have to be more selective for his power to play more often. He's a below-average runner. He shows range and agility, particularly for his side, but his footwork around first base needs work, and he has to be more aggressive in throwing. After spending his first two pro seasons with teams with pitcher-friendly parks, Paulsen could get a chance to show some power at Tulsa in 2011.

Minor League Top Prospects

Paulsen consistently improved during his time at Clemson, hitting his way into the third round after a .367/.435/.618 junior year for the Tigers. The lefthanded hitter has an aggressive mentality at the plate and a swing that stays in the zone for a long time. His approach means that he doesn't strike out or walk very often, but he also doesn't get himself into power hitter's counts. He hit just one homer in 175 at-bats with Tri-City, but he has the strength to hit 15-20 per season. He projects to hit for average with a lot of doubles. "For me, he's going to be a big leaguer," Ocasio said. "This guy's got a nice swing. He's the the one guy that I would probably say he'll be a .300 hitter." At 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, he's limited to first base. He makes all the routine plays but is just adequate defensively. He's a below-average runner.