Logan Schafer

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Milwaukee Brewers #13 prospect in 2013
  Schafer had a modest year statistically in 2012, but there was plenty of good news as he played a full season and finished it in the majors. He missed all but seven games in 2010 with a sports hernia and later a broken foot. A broken thumb in spring training cost him the first six weeks of the 2011 season. Schafer is at his best when sending line drives into the gaps with a simple, level swing. His plate discipline waned in Triple-A last year, but he did continue to make contact and showed decent pop--mostly to the gaps--considering his wiry frame. Schafer doesn't have blazing speed but runs the bases well. He also has great instincts in center field, getting good jumps and chasing down deep flies with ease. His arm is average but accurate, and he plays with confidence and poise. The Brewers were encouraged by Schafer's play during his September callup, as he got several big hits off the bench in the heat of a playoff race and played strong defense in center. He'll have every chance to make the big league club and back up Carlos Gomez in center.
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  Ranked Milwaukee Brewers #6 prospect in 2012
  Schafer followed a breakout 2009 season--he won the Florida State League batting title (.313) and the Brewers' minor league player of the year award--with a lost year in 2010. Between a groin tear that morphed into a sports hernia and a broken right foot, he played in just seven games. He broke his right thumb in big league camp last spring, but returned in mid-May and picked up where he left off two years earlier. Schafer has a simple lefthanded swing, controls the strike zone and makes line-drive contact. He doesn't have much power, but he can drive some balls into the gaps and slugged a career-high .521 after arriving in Triple-A. He has solid speed and good instincts on the bases and in center field. He covers a lot of ground and has an average, accurate arm. He plays with poise and intelligence. Schafer is old for a prospect at 25 but also on the verge of being a reliable contributor in the majors. Nyjer Morgan played a prominent role in Milwaukee's 2011 success, but should he get injured or revert to his 2009 form, the team wouldn't hesitate to promote Schafer. He could end up as a regular with the Brewers sooner than many people might expect.
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  Ranked Milwaukee Brewers #16 prospect in 2011
  The Brewers had high hopes for Schafer after he won the Florida State League batting title in 2009 and earned the organization's minor league player of the year award. But, in essence, his 2010 season was over before it began. Schafer suffered a groin injury in minor league minicamp the day before he was to report to his first big league spring training and missed the first half of the season as the injury morphed into a sports hernia. When finally activated, he played in only seven games before fouling a pitch off his right foot and breaking it. Milwaukee sent Schafer to the Arizona Fall League with hopes of making up some lost at-bats but continued discomfort in his foot nixed a regular assignment and landed him on the taxi squad. When healthy, Schafer is an athletic center fielder with good range, solid instincts in the field and an average, accurate arm. At the plate, he flashes some gap power on occasion but basically focuses on making contact and hitting singles. He shows poise and maturity and understands how to play the game. His "lost" season probably means Schafer will begin 2011 in Double-A, which was supposed to be his assignment a year ago. At 24, he already has a lot of making up to do.
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  Ranked Milwaukee Brewers #12 prospect in 2010
  The Brewers were so impressed with Schafer's skills and poise in spring training, less than a year after they made him a third-round pick, that they kept him with the big league club for its final exhibition games in Los Angeles. Milwaukee's major league coaching staff predicted good things for him, and he fulfilled those expectations. He won the high Class A Florida State League batting title (.313) and the organization's minor league player of the year award, finishing his first full pro season in Double-A. A contact hitter who draws a decent number of walks, Schafer isn't blessed with raw strength or speed. He has gap power and can steal an occasional base, but some scouts wonder if he'll produce enough offense to become a big league regular. Where Schafer shines is as a fly chaser in center field. He uses his instincts and quickness to run down balls from gap to gap, and he committed just one error in 2009. He also has an average, accurate arm. Schafer has drawn comparisons to Steve Finley and Mark Kotsay, and he could move quickly because the Brewers are looking for center-field help. His individual tools are not overwhelming, but his total package, combined with his confidence and maturity, bode well for his future. He'll start 2010 in Double-A and could reach Milwaukee by season's end.
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  Ranked Milwaukee Brewers #29 prospect in 2009
  Schafer spent his freshman season at Cuesta (Calif.) JC before transferring to Cal Poly, where he led the team in homers as a junior. He played his way into the Brewers' plans with a strong predraft workout, so they took him the third round last June and signed him for $404,000. One of the better athletes in the Brewers' draft class, Schafer has average tools across the board and already is a solid defender in center, reminding some of Steve Finley at the same age. He also draws comparisons to Mark Kotsay for getting the most out of his ability. Promoted to low Class A soon after signing, Schafer impressed more in the field than at the plate. He also got in 86 at-bats in Hawaii Winter Baseball, batting .244/.347/.337. He has a good swing with raw power, but he'll have to improve his strike-zone discipline to tap into it. He's an average runner but must work on getting better jumps after he was caught on eight of his 13 steal attempts in his pro debut. Because he already can hold his own in center, Schafer could move steadily through the system if he can produce at the plate. Milwaukee considers him a real sleeper and will send him back to low Class A in 2009.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked Pacific Coast League #18 prospect in 2011
  After winning the high Class A Florida State League batting title and the Brewers' minor league player of the year award in 2009, Schafer missed all but seven games last year with a sports hernia and a broken foot. He lost the first six weeks of this season after breaking his right thumb in spring training, but recovered to play his way to Nashville in late July and Milwaukee in September. Schafer consistently produces line drives with a simple swing, though he doesn't have much power and can fall victim to offspeeed pitches. He's a solid runner with the aptitude to steal a few bases and cover the gaps in center field. His arm is more accurate than strong but fine for a center fielder.

• December, 2011 Scouting Report
  Background: Schafer followed a breakout 2009 season--he won the Florida State League batting title (.313) and the Brewers' minor league player of the year award--with a lost year in 2010. Between a groin tear that morphed into a sports hernia and a broken right foot, he played in just seven games. He broke his right thumb in big league camp last spring, but returned in mid-May and picked up where he left off two years earlier. Scouting Report: Schafer has a simple lefthanded swing, controls the strike zone and makes line-drive contact. He doesn't have much power, but he can drive some balls into the gaps and slugged a career-high .521 after arriving in Triple-A. He has solid speed and good instincts on the bases and in center field. He covers a lot of ground and has an accurate arm. He plays with poise and intelligence. The Future: Schafer is old for a prospect at 25 but also on the verge of being a reliable contributor in the majors. Nyjer Morgan played a prominent role in Milwaukee's 2011 success, but should he get injured or revert to his 2009 form, the team wouldn't hesitate to promote Schafer. He could end up as a regular with the Brewers sooner than many people might expect.