Bill Hall Stats & Scouting Report

AB	3334
AVG	.248
OBP	.308
SLG	.436
HR	125

Full name William Hall
Born 12/28/1979 in Nettleton, MS
Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 210 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Nettleton
Debut 09/01/2002
Drafted in the 6th round (176th overall) by the Milwaukee Brewers in 1998.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

After being named the Brewers' minor league player of the year in 2001, Hall took a step backward last season despite being selected to play in the Futures Game at Miller Park. It really wasn't all his fault. The losing at the big league level induced former general manager Dean Taylor to fast-track players to Milwaukee, and Hall was hurt by the approach. Despite not hitting well in Double-A the previous year, he was moved to Triple-A in 2002 and struggled in almost every facet of the game. The negative atmosphere that permeated the Indianapolis clubhouse also didn't help. Hall has strong raw tools, including range, speed and solid pop for a middle infielder. But he still has a lot of learning to do. He doesn't control the strike zone, hasn't adjusted to advanced pitching and makes too many careless errors. Former Brewers manager Jerry Royster was surprised at how raw Hall was during his September callup, working with him to correct a fundamental throwing flaw and wondering why he hadn't been told to work on his bunting. J.J. Hardy has supplanted him as Milwaukee's shortstop of the future, and Hall needs to make some improvements quickly.
No player in the organization moved up more than Hall did in 2001. Ranked as the club's No. 21 prospect a year ago, he was named the Brewers' minor league player of the year. He showed the offensive capabilities to be something special at shortstop, though he found the going a lot tougher at Double-A Huntsville. Few shortstops can hit like Hall. Not only did he hit for average at high Class A High Desert, but he also showed previously untapped power. Hall also runs well and has great range in the field. He often gets too cute on defense, resulting in needless errors. Hall had a combined 45 errors in 2001, a career high. He gets to balls other shortstops don't, but he has to learn when to eat the ball and when to attempt a fabulous play. He also must work on plate discipline, as shown by his .279 on-base percentage in Double-A. If Hall's defense catches up to his offense, look out. One member of the organization compares him to Miguel Tejada at the same stage of their careers. Tejada's defense once was considered a possible roadblock to the majors as well.
After spending a year and a half in Rookie ball, Hall moved up to low Class A last season and made the Midwest League all-star team at midseason. Playing more than 100 games for the first time, Hall wore down as the season progressed, however, and he must work on his strength. Pitchers found holes in his swing often enough to strike him out more than seven times as much as he walked. Hall made 40 errors, but many came on a tough infield surface at Beloit. He actually came a long way defensively, showing a good arm and decent range. He appeared more comfortable going up the middle for balls than in the hole. Hall has time to work on his offensive game and concentrate on putting the ball in play more often. He's ticketed for High Desert but could make it to Double-A before the year is out.

Minor League Top Prospects

Hall did a little bit of everything before his midseason promotion to Double-A. After hitting .262-3-41 as a Midwest League all-star last season, Hall began the year at the bottom of the High Desert batting order, but he eventually moved up to the third spot in the lineup after surprising the Mavericks with some pop. He hit 15 homers in 89 Cal League games, though hitter-friendly Mavericks Stadium may have inflated his numbers. Hall batted .337-10-34 at home and .265-5-17 on the road, then slumped to .256-3-14 overall in the Southern League. He needs to develop more strength to hold up over an entire season. He's most impressive defensively, where he shows good range with a strong arm. Hall made 30 errors in 89 games, but most attribute those to his youth.