Jack Cust

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Colorado Rockies #21 prospect in 2003
  Cust has been a darling of statistical analysts for a while, and Athletics general manager Billy Beane reportedly coveted him last offseason. Instead it was the Rockies who acquired him for Mike Myers after the Diamondbacks tired of Cust's offense-only approach. He led the system in homers and was named MVP of the Triple-A all-star game in 2002, but also had his least productive season since his pro debut and often looked helpless in the majors. Cust has big-time power to all parts of the park, but after six years as a pro he still hasn't learned to turn on balls with regularity. He's an extremely patient hitter who's not afraid to take pitchers deep in the count and draws lots of walks. He also takes too many close pitches, which result in strikeouts, and he doesn't expand his zone in RBI situations. Arizona thought he was indifferent toward playing defense and moved him from first base to the outfield so he'd be involved in fewer plays. While Cust did work more last year on his outfield play, he has no speed and little in the way of instincts. Ideally, he'd be a DH with an American League club.
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  Ranked Colorado Rockies #6 prospect in 2002
  Though Cust established himself as one of the few legitimate cleanuphitting prospects in the minors, Arizona parted with him and catcher J.D. Closser in a curious January trade for lefty specialist Mike Myers. Cust's inability to make progress defensively frustrated the Diamondbacks, who concluded they'd never be able to use him in a DH-less lineup. His younger brother Kevin was drafted in the 11th round in 2000 and made his pro debut in 2001, while another brother, Michael, turned down the Cardinals as a 35th-rounder last year and will attend Seton Hall. Cust is a batting-cage rat who wants to hit around the clock. He has uncommon strike-zone judgment for a young hitter and has topped 100 walks in each of the last two seasons. He rarely chases bad pitches, especially early in the count. He looks for pitches to drive and displays well above-average power to all fields. His power comes from his compact, muscular frame and a natural lefthanded uppercut stroke, a la Jim Thome. He also often swings from his heels trying to hit every ball out of sight, leading to his lofty strikeout totals. He has been labeled a DH since he was drafted. He has proven incapable of handling first base or right field, and he has made little progress in left field. His lack of speed or defensive prowess would be magnified by the spacious outfield at Coors Field, leading to talk that Colorado might trade Cust to an American League team. If he stays put, he's slated for another year as a Triple-A outfielder.
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  Ranked Arizona Diamondbacks #2 prospect in 2001
  Cust has mashed the ball in four years as a pro. The Diamondbacks wisely let him play the entire 2000 season at Double-A El Paso, where he ranked fourth in the Texas League in runs and on-base percentage (.440). He has the most power of any prospect in the organization. His lefthanded uppercut swings have drawn comparisons to Geoff Jenkins and Jeromy Burnitz. Cust enhances his offensive ability with his willingness to take a walk, which means he doesn't help pitchers by getting himself out. Unfortunately for the Diamondbacks, Cust may be better suited for the American League. A former first baseman, he has moved to the outfield and shown little aptitude or hustle there. His big swing makes him susceptible to strikeouts, as he has whiffed 295 times over the past two seasons. Cust irked the Diamondbacks by leaving his Dominican League team after playing just three weeks. He could have used the time to work on his planned switch from left to right field. The team was encouraged that Cust was getting better reads on fly balls in right this winter. Should he improve in right, he could reach Arizona by the end of the 2001 season.
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  Ranked Arizona Diamondbacks #5 prospect in 1999
  Background: Cust dominated the Pioneer League in his first full season of play. He led the league in runs and walks as he posted a .530 on-base percentage, the best in all of professional baseball. Strengths: Cust is an offensive machine who combines enormous raw power with exacting plate discipline in the Frank Thomas mold. The organization's favorite stories are of his batting practice exploits (10 straight home runs during one show) or how he has already mastered the veteran art of dictating an umpire's strike zone. Weaknesses: Cust played first base in high school but has been moved to left field because of Travis Lee's presence. The conversion has been rough so far. Cust lacks mobility and balance once he's under way and has been slow to learn basic outfield fundamentals. He is not much better defensively at first base, either. The Future: Cust has been told he'll have to learn to play a passable left field, and that first base will not be an option. His offensive potential may overshadow any defensive shortcomings.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked Pacific Coast League #18 prospect in 2001
  For a player regarded as a premium prospect, Cust has followed a slow and steady progression in the Diamondbacks organization, finally making his major league debut in September. He remains one of the top power prospects in the game and was named the PCL's best power hitter by managers at midseason. Cust's average dipped a bit this year, but he continued to show his outstanding patience by walking more than 100 times for the second straight year. Appropriately enough, he walked in his first major league plate appearance. His power can put the ball out of any park and is a willing tradeoff for all his strikeouts. The problem remains on defense, where Cust still shows no real aptitude. He made 11 errors in left field and left several managers regarding him as a DH prospect.
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  Ranked Texas League #10 prospect in 2000
  Both at the plate and in the field, Cust remains very much a work in progress. He led the league in both walks and strikeouts while proving he has significant improvement to make with the glove. Cust batted .293-20-75, but those numbers aren’t overly impressive because the ball flies out of Cohen Stadium. He was hitting .413 in early May, then dropped to .262-12-50 in his last 102 games. Several observers thought he was too passive at the plate. Descriptions of his prowess in left field were less kind. One manager said Cust looked either lost or uninterested. Said a scout: "There's no sense in paying any attention to what he does in the outfield because he's either going to be a DH or he's going to be a defensive liability."
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  Ranked California League #3 prospect in 1999
  Cust produced 10 homers and 22 RBIs in a late-season, 13-game tear, launching the Mavericks on a league-best 15-game winning streak. Cust led the league in home runs, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. He was second in hitting and fourth in RBIs. His strike-zone knowledge is on par with big leaguers, and he's tightened up his body. His shortcoming is defense, where his arm and ball pursuit both rank as below average.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #100 prospect in 2002
• Ranked Baseball America's #38 prospect in 2001
• Ranked Baseball America's #31 prospect in 2000

• December, 1999 Scouting Report
  Both at the plate and in the field, Cust remains very much a work in progress. He led the league in both walks and strikeouts while proving he has significant improvement to make with the glove. Cust batted .293-20-75, but those numbers aren’t overly impressive because the ball flies out of Cohen Stadium. He was hitting .413 in early May, then dropped to .262-12-50 in his last 102 games. Several observers thought he was too passive at the plate. Descriptions of his prowess in left field were less kind. One manager said Cust looked either lost or uninterested. Said a scout: "There's no sense in paying any attention to what he does in the outfield because he's either going to be a DH or he's going to be a defensive liability."