Matt Mangini
| AB | 38 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .211 |
| OBP | .25 |
| SLG | .211 |
| HR | 0 |
- Full name Matthew Steven Mangini
- Born 12/21/1985 in Springfield, MA
- Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 230 / Bats: L / Throws: R
- School Oklahoma State
- Debut 09/23/2010
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Drafted in the C-A round (52nd overall) by the Seattle Mariners in 2007 (signed for $603,000).
View Draft Report
Mangini won the Cape Cod League batting title with a .310 average last summer, then transferred from North Carolina State to Oklahoma State. He entered the year projected as a first-round pick--and he still may realize those expectations because college position players are in short supply and will be overdrafted--but his stock has slipped. He had changed his approach to simply trying to make contact. He was spread out at the plate, costing him leverage, and ranked just fourth on the Cowboys in both batting (.342) and homers (nine) through 50 games. He always has used a line-drive approach more than a loft stroke, but he drove the ball better in the past. Despite being 6-foot-4 and 222 pounds, he may have no more than average power. Mangini is adequate at third base and on the bases, so his bat will have to carry him. He has enough arm for the hot corner, but he has been vulnerable to bunts and inconsistent in the field, so he may have to find a new position down the line.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Three years after the Mariners drafted him 52nd overall and signed him for $603,000 in 2007, Mangini finally hit as hoped. He made his major league debut in September, starting 10 of Seattle's final 11 games. Mangini has a professional approach at the plate with quiet hands, and he has a good feel for hitting. Mostly a gap-to-gap hitter in the past, he tapped into some power last year and could have average pop. He's a below-average runner but moves well for his size. Mangini's hands work well defensively, though he doesn't have great footwork or range at third base. He has a solid arm but too often just flips the ball across the diamond to get the out. While he also has seen action at first base, he lacks the bat to profile as a regular at that position. He brings a blue-collar work ethic to the game and always has a positive attitude. Mangini hasn't hit well against lefthanders and ultimately profiles as a corner utility player and lefty bat off the bench, similar to a player the Mariners had a few years ago, Greg Dobbs. -
Since he won the Cape Cod League batting title with a .310 average in the summer of 2006, things haven't gone as smoothly for Mangini. After transferring from North Carolina State to Oklahoma State for his junior year, he didn't perform as hoped and slid out of the first round of the draft--but not too far. The Mariners took him with the 52nd overall pick and gave him a $603,000 bonus. A hard-nosed player who puts together good at-bats, Mangini's line-drive approach has served him well as a hitter for average, though it has cost him leverage in his swing. He projects to have no more than average power because of a lack of loft in his swing, and back soreness that hampered him in his pro debut didn't help. Scouts who have history with Mangini say he always has hit better with wood than metal and that he has solid-average bat speed. He hangs in against lefties and isn't afraid to use the opposite field. At third base, Mangini has fringe-average range, which the Mariners are trying to clean up with improved footwork, and an average arm. He's not a great athlete and offers below-average running speed. Mangini figures to see plenty of action at High Desert in 2008 and could reach Double-A.
Minor League Top Prospects
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Since he won the Cape Cod League batting title with a .310 average in the summer of 2006, things haven't gone so well for Mangini. He didn't perform as hoped as a junior, slid out of the first round of the draft and was hampered by back soreness during his first taste of pro ball. Scouts who have history with Mangini say he always has hit better with wood bats and believe he'll hit for average with his line-drive swing and solid-average bat speed. While his back problems may have have been a factor, Mangini hit just four homers in 147 pro at-bats and doesn't project to have the power of a typical third baseman. He's sort of a poor man's Sean Burroughs, who was a highly touted prospect who didn't pan out in the majors. Mangini has an average arm and fringe-average range at the hot corner.
