Michael Aubrey Stats & Scouting Report

AB	135
AVG	.259
OBP	.31
SLG	.444
HR	6

Full name Robert Michael Aubrey
Born 04/15/1982 in Shreveport, LA
Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 190 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Tulane
Debut 05/17/2008
Drafted in the 1st round (11th overall) by the Cleveland Guardians in 2003 (signed for $2,010,000).

View Draft Report

He may have to take a back seat to Weeks in Louisiana, but Aubrey is a better pure hitter than any other college player in the nation. He projects as a .300-plus hitter with lots of doubles and 15-20 homers in the majors. He has a great approach at the plate and rarely gets fooled. He also has solid average speed and tremendous baseball instincts. He projects as a possible Gold Glove first baseman, though he also played the outfield and threw 90-92 off the mound when he was Baseball America's 2001 Freshman of the Year. Some teams will try to move him to a corner outfield spot, but he doesn't show the arm strength he once did. The Conference-USA player of the year, Aubrey will go in the upper half of the first round, probably between No. 6 (Cubs) and No. 13 (Blue Jays).

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Chronic back problems caused Aubrey to drop almost completely off the prospect radar in 2006, when he was limited to just 54 at-bats. The injuries extend into Aubrey's college career at Tulane, where he was a standout two-way player and the 2001 Freshman of the Year. However, back problems forced him off the mound in college, and Aubrey went down in May 2005 with what was diagnosed as a stress fracture in his back, and has been rehabbing the injury ever since. After getting just 250 at-bats during the 2007 regular season, Aubrey reported to the Arizona Fall League, where he boosted his stock significantly, hitting five homers while showing his usual outstanding plate discipline. His performance earned him a spot on the 40-man roster. When he's healthy, Aubrey is the best natural hitter in the system with plus bat speed, quick hands and uncanny bat control. He's also the best first baseman in the organization, ranking as a premium defender with Gold Glove potential. As has been his story, his ceiling is extremely high, but his health will have the final say if he reaches it. A healthy Aubrey will challenge for a role in Triple-A this year, and the Indians would settle for getting him 500 at-bats at any level.
Aubrey jumped to Double-A in 2004 after just 98 games as a pro. But a hamstring injury that July sidelined him for five weeks, and he played just one game after May 9 last year after he hurt his back. The injury could be chronic, as back problems also ended his career as a pitcher at Tulane. Aubrey's quick hands allow him to control the barrel of the bat, and he drives balls into the gaps with regularity. He recognizes pitches well and rarely swings and misses. He's a premium defender with good footwork around the bag, soft hands and a plus arm for a first baseman. There's some question about how much power Aubrey will hit for in the majors. He profiles as a gap hitter with occasional pop, and he needs to improve at turning on inside fastballs. After the back injury, he had trouble getting his front foot down without feeling any pain as he went into the turn in his swing. His speed is below-average, though he's not a baseclogger. Aubrey has the highest ceiling of any corner infielder in the system. His health will have a huge role in whether he reaches it. He'll probably return to Double-A in 2006.
Aubrey was Baseball America's Freshman of the Year in 2001, when he was a two-way star and led Tulane to its first-ever College World Series victory. A back injury ended his days on the mound, but his bat made him the 11th overall pick in 2003. A career .320 hitter as a pro, he has been held in check by only a nagging hamstring injury that sidelined him for five weeks in 2004. Aubrey's quick hands allow him to control the barrel of the bat and he has a knack for identifying pitches early, rarely swinging and missing. He projects as a top-notch defender with solid footwork around the bag and a strong throwing arm for a first baseman. There's some question as to how much power Aubrey will hit for in the majors. Most scouts see him as a gap hitter with occasional pop. He can get tied up by fastballs in on his hands, something he can rectify by incorporating his lower half more in his swing. Aubrey's on-base ability and gap power fit the mold of a No. 3 hitter. He'll return to Double-A and is in line for a midseason promotion to Triple-A Buffalo.
Aubrey was a two-way star when BA named him Freshman of the Year in 2001, but he eventually settled in as strictly a first baseman. Among college players in the 2003 draft, scouts considered only No. 2 overall pick Rickie Weeks a better pure hitter than Aubrey. He projected to go as high as No. 6, but Aubrey went 11th and signed for $2.01 million. An advanced hitter, Aubrey was as good as advertised in his pro debut. He makes outstanding contact, has good plate discipline and projects as a .300 hitter with 35 doubles and 15-20 homers in the majors. He has solid-average speed and Gold Glove potential at first base. He threw 90-92 mph off the mound as a Tulane freshman and has a good arm for his position. Though he sometimes gets tied up on inside fastballs, Aubrey should be able to adjust. He gets pull-conscious at times, leading to an uppercut swing, and needs to a better job of identifying pitches he can drive. He doesn't have much experience facing quality lefthanders and hit .250 against southpaws in his debut. Aubrey won't need much time in the minors. He'll begin 2004 in high Class A and should reach Double-A in the second half.

Minor League Top Prospects

Aubrey was tagged as one of the most advanced hitters available in the 2003 draft and he has not disappointed the Indians since they drafted him with the 11th-overall pick in 2003. He makes good, consistent contact and uses the entire field. He has good, quick hands and strong wrists. Aubrey projects to hit 15 to 20 home runs in the majors as his power is more to the alleys. He batted .339 in the first half at Class A Kinston but failed to finish the season as strong as he started. Aubrey batting .212 in August, perhaps showing signs of fatigue down the stretch of his first full professional season. He would have challenged Harrisburg's Larry Broadway for the league's best defensive first baseman honor, earned by Broadway at midseason. He is smooth around the bag and picks the short-hop consistently. A two-way star who threw 92 mph off the mound in college, his arm is above average. "He's Mark Grace quite possibly," an American League area scout said. "Maybe a little more pop than Grace, but more of an average hitter. (His swing) is quiet and clean and there's not a lot of effort in it. He's made a seamless transition to wood."
Rated one of the best pure hitters in the 2003 draft, Aubrey dominated the CL, hitting for average and power over the first half of the season before earning a promotion. His plate discipline was also exceptional, as he struck out 26 times and walked 27. Defensively, Aubrey has been touted as a future Gold Glove candidate, though some around the league didn't see it. "His footwork is average at best right now," one manager said. "He's more of a John Olerud type of guy to me."
After an All-America .420-18-79 season at Tulane, Aubrey was drafted 11th overall in June and handled wood bats and low Class A pitching as expected. He might have been challenged with a move to high Class A, but a hamstring injury in his second game cost him a month. Opinions varied on how much power Aubrey will hit for in the upper levels, but nobody questions his advanced approach. He should move quickly because he identifies pitches early, stays back and uses the whole field. He has Gold Glove potential at first base.