Tony Pena Stats & Scouting Report

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The 2004 campaign was a tale of two seasons for Pena, whose father Tony is a former all-star catcher and currently manages the Royals. T.J. received raves for his improved offensive contributions during the first half, hitting .298 with seven homers in Double-A. But he soon wore down and his already shaky plate discipline declined further. Pena batted just .183 with two homers after the all-star break, with 42 strikeouts and just five walks. While his bat always has been a question, Pena's defensive reputation took a hit as well as he made 26 errors. He has a strong arm, covers a lot of ground and does an excellent job of turning the double play. Consistency was a problem last year, with some scouts wondering if Pena was taking his offensive woes to the field late in the season. He must get stronger and adapt at the plate, especially with Luis Hernandez rising up the organization depth chart. After a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League, Pena is expected to start this season in Triple-A.

Pena has the fundamentally sound baseball instincts that come with the bloodlines of a former major leaguer. His tools are still raw at the plate, though managers were able to see past his .246-0-18 performance. "He has a little ways to go with the bat but he hits the ball to all fields," Rupp said. "He has a little pop." Pena needs to be more selective, but Saul said he wasn't easy for pitchers to put away. Like his father, a former all-star and Gold Glove catcher, Pena excels defensively. He possesses a strong throwing arm and excellent range to both sides. "He can flat out pick it at short," Braves scouting director Roy Clark said. "He's a defensive whiz."