Reggie Abercrombie

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Arizona Diamondbacks #30 prospect in 2005
  Abercrombie's tools have had scouts on him for years, but a lack of production and a 2003 knee injury have dimmed his star greatly. While he made an early return from ACL surgery in May, Abercrombie was completely lost against Double-A pitching and found himself back in the Florida State League before being shipped by the Dodgers to Arizona in the Steve Finley deal. The Diamondbacks shortened his swing in high Class A and elicited good results, but all of the other problems in his game remained. Abercrombie's athletic ability is without fault. He's a plus runner with an above-average arm and raw power. His approach at the plate is as unbridles as it gets, and it's actually gotten worse over the past two seasons, as he's struck out 287 times while drawing just 28 walks in 220 games. Abercrombie will turn 25 in June, and it's time for him to start turning his unquestioned potential into results. He'll get another shot at Double-A in what could be a make or break season.
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  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #10 prospect in 2004
  Abercrombie entertained college football scholarships before his parents persuaded him to focus on baseball. He has added more than 40 pounds of muscle since signing and draws comparisons to premium athletes such as Eric Davis, Torii Hunter and Preston Wilson. Many scouts say Abercrombie is the best physical specimen in baseball. His speed, center-field range and arm strength all earn 70 on the 20-80 scouting scale. He has tremendous bat speed and the strength to drive pitches out of any park to all fields. Abercrombie's plate discipline has been downright awful. He appeared to make progress after getting contact lenses in May 2002, but his strikeout-walk ratio worsened in 2003. Though he works hard on pitch-recognition drills, he continues to struggle in that area. He's overaggressive, gets off balance and chases too many pitches in the dirt and out of the zone. Abercrombie tore the ACL in his right knee chasing a fly ball in the Arizona Fall League and could be out until May. The Dodgers still protected him on their 40-man roster. Once he returns to Double-A, it will be time for him to start making adjustments.
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  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #4 prospect in 2003
  Abercrombie has blossomed from a raw draft-and-follow into, in the minds of some club officials, the organization's best prospect. Also a football and basketball standout in high school, Abercrombie hit .096 with 41 strikeouts in 96 at-bats in April. After getting contact lenses on May 1 he hit .315-10-53 with 23 walks and 117 strikeouts the rest of the way. Abercrombie doesn't just possess above-average tools; he grades out near the top of the charts for his raw power, speed, arm strength and defense. He's an aggressive hitter with a lightning-quick bat. He is a premium athlete, which prompts comparisons ranging from Preston Wilson to Torii Hunter to Reggie Sanders to Eric Davis. Statistical analysts argue Abercrombie won't hit because his plate discipline is so unrefined. Most scouts beg to differ because they say his flaws will be correctable with experience. He occasionally gets overanxious at the plate and the barrel of the bat gets out in front of his hands, causing him to hit around the ball. Abercrombie finished 2002 as Double-A Jacksonville's top hitter in the postseason, with a .303 average and five strikeouts in 33 at-bats. He'll spend the entire year there in 2003. If everything clicks, he profiles as a five-tool right fielder.
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  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #16 prospect in 2002
  A potential five-tool player, Abercrombie focused most of his attention on football and basketball while he was in high school. Now that he's dedicating himself to baseball after signing as a draft-and-follow in 2000, he's showing the raw ability the Dodgers knew he had. Abercrombie's arm and speed both rate above average, and his instincts are helping him make up for lost time. He has good defensive skills and takes the right routes to fly balls in the outfield. His power improved last year, when he tripled his extra-base output compared to the previous season. He's an efficient basestealer as well. Abercrombie's strike-zone knowledge is atrocious at this point, and his pitch recognition also needs a lot of work. He's still learning how to harness his skills and understand the mental aspects of the game. Los Angeles hopes he'll have a coming-out party this year in high Class A.
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  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #24 prospect in 2001
  The Dodgers' 1999 draft got even better in 2000, when they signed the unheralded Abercrombie as a draft-and-follow and watched him blossom. He showed raw athleticism along with solid baseball skills in the Pioneer League. A potential five-tool talent, Abercrombie succeeds with his plus speed. He has excellent range in center field, takes the proper route to most fly balls and possesses an above-average arm for his position. His ability to run is also evident on the basepaths, as he ranked second in the Pioneer League in stolen bases while succeeding on 32 of 40 attempts. The Dodgers were a little surprised about how well Abercrombie made adjustments at the plate. The one area his game is lacking is in power, particularly for a player his size. The Dodgers, however, believe he has projectable power that should develop as he continues to mature and face better pitching. With Los Angeles scrapping its Yakima affiliate, which would have been Abercrombie's likely destination, he probably will head to Wilmington.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked Southern League #19 prospect in 2003
  Aside from the top two prospects, no Southern Leaguer looked the part of big leaguer more than Abercrombie. His athletic frame is alive with speed (4.0 seconds to first base from the right side of the plate), a rocket arm (rated the league's best) and light-tower power. Though raw, he's a good defensive right fielder and could play center with more experience there. "That's what a prospect is supposed to look like," Woodson said. But Abercrombie didn't make progress at the plate and continues to have one of the ugliest strikeout-walk ratios in pro baseball. It was 164-16 this season, and Abercrombie hasn't shown progress identifying pitches. Sometimes he crushes breaking balls, but most of the time he doesn't recognize when to let one go and when to swing. "Tools-wise, he has everything," Snitker said. "But his approach is reckless and he has a pretty long swing. Hart has a long swing, but he's confident and sees the ball. He knows he's right on a pitch. Abercrombie's hoping he's right. You've got to play the game mentally to hit."
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  Ranked Florida State League #10 prospect in 2002
  Nobody in baseball made a bigger in-season turnaround than Abercrombie, who stumbled through the first month of the season with a .096 average and 41 strikeouts in 96 at-bats. After a trip to the optometrist, Abercrombie started wearing contact lenses and subsequently started a hitting tear that carried him to Double-A. "He was swinging at bad pitches." Vero Beach manager Juan Bustabad said. "He started using his speed more and hitting the ball on the ground." Abercrombie also began driving the ball out of the park. His live body drew comparisons to Mike Cameron, Reggie Sanders and even Michael Jordan. He played both center and right field, closing the gaps and showing a plus arm. "In right field, he puts more pressure on the third-base coach than anybody," Pevey said. "He gets to balls so quick, you can't score. He cuts the distance as quick as anybody in the league."
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  Ranked Pioneer League #11 prospect in 2000
  Abercrombie, a little-known draft-and-follow whom the Dodgers selected in 1999’s 23rd round and signed this spring, has the greatest five-tool potential of anyone in the league. His best tool for now is his speed. He was second in the league to Hall with 32 stolen bases and was caught just eight times. The speed carries over to his defense in center field, and he also throws well. Abercrombie is a little weaker as a hitter and had just two home runs, but at 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds he has projectable power.

• December, 1999 Scouting Report
  Abercrombie, a little-known draft-and-follow whom the Dodgers selected in 1999’s 23rd round and signed this spring, has the greatest five-tool potential of anyone in the league. His best tool for now is his speed. He was second in the league to Hall with 32 stolen bases and was caught just eight times. The speed carries over to his defense in center field, and he also throws well. Abercrombie is a little weaker as a hitter and had just two home runs, but at 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds he has projectable power.