Matt Antonelli Stats & Scouting Report

AB	57
AVG	.193
OBP	.292
SLG	.281
HR	1

Full name Matthew Antonio Antonelli
Born 04/08/1985 in Peabody, MA
Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 195 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Wake Forest
Debut 09/01/2008
Drafted in the 1st round (17th overall) by the San Diego Padres in 2006 (signed for $1,575,000).

View Draft Report

Antonelli earned his keep at Wake Forest as an exceptional athlete who put the ball in play with consistency. Scouts like the way he improved every year in college. Teams were careful against him this spring, yet he displayed his usual patience and still managed to rank among the Atlantic Coast Conference leaders in six offensive categories through mid-May. Antonelli has a compact swing that feasts on fastballs and makes pitchers pay for getting behind in the count. His plate discipline was the best in the ACC, and the results included hard and consistent contact and only 24 strikeouts in 200 at-bats. His athleticism is excellent, and he puts it to use on the basepaths and on the field. His defense at the hot corner is exceptional, but scouts wonder if he will hit for enough power in pro ball to remain at the position. While his power continues to develop, Antonelli is able to hit the ball hard to all fields, as evidenced by his going the opposite way in eight of his first 11 home runs this year. His soft hands, good lateral quickness and solid range should allow for a seamless move to second base, while his speed and arm strength could handle left and center fields and possibly right field.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Few prospects who have performed as well as Antonelli did in Double-A have played as poorly as he has in Triple-A. Signed for $1.575 million as the 17th overall pick in 2006, he has batted a miserable .209/.325/.327 with 11 home runs in 187 games with Portland over the past two seasons. The Padres yanked him from the Pacific Coast League in mid-August so he could rework his swing with hitting coordinator Tony Muser in Arizona. Antonelli put in three hours a day, examining old Wake Forest video and incorporating a stride and more load in his swing in an effort to keep his bat in the hitting zone longer. He took his rebuilt approach to the auxiliary fall league in Arizona and began hitting the ball where it was pitched, instead of hooking his swing in an effort to pull pitches and generate power. Antonelli shed some of the bulk he carried in 2008 and came to spring training lighter and leaner. But he banged up his right knee and didn't report to Portland until mid-May. Though his offense has gone backward, Antonelli has improved his defensive play so much that he's become a solid-average defender at second base. His first step was quicker and his double-play pivot was cleaner in 2009. He always has shown above-average arm strength. The Padres believe that he'll forge a big league role, either as starting second baseman or utilityman capable of also playing third base and center field.
Since signing for $1.575 million as the 2006 draft's 17th overall pick, Antonelli has careened from one extreme to the other--and now back again. He went homerless and slugged .356 in his pro debut, then bashed 21 homers and slugged .491 in 2007. He thudded back to earth last season in Triple-A, then rallied in August to earn a September callup to the majors, where he looked overmatched. Despite his struggles, Antonelli never lost his feel for the strike zone and his 76 walks ranked third in the Pacific Coast League. A quality athlete who's a former Massachusetts high school player of the year in football and hockey, he has average raw power and plus speed underway. His arm is above-average for a second baseman. His outstanding makeup was on full display as he held up mentally while enduring a difficult season. Antonelli never established rhythm at the plate last season, and some wonder if the strength he has added since turning pro has cut into his bat speed and fluidity. He's very rotational in his upper half, as he remains resistant to incorporating a stride and more separation in the load of his swing. As a result, he failed to get carry because he didn't stay through the ball. Added bulk also cost Antonelli a step on defense, where he doesn't get good jumps and struggles with the double-play pivot. Antonelli has much to prove in 2009. He could win San Diego's second-base job, but if his bat doesn't come around, he'll probably see work at third base and center field in an effort to increase his versatility.
The Padres selected Antonelli with the 17th overall pick in 2006 and signed him for $1.575 million after he showed steady improvement each season at Wake Forest and turned in two strong summers in the Cape Cod League. Prior to that, as a high school senior, he was the Massachusetts state player of the year in football and hockey--and the runner-up in baseball. Drafted as a third baseman, he slugged just .356 and didn't homer in 205 at-bats during his pro debut. Great makeup and competitiveness are the two most common attributes ascribed to Antonelli. He's an overachiever who grinds counts and understands how to hit, using all fields and letting his home runs come naturally instead of muscling up on the ball. Antonelli has average bat speed and his power comes mostly to left field and left-center. San Diego introduced Antonelli to second base in 2006 instructional league and while he's not a flashy defender there, he has good first step reactions, solid-average range, the fortitude to hang in on double plays and more than enough arm. He has plus speed and baserunning instincts. Because he's still learning second base, Antonelli tends to sit back on balls and come up early when fielding. While he runs well, he might not have the explosiveness to steal bases at the highest level. Though he's athletic and offers a wide base of skills, he's a max-effort player who sometimes verges on playing out of control. The Padres signed Tadahito Iguchi to a one-year contract, which allows them to give Antonelli some time in Triple-A if he needs it. He should develop into an offensive second baseman with the potential to be an all-star.
As a high school senior, Antonelli was the Massachusetts state player of the year in football and hockey--and the runner-up in baseball. He improved his game in each of his three seasons at Wake Forest and turned in two strong summers in the Cape Cod League. The Padres made him the 17th overall pick last June and signed him for $1.575 million. Antonelli has excellent pitch recognition skills and makes consistent contact. His swing is compact, though his bat speed is only average. He hits the ball hard to all fields because he stays back well on offspeed pitches. A rare athlete for a third baseman, Antonelli has above-average quickness and speed, with soft hands and a solid arm at the hot corner. The big question with Antonelli is his power. He hit just three homers in two summers using wood bats on the Cape and didn't go deep in his debut. As a result, he worked to improve the load of his swing in instructional league. Because his two-strike approach is so good, he works a lot of deep counts, and some observers think he can get too passive. For such a good athlete, at times he looks like he's exerting maximum effort. He has the tools to play just about anywhere on the diamond and might settle in at second base--where he auditioned in instructional league--or in center field if he doesn't develop the power of a prototypical third baseman. He'll probably jump to high Class A Lake Elsinore for his first full season.

Minor League Top Prospects

Antonelli came up from high Class A in July and provided a spark for San Antonio in the second half, batting leadoff and playing solid defense at second base in his first full pro season. Drafted as a third baseman, he moved to second this season and drew comparisons to Craig Biggio and Mark Grudzielanek for his steady play. League observers didn't predict stardom for Antonelli, but almost everyone expected him to step in at second base in San Diego as soon as next season and be there for years. He has a good approach at the plate and showed not only a willingness to take a walk, but also the ability to put a charge in the ball when he gets his pitch. He has a quick bat and can drive the ball from gap to gap. Antonelli also impressed with his defense at second base in spite of his inexperience. His range and actions are fine, and he has plenty of arm for the position. He sat back on balls and his angles were off on some plays, but those things should improve with experience, and he should be good at turning double plays in time.
The most major league-ready player in the Cal League, Antonelli made a seamless transition from third to second base and showed a disciplined approach at the plate. He works counts well, makes consistent contact and uses the whole field. Antonelli answered questions about his power, which sprung up after he hit three homers in two seasons in the wood bat Cape Cod League and failed to go deep in his 60-game pro debut in 2006. He showed a quicker bat this year and backed pitchers into situations where they had to feed him pitches he could drive. He hit a combined 21 homers in high Class A and Double-A, and should have plus power for a second baseman. Antonelli's offensive game profiles better at second than it did at third base. He's athletic enough to handle the double-play pivot and to provide the necessary range. His arm is strong for second base as well.
Antonelli boosted his stock all the way into the first round with a solid junior season at Wake Forest, and he continued to show speed and athleticism in his pro debut. He didn't show any power, though, with no home runs and just 15 extra-base hits in 60 games. As a result, scouts and managers agreed that he profiles better as a second baseman. That's not to say there isn't strength in Antonelli's compact build, because there is. He should develop gap power thanks to his quick hands and ability to spray line drives all over the field. He has a disciplined approach at the plate and should become a run-producing top-of-the-order second baseman. He certainly can handle the hot corner with an average arm and good infield actions, though he needs to quicken his reactions a bit. He's athletic enough to move to second base, where he played briefly in low Class A.