Tony Giarratano Stats & Scouting Report

AB	42
AVG	.143
OBP	.234
SLG	.214
HR	1

Full name Anthony James Giarratano
Born 11/29/1982 in Queens, NY
Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 180 / Bats: S / Throws: R
School Tulane
Debut 06/01/2005
Drafted in the 3rd round (70th overall) by the Detroit Tigers in 2003 (signed for $500,000).

View Draft Report

While Hill may have to switch positions, Giarratano is a pure shortstop. Among the college players who can make that claim, he may have the best all-around package of tools. Defensively, his hands and arm rate a 65 on the 20-80 scouting scale. He made just nine errors during the regular season and used his agility to make several outstanding plays. After a disastrous 2002 in which he batted .238 for Tulane and .187 in the Cape Cod League, Giarratano has remade himself offensively. After gaining weight a year ago, he got into better shape and batted .347 during the 2003 regular season. He should be a contact hitter who can hit in the .270 range while providing a few doubles and stolen bases. With his glove, that would be enough to earn him a big league starting job. Because he's a college player and can stay at shortstop, Giarratano could be overdrafted in the late second round.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Giarratano ranked No. 8 on this list as recently as two years ago, but injuries have sidetracked his promising career. Giarratano was limited to 67 games in 2006 because of a wrist injury and surgery on a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. His rehabilitation from the knee injury went well and Giarratano reported early to spring training. Even before the Grapefruit League opened, though, he felt pain in his throwing shoulder. He had surgery to repair a torn labrum soon afterward and missed the entire 2007 season. At this point, it's impossible to know how much the shoulder and knee injuries will compromise a good throwing arm and above-average defensive tools. Giarratano had projected as an everyday shortstop because of his brilliant glove and plus range, and might have been a candidate to start for the Tigers in 2008 if he had remained healthy. He makes good contact from both sides of the plate and runs well enough to turn some doubles into triples and steal some occasional bases. He's expected to participate in spring training this season, a good sign. More than anything else, he needs to stay healthy.
For the third time in four pro seasons, Giarratano couldn't stay healthy. He got hot in June, injured his wrist, came back and lasted five games before suffering a season-ending tear of the anterior-cruciate ligament in his right knee. He had surgery and probably won't be ready for the start of spring training. He also had shoulder trouble that necessitated postseason surgery in 2004 and hamstring troubles in 2005. At his best, Giarratano is a smooth, athletic defender with a good arm. His biggest asset is an ability to save runs with his glove, and he also can run and hit for average. Prior to the knee injury, he had big league range and profiled as an everyday shortstop. He hits well from both sides of the plate and fits in the No. 2 hole or the bottom third of a major league lineup. He doesn't have much power, but he has a short stroke, hits line drives and uses the entire field. He also plays with an energy and enthusiasm that the Tigers love. The surgery's toll on his athleticism is unclear for the time being, and he may have to spend a third season in Double-A.
Injuries hit Giarratano again last season, short-circuiting a campaign that saw him get his first big league promotion in early June when Carlos Guillen went down with a pulled hamstring. Giarratano went out with a sports hernia in August, and he was limited to rehabilitation work in Lakeland during instructional league in the fall. When he's healthy, Giarratano grades out as above-average in four tools. He has a quick bat and covers the strike zone with a compact stroke, spraying line drives from pole to pole. He's a plus defender thanks to his range and strong, accurate arm. He also runs well. Giarratano needs to get stronger to keep from getting the bat knocked out of his hands by quality inside fastballs. He figures to never hit for much power anyway. Injuries have affected him three of the last four years going back to his sophomore year at Tulane, including postseason shoulder surgery in 2004, so his durability is a major concern. His 2005 callup shows what the Tigers think of Giarratano's defense. For his offense to keep him in the majors, he'll need to stay healthy and get more at-bats. His spring performance will determine if he returns to Double-A Erie or graduates to Triple-A Toledo this year.
Giarratano lasted until the third round of the 2003 draft in part because of lingering doubts from his sophomore season, when he hit .238 at Tulane and .187 in the Cape Cod League. He has had no problems as a pro, with a career .333 average. He injured his left shoulder in August, ending his season and requiring surgery. Giarratano has pure shortstop actions with outstanding glovework and soft, quick hands. He has answered questions about his ability to hit with wood, employing a contact approach and producing consistent line drives to all fields from both sides of the plate. He runs well and has the instincts to reach double digits in steals annually. The lone hole in Giarratano's game is his power. His other tools are solid, and he showed improved patience after walking infrequently in his pro debut. Middle infield is one of Detroit's few areas of depth. Giarratano is poised for a jump to Double-A, and if he keeps producing the Tigers will find a spot for him.
Giarratano had arguably the best all-around tools among college shortstops in the 2003 draft, and his all-star debut in the short-season New York-Penn League did nothing to detract from his claim. After hitting .238 for Tulane and .187 in the Cape Cod League in 2002, he improved dramatically at the plate last year. He stands out defensively and ranks just behind Anderson Hernandez among the system's infielders. Giarratano has plus speed for a shortstop and a strong, accurate arm. His hands and actions are also better than average. A natural righthanded hitter, he's more effective from the left side. He made a surprisingly easy transition from aluminum bats and should be able to hit for a solid average with gap power and a few steals. Giarratano handles the bat well but must improve his patience. He won't have much power, so he'll need good on-base skills. Giarratano entered the organization at a perfect time. The Tigers were disappointed by upper-level shortstops Omar Infante, Ramon Santiago and Anderson Hernandez in 2003. Even after trading Santiago for Carlos Guillen, Detroit will give Giarratano the chance to move quickly. He'll skip a level and play in high Class A this year.

Minor League Top Prospects

A relatively unheralded third-round pick in 2003, Giarratano quickly has established himself as one of the top shortstop prospects in the minors. After starting this year by batting a solid if workmanlike .285 in the low Class A Midwest League, he hit a scorching .376 after arriving in the FSL in late May. Giarratano has above-average athleticism, a very good glove and a compact stroke from both sides of the plate. He should fit nicely at the top of a lineup. He has good bat control and on-base ability, plus speed and an idea of how to steal a base.
Among the pure college shortstops in the 2003 draft, Giarratano might have had the best all-around tools. He has solid defensive actions with soft hands, plus arm strength and good range. Setting up with a wide, upright stance, the switch-hitting Giarratano has a line-drive stroke from both sides of the plate but does a better job of staying inside the ball lefthanded. He's lean and athletic with room for added strength. He'll never be a home run hitter, so he'll have to draw more walks. "We couldn't get him out," Lowell manager Jon Deeble said. "He's an above-average runner with some pop from both sides, showed good defensive skills and looks like he really knows how to play. I liked him a lot."