Val Majewski Stats & Scouting Report

AB	13
AVG	.154
OBP	.154
SLG	.231
HR	0

Full name Walter Val Majewski
Born 06/19/1981 in New Brunswick, NJ
Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 220 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Rutgers
Debut 08/20/2004
Drafted in the 3rd round (76th overall) by the Baltimore Orioles in 2002 (signed for $400,000).

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As Brownlie's teammate, Majewski got attention all spring. He didn't play as well as hoped and struggled early, trying to show scouts his power was legit. It had the opposite effect as his swing deteriorated. He didn't make adjustments well on breaking balls, raising questions about whether he might struggle at the next level. On the season, he hit an ordinary .335-10-47. Majewski did adapt well to right field after playing first base his first two years at Rutgers. His speed, arm and athletic ability all played well there.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Majewski was on the verge of battling for a big league job when he tore the labrum in his left shoulder and missed all of the 2005 season following surgery. He stayed healthy through 2006 and knocked most of the rust off his swing, and he went from hitting .204 at the end of June to .260 by the end of the season. Majewski's bat is his best tool when he's healthy, and he's still recovering his complex yet fluid swing on a consistent basis. He was viewed as an ideal right fielder before the injury, but he spent some time in left and at first base (as well as DH) in 2006. In case his arm doesn't allow him to stay in the outfield, he did a good job at first base, though he doesn't fit the power profile there. His increased versatility could make Majewski a useful bench player if he doesn't hit enough to win an everyday job. The Orioles will throw out his 2006 performance and let him come to big league spring training to compete for a job, though he'll likely return to Triple-A to begin the season.
In a season with plenty of big league opportunity, Majewski couldn't take advantage because a labrum tear in his throwing shoulder kept him out all season. He had surgery in spring training after rest and rehab didn't work, and he didn't return until instructional league. He went to the Arizona Fall League and headed to the Dominican League to continue to make up at-bats. Majewski is a professional hitter who makes hard, consistent contact when he's healthy. He has a strong approach at the plate and should hit for power and average. His makeup is off the charts, so there was no doubt he would work hard to rehabilitate his injury. The shoulder injury is Majewski's only remaining question mark. His swing looked slow early in the fall but came around by the end of the AFL season. Previously seen as an ideal right fielder, he could move to left if he doesn't recover his arm strength. Majewski worked hard this offseason to make up for lost time, and he'll start 2006 in Triple-A to get more at-bats and get his arm back in shape. If he's healthy, he could be called up quickly.
Majewski was Baltimore's minor league player of the year and a Double-A Eastern League all-star in 2004. He made his big league debut in August, but the year ended on a down note when doctors found a small labrum tear in his throwing shoulder. Majewski's makeup is off the charts, and he's intensely focused on the things he can control. He goes to the plate with a plan and shows good pitch selection. He makes hard contact and his home run power is starting to emerge. He has the tools for right field and also has seen time in center. Majewski's swing has more holes than Markakis', and lefthanders still give him trouble at times. He also tries to be perfect with every swing, which sometimes makes him too rigid at the plate. He doesn't draw many walks. Assuming his shoulder is healthy--and the Orioles say it is--Majewski should be able to help in Baltimore soon. Scouts say he'll be a more physical version of Larry Bigbie. First, though, Majewski needs to get at-bats at Triple-A Ottawa.
Majewski was on his way to putting up monster numbers in his first full pro season when a stress fracture in his femur knocked him out of action for six weeks. The Orioles aren't sure what caused it, but he has fully healed. Despite playing at first base in college and in center field in the minors, Majewski is more of a prototype right fielder. He has a quiet, disciplined approach at the plate and takes a direct path to the ball, centering just about every pitch he hits. He uses the whole ballpark and doesn't have to pull the ball to drive it. The Orioles say his makeup can't be graded high enough. Majewski has a good arm and the potential to be a plus defender in right fielder, but he needs more experience there. He'll have to hit more home runs to fit the right-field profile. Majewski proved enough in 41 games at high Class A to open 2004 in Double-A. He could move quickly through an organization that needs impact bats, especially in the outfield.
Like Rutgers teammate Bobby Brownlie, Majewski had a disappointing junior season and it hurt him in the 2002 draft. He didn't sign until the end of July, after Orioles owner Peter Angelos got involved in negotiations. The Orioles were pleased with what they saw after he signed, as he earned a promotion to low Class A. He's a complete player with a line-drive swing from the left side, a balanced approach and good knowledge of the strike zone. He likes to put the ball in play and has a knack for doing so, putting together a 12-game hitting streak at Aberdeen. The question mark is power. His quest for it led to his struggles at Rutgers, but he showed more at Aberdeen. He played first base in his first two years of college but moved to the outfield last year, and he even playing center in the minors. He profiles as a corner outfielder, where his arm and athletic ability should make him at least an average defender. He also runs well for his size. Majewski will play in Class A in 2003, and where he starts the season will be determined by how he plays in spring training.

Minor League Top Prospects

Granderson and Majewski are manager's dreams. Majewski doesn't have one outstanding tool but he does everything well and has championship-caliber makeup. A natural hitter, Majewski drives the ball to all fields with a simple, pure line-drive stroke from the left side. He draws walks and stays under control. He has power potential, and should hit 20 to 25 home runs in the majors but is content to be patient at the plate, and hit pitches where they are thrown. He profiles best as a left fielder. He has below average speed, but makes up for it by getting good jumps on balls and is savvy on the basepaths. He needs to work on going back on balls. Majewski's arm rates as solid-average and is very accurate. "He's very committed to what he's doing, there are no false pretenses," Bowie manager Dave Trembley said. "He's an old-school type player. If it's the first or the ninth, he's going to run out of the box the same way, he does everything the right way all the time and you don't get those guys that often."