Esix Snead

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked St. Louis Cardinals #13 prospect in 2001
  Snead set a new high Class A Carolina League standard with 109 stolen bases last year, breaking the record of 105 set by Lenny Dykstra. Almost as amazing, Snead was caught 35 times. So much for the element of surprise. Snead is a true speedster. He's a go-getter and a hard worker who loves to play, and he's a strong defender who can really go get the ball in center field. Unless he improves his hitting and gets on base more, though, he won't make an impact in the big leagues. He's relatively inexperienced and still doesn't have much of a hitting approach. He could probably add 30 points to his average if he just bunted effectively. His real problem is that he's not strong enough to hit the ball with authority. Opposing teams realize it and cheat in on him, making it harder for him to get leg hits. Snead's speed makes him intriguing, though, and the Cardinals will give him every chance to succeed. He didn't fare any better in the Arizona Fall League, so hitting against Double-A pitchers could provide a real challenge.
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  Ranked St. Louis Cardinals #15 prospect in 1999

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Carolina League #13 prospect in 2000
  It has been said that Snead is so fast, his speed actually slows a game down. When Potomac’s leadoff man got on base, the tempo of a game typically slowed to a crawl. Pitchers repeatedly stepped off the rubber and threw over to first in an attempt to keep the all-star from getting too big a lead. Nothing really worked. Not even pitchouts. Snead simply outran the baseball en route to a CL-record 109 stolen bases. An offseason hitting program made Snead a better offensive threat this season, though he still must get stronger and make more contact. He already could star in the big leagues defensively as a center fielder. "He reminds me of Otis Nixon. He's got explosive, scary speed," Dayett said. "He's easily the most exciting player in the league."

• December, 1999 Scouting Report
  It has been said that Snead is so fast, his speed actually slows a game down. When Potomac’s leadoff man got on base, the tempo of a game typically slowed to a crawl. Pitchers repeatedly stepped off the rubber and threw over to first in an attempt to keep the all-star from getting too big a lead. Nothing really worked. Not even pitchouts. Snead simply outran the baseball en route to a CL-record 109 stolen bases. An offseason hitting program made Snead a better offensive threat this season, though he still must get stronger and make more contact. He already could star in the big leagues defensively as a center fielder. "He reminds me of Otis Nixon. He's got explosive, scary speed," Dayett said. "He's easily the most exciting player in the league."