Lee Haydel Stats & Scouting Report

AB	2450
AVG	.282
OBP	.327
SLG	.347
HR	4

Full name Lee Thomas Haydel
Born 07/15/1987 in La Place, LA
Profile Ht.: 5'11" / Wt.: 180 / Bats: L / Throws: R
School Delgado CC
Drafted in the 19th round (572nd overall) by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2006 (signed for $624,000).

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Outfielder Lee Haydel probably would lose a race to Jared Mitchell--but not by much. He's another top-of-the-line runner who has been clocked at 6.39 seconds in the 60-yard dash. He has fine instincts and a solid arm in center field, and scouts compare him to Scott Podsednik. Also a wide receiver in football and a star sprinter, Haydel led Riverside Academy to the state Class 2-A baseball title this spring. The big concern with Haydel, as it is with Mitchell, is how much he'll hit. He's just 5-foot-11 and 170 pounds, and he's so raw at the plate that he might not be ready to start for Louisiana State as a freshman if he attends college. Those who like him say he uses a basic slap-hitting approach only because he has been asked to do so, and that he has the bat speed to be a threat at the plate. A team that really likes Haydel could pop him as early as the third round. He fits the profile of a typical Braves draftee, and Atlanta has monitored him closely.

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Organization Prospect Rankings

Haydel still has the tools of a center fielder--in particular, plus-plus speed--but because of a glut of players at that position throughout the organization, he played left field most of the time in Double-A last year. That was a waste of his ball-chasing skills and Haydel has no power to speak of, so it's difficult to project him as a left fielder in the major leagues. Haydel has made steady improvement in his overall approach to hitting, though he still strikes out too often and doesn't walk enough to take full advantage of his speed. He gets on fastballs with a quick stroke but still struggles with off-speed stuff. Haydel has responded to coaching and is learning to hit more balls on the ground instead of useless fly balls. The switch to left field forced him to learn how to take better routes to balls and he continues to work on his defense. He will have to play the Brett Butler game to get to the majors: slash the ball, bunt for hits and use his speed in all facets of the game. At this point, he projects as an extra outfielder at best unless he improves his plate discipline and starts getting on base more consistently. He probably will begin the 2011 season in Triple-A.
The Brewers believe Haydel is just beginning to scratch the surface of his potential, and his production has already been pretty good for his experience level. Milwaukee signed him for $624,000 as one of the last draftand- follows in 2007, after he had decided to attend Delgado (La.) CC instead of Louisiana State out of high school. Haydel has exceptional speed but hasn't been selective enough at the plate to take full advantage of his best tool. He has little power so he needs to bunt more, draw walks and get on base. With a .289 career average, all he has to do is boost his OBP. He also needs to work on getting better jumps and reading pitchers because he gets caught stealing too often. He has a ceiling as a legitimate leadoff hitter, which the Brewers lack at present. Haydel has good range in center and chases down balls in the gaps, and his arm is solid for the position. He'll need time to fully develop, but the potential is there to become a player comparable to Jacoby Ellsbury. Haydel will continue his step-by-step progress by moving up to high Class A in 2009.
The two fastest players in the system both signed as draft-and-follows. Haydel, who can run the 60-yard dash in 6.35 seconds, intrigued scouts as a Louisiana high schooler in 2006. But his raw bat, desire for a $250,000 bonus and intent to attend Louisiana State rendered him unsignable. The Brewers took a flier on him in the 19th round and caught a break when he opted to attend Delgado (La.) CC after LSU forced out head coach Smoke Laval. Haydel got stronger as a freshman at Delgado, reducing the questions about his bat, and he signed for $624,000 rather than re-entering the 2007 draft, in which he might have gone as high as the supplemental first round. Haydel's hitting is still a work in progress, but he's doing a better job of handling quality fastballs and hanging in against offspeed pitches. He has little power, so he needs to do a better job of controlling the strike zone and getting on base. Haydel has plus range in center field and a solid arm that ranks as above average for his position. He'll need time to develop, but his ceiling is high enough that one scout compared his potential to Jacoby Ellsbury's. Haydel will spend his first full pro season in low Class A.