Yung-Chi Chen Stats & Scouting Report

AB	1658
AVG	.286
OBP	.343
SLG	.401
HR	22

Full name Yung-Chi Chen
Born 07/13/1983 in Taitung County, Taiwan
Profile Ht.: 5'10" / Wt.: 195 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School National Taiwan Sport University

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Chen led Taiwan with one homer and five RBIs at the inaugural World Baseball Classic in 2006, and played in that year's Futures Game. Chen failed to build on that momentum in 2007 when he dislocated his shoulder five games into the Triple-A Tacoma season and missed the rest of the year. He returned to hit .339/.444/.424 in 59 at-bats in the Arizona Fall League. Chen's best tool is his bat. He has a knack for contact, knows how to work pitchers and uses the whole field. Quality breaking balls give him trouble, and he has below-average power--though his buggy-whip swing generates surprising gap power for his size. Chen doesn't run all that well and he's just an average defender who still has to answer questions about his footwork and range at second base. His arm is average. Chen tends to sit back on balls instead of getting his weight up front, but his exchange on double plays is above-average. Added to the 40-man roster in November, Chen will get another shot at Triple-A in 2008, but he'll have to perform. Otherwise the organization's infield depth, like the fast-rising Carlos Triunfel, might catch up to him.
A mainstay on Taiwanese national teams, Chen was the youngest member of his 2004 Olympic team and earned all-tournament honors at the 2005 World Cup and 2006 Intercontinental Cup. He led Taiwan with one homer and five RBIs at the inaugural World Baseball Classic. Chen also played in the Futures Game in 2006, when he batted a career-high .324. Chen has an innate feel for putting the barrel of the bat on the ball. He easily makes contact, uses the entire field and employs a buggy-whip swing to generate surprising gap power for his size. He has the ability to make adjustments from at-bat to at-bat, not just game to game. He has average speed and good baserunning instincts. He's reliable at second base, committing just eight errors in 100 games in 2006, including none in 35 Double-A contests. At best, Chen is an adequate defender. His range and arm are just ordinary and he's not aggressive on ground balls. His double-play pivot also needs improvement. Though he easily hits for average, the rest of his offensive game (power, on-base skills, speed) is just fair. Chen has proven himself at every level so far, stalled only by a partially dislocated shoulder that cost him three weeks in late 2006. He should reach Triple-A at some point in 2007, though he's blocked by all-star Jose Lopez in Seattle.
A veteran of international play with Taiwan, Chen started at third base in the 2004 Olympics and at second base in the 2005 World Cup. He batted .438 to earn all-tournament honors at the latter event. Hitting is what Chen does best. His strong wrists and his knack for centering the ball on the bat give him surprising pop for his size. He makes consistent line-drive contact, using the entire field with a solid approach. Nothing else about Chen's game really stands out, but he doesn't have a glaring weakness either. He has average speed and the instincts to steal an occasional base. His hands, range and arm are ordinary, which is enough to get the job done in the field. His best position is second base because he doesn't have the power for third. The main reason he has seen so much time at the hot corner is that he has been on teams with Asdrubal Cabrera, Oswaldo Navarro and Matt Tuiasosopo, who have shared second and shortstop. Chen is ticketed for high Class A in 2006 and will be the everyday second baseman if Cabrera and Navarro are promoted ahead of him.
Chen's profiles best at second base, but he saw more time at third base last year, both with Everett and as the youngest player on the Taiwanese Olympic team. He started every game at the hot corner for fifth-place Taiwan at the Athens Games, and split time between second and third for Everett in deference to Asdrubal Cabrera and Oswaldo Navarro, who shuttled between shortstop and second. Chen won't have enough power to play third base in the majors, but he shows some offensive promise. He has strong wrists and a knack for centering the ball on the bat, and he can drill line drives to both gaps. He could use some more patience at the plate, however. Chen owns just average speed, but he has good instincts on the bases and had 25 steals in 28 attempts during his pro debut. He's a dependable defender who makes the routine play well, though he looked overmatched at shortstop, where he made four errors in 11 chances. Chen likely faces another year moving between second and third base, as he'll likely be on the same team with shortstop prospects Matt Tuiasosopo and Oswaldo Navarro in low Class A.

Minor League Top Prospects

Chen has performed well on the international stage, playing third base as the youngest member of Taiwan's 2004 Olympic team and winning all-tournament honors at the 2005 World Cup. His bat proved too advanced for the Cal League, and he was promoted to Double-A, where he continued to hit to the tune of .295/.365/.443. Chen's biggest strength is his pure hitting ability. He has a good plan at the plate, makes consistent contact and can spray line drives to all fields. He doesn't have a lot of power, but he can find the gaps now and then, and his average speed plays well on the basepaths. He's not a standout defender at second base, where Chen can make tough plays and then suffer lapses on more routine plays. It's uncertain whether he has enough defensive skills to be an everyday player, but offensively he profiles as a potential No. 2 hitter thanks to his ability to make contact.