Eric Byrnes
| AB | 3202 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .258 |
| OBP | .32 |
| SLG | .439 |
| HR | 109 |
- Full name Eric James Byrnes
- Born 02/16/1976 in Redwood City, CA
- Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 205 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School UCLA
- Debut 08/22/2000
- Drafted in the 8th round (225th overall) by the Oakland Athletics in 1998.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Byrnes played his high school ball near Oakland in Mountain View, Calif., and has been impressive since turning pro. He batted .357 in his debut, was a California League all-star in 1999 and earned playing time in the majors the last two years. After earning a spot on the Athletics' 2001 playoff roster, he was MVP of the Dominican League in the offseason. Byrnes has hit at every stop, and the A's believe he has solid power potential that he'll unlock as he continues to develop his game. His speed is another asset. He also has an intense work ethic that has led to continual improvement, and he always exhibits all-out hustle. While Byrnes has improved greatly on defense the last two years, he has work remaining to become a top-level outfielder. Some still question whether he has the tools to become an everyday major leaguer or is just a supreme overachiever. The trade of Ryan Ludwick and Byrnes' huge winter have raised his standing in the organization, though. He'll come to spring training fighting for a big league job. Oakland hopes he'll become a leadoff man who can set the table for the rest of the order. -
Despite winning the California League batting title with a .337 average in 1999, Byrnes was regarded as more of a blue-collar player than a prospect. He changed that in 2000 by adding power on his way to a September callup. Byrnes has hit at every stop in the system, and he has solid power potential. He runs well and continues to impress with his makeup. His intense work ethic has led to constant improvement, and he always exhibits all-out hustle. Despite his speed, Byrnes still needs work to become a good defensive outfielder on the corners. He'll have to hit more home runs if he's to become more than a fourth outfielder at the big league level. Byrnes may have difficulty finding playing time in Oakland. Ben Grieve is the left fielder unless he's traded, and Jeremy Giambi and Adam Piatt likely will platoon in right. All three have higher ceilings than Byrnes, as do Ludwick and Encarnacion. Byrnes probably will begin 2001 in Triple-A while he awaits some kind of opening.
Minor League Top Prospects
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Byrnes, a fourth-round pick in 1997 who returned to UCLA for his senior season, was the James Brown of the league: its hardest-working member. Byrnes once got off the team bus following a seven-hour trip from Modesto to Rancho Cucamonga and refused to join his teammates for a pregame meal, opting instead to take extra batting practice with veteran teammate Jacques Landry. "He's got something very few people in this game have: the desire to improve in every part of the game," Geren said. "That attitude and the fact he has enough physical skills make me believe he'll make it."
