Morgan Ensberg Stats & Scouting Report

AB	2204
AVG	.263
OBP	.362
SLG	.468
HR	110

Full name Morgan Paul Ensberg
Born 08/26/1975 in Redondo Beach, CA
Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 220 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Southern California
Debut 09/20/2000
Drafted in the 9th round (272nd overall) by the Houston Astros in 1998.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

A teammate of Jason Lane on Southern California's 1998 championship club, Ensberg ranks fourth on the Trojans' career home run list behind Mark McGwire, Geoff Jenkins and Eric Munson. Ensberg struggled in his first two years as a pro, broke out at Round Rock in 2000 and continued at New Orleans in 2001. Like Lane, Ensberg has made himself into a prospect. He played in both Venezuela and the Dominican Republic, refusing to rest after a huge Double-A season. He continues to get more polished at the plate each year, and his power couldn't be muted even after he broke the hamate bone in his left wrist. He has a strong, accurate arm and the chance to be an average third baseman. Ensberg's range is just OK, and his reactions leave something to be desired. His throwing mechanics aren't the prettiest, though he generally gets the job done. He's also not much of a runner. Though Vinny Castilla enjoyed a renaissance in Houston, Ensberg's presence made him expendable. Ensberg is the favorite to win the Astros' third-base job in spring training. He has more offensive upside than Chris Truby, who's a better defender.
Ensberg played on Southern California's 1998 College World Series-winning club, stealing home on the front end of a triple steal in the championship game against Arizona State. He ranks fourth all-time in homers in the Trojans' storied history, trailing only Mark McGwire, Geoff Jenkins and Eric Munson. Ensberg joined those three in the majors at the end of 2000, his breakthrough season. After batting .236 with a total of 20 homers in his first two years as a pro, he surged to a .300 average and 28 longballs while helping Round Rock win the Texas League title. He improved his plate discipline and his ability to read pitches, keying his success. He can get pull-conscious, leaving him vulnerable to breaking balls or pitches on the outer half. Though he was rated the Texas League's best defensive third baseman, Ensberg still has work to do on the hot corner. He needs to be more consistent with his footwork and throwing. Ticketed for Triple-A to begin 2001, he has more upside than Houston's big league third basemen, Chris Truby and Charlie Hayes. Ensberg may have to fight off Keith Ginter, who could move from second base, in the future.

Minor League Top Prospects

As with the Mariners, the Astros get more attention for their pitching but have a good number of quality position prospects as well. Ensberg torched the Texas League in 2000 and earned a September callup, but this year he missed almost two months of action after surgery on the hamate bone of his left hand. Still, he put up impressive numbers for just 316 at-bats: .310-23-61. "I think he would have had numbers that nobody at the Triple-A level would have matched because of the way he was swinging the bat and the way he went into the game every night," New Orleans manager Tony Pena said. Ensberg has plus power and continues to improve his plate discipline. His defense is still inconsistent and some managers wondered if he might have to move to first base or the outfield.