Jose Abreu Stats & Scouting Report

AB	113
AVG	.124
OBP	.167
SLG	.195
HR	2

Full name José Dariel Abreu
Born 01/29/1987 in Cienfuegos, Cuba
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 235 / Bats: R / Throws: R
Debut 03/31/2014

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Abreu started playing in Cuba's top league, Serie Nacional, when he was 16 and was one of its best hitters by 2007-08, when he hit .295. As the league's offense spiked, Abreu matured, and he began to put up almost comedic offensive numbers. His best year was 2010-11, when he was the league's MVP and broke Yoenis Cespedes' single-season home run record by batting .453/.597/.986 with 33 homers in 66 games. In his last full season, 2011-12, he hit .394/.542/.837 with 35 home runs and led the league in batting, on-base, slugging and OPS. Abreu also became a stalwart on Cuban national teams, and BA ranked him as the No. 4 prospect in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. He joined the exodus of talent from the island in August 2013, was declared a free agent shortly thereafter by Major League Baseball and worked out for teams in the Dominican Republic. The White Sox signed him to a six-year, $64 million contract in October that included a $10 million signing bonus, the largest in franchise history. Physically, Abreu fits right in with the Chicago's recent string of all-star first basemen and DHs, from Frank Thomas in the 1990s to Paul Konerko, Jim Thome and Adam Dunn. He derives massive raw power from his physicality and strength, with strong hands and forearms and the ability to hit balls out to any part of the ballpark. He wowed team president Kenny Williams in a private workout with his feel for hitting, not just his pure power. He has a simple line-drive swing without too many moving parts, at least in his upper half. His swing lacks much of a trigger and his hands come from a dead start, but his bat stays in the hitting zone a long time, and he has the strength to compensate. Some scouts worry about his double toe-tap stride and average bat speed, fearing they will inhibit his ability to catch up to premium velocity on the inner half. Abreu is just a fair athlete and well below-average runner who is tied to first base defensively. He should be an adequate defender there as long as he maintains his fitness. The White Sox have had success with Cubans, from Minnie Minoso in the 1950s to 2005 World Series hero Jose Contreras to current lineup stalwarts Alexei Ramirez and Dayan Vicideo. They see Abreu as the best of the recent lot and as a middle-of-the-order force to replace the production, if not the leadership, of the 38-year-old Konerko. Ideally, he would hit fifth or sixth in the lineup as a rookie, as the team doesn't want to put too much pressure on him. If Abreu sees time in the minor leagues in 2014, the White Sox will be disappointed.