Travis Ishikawa Stats & Scouting Report

AB	944
AVG	.255
OBP	.321
SLG	.391
HR	23

Full name Travis Takashi Ishikawa
Born 09/24/1983 in Seattle, WA
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 220 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Federal Way
Debut 04/18/2006
Drafted in the 21st round (637th overall) by the San Francisco Giants in 2002.

View Draft Report

Ishikawa was a virtual unknown to all but area scouts entering 2002. He didn't attend any major showcase events last summer or play on an elite travel team, and he spent last fall playing football. He has been on fire this spring and now projects as a possible second- or third-round pick. His bat warrants most of the attention. He's a strong, smooth lefthanded hitter with excellent power potential. He's athletic at 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds, and runs the 60-yard dash in 6.7 seconds. Ishikawa prefers to play first base but profiles better in the outfield.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Ishikawa looked like he was falling off the prospect radar in 2007, when he lost his swing and dealt with several nagging injuries. Regarded as the Giants' first baseman of the future when they gave him a $955,000 bonus to steer him away from Oregon State in 2002, he got back on track in 2008. He rescued his career by performing well in a return to Double-A and was even better after a promotion, hitting 16 home runs in 171 Triple-A at-bats. He suddenly found himself with a major league opportunity in mid-August when John Bowker couldn't pull himself out of a prolonged slump. Ishikawa credited his faith with his success, saying belief in a higher power kept him from living and dying with every at-bat. While showing better power last year, he also cut down on his strikeouts considerably and showed good pitch recognition against major league competition, though he remains susceptible to soft stuff away. He's an excellent defensive first baseman with soft hands, above-average range and a terrific feel for the position. He has below-average speed but is decent for a first baseman. He held his own in his big league trial and will be a platoon candidate for the Giants--possibly teaming with switch-hitter Pablo Sandoval--if they don't acquire another first baseman this winter.
Ishikawa made his major league debut in April and didn't look overmatched at the plate, and he also impressed the coaching staff with his smooth fielding at first base. But he was optioned to Double-A when Lance Niekro returned from the bereavement list and fared so poorly that the Giants didn't bring him back in September. The club signed him to a $955,000 bonus in 2002 to steer him away from Oregon State and expected his line-drive swing to translate into more home runs as he matured physically. Ishikawa has filled out and he has tremendous lower-body strength, but his development with the bat has been erratic and his best tool remains his glove. He regressed a bit with his strike zone discipline, taking too many strikes early in the count and failing to hone his two-strike approach. A move to the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League should help Ishikawa regain confidence this season.
Since the Giants bought Ishikawa out of his Oregon State commitment with a $955,000 signing bonus as a 21st-round pick in 2002, they have waited for him to break out. He finally did so in 2005, setting career highs across the board to earn a spot on the 40-man roster. The Giants always have believed in Ishikawa's bat and makeup. He's athletic and repeats a balanced, fluid stroke, and his swing has natural leverage that produces power. He's patient and unafraid to work deep into counts. He actually hit better against lefties (.317) than righties (.273) in 2005. He's an excellent defender at first base, with good footwork and fine hands. Ishikawa will strike out a lot because his swing can get long and has some holes. He can be beaten inside by above-average fastballs, and he's still learning to make better adjustments, such as pulling the ball more consistently. He's slowed some as he has filled out physically and is now a below-average runner. The Giants have been patient with Ishikawa, who finally will reach Double-A in his fifth pro season. He projects as a .275 hitter with 20-30 homers annually.
The Giants have been patient with Ishikawa, a former high school football player whose swing and defense at first base drew John Olerud comparisons. His power started to blossom in 2004, when his 16 homers doubled his previous career total. His $955,000 signing bonus--as a 21st rounder, no less--remains the second-largest San Francisco ever has given a hitter out of the draft. Ishikawa's consistent swing and good bat speed give him above-average power potential. He crushes balls in the lower half of the strike zone. He knows the value of a walk and isn't afraid to hit behind in the count. He's a fine defender at first base with soft hands, and he's athletic enough to play left field as well. Ishikawa hit .188 with 66 strikeouts in his first 47 games last year because he was patient to the point of being passive and wasn't offering at pitches he could drive. As he got more aggressive, his power and average picked up. The Giants say his pitch recognition is improving, and that with more experience he'll find the right blend of patience and aggression. Lefthanded power is hard to find, and San Francisco thinks Ishikawa is turning the corner. He'll return to high Class A to start 2005.
The Giants weren't sure if Ishikawa was ready for a full-season league in 2003 but decided to send him to low Class A rather than keep him in extended spring training. After many strikeouts and struggles, he matched his regular-season output with an organization-record six homers in 60 instructional league at-bats in the fall. Ishikawa received a $955,000 signing bonus because the Giants believe in his bat. He has a smooth lefthanded swing that remind some in the organization of John Olerud, and he has more raw power. A high school wide receiver, Ishikawa has good actions around the bag at first base. Ishikawa was overmatched in low Class A, leading to some confidence problems. He didn't have a consistent approach at the plate, leading to hot and cold streaks. He took some of his bad at-bats into the field, helping account for 16 errors. Ishikawa needs to reestablish his confidence back at Hagerstown. He's off the fast track, but not off the radar, with a San Francisco ETA of late 2006.
Despite keeping a low profile before his high school senior year, Ishikawa emerged as a projected second- or third-round pick in the 2002 draft. But teams were scared off by his bonus demands and his declared intention to attend Oregon State, so the Giants got him in the 21st round. After a month of negotiations he signed for $950,000, an unprecedented bonus for a player that deep in the draft. Ishikawa draws John Olerud comparisons because of his smooth line-drive swing and defensive prowess. However, he has more power potential and athleticism. The way Ishikawa hits balls out of the park effortlessly in batting practice leads the Giants to believe he'll have at least 30-homer pop. His speed and agility allow him to play the outfield, where he saw some brief time in his pro debut. Though Ishikawa is slick at first base, he needs to be more aggressive pursuing grounders to his right instead of letting his second baseman handle everything. He'll probably begin his first full season in low Class A.

Minor League Top Prospects

After hitting .307 and ranking 10th on this list last year, Ishikawa hit .206 at low Class A this season before returning to Salem-Keizer. He was more comfortable in the NWL, showing solid strike-zone judgment and the patience to wait for a pitch he could handle. He shows a natural lefthanded swing and should hit for a decent average and about 20 home runs annually. "He drove the ball well and is a big threat in the lineup," Kennedy said. "He's an outstanding young hitter." At first base, Ishikawa makes the routine plays but does little that's outstanding. His nimble hands allow him to pick poor throws out of the dirt, but he doesn't move or field the ball well.
Projected as the No. 3 prospect in the state of Washington going into the draft, Ishikawa lasted until the end of the first day of the proceedings thanks to hefty bonus demands. The Giants met them, paying him a $950,000 bonus, a record for a 21st-round pick. He started living up to it in the NWL, where he slashed four singles in his debut against Spokane. After a late-August slump, Ishikawa finished with a flourish, showing a line-drive swing, good plate coverage and an athletic build. He didn't hit for much power in his pro debut, but showed he could handle a good fastball and projects to have more pop as he fills out.
Ishikawa was a projected second-round pick in this year's draft but fell to the 21st round amid concerns over his signability. Undeterred, the Giants swept the Washington high school product off his feet with an eye-opening $950,000 bonus. Ishikawa added the exclamation point by homering in his first AZL at-bat--his only home run in 19 games before getting promoted to the short-season Northwest League, where he hit .307 in 22 games. He drives the ball to the gaps now and should develop over-the-fence power in time. "He reminds me a lot of John Olerud," Hunter said. "He's got the same approach and takes the same swing. And he's also got an excellent glove."