Dustin Pedroia Stats & Scouting Report

AB	6031
AVG	.299
OBP	.365
SLG	.439
HR	140

Full name Dustin Luis Pedroia
Born 08/17/1983 in Woodland, CA
Profile Ht.: 5'9" / Wt.: 170 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Arizona State
Debut 08/22/2006
Drafted in the 2nd round (65th overall) by the Boston Red Sox in 2004 (signed for $575,000).

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Pedroia's tools are below-average across the board, but people have learned not to sell him short. Scouts expect him to be a big leaguer, and probably an everyday player. He's not physically gifted at 5-foot-9 and 165 pounds, but Pedroia is a classic overachiever and possibly the best player in college baseball. He has a great work ethic and exceptional sense of the game. He's hard-nosed and competitive, and without peer as a team leader. He's a blood-and-guts player who thrives under pressure and makes everyone around him better. Scouts question whether he can be an everyday shortstop on a good team because his arm and range are short, but he catches almost everything hit at him. He has sure hands, a quick release and excellent hand-eye coordination, and is adept at anticipating plays. He doesn't profile any better as a second baseman, a more offensive position. While he led the Sun Devils with a .409 average and nine home runs, he doesn't have a pretty swing and is a slap hitter. But he has good strike zone judgment and is a tough out. He struck only 11 times while drawing 43 walks. He compares to Angels shortstop David Eckstein, though Eckstein is a better runner. On tools, Pedroia is not a high-round pick but he's a perfect fit for a performance-based organization like the Athletics, who have four of the first 40 picks.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Since he was Boston's top pick (second round) in 2004, Pedroia consistently has hit .300 and stayed at shortstop in spite of scouts' belief he'll have to eventually move to second base. He continually draws David Eckstein comparisons, though he has more pop and less speed than the World Series MVP does. Pedroia has some of the best hand-eye coordination in baseball. That allows him to make consistent contact while swinging from his heels, which in turn gives him gap power. He led the Triple-A International League by averaging just one strikeout per 18.3 plate appearances, and he fanned just seven times in 89 big league at-bats. His instincts make him an effective defender and baserunner. Surehanded, he has made just 17 errors in 301 pro games. Pedroia is undersized and needs to get stronger so he can avoid the nagging injuries (wrist and shoulder) that have bothered him the last two years. His speed, range and arm strength are all below-average, but that hasn't stopped him yet. The Red Sox signed free agent Julio Lugo to start at shortstop, but they also let Mark Loretta depart, leaving an opening at second base. That's the best fit for Pedroia, the frontrunner to claim the starting job there.
Boston's top pick in 2004, Pedroia was the organization's minor league offensive player of the year in 2005. A wrist injury shortly after a promotion to Triple-A kept him from getting called up to Boston. He has extraordinary hand-eye coordination. He's able to swing from his heels yet make consistent contact with gap power. Managers rated his strike-zone discipline and second-base defense the best in the Eastern League last year. His instincts and makeup are excellent. Pedroia's arm and range weren't quite up to par at shortstop, though Boston would have kept him there if he hadn't teamed with Hanley Ramirez last year. Pedroia's speed is a step below-average, but he runs the bases well. He needs to get stronger to hold up over a full season. The Red Sox wouldn't mind giving Pedroia more time in Triple-A. A trade for Mark Loretta and Tony Graffanino's acceptance of arbitration probably ended Pedroia's chances of winning the second-base job this spring, but there's also a hole at shortstop he might fill.
Pedroia represents one extreme of the tools vs. performance debate. He's not physically gifted, but he wins. A two-time All-American at Arizona State, he had no problem adjusting to Class A in his pro debut. He batted a combined .357 and didn't commit an error in 42 games. Pedroia has tremendous ability to handle the bat and control the strike zone, making him a candidate to bat second in a big league lineup. His hands and fundamentals are excellent at shortstop, and the Red Sox believe he'll be able to stay at that position. He enhances his average speed with uncanny instincts. Several scouts have questioned whether Pedroia has enough arm and range to play shortstop. The presence of Hanley Ramirez in the system may make that question moot. Pedroia never will be a home run threat, though he'll have some gap power. Pedroia may start his first full season in Double-A. He could be Boston's next Jody Reed, who began his big league career at shortstop before moving to second base.

Minor League Top Prospects

Pedroia is the classic example of a player who plays above his tools. Opposing mangers described him as a pesky hitter and a tough out, but had reservations about his lack of power and range. Pedroia got results in Triple-A, though, batting .305 (fifth in the IL) with 30 doubles and nearly twice as many walks (48) as strikeouts (27). Pedroia makes up for below-average speed and raw power by maximizing his selectivity as a hitter and by using the whole field. He showed an aptitude for taking the breaking ball the other way, and he has the hand-eye coordination to make consistent contact while using a big swing. "Pitchers will always challenge Pedroia, and he will prove them wrong," a scout said. "He will put the ball in play. He'll use the first-base and third-base line. He's a kid you love to have on your club." Pedroia was a shortstop at Arizona State and spent the majority of his time there for Pawtucket, but he doesn't have the range to be a regular there in the majors. He spent a lot of time at second base, and his sure hands and strong arm play better at the keystone.
Pedroia keeps defying the odds. He has solid-average tools across the board, but like Hill he has a knack for getting the most out of his physical abilities. After a stunning pro debut in 2004, he followed up by .324 in Double-A before coming to Pawtucket. A wrist injury sapped his strength early on in Triple-A, but once healthy he batted .270 with five homers in August. Primarily a line-drive hitter, Pedroia showed some gap power year with quick hands and good leverage in his swing. Though he was drafted as a shortstop, his arm and range are better suited for second base, where he moved to accommodate Hanley Ramirez in Double-A. His instincts and determination make him better than his tools would indicate. "He's a pest, a guy you don't want to see," Buffalo manager Marty Brown said. "He's a tough, tough out and takes every AB to heart. You never see him waste one or take anything for granted. It just seems like he's always a step ahead."
Pedroia has a throwback style that endears him to managers and scouts alike, though his only above-average tool is his bat. His tools don't compare to those of Ramirez, on whose account he moved from shortstop to second base this year, but he easily outperformed him while they were together in Portland. He's deceptive at the plate. He has an open stance and cheats at times on fastballs in, but Pedroia manages to keep the bat head in the zone a long time and makes consistent hard contact. He has some gap power and excellent bat-handling skills and plate discipline that make him a prototype No. 2 hitter. "He can flat-out hit," Claus said. "I don't care if the guy's throwing 98 or 78, he can center it. He's just got an innate ability to put the barrel on the ball." Pedroia has average arm strength and range, but he's a plus defender because he positions himself well and reads balls well off the bat. Similarly, he enhances speed that's a tick below average on the stopwatch with uncanny baserunning instincts.