Andrew Toles

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #6 prospect in 2017
  Toles was the Rays' No. 6 prospect after the 2013 season, but he dealt with anxiety and related behavioral effects, and the Rays released him just before the 2015 season. Out of baseball and working in the frozen foods section at a Kroger grocery store, the Dodgers gave Toles a chance and signed him to a minor league deal in time for instructional league in 2015. He embarked on a four-level rise in 2016 to make his major league debut, including starting for the Dodgers in the postseason. Toles, whose father Alvin was a first-round NFL draft pick, has long stood out for his quick-twitch athleticism. He starts his lefthanded swing with a leg kick, then unleashes quick hands to stay short and direct to the ball. He is an aggressive hitter but doesn't strike out much. He has a line-drive approach with enough power to hit 10-15 home runs. Toles is a double-plus runner who plays all three outfield spots, fitting in center and playing above-average defense for a corner outfielder. His plus arm is another asset. Toles could be an everyday center fielder but not with Joc Pederson in Los Angeles. He is likely to see playing time in left field in 2017 and rotate around the outfield as needed.
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  Ranked Tampa Bay Rays #28 prospect in 2015
  The Rays gambled a third-round pick in 2012 on Toles, who had been dismissed from the Tennessee program in 2011, then suspended from Chipola (Fla.) JC during his draft year. He spent the first two months of 2014 at high Class A Charlotte before missing all of June, July and August (save for a week in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League) on the inactive list for unspecified reasons. A premier athlete, Toles is a raw outfielder who grades as a plus-plus runner runner, and that speed serves him well in center field and on the basepaths. He has a quick first step and reaches top speed in a hurry, though his routes need work. Arm strength is his weakest tool, though he has above-average accuracy and does a good job of hitting cut-off men. He generates above-average bat speed to hit for a modest average but well below-average power. His pitch recognition and strike-zone judgment need work due to his over-aggressiveness at the plate. A return to Charlotte seems likely in 2015.
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  Ranked Tampa Bay Rays #6 prospect in 2014
  Drafted by the Marlins in the fourth round in 2010, Toles opted to attend Tennessee, where his father Alvin and uncle Johnnie Jones played football. Dismissed from the program after a year, he wound up at Chipola (Fla.) JC, where he was benched and suspended. The Rays loved his athletic ability and signed him for $394,200 as a third-rounder in 2012, then watched him put together a breakout season in 2013. The Rays named Toles their minor league player of the year and best baserunner. Toles inspires Michael Bourn comparisons as a speed-oriented center fielder who has the strength and ability to drive the ball. Considered a 70 runner on the 20-80 scouting scale, he runs down balls in the gaps and led the organization with 62 stolen bases, a total that ranked second in the low Class A Midwest League. He also ranked second in the minors in triples (16) and fourth in the MWL with 53 extra-base hits while using the entire field. Despite winning the MWL batting title at .326, his pitch recognition and strike-zone discipline need work. His below-avearage arm strength is playable in center and accurate. Several parts of Toles' game remain raw, which should mean the best is yet to come for this blossoming athlete. He has the ability to develop into a starting center fielder in the major leagues, and he should make the jump to high Class A Charlotte this spring.
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  Ranked Tampa Bay Rays #19 prospect in 2013
  The Marlins drafted Toles in the fourth round in 2010 out of a Georgia high school, but he opted to attend Tennessee instead. He batted .270 with 21 stolen bases as a freshman in 2011, but after a new coaching staff came in he was dismissed from the program in the fall of 2011, even though talent like his was in short supply. He transferred to Chipola (Fla.) JC but was benched and suspended last spring. The Rays believe his talent will allow him to blossom as a pro after he signed for $394,200 as a third-round pick in June. The son of former NFL first-round pick Alvin Toles, Andrew was one of the fastest players available in the entire 2012 draft. He has plus-plus speed, runs the bases well and covers a lot of ground in center field. He also shows solid arm strength and makes accurate throws. Toles has offensive upside as well, with a quick bat and above-average raw power. His swing can get long at times, and he needs to improve his plate discipline and bunting ability so he can get on base and maximize the value of his speed. Team officials said he has impact tools and the ability to climb quickly through its system. They do not see his makeup as a long-term concern. He'll open his first full pro season in low Class A.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #102 prospect in 2012 draft
  Toles was part of the deep Georgia prep class of 2010 and was a fourth-round pick of the Marlins that June. He didn't sign and went to Tennessee, where his father Alvin and uncle Johnnie Jones played football. Alvin Toles, a linebacker, was a first-round pick in the NFL draft in 1985, and his son could go that high in the baseball draft thanks to his unique tools. A 5-foot-10, 180 pounds, he has tremendous speed and earns comparisons to Braves center fielder Michael Bourn for his overall tools. He's a well above-average runner who knows how to use his speed defensively and on the bases, where he can be an aggressive basestealer. He also has a solid-average arm. Toles lacks power yet has enough strength to fight off good fastballs. Scouts say he plays with energy and has shown a good work ethic, but he was dismissed last fall from the program at Tennessee, where talent like his is in short supply, and has had been benched and suspended at Chipola JC this spring. Signability will determine whether Toles goes out in the first four rounds as expected, but the weak class of college hitters should allow him to go out higher than he did out of high school.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Texas League #12 prospect in 2016
  Toles was released by the Rays before the 2015 season and no team picked him up all year. It wasn't because of his lack of tools--he hit .326 to win the 2013 Midwest League batting title, for example--but instead because teams have long been concerned about his makeup. The Dodgers gave Toles a fourth chance this spring. He had been let go by two college programs and the Rays, but with the Dodgers, he proved to be a grinder who played all out to turn his career around and make the majors. He gave a consistent all-out effort that helped him jump from out of baseball to the big leagues in just half a season. Toles carries more risk than the average prospect, but he still has a shot of being a .280 hitter with near-average power while playing above-average defense anywhere in the outfield with a plus arm.
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  Ranked Midwest League #19 prospect in 2013
  With 16 triples, Toles finished second in the minors to Buxton. Unlike many speedy center fielders, his game is not all slap and dash?he ranked fourth in the MWL with 53 extra-base hits, including 35 doubles. Toles, whose father Alvin was an NFL linebacker, has enough power to line doubles and triples to all fields. He needs to improve his pitch recognition and patience at the plate, as his solid on-base percentage is currently tied entirely to his ability to hit for average. He won the MWL batting title at .326. With a 70 run tool, Toles? speed plays in multiple ways. He?s a constant threat to steal, as he showed with 62 steals, second to Mallex Smith in the MWL. His speed also gives him above-average range in center field. His arm is below-average but is enough for center. Toles had an excellent season, but some scouts still believe he?s too hot-and-cold, mixing games where he looks locked in and others where he seems to be less focused.
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  Ranked American League #15 prospect in 2012
  Toles probably would have went higher than the third round of the 2012 draft had he not been dogged by whispers of bad makeup. He latched on with Chipola (Fla.) JC this year after being dismissed from Tennessee following the 2011 season. Toles' father Alvin played linebacker for the Volunteers, went in the first round of the 1985 NFL draft and spent four seasons with the New Orleans Saints "Short, strong and fast" describes not only Toles' swing but also his stature. He takes a big cut with premium bat speed and has plus raw power--and more usable power than most players his size. His quick-twitch athleticism ought to allow him to hit for average. He batted .359 through Aug. 6 before going into a 14-for-82 (.171) spiral to close the season. Toles' non-hitting tools grade well. He's at least a 60 runner on the 20-80 scouting scale with above-average range and arm strength. He stole just 13 bases in 18 tries in the Appy League, but he has the speed and baserunning acumen to build on that total.

• December, 2016 Scouting Report
  Background: Toles was the Rays' No. 6 prospect after the 2013 season, but he dealt with anxiety and related behavioral effects, and the Rays released him before the 2015 season. Out of baseball and working in the frozen foods section at a Kroger grocery store, the Dodgers signed him to a minor league deal in time for instructional league in 2015. He embarked on a four-level rise in 2016 and started for the Dodgers in the postseason. Scouting Report: Toles, whose father Alvin was a first-round NFL draft pick, has long stood out for his quick-twitch athleticism. He starts his lefthanded swing with a leg kick, then unleashes quick hands to stay short and direct to the ball. He is an aggressive hitter but doesn't strike out much. He has a line-drive approach with enough power to hit 10-15 home runs. Toles is a double-plus runner who plays all three outfield spots, fitting in center and playing above-average defense for a corner outfielder. His plus arm is another asset.
  
  The Future: Toles could be an everyday center fielder but not with Joc Pederson in Los Angeles. He is likely to see playing time in left field in 2017 and rotate around the outfield.