Mark Teixeira Stats & Scouting Report

AB	6936
AVG	.268
OBP	.36
SLG	.509
HR	409

Full name Mark Charles Teixeira
Born 04/11/1980 in Annapolis, MD
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 225 / Bats: S / Throws: R
School Georgia Tech
Debut 04/01/2003
Drafted in the 1st round (5th overall) by the Texas Rangers in 2001 (signed for $4,500,000).

View Draft Report

Breaking his right ankle in a February outfield collision cost Teixeira the chance to be the first player to repeat as Baseball America's College Player of the Year, but he'll still be a top five pick. The only way he won't be the first college hitter drafted is if his signability (he may want an eight-figure deal) and adviser (Scott Boras) scare off clubs. Teixeira already was established as the best batting prospect in the draft, offering power from both sides as well as a sweet stroke and plate discipline. Even after missing most of three months, he immediately found his stroke, going 12-for-29 with his customary pop in his first seven games back. Any question that he'd play third base in the big leagues was erased before he got hurt. He improved his speed and lateral movement to the point that all five of his tools are considered average or better. He's comparable to the Phillies' Pat Burrell, who went No. 1 overall in 1998, except he's a switch-hitter and more athletic. Teixeira may need time before he's ready to play in the field on a regular basis, but the ankle injury isn't a long-term concern. His makeup draws universal praise, as he hastened his return to the lineup in order to help Georgia Tech try to reach the College World Series. He had no trouble hitting with wood last summer with Team USA, batting a team-best .385 with five homers in 117 at-bats. Teixeira won't need much time to adjust to the pros and should reach the majors within a year of signing.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Under the prospect microscope since high school, Teixeira has always thrived when healthy. He was expected to be a first-round pick out of high school in 1998, but fell to the Red Sox in the ninth thanks to perceived bonus demands. Teixeira had a decorated career at Georgia Tech, where he was Baseball America's College Player of the Year in 2000. His junior season was interrupted by a broken right ankle. The injury, and again perceived bonus demands, contributed to his being available to the Rangers with the No. 5 overall pick in 2001. He signed a major league contract that guaranteed him $9.5 million, including a club-record $4.5 million bonus. A ruptured tendon in his left elbow and forearm sidelined him in spring training, but Teixeira bounced back to have a big season in his pro debut. Teixeira's tools, approach and strength make him the best hitting prospect in the minor leagues. He has well-above-average power--40 homers a year is no stretch--and hitting ability from both sides of the plate, in part because he's in tune with his abilities and has sound fundamentals. Powerfully built, he has a short swing with leverage from both sides, excellent pitch recognition and an advanced two-strike approach. Athletic and instinctive, Teixeira also works hard on the deficiencies in his game. Teixeira takes pride in not being a base clogger, but speed is his weakest tool. Offensively, he can be stubborn and hasn't taken to the organization's take-a-strike philosophy, but his mindset stems from his success. Teixeira's range at third is average and he had throwing problems in 2002, which the Rangers attribute to injuries and rust. He worked on getting his body back into his throws, and by the Arizona Fall League his arm was again a plus instead of a problem. Teixeira's AFL stint was cut short by a muscle strain in his torso, but BA still rated him the league's top prospect. His major league ETA depends solely on his health. He figures to start 2003 in Triple-A but should get big league at-bats soon at third base, first base (which he hasn't played since the Cape Cod League in 1999) or DH.
Teixeira turned down the Red Sox' seven-figure bonus offer out of high school as a ninth-rounder in 1998. He was the top prospect in the Cape Cod League in 1999 and Baseball America's College Player of the Year in 2000. Despite missing most of his junior season with a fractured right ankle, he went fifth overall in the 2001 draft and signed for a major league contract worth $9.5 million. Teixeira was both the best pure hitter and the best power hitter available in the 2001 draft, and the most advanced college bat since Pat Burrell went No. 1 overall in the 1998 draft. A switch-hitter, he is proficient from both sides of the plate. Before he got hurt, he had made strides with his running and defense. He didn't play the field after returning from the injury, so there will be questions about his defense until he does. He still has to show he can play third base in the majors, though Hank Blalock's presence and Carlos Pena's trade will make it easier to move Teixeira to first base. The injury and protracted contract negotiations left Teixeira rusty in instructional league, where he hit .246 with one homer in 57 at-bats. He'll stay at the hot corner for now and could debut as high as Double-A Tulsa.

Minor League Top Prospects

Teixeira's pro career began inauspiciously in spring training, when he injured his forearm. Despite worries that he might need Tommy John surgery, which would have delayed his debut until 2003, he came back in June and quickly became one of the most feared bats in the minors. Like Blalock, who was the top position prospect in the league a year ago, Teixeira is on the fast track to Arlington. After tuning up in Charlotte, he finished the season by hitting .316-10-28 in 48 games for Tulsa. Some managers and scouts say it's only a matter of time before Teixeira's below-average arm strength and Blalock's presence will force a move across the diamond to first base. But Teixeira's bat will play regardless of where he ends up defensively. "He's a tremendously strong hitter," Charlotte manager Darryl Kennedy said. "He's so strong he can mishit a ball and still hit it out of the park."
Though his season almost ended before it started because of a spring-training elbow injury, Teixeira made quite an impression, Managers tabbed him as baseball's next great power switch-hitter. "To get him out, he takes it as a personal insult," said Tim Ireland, Teixeira's manager at Tulsa. "He has all the attributes of a natural hitter, and that's from both sides of the plate." Some teams tried to pitch him in with fastballs, while others thought he had more trouble with pitchers who changed speeds. Overall, managers were just wowed by his approach and his power. What's more, Teixeira's defense was better than expected. Some said his rumored move to first base shouldn't be a foregone conclusion and that he will be a better third baseman than fellow Rangers prospect Hank Blalock. Teixeira has better agility and is more athletic than he looks at first glance.