Devon Travis Stats & Scouting Report

AB	1169
AVG	.274
OBP	.314
SLG	.437
HR	35

Full name Devon Anthony Travis
Born 02/21/1991 in West Palm Beach, FL
Profile Ht.: 5'9" / Wt.: 195 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Florida State
Debut 04/06/2015
Drafted in the 13th round (424th overall) by the Detroit Tigers in 2012 (signed for $200,000).

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Teams were wary of Travis' 5-foot-9 size, so he lasted until the 13th round in the 2012 draft, then signed with the Tigers for $200,000. That quickly looked like a bargain when he hit a combined .351/.418/.518 through two levels of Class A ball in his first full season in 2013. With Ian Kinsler blocking Travis at second base in Detroit, the Tigers traded him to the Blue Jays in November, a couple months after having core muscle surgery in September. While there's nothing flashy about Travis, he has excellent bat-to-ball skills and an extensive track record for hitting everywhere he goes. He has superb hand-eye coordination, good balance at the plate and strong bat control, which allows him to make consistent contact and use the whole field. His stance was more spread out in college, but in 2013 he adopted a more upright approach, dropped his hands and used a shorter, simpler load to be quicker to the ball and improve his plate coverage on the inner third. He stays within the strike zone and squares up both fastballs and offspeed pitches. Travis has the strength for 10-15 homers per year. He is an average runner who's sometimes slower going from home to first base, but he's a better runner underway and moves well going first to third. At second base, Travis is steady, making the routine play and turning double plays well with an average arm. While Travis fits the grinder mold that gets thrown on a lot of short players, he's more than just a scrappy reserve because of his bat potential. Travis has a chance to turn into a steady, average everyday second baseman for the Blue Jays, though the Tigers also had experimented with him in center field.
Travis was a three-year starter an Florida State and a strong offensive performer his final two seasons, but with his small stature he lasted until the 13th round of the 2012 draft and signed for $200,000. He already looks like a steal after ranking 13th among full-season minor leaguers in on-base percentage (.418) and second in average (.351) in 2013. Travis has a short, line-drive swing, good plate coverage and he goes with the pitch to use the whole field. He's a patient, disciplined hitter who draws his walks and waits for a good pitch to hit. After having a more spread-out stance in college, Travis is now more upright and has lowered his hands, with a shorter load to help him get to good velocity on the inner-third and stay inside the ball. He is strong and has surprising sock for his size, though he'll max out with average power at best, mostly to his pull side. His plus speed and quick-twitch athleticism gives him good range at second, where he has solid actions, an average arm and a smooth double-play pivot. He's a smart player and a grinder who gets the most from his tools. Travis still has his skeptics, but scouts highest on him believe he can be an everyday second baseman who hits at the top of a big league lineup. He'll graduate to Double-A Erie in 2014.

Minor League Top Prospects

Travis was a three-year starter at Florida State despite nagging injuries, and he hit 50 doubles over his final two seasons while posting .400-plus on-base percentages. Still, his success in his first full season of pro ball came as a surprise. He finished second in the minors overall in batting (.351), third in hits (177) and 13th in OBP (.418) while earning the Tigers? minor league player of the year award. Travis is short to the ball and has the strength to make consistent hard contact, though the 16 homers he hit overall this season is the upper end of his power projection. He?s a quick, athletic second baseman with good range, solid hands and enough arm to fill in at shortstop in a pinch. Travis? plus speed plays on the bases as well. He profiles as a regular at second base but runs enough to be a utility infielder as well.