Brandon Allen Stats & Scouting Report

AB	344
AVG	.203
OBP	.29
SLG	.375
HR	12

Full name Brandon Durell Allen
Born 02/12/1986 in Conroe, TX
Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 230 / Bats: L / Throws: R
School Montgomery
Debut 08/22/2009
Drafted in the 5th round (149th overall) by the Chicago White Sox in 2004 (signed for $175,000).

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Allen had Division I-A football potential as a linebacker, but his ability to punish a baseball is more impressive than his ability to punish ballcarriers. There's a lot of raw lefthander power packed in his 6-foot-1, 225-pound frame, which reminds one scout of a smaller version of Phillies minor league slugger Ryan Howard. The question is how well Allen can tap into it. He actually performed better with wood bats last summer than he has with aluminum this spring, when he hit .329 with just two homers. His ability to make contact is an issue, though his supporters believe he'll improve once he devotes himself to baseball full time. A University of Houston recruit, Allen is a very good athlete for his size. He's a solid average runner who plays a competent left field. With teams desperately seeking position players in the 2004 draft, Allen could have been a first-round pick with a strong season. Instead, he'll have to settle for the second or third round.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Allen looked like the White Sox's heir apparent to Paul Konerko after leading the high Class A Carolina League in slugging (.527) and homering twice off David Price in his first Double-A game in 2008. That changed in early July, when Chicago traded him for Tony Pena. Allen destroyed Triple-A pitching for six weeks, then hit four homers after the Diamondbacks called him up. A star linebacker in high school, Allen has huge raw power. For a big guy, he has some snap in his bat and doesn't have a long swing. He toned down his swing and hit more balls to the opposite field in 2009, allowing him to hit a career-high .298 in the minors. He does a good job of punishing mistakes. He has worked hard to improve his defense. Once Allen got to the major leagues, pitchers exploited him on the inner half. He's not fluid but manages to get the job done at first base, a far cry from the days when he projected as a DH. He has below-average speed, though he's not a baseclogger. Scouts compare him to Mike Jacobs, though Allen has much better plate discipline. He'll get a chance to win a job with the major league club in spring training.
Allen had a difficult transition to pro ball, batting .248 with 379 strikeouts in 362 games over his first four seasons. A commitment to nutrition and conditioning turned him into a physical specimen and made all the difference in 2008. He led the Carolina League in slugging (.527) and homered twice off David Price in his first Double-A game. Power had been Allen's only real strong suit, but he also showed the ability to hit for average in 2008. A former football prospect as a linebacker, he improved his speed as well and nearly matched his previous career total with 17 steals. He also showed much better agility at first base. Allen no longer looks like a DH but must continue to work on his fielding. His hands are suspect and he's not comfortable making quick throws. He swings and misses a lot, especially against lefthanders, and might whiff 150 times a year in the big leagues. With Jim Thome in the final year of his contract and Paul Konerko signed only through 2010, Allen is emerging at an opportune pace. The last hitter to show this much power at Birmingham was Chris Young, who hit 32 homers for the Diamondbacks two years later. Allen could return to Double-A to start 2009 but should finish in Triple-A.
Allen drew Division I-A football interest as a linebacker but decided to turn pro in baseball out of high school for a $175,000 bonus as a fifth-round pick. With his size, strength and power potential, he would have gone higher in the draft had he not had a dismal senior season, striking out all too frequently and hitting just two homers. He has been more consistent as a pro and improved in his second try at low Class A in 2007, but he still strikes out too much. Offspeed stuff and pitches low in the strike zone can give him trouble. Allen has some surprising athleticism and speed for his size, but he has found the going rough at first base. The White Sox at one point considered trying him in the outfield, though those plans have been scrapped and he spent almost as much time at DH as in the field last year. After the trade of Chris Carter to the Diamondbacks, Allen now has more power than any hitter in the system, so Chicago will remain patient. He'll move up to high Class A in 2008.
A raw baseball talent, Allen bypassed a shot at Division I-A football scholarships as a linebacker to take a $175,000 bonus as a 2004 fifth-round pick. The bonus might have been a lot higher had he had a strong high school senior season, but he had too many strikeouts and too few home runs (two) to fulfill expectations that he could be a first- or second-rounder. The White Sox took him on projections that he could develop into a Ryan Howard-type offensive presence, and they were happy to see he showed immediate improvement as a full-time baseball player. Allen has plenty of brute strength and he'll become even more of a power threat if he can make more consistent contact. Offspeed stuff gave him trouble early in 2005 before he made adjustments, and he needs to figure out a way to be more effective against low pitches. Allen is a good athlete and runner for his size, and should become at least an average defender at first base. Chicago is toying with the idea of trying him in the outfield. But ultimately it's his hitting that will dictate how quickly he moves, and his ceiling is considerable. He's ready for low Class A.

Minor League Top Prospects

Allen began the season in Double-A and as Paul Konerko's heir apparent in the White Sox organization. A trade and two promotions later, he was in the big leagues with the Diamondbacks by the end of August. In between, he torched PCL pitching for the six weeks he was in the league. Allen has power to all fields and is willing to take what pitchers give him. He's short to the ball and doesn't have a long swing for a hitter his size. Though he posted the lowest strikeout rate of his minor league career in 2009, he still gets tied up by inside fastballs and caught on his front foot on offspeed pitches away. He's not a great defender at first base, but Allen's footwork around the bag is good and he shows a willingness to learn and get better. He's a good athlete for a big man and has enough speed to steal a few bases if teams don't pay attention to him.
No CL player drew more conflicting reports than Allen. Those who like him see him as a possible impact power hitter, while others deem him below average in every category but power. The league's slugging percentage leader at .527, Allen bettered that mark after a mid-June promotion to Double-A, where he homered twice in his first game and slugged .614. Allen improved his ability to stay back on offspeed pitches, but he still struggles with pitch recognition and may never make enough consistent contact to hit for a high average. He moves better than most 6-foot-2, 235-pounders, but he's still rough with his footwork at first base and may wind up as a DH. He ranked second among the league's first basemen in errors despite playing just 89 games at the position.
Allen was an NCAA Division I-A linebacker prospect in high school and is beginning to grow into his potential as a power-hitting first baseman in the mold of Ryan Howard as he dedicates himself to baseball. His brute strength is evident when he connects and he could develop into a premium power threat. Unlike most lefthanded hitters, Allen struggles with low pitches, but he can get on top of high fastballs. He tends to stand too upright at the plate, and drives balls to all fields when he incorporates his lower half. He saw a steady diet of offspeed pitches before he made adjustments later in the year. Allen made strides defensively and should become an average defender at first base. His work ethic will help in that regard.