Jaff Decker Stats & Scouting Report

AB	161
AVG	.174
OBP	.274
SLG	.236
HR	1

Full name Jaff Kyle Decker
Born 02/23/1990 in Phoenix, AZ
Profile Ht.: 5'9" / Wt.: 190 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Sunrise Mountain
Debut 06/20/2013
Drafted in the C-A round (42nd overall) by the San Diego Padres in 2008 (signed for $892,000).

View Draft Report

Decker looks like a younger version of Matt Stairs with a compact, strong body, and he's earned comparisons to the Canadian slugger as well, though Decker throws lefthanded. Scouts mean the comparison as a compliment, because Decker can really hit. The best thing about being a 5-foot-10 slugger is that Decker is short to the ball and has an easy feel for hitting, generating easy above-average power with a quick, strong swing. He's a baseball player and grinder who has become an area scout's favorite. His arm is his next-best tool after his bat, as he's thrown a no-hitter this spring, occasionally visits the low-90s with his fastball and spins a solid-average breaking ball. If he doesn't make it as a hitter, he definitely has a shot to become a lefthanded reliever, and if he winds up at Arizona State he could become a three-year, two-way star. His body leaves no room for projection, but he has one of the better now bats in the high school draft class. Decker's a second-round bat but probably fits lower on most boards due to his small stature.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

The Pirates acquired Decker plus righthanded reliever Miles Mikolas from the Padres in a late-November trade for first baseman Alex Dickerson. Both players had been designated for assignment by San Diego. Ranked as the Padres' No. 3 prospect heading into 2009, Decker's luster steadily dimmed from his star. His best attribute is plate discipline. He's willing to work a walk and has a .402 career on-base percentage in six minor league seasons. However, Decker has yet to develop much power and can be too passive at the plate, letting hittable pitches go by for strikes. At Triple-A Tucson last season, he played mainly center field, but he does not possess the range necessary to play the position in the major leagues and also has below-average speed. His arm is strong enough for right field. Decker will get a chance to become the lefthanded half of a platoon in right field with Jose Tabata to begin the 2014 season, though No. 1 prospect Gregory Polanco figures seize the full-time job before too long.
The Padres placed Decker on the 40-man roster in November, but it was potential more than performance that got him there. The talk of 2012 spring training camp, Decker hit .295 with eight extra-base hits in 23 games, but that momentum vanished when he returned to Double-A for a second straight year. He hit just .184/.365/.293 through May, then spent the final three months sidelined with plantar fasciitis in his right foot. Short with a thick lower half, Decker is more athletic than he looks, and in the words of one club official, he looks "hitterish" thanks to a short lefty stroke and great eye at the plate. He sports a .371 on-base percentage at the Double-A level despite hitting just .224, taking a walk-first, hit-second approach that scouts agree needs to be evened out. San Diego would like to see him let the bat fly more often because he has solid power from left-center to right field and home run juice to his pull side. Decker plays all three outfield spots but fits best on the corners, with fringy speed and average range and arm strength. He has a shot at assuming a platoon role or perhaps serving as an offensive-minded reserve.
Decker experienced immediate pro success after signing for $892,000 as the 42nd overall pick in the 2008 draft. He won the Rookie-level Arizona League MVP award in his pro debut and followed that by leading the Midwest League in OPS (.956) as a teenager in 2009. Decker slipped for the first time in 2010, batting .195 in the first half in high Class A before rallying to slug 14 homers in the second half. Promoted to Double-A last season, he led the Texas League with 103 walks but hit just .236. The Padres believe Decker eventually will be a solid to plus hitter because his lefty swing is short and to the point. He was too selective at times last year while waiting for a perfect pitch and racked up 145 strikeouts, third-most in the TL. Extended hitting slumps result when his stride and hands get out of sync. Decker doesn't necessarily look the part of power hitter with a short, stocky build, but he can drive the ball from left-center to right field and projects to have at least fringy power. He has thinned out since turning pro and now features deceptive athleticism. He plays a strong left field and throws well. San Diego asked Decker to run more in 2011 and he swiped 15 bases in 20 attempts, though he's a fringy runner at best. He appears destined for a return to San Antonio in 2012, and if he hits for either more average or more power, he has a shot at regular play in the big leagues.
Decker won Rookie-level Arizona League MVP honors after signing for $892,000 as a sandwich pick in 2008, then encored by leading the Midwest League in OPS (.956) as a teenager in 2009. He logged just 79 games last year, sitting out until mid-May with a hamstring injury and then missing the last three weeks after an errant pitch broke his right hand. Decker has a compact, powerful stroke when he doesn't try to force the issue. He pressed in the first half of 2010, batting .195 with an uncharacteristic 8-41 BB-K ratio, but his bat came alive in the second half, when he hit .305/.439/.616 with 14 homers. His hand-eye coordination and strike-zone awareness give him a chance to hit for average, and he uses his hips and shoulders well to generate power to all fields. Decker's lack of athleticism is still an issue, but he got in better shape last year and improved his speed, though it's still below-average. He never will be more than playable on an outfield corner, but he throws well enough to handle right field. The new Padres regime concedes that Decker's bat will play bigger than it initially expected, a belief reinforced by his recent dedication to conditioning. He's on track for a promotion to Double-A and a potential big league starting gig at some point in 2012.
After signing for $892,000, Decker won the Rookie-level Arizona League MVP award in his pro debut. He was even more impressive in his encore, becoming the first teenager to lead the Midwest League in OPS (.956) since Prince Fielder in 2003 and ranking second in the minors in on-base percentage (.442). He homered twice in the playoffs as Fort Wayne cruised to the MWL title. Decker recognizes pitches and controls the strike zone like a much more experienced hitter. He has incredible power to his pull side and hits with authority to all fields. He employs a short swing and won't chase pitches out of the zone, rare attributes for a young power hitter. He has an average arm, having touched 90-92 mph from the mound in high school. For all his positives as a hitter, Decker draws negative reviews for his lack of athleticism. He's a wellbelow- average runner who figures to slow down further as he ages, which would make him a less-than-adequate defender in left field. He initially resisted the Padres' overtures to get in better shape, but he relented after missing a month in 2009, first with a concussion coming out of spring training and then with a tweaked back. Decker profiles as a Nick Swisher type whose game centers on walks and power--but with a better feel for hitting and less athleticism. He's ticketed for high Class A Lake Elsinore in 2010.
Just as Cedric Hunter did in 2006, Decker won Arizona League MVP honors in his pro debut. He led the AZL in runs (51), walks (55) and on-base percentage (.523) while finishing second in the batting race (.352). He played high school ball in Peoria, the same Phoenix suburb where the Padres' training complex is located, and signed for $892,000 as a supplemental first-rounder. Though he has no projection remaining in his 5-foot-10, 190-pound frame, Decker drew San Diego's interest because of his innate hitting ability, strike-zone awareness and plus power potential. He's short and quick to the ball, keeps his hands back and uses the whole field. He threw in the low 90s as a two-way player in high school, so he has a plus arm. Because he hits from an open stance, Decker has a tendency to dive toward the plate. He may need to close his stance somewhat to better stride toward the pitcher. Though he played center field as an amateur, his fringy speed and build will limit him to right field as a pro. He'll need to keep his body in top playing shape to retain his limited athleticism. Decker's debut proved that he was one of the top high school bats in the 2008 draft. He'll advance to the low Class A Midwest League, where the hitting environment and weather is much less hospitable than in the AZL.

Minor League Top Prospects

A hamstring injury kept Decker in extended spring training until mid-May and he struggled to find his stride for much of the season. He got back on track in the second half, hitting .305/.439/.616 with 14 homers in 48 games before an errant pitch broke his hand and ended his season on Aug. 18. Decker is at his best when he keeps his swing short and doesn't try to hit home runs. He has a smooth lefthanded stroke and plus bat speed, using his hips and shoulders to generate power to all fields. He commands the strike zone while waiting for a pitch to drive. Decker's less-than-stellar physique is a concern, though he arrived at spring training in better shape. He plays an adequate left field and has average arm strength. He's a well-below-average baserunner.
Decker led the MWL in OPS (.956), the first teenager to do so since Prince Fielder in 2003. He also topped the league with a .442 on-base percentage that ranked second overall in the minors, and he homered twice in the playoffs as Fort Wayne won the championship. Decker shows everything scouts want to see in a hitter. He has plus bat speed, manipulates the bat head well and makes consistent hard contact, driving balls to all fields. He has a short stroke, hits the ball where it's pitched and won't chase out of the strike zone. His lack of athleticism sticks out as much as his offense, however. Decker has 4.7-second speed to first base and has poor instincts, and one scout joked that his running should grade as a minus-10 on the 20-80 scouting scale. He handles himself OK in left field and has an average arm, but he already has a bad body at age 19 and it's going to get worse as he gets older. "If you dream on him," a second NL scout said, "he's Nick Swisher offensively with Adam Dunn's defense."
Decker didn't have to go far to start his pro career after San Diego made him a sandwich pick. He starred at Sunrise Mountain High in Peoria, the same Phoenix suburb where the Padres' training complex is located. He was a favorite of area scouts for his natural hitting ability and extremely patient approach at the plate, both of which played well in the AZL. He earned league MVP honors after finishing second in the batting race (.352) and first in runs (51), walks (55) and on-base percentage (.523). He excels at setting up pitchers, uses the entire field and projects to hit 20-25 homers annually once he learns which pitches he can drive on a consistent basis. Decker bats with an open stance and had a tendency to dive in toward the plate early in the season. The Padres had him modify his stride so he'd instead move toward the pitcher. He may need to close his stance a little more in the future. He played all three outfield positions and projects best as a right fielder with a strong arm. He has deceptive speed and good instincts on the bases. The biggest question about Decker relates to his body, as there's no projection remaining in his 5-foot-10, 190-pound frame.