John Shelby
| AB | 2429 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .269 |
| OBP | .32 |
| SLG | .454 |
| HR | 76 |
- Full name John T. Shelby
- Born 08/06/1985 in Baltimore, MD
- Profile Ht.: 5'10" / Wt.: 185 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Kentucky
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Drafted in the 5th round (165th overall) by the Chicago White Sox in 2006 (signed for $157,000).
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The top prospect in the Bluegrass state is the son of former major leaguer and current Pirates coach John Shelby and has been a key contributor to the Wildcats' first regional berth since 1993. Shelby went undrafted out of high school but hit .344-10-52 as a sophomore to put his name on the prospect radar. He played his best late in the year, and had hit nine of his 13 home runs in Southeastern Conference play. Shelby has good bat speed and an aggressive approach. He has an uppercut in his swing, which lends slightly above-average power. He needs to improve his strike-zone discipline. He spent most of his freshman year playing outfield, and played shortstop and second base as well. Consensus suggests second base is his future position, and he showed better hands and improved his body control on throws from all angles at second this spring. His instincts figure to help him become an average defender. He's a slightly above-average runner.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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As scouts debate whether he can be an everyday major leaguer, the son of former big leaguer John Shelby continues his steady rise toward the big leagues. Speed and versatility are his biggest assets, but his struggles against righthanders raise questions about whether he can ever be more than an extra outfielder. His hitting slipped when he moved to Double-A in 2009, though he did slowly dig himself out from a poor start. Shelby had been a bit of a free swinger in previous seasons but showed improved plate discipline in 2009. Deeper counts and better pitching contributed to a drop in his average, and he'll have to make more adjustments this season. He does have good pop, and he used his plus speed and instincts to steal 30 bases in 39 tries. A second baseman in college and in his first two years as a pro, Shelby played well in his second full season an outfielder. He got to more balls in center than he had in 2008, and continued to see action in left field. His fringe-average arm invites runners to challenge him, but he had 13 outfield assists, showing good accuracy. Shelby should advance to Triple-A in 2009. -
The son of former big leaguer John "T-Bone" Shelby, "Treybone" is one of the best athletes in the system. A second baseman in college, he moved to the outfield in mid-2007. A Carolina League all-star in 2008, he led White Sox farmhands with 33 steals while playing through hamstring problems. He went on to finish with 80 RBIs, owned a league-best .515 slugging percentage and was second in the circuit with 37 doubles. Shelby has the best combination of power and speed in the system. Though he's only 5-foot-10, he's strong for his size. He adds to his plus speed with good baserunning instincts and could develop into an even bigger stolen-base threat. He's improving in center field and has an average arm. Shelby's strike-zone judgment is lacking. He often gets himself out swinging at bad pitches early in the count and rarely walks. He'll have to improve his on-base percentage if he's going to use his speed at the top of the order. He has the tools for center field but still needs better jumps and routes. Shelby will be tested in 2009 at Birmingham, a notoriously tough park for hitters with a lot of ground to cover in center. He and Jordan Danks will battle to be the long-term center fielder for a team that has tried 11 different players there since trading Aaron Rowand following the 2005 season. -
It wasn't a surprise that Shelby hit during his first full season of pro ball. The biggest development for the son of former big league outfielder John "T-Bone'' Shelby was that he showed signs of making a successful transition to center field after playing mostly second base in college and in his first pro season. His athleticism played well in center field. He struggled at times with his routes to balls but had the speed to run down most of his mistakes and the instincts to know what to do with the ball when he got to it. His only defensive drawback is an arm that will challenge opponents to run on him, but the belief is he can be an above-average center fielder in time. Shelby's bat was the tool that caused the White Sox to select him in the fifth round of the 2006 draft, and he continued to hit in low Class A. He flashed his power, compiling 60 extra-base hits, while getting on base enough to project as a possible No. 2 hitter. He runs well and is a solid worker and teammate. He's expected to open 2008 in high Class A, but he could get a look in Double-A before the season is over. -
The son of the former major league outfielder and current Pirates first-base coach of the same name, Shelby has made major strides after going undrafted out of high school. He emerged as a sophomore at Kentucky, hitting .344 with 10 home runs, and helped lead the Wildcats to their first-ever Southeastern Conference regular-season title in 2006 by batting .291 with 18 homers and 12 steals. Shelby continued to show slightly above-average power and speed in his pro debut. He has very good bat speed but suspect plate discipline. He was overanxious at times in Rookie ball, chasing curveballs out of the strike zone, and also has a little bit of an uppercut in his swing. Given his background, it's no surprise he has excellent instincts. A versatile athlete, Shelby saw time at second base and shortstop in pro ball and also played some outfield in college. Second base is his best fit, and his hands and body control improved there during 2006. He has an average arm. With a strong spring, Shelby could advance to high Class A for his first full pro season.
