Jacob May

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Chicago White Sox #20 prospect in 2017
  May has big league bloodlines. His grandfather is Lee May, while his father Lee Jr. has been a minor league hitting coach. Jacob was a two-year starter at Coastal Carolina and has been a solid-if-unspectacular performer since turning pro. He reached Triple-A in 2016 but a few minor injuries slowed his progression towards Chicago. May does a lot of things well and could profile as an extra outfielder. The switch-hitter makes contact frequently from both sides of the plate but has well below-average power. His best assets are his speed and defense. When May was in college, some evaluators noted his inability to use his plus-plus speed. He has reversed that criticism, and scouts often cite both his pure foot speed and his baserunning technique as strengths. May's outfield route-running and instincts also have improved with experience. His solid all-around skill set could earn him a chance to help the big league team as soon as 2017.
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  Ranked Chicago White Sox #7 prospect in 2016
  May more resembles his father Lee Jr., a 1986 first-round pick who reached Triple-A as a speed-oriented switch-hitter, than his grandfather Lee Sr., an all-star first baseman who mashed 354 big league home runs. He swiped 37 bags at high Class A Winston-Salem in 2014 to rank third in the Carolina League, and then stole 37 more at Double-A Birmingham in 2015, when he ranked second in the Southern League only to teammate Tim Anderson. Incidentally, the two players collided while chasing a popup in early June, and May spent nearly two months on the disabled list with a concussion. May faced questions about his offensive potential and defensive efficiency coming out of college, but his near double-plus speed has played in pro ball. He's a menace on the basepaths because he reads pitchers well and takes good walking leads, and he has the quick acceleration to glide to the ball in center field, where he grades as a plus defender. His arm plays as fringe-average. A switch-hitter, May impacts the ball more and draws more walks as a righthanded batter, while he focuses more on contact from the left side. When he's on time with his stride, he looks like an above-average hitter, and he bolsters his on-base skills with the occasional bunt hit and a healthy walk rate. He hit eight home runs in a 54-game stretch at low Class A Kannapolis in 2013, but he has otherwise been a well below-average power hitter with a focus on hitting the ball on the ground. May recorded a .359 on-base percentage with 25 steals in 52 games prior to suffering a concussion, suggesting he could fill a table-setting role. With such limited power--and with Adam Eaton entrenched in center in Chicago--a reserve role seems most likely for May as he moves to Triple-A Charlotte in 2016.
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  Ranked Chicago White Sox #10 prospect in 2015
  May has lofty bloodlines to live up to. His father Lee Jr. was a first-round pick in 1986 and reached Triple-A with the Mets, while his grandfather Lee Sr. hit 354 home runs in an 18-year major league career. His uncle Carlos, a first-round pick in 1966, also had a 10-year big league career. Jacob signed for $525,000 in 2013, played 66 games in his pro debut, then went straight to instructional league and the Australian Baseball League, where he played until January. Taking only one month off before 2014 spring training, he didn't have time to recharge. May's tremendous speed ticked down a grade in 2014 to double-plus, but he gets to top speed quickly, and he has the savvy for his speed to play on the bases and in center field. His below-average arm is playable but can be exploited. May's bat also backed up early at high Class A Winston-Salem in 2014, but he adjusted as the season went on. His swing had more length from the left side initially, but he closed up holes and made better contact. Scouts still prefer his righthanded swing. May has sneaky power and could hit 10-12 homers annually, although at times it suckers him into a more power-oriented approach, leading to the longer swing. If May hits, he profiles as a regular, earning Coco Crisp comparisons. He's headed to Double-A Birmingham to start 2015.
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  Ranked Chicago White Sox #9 prospect in 2014
  May's baseball bloodlines are hard to beat. His father Lee Jr. was a first-round pick in 1986 and reached Triple-A with the Mets, while his grandfather Lee Sr. hit 354 home runs in an 18-year major league career for the Reds, Astros, Orioles and Royals. His uncle Carlos, a first-round pick in 1966, also had a 10-year big league career. May had an unremarkable college career at Coastal Carolina but has hit better with wood bats, both in summer ball and as a pro. After being criticized for complacent play in college, May showed scintillating center field tools in his pro debut and played with energy and the White Sox love his maturity and leadership ability. The ball jumped off his bat, with eight home runs in 206 at-bats at low Class A Kannapolis after hitting just nine in college. In the past scouts said he had enough power to get him in trouble, but he's a legitimate hitter from both sides of the plate. May has plate discipline and could be a top-of-the-order presence thanks to top-of-the-scale speed that exceeds even that of 2013 first-rounder Tim Anderson. He has rough edges to iron out on the bases, where he could improve his jumps, and in center field, where his routes need work. He has modest arm strength that is playable in center. May's debut startled scouts who had not been impressed by him in college, and he likely will push Courtney Hawkins to right field in the high Class A Winston-Salem outfield to begin 2014.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #203 prospect in 2013 draft
  The Chanticleers' leading hitter, May was batting .308/.402/.470 in 50 games with 35 runs scored. His best tool is pure speed, though it doesn't fully translate to the diamond. He had been caught stealing eight times in 19 tries this season, and he tends to take poor routes in center field. Most scouts say that he can become an average or better defender with some adjustments, however. His arm is average. He's a switch-hitter with more natural ability from the right side, though he needs overall work with the bat. He can be direct to the ball, but he needs to play a smaller game with his speed and 5-foot-10, 185-pound frame. He fits in the sixth or seventh round and has similarities to Thomas Milone and Matt McPhearson, though he is three years older.

• December, 2014 Scouting Report
  May has lofty bloodlines to live up to. His father Lee Jr. was a first-round pick in 1986 and reached Triple-A with the Mets, while his grandfather Lee Sr. hit 354 home runs in an 18-year major league career. His uncle Carlos, a first-round pick in 1966, also had a 10-year big league career. Jacob signed for $525,000 in 2013, played 66 games in his pro debut, then went straight to instructional league and the Australian Baseball League, where he played until January. Taking only one month off before 2014 spring training, he didn't have time to recharge. May's tremendous speed ticked down a grade in 2014 to double-plus, but he gets to top speed quickly, and he has the savvy for his speed to play on the bases and in center field. His below-average arm is playable but can be exploited. May's bat also backed up early at high Class A Winston-Salem in 2014, but he adjusted as the season went on. His swing had more length from the left side initially, but he closed up holes and made better contact. Scouts still prefer his righthanded swing. May has sneaky power and could hit 10-12 homers annually, although at times it suckers him into a more power-oriented approach, leading to the longer swing. If May hits, he profiles as a regular, earning Coco Crisp comparisons. He's headed to Double-A Birmingham to start 2015.