Drew Stubbs Stats & Scouting Report

AB	2834
AVG	.242
OBP	.313
SLG	.391
HR	92

Full name Robert Andrew Stubbs
Born 10/04/1984 in Atlanta, TX
Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 205 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Texas
Debut 08/19/2009
Drafted in the 1st round (8th overall) by the Cincinnati Reds in 2006 (signed for $2,000,000).

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Stubbs was considered a borderline first-round talent coming out of high school in 2003. He would have signed with the Astros for $900,000 as a third-rounder if Major League Baseball hadn't persuaded Houston owner Drayton McLane not to exceed its bonus recommendation. Had he turned pro then, scouts wouldn't have to fret over his bat now. The best athlete in college baseball, Stubbs is a potential Gold Glove center fielder with plus raw power, plus-plus speed and an average arm. Though he has improved his approach and is using the whole field more as a junior, scouts believe his bat is far from a sure thing. He has struck out roughly once a game throughout his Longhorns career, and his contact rate hasn't improved this spring. He also hit a soft .304 with wood bats while on Team USA last summer. He still ranks second behind only Evan Longoria among position prospects in 2006. In last year's draft, which was much deeper in hitters, Stubbs would have lasted until the late first round. But with a scarcity of position players this year, he could go as high as No. 6 overall to the Tigers and probably won't get past the top 10 picks.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

When the Reds signed Stubbs for $2 million as the eighth overall pick in 2006, they knew he was a stellar athlete but would need some time to adjust to pro ball. Things started to click for him last season, when he regained his speed after having surgery for a turf-toe injury. He climbed to Triple-A Louisville and had his best season as a pro. Stubbs has excellent bat speed, above-average raw power, a plus arm and plus-plus speed that allows him to steal bases and run down everything in center field. He made significant strides at the plate by widening his stance, cutting down his swing a little bit and improving his already solid selectivity. His home run production diminished as a result, but scouts believe it was a wise tradeoff, as his power will re-emerge as he continues to make solid contact. The biggest concern with Stubbs always has been strikeouts, and he probably never will hit for a high average. He could help his cause if he were a better bunter, but he hasn't mastered the skill. While he's very good in the outfield, he seems uncomfortable going back to the wall on balls. The Reds have an opening in center field that Stubbs may be able to fill in the second half of the season. First, he'll head to Triple-A for some final tuneups.
After winning a College World Series championship at Texas, Stubbs went eighth overall in the 2006 draft and signed for $2 million. Stubbs' athleticism jumps out at first glance. He combines plus raw power with a gliding stride that swallows up giant swaths of real estate in the outfield. Though his speed was limited in 2007 by a nagging turf-toe injury, he's a plus-plus runner when healthy and has excellent instincts on the basepaths. For a college product, Stubbs still has an extremely raw bat, which explains why the Reds left him at low Class A Dayton all season. He never has made consistent contact and he has struck out 206 times in 185 pro games. A late-season switch to choking up on the bat gave him better bat control. He fanned just twice in his first 42 at-bats after the switch and hit .366 with four homers in 24 games after the adjustment. If Stubbs' improvement was for real, he has a chance to be a superstar because his power, speed and defense are all above-average. If he continues to strike out, he still should be a big leaguer, albeit with a lower ceiling and average. He'll open 2008 in high Class A.
A borderline first-round talent with questionable signability coming out high school in 2003, Stubbs was set to sign for $900,000 as a thirdrounder until the commissioner's office talked Astros owner Drayton McLane out of the deal. Stubbs starred in three years at Texas, winning the 2005 College World Series and the 2006 Big 12 Conference co-player of the year award. He signed for $2 million after the Reds took him eighth overall in June. His younger brother Clint turned down a 49thround offer from the Rangers to follow his brother's footsteps with the Longhorns. Stubbs has evoked comparisons to Dale Murphy as a tall speedster with plus power, speed and Gold Glove ability in center field. He has light-tower power and is a 70 runner on the 20-to-80 scale, clocking in at 4.1 seconds from the right side of the plate to first base. He has an average arm. Since high school, there have been concerns that Stubbs' long swing would lead to strikeouts and extended slumps. He struggles at times to make contact, and a smart pitcher can take advantage of his difficulties with breaking balls. He was hobbled by turf toe in his pro debut but played through it and is healthy now. Stubbs probably always will strike out a lot, but he could develop into a Mike Cameron/Torii Hunter type, which would more than satisfy the Reds. They'll be patient with him, which means he'll start 2007 at low Class A Dayton.

Minor League Top Prospects

After hitting just three homers in 411 at-bats with Louisville, Stubbs went deep eight times in 180 with the Reds. The power surge didn't surprise Sweet, who said Stubbs hit many balls at pitcher-friendly Louisville Slugger Field that easily would have cleared the fences in Cincinnati. "He really became a consistent offensive and defensive player for us," Sweet said. "He was prepared to go to the big leagues." Stubbs has above-average raw power, speed and arm strength. He became more disruptive on the basepaths by improving his reads and picking his spots to steal--he tied Michael Brantley for the IL lead with 46 swipes. He may not hit for a high average because he strikes out too much, but he does draw a fair amount of walks. Sweet challenged him to play a shallow center field, and Stubbs covered a lot of ground in Louisville's expansive center field. He had some trouble with plays up against the wall in Cincinnati's cozier Great American Ball Park.
A year ago, Stubbs struggled to hit in low Class A, which makes his climb from high Class A to Triple-A in 2008 all the more impressive. He spread out his stance this year, improving the balance in his swing. He also showed a better awareness of how to work counts into his favor, and while he still chases pitches out of the zone, he didn't get himself out as much as he had in the past. While Stubbs' power was one of his calling cards when he went eighth overall in the 2006 draft, it's still more raw power than productive power. He launched a couple of moon shots out to straight center field, but the majority of the time he was content to line balls into the gaps. His plus-plus speed continues to make him a basestealing threat, and he's a heady runner who aggressively takes the extra base. Stubbs is one of the best defensive outfielders in the minors. He has well above-average range in center field to go with a plus arm and good instincts.
Stubbs' reputation as a gifted athlete with a nagging propensity to swing and miss preceded him to the MWL, and he lived up to it for the first four months of the season. Then Scott, frustrated by Dayton's teamwide lack of consistent contact, ordered the Dragons to choke up on their bats. Stubbs immediately felt comfortable with the adjustment and hit .366 with four homers and just 16 strikeouts in his final 24 games, compared to .248 with eight homers and 126 whiffs in his first 105 contests. If the new Stubbs is for real, he'll take off in 2008. And if he isn't, he's still has to be a chance to be a productive major league player without hitting for a high average, a la Torri Hunter. Stubbs has big-time bat speed and power and well above-average foot speed. He edged Hernandez as the league's best defensive outfielder and also finished first with 15 outfield assists. "When you talk about athletes and guys who can run like a gazelle and play a Gold Glove center field right now," the second scout said, "that's him."
Stubbs showed first-round talent in high school and went eighth overall in June after three years at Texas. His inability to make consistent contact has raised questions about his bat, and he didn't answer them in his pro debut by hitting .252 with 64 strikeouts in 56 games. He had trouble with pitch recognition and let his swing get too long at times. Though scouts wonders how much Stubbs will hit at higher levels, he's capable of hitting mistakes out to any part of the park. The rest of him game is beyond reproach, as he used his well above-average speed to steal 19 bases in 23 tries and play a Gold Glove-caliber center field. His arm is average.