Chris Marrero Stats & Scouting Report

AB	163
AVG	.209
OBP	.236
SLG	.258
HR	1

Full name Christopher Marrero
Born 07/02/1988 in Miami, FL
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 229 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Monsignor Edward Pace
Debut 08/27/2011
Drafted in the 1st round (15th overall) by the Washington Nationals in 2006 (signed for $1,625,000).

View Draft Report

Marrero entered his senior season with high expectations, and by most accounts did not live up to them. He held down the starting third base job since his sophomore season at Monsignor Pace, and asserted himself as the nation's top prep position player in the fall, displaying remarkable power at a showcase in Orlando. Marrero has the look scouts savor. Tall, strong, lean and loose, he shows average to plus tools in all five categories, with 70 power on the 20-to-80 scale. His swing has good leverage and he can drive balls out to all parts of the park. He has adequate plate discipline and good pitch recognition. He hasn't shown an ability to make consistent hard contact, but remains high on draft boards based on projection and power. He needs to improve his plate coverage, as he prefers to pull the ball, and tends to fly open and miss pitches on the outer half. He has well-above-average arm strength and shows some ability to make accurate throws from different arm angles and on the run. Some scouts envision him moving to first base or left field, developing into a player the ilk of Pat Burrell. Marrero's power potential won't let him slide out of the first round.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

The 15th overall pick in the 2006 draft, Marrero ranked as the system's top prospect after his first full pro season. He had his best pro season in 2011 at Triple-A but tore his left hamstring playing in the Dominican Republic that November. A setback with his right shoulder in May kept him sidelined until June, and he missed close to another month when he felt discomfort in his surgically repaired hamstring. When he was on the field, Marrero was not himself, as he hit just three homers in 180 at-bats between five levels. He struggled to get in sync, repeatedly pulling off pitches and pressing at the plate. The Nationals are writing off last year and hope Marrero can regain his 2011 form, which would make him an average hitter with slightly above-average game power. He has plus raw pop and is still learning to fully tap into it. Marrero has improved his footwork at first base and his ability to pick balls out of the dirt, making him a fringy defender with an adequate arm. He was already a well below-average runner before the hamstring injury slowed him down further. Marrero no longer looks like a star, but if healthy he could be a solid bat off the bench or the righthanded half of a platoon.
Marrero has advanced steadily through the system, one level at a time, since signing for $1.625 million as a first-round pick in 2006. Though his numbers have never leapt off the page, he has produced at every level, and he had his best season in 2011. He hit .300 for the first time since Rookie ball and posted an .825 OPS, his highest over a full minor league season. He spent all of September as Washington's everyday first baseman, struggling to make consistent contact against big league pitching. Marrero always has tended to step in the bucket, but when he stays on line and focuses on driving the ball to the middle of the field, his barrel stays in the hitting zone longer and his pitch recognition improves. Still just 23, he profiles as an average hitter with slightly above-average power. He has plus raw power, but he's still learning to make the most use of it. Marrero made great strides defensively in Triple-A, cutting his error total to five from 18 in 2010. His footwork and ability to pick balls out of the dirt have improved significantly, and he now profiles as a fringy defender with an adequate arm. He's a well below-average runner. With first basemen Michael Morse (who shifted to left in September) and Adam LaRoche still under contract for 2012, Marrero figures to return to Syracuse to open the season. He profiles as a decent everyday first baseman or a platoon player.
A 2006 first-round pick who signed for $1.625 million, Marrero ranked No. 1 on this list heading into the 2008 season, during which he broke the fibula in his right leg and tore ligaments in his ankle on a slide at home plate. After recovering, he turned in a solid Double-A performance in 2010 to claim a spot on Washington's 40-man roster. His brother Christian is a first baseman in the White Sox system. Marrero's ticket always has been his plus to plus-plus raw power, but he has yet to really tap into it in games. He has some length and leverage in his swing, and he has battled--with mixed success--to stride forward rather than step in the bucket. He expanded his strike zone too often when Double-A pitchers fed him a steady diet of breaking balls early last season, but he showed more discipline in the second half. Some scouts wonder if he'll hit enough to justify an everyday job, and he remains a defensive liability at first base. The Nationals rave about his commitment to improving his agility and footwork in 2010, though he still needs more work. He's a well below-average runner. Marrero will advance to Triple-A to start 2011. Just 22, he still has time to develop into the middle-of-the-order slugger the Nationals always hoped he'd be.
No. 1 on this list two years ago, Marrero had his march through the system sidetracked when he broke his fibula and tore ligaments in his right ankle sliding into home plate in 2008. He returned to high Class A for a third straight season in 2009, and he made strides offensively and defensively to earn a mid-August promotion to Double-A. He batted .349/.402/.542 in the Arizona Fall League. Marrero's best tool is his plus-plus raw power to all fields, though he's still learning to tap into it. He arrived at spring training in the best shape of his life and worked hard to shorten his bat path and get himself into good hitting position. He did a good job using the middle of the field, and he could be an average or better hitter as he matures. Despite Washington's efforts to improve his stride at the plate, Marrero still has a tendency to step in the bucket, making him vulnerable to offspeed stuff away. He is big and long-levered, so his swing always will have some holes. Marrero lacks athleticism and speed and is a below-average defender at first base, though he's working at improving his agility, hands and ability to pick balls out of the dirt. Marrero will return to Double-A as a 21-year-old in 2010, and if all goes well he could break into the big leagues by 2012. His bat will have to carry him, but he has a chance to be a middle-of-the-order power hitter.
A first-round pick in 2006 who signed for $1.625 million, Marrero entered 2008 as Washington's top prospect but struggled out of the gate, batting .200 with two homers in April. The Nationals noticed he was standing too far off the plate, and he heated up as he improved his plate coverage. But his season was cut short on June 18 when he caught his right cleat in the dirt while sliding into home plate, breaking his fibula and tearing ligaments in his ankle. Marrero has well above-average power from foul pole to foul pole, and his quiet swing has natural leverage. He squares balls up consistently and has a mature offensive approach for his age, projecting as at least an average hitter. He's very driven to succeed and is a tireless worker. After moving from the outfield to first base in 2007, Marrero got bigger and now there's concern he could wind up as a DH, though he dropped a few pounds in the fall of 2008. He's a well below-average runner with below-average range at first, but he does have soft hands and a strong arm. Though his ankle wasn't yet 100 percent, Marrero went to instructional league and had no trouble swinging the bat. He should be healthy by spring training and figures to get a shot at Double-A by midseason, if not out of camp.
As a junior at Monsignor Pace High in Opa Locka, Fla., Marrero established himself as the best high school position prospect for the 2006 draft. But a hamstring injury during his senior year caused Marrero to overcompensate by opening up his front hip and pulling off the ball, making his swing look deceptively long and causing him to wave over the top of breaking balls. He wasn't even the best player on his state championship team, as that distinction fell to Adrian Cardenas, who's now starring in the Phillies system. Nationals scouts surmised that Marrero would return to form if they could fix his stride, and he reinforced their belief that his senior struggles were a fluke by putting on a monstrous pre-draft power display in a workout at RFK Stadium. Washington stole him with the 15th overall pick and signed him for $1.625 million. After the draft, he worked on the mechanical adjustments and began to make progress before viral meningitis cut short his debut in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League. He was completely healthy by the spring and began his first full professional season at low Class A Hagerstown, where his power exploded with 11 homers and 35 RBIs in May. After a promotion to high Class A Potomac, Marrero tired down the stretch, batting just .220/.311/.418 in August, but rallied in the final two weeks after choking up a bit on the bat. Marrero's best tool is his well above-average power to all fields. He has a quiet, line-drive stroke, and he's strong enough to hit the ball over the fence from foul pole to foul pole. His swing has tremendous leverage, and his balance and bat speed allow him to square up balls on the barrel consistently. His approach was very mature for a 19-year-old in high Class A, not only because of his willingness to use the opposite field but also because of his ability to make adjustments. He drew more walks and chased fewer pitches in his time at Potomac. Marrero also has an above-average arm. His work ethic receives rave reviews from Nationals personnel. Despite his arm strength, Marrero isn't a good outfielder, thanks largely to his below-average speed. Washington decided to move him to first base in instructional league. He showed good aptitude for the position, with sufficient lateral range, quick reactions and decent hands. He still needs to get comfortable at first base and work on receiving throws from infielders and picking balls in the dirt. Offensively, Marrero has all the tools but requires more at-bats to learn how to hit advanced pitching. He's better against lefthanded pitching (.312 combined average in 2007) than against righties (.265). Marrero has a chance to start 2008 as a 19-year-old at Double-A Harrisburg, though he could return to Potomac and move up quickly. He's not far from big league ready as a hitter, and how fast he learns first base could determine how soon he reaches Washington. That could happen as early as the second half of 2008, and by 2009 he figures to be a fixture in the middle of the big league lineup. His massive power gives him a chance to be a star.
Marrero was the nation's top prep position player entering 2006, but he slumped during the spring. But after joking around with Nationals GM Jim Bowden at a workout in RFK Stadium, he crushed one mammoth homer after another, and onlooking Ryan Zimmerman couldn't believe Marrero was a high schooler. After he went 15th overall and signed for $1.625 million, Marrero had a solid pro debut until it was cut shot by viral meningitis in early August. Marrero's best tool is his plus-plus raw power from foul pole to foul pole. He has decent plate discipline and pitch recognition, and he gets his hands ready early in his smooth, quiet swing. With a big, athletic frame and fringe-average speed, he played a solid left field after spending his high school career at third base. He has an above-average arm. Marrero re-injured his hamstring last spring and developed bad habits to compensate, stepping in the bucket and pulling off pitches on the outer half. He seemed to correct the problem last summer, but he still needs to show he can make consistent hard contact. Marrero should be ready to push for an everyday job at Washington's new low Class A Hagerstown affiliate in 2007. He could be the Nationals' cleanup hitter of the future.

Minor League Top Prospects

One of the more acclaimed hitters in the lower minors last year, Marrero hit just .200 in April. He was rounding into form when his season came to an end in June after breaking his right ankle sliding into home plate. Marrero is extremely advanced and polished at the plate for his age. He incorporates his powerful lower half into a compact swing that allows him to drive balls to all parts of the ballpark. He usually makes consistent contact but sometimes gets aggressive and chases pitches. A third baseman in high school, he moved to left field after turning pro and became a full-time first baseman in 2008. His below-average speed was a liability in the outfield but he should be able to develop into an average defender at first base.
Marrero may have been the purest hitter in the SAL this season. He showed tremendous power to all fields while displaying impressive patience at the plate and the uncanny ability to put the barrel of the bat on the ball virtually every time he made contact. As a result, the ball jumped off his bat prior to his promotion to high Class A in mid-June. "He's a great hitter who hits for average and power," Hagerstown manager Tommy Herr said. "He's not an all-around player just yet, and speed is not part of his game. But when he steps in the box, he performs because so far he has made the adjustments." A high school third baseman, Marrero has moved to left field in pro ball. He's not the rangiest outfielder, but he does have an above-average arm for the position.
After tearing up the South Atlantic League, Marrero made his CL debut before he turned 19. He hit .302/.375/.500 in July before running out of gas in August and having difficult making adjustments. As he wore down, he dropped his right shoulder and pulled off pitches, but several scouts give him a pass because he was so young for high Class A. "The kid can hit," another scout from an AL club said. "He has a good approach with power to all fields and should continue to hit for average. The other tools are just OK, but it's the bat that's going to play." Marrero doesn't run particularly well and will be limited to an outfield corner. He has average arm strength, which is better than the typical left fielder, and he may be able to handle right field.
Marrero's package of tools was arguably the best of any prep position player available in this year's draft, though he performed below expectations. He played more relaxed and instinctively after he signed for $1.55 million, showing average to plus tools across the board and displaying power that grades as a 70 on the 20-80 scouting scale. His season ended in early August when he got viral meningitis, though he's expected to recover completely. Tall and strong, Marrero keeps his hands inside the ball and shows power from foul pole to foul pole. A third baseman in high school, Marrero was immediately moved to left field after he signed. He has an above-average arm and fringe-average speed, and though raw in the outfield he was lauded for his work ethic. "With Marrero it was, 'What time do I get here and how much extra work can we get done?' " Nationals manager Bob Henley said. "From there he just took off."