Alex Presley Stats & Scouting Report

Full name Alexander Crawford Presley
Born 07/25/1985 in West Monroe, LA
Profile Ht.: 5'10" / Wt.: 195 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Mississippi
Debut 09/08/2010
Drafted in the 8th round (230th overall) by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2006 (signed for $95,000).

View Draft Report

Pressley arrived in Oxford thanks in part to the recruiting of his Neville High teammate, Robert Lane. Lane was the more highly touted of the twosome entering their senior seasons in 2003, but spent his time concentrating on football at Ole Miss. Pressley, meanwhile, developed in to a good all-around outfielder. He doesn't hit for enough power to play a corner outfield position, and his range doesn't profile in center. He has good speed and a below-average arm.

Top Rankings

Presley was no more than an organizational afterthought following a 2009 when he repeated high Class A and didn't show much improvement, but he astoundingly ended up the Pirates' minor league player of the year for 2010 and spent the final month of the season in Pittsburgh. He opened with Altoona and led the Eastern League with a .350 average before being promoted to Triple-A on June 25. His total of 166 hits between the two stops ranked 15th in the minors, and was the fifth-highest mark in the Pirates system since 1995. Presley showed occasional pop, but his sudden success came because he has made the transition to more of a little-man's game, going to a shorter swing and shooting the ball the other way. His fielding is a tick below-average, with a raw feel to his break on fly balls, and he has a below-average arm. He has plus speed, which brought many infield singles, and his baserunning is as raw as the defense, and not just in the area of stolen bases. The Pirates liked what they saw during his month in Pittsburgh, and one evaluator said he looked overmatched in only one of his 23 at-bats. Presley will come to spring training under consideration for reserve outfield duty in the big leagues.

Presley treaded water for the first four years of his career until he recognized and accepted who he was in 2010. By shortening his swing and not trying to hit for power, his game took off. He continued to refine his game in Indianapolis to start this season, improving his approach at the plate, and he spent most of the second half as the Pirates' regular left fielder. Presley covers the plate well against both lefties and righties and is willing to hit the ball where it's pitched. While he doesn't have corner-outfield power, he does have some pop and will surprise with a home run from time to time. With his plus speed, anything into the gap is an opportunity for a triple. Pittsburgh challenged Presley to be more aggressive on the bases this year and he responded a career-high 31 steals in 42 attempts between the majors and minors. Defensively, he gets quick jumps, runs good routes and has enough range to play center field. He has seen time on the corners as well, though his fringy arm is a little short for right field.