Travis Snider Stats & Scouting Report

AB	1783
AVG	.244
OBP	.311
SLG	.399
HR	54

Full name Travis James Snider
Born 02/02/1988 in Kirkland, WA
Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 230 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Jackson
Debut 08/29/2008
Drafted in the 1st round (14th overall) by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2006 (signed for $1,700,000).

View Draft Report

Grady Sizemore sets the standard for hitters drafted out of high school from Washington state, and Snider appears to be the best hitter to come through the state since Sizemore got $2 million from the Expos in 2000. He's mature physically with a strong frame that once made him a top football running back, though he quit after his sophomore season when he broke his right ankle on the last play of spring practice. Snider's powerful lefthanded swing generates above-average bat speed and raw power, and he's become noted not just for hitting lots of home runs, but for hitting lots of long home runs. He does a good job of hanging in against lefthanded pitchers and staying back on breaking balls, trusting his hands. His work ethic earns raves from scouts; he organizes practices three times a week for his Jackson High team, which was undefeated through 21 games, and gives hitting lessons to local children as a senior class project. While he's a solid student, Snider, an Arizona State recruit, is considered signable. Snider's value rests almost completely in his bat, as he's a below-average runner and fringe-average defender due to his modest throwing arm.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Evan Longoria may be the best hitter taken in the 2006 draft, but Snider has done nothing to diminish his case as the best high school hitter from that same draft. After signing for $1.7 million as the 14th overall pick, Snider proceeded to earn Rookie-level Appalachian League MVP and No. 1 prospect honors in his first pro summer. He followed up by leading the low Class A Midwest League with 35 doubles, 58 extra-base hits, 93 RBIs and a .525 slugging percentage in 2007. After hitting .316/.404/.541 as the second-youngest player in the Arizona Fall League, he was expected to begin 2008 at Double-A New Hampshire, but a spring-training right elbow injury relegated him to DH duty with high Class A Dunedin. He started slowly upon a promotion to Double-A in late April, striking out in 42 percent of his at-bats. His ailing elbow negatively affected his swing path, and he developed the bad habit of pulling off the ball as he tried to yank everything to right field. Snider appeared to be fully recovered by mid-May, and in his final 93 minor league games, he batted .293/.368/.499 with 15 homers and 25 doubles. Toronto rewarded Snider with a September callup, during which he batted .301 as the American League's youngest player. With strength, bat speed and a simple lefthanded swing, Snider projects to hit for average and plus power to all fields in the big leagues. Despite his lofty strikeout totals, he has exceptional control of the bat barrel, showing a knack for hitting balls in any part of the zone with authority. His sound hitting base enhances his balance, and he already uses the opposite field when pitchers try to work him on the outer half . Snider is more athletic than his 5-foot-11, 245-pound frame suggests, and his arm is strong enough for right field. He always puts forth consistent effort on defense. A natural leader, he receives high marks for his competitive makeup. Because lefthanders threw him a steady diet of offspeed pitches--even in hitter's counts--Snider struggled versus southpaws in the high minors, hitting a mere .233/.295/.310 in 116 Double-A and Triple-A at-bats. Showing a more patient approach could help him overcome this shortcoming, as he showed a tendency toward free swinging as he moved up the ladder. It's not a long-term concern if he refines his approach to the point where he's confident hitting with two strikes. Physically mature with a muscular build and a thick lower half, Snider has below-average running speed and always will need to make conditioning a priority. His outfield range is average at best. The Matt Stairs trade in August opened a spot for Snider, who took advantage of his opportunity. He figures into the club's 2009 plans, though he may begin the year with the Jays' new Triple-A Las Vegas affiliate. Either way, it shouldn't be long before he takes his place as a middle-of-the-order threat and team leader for Toronto.
Some scouts considered Snider the best hitter in the entire 2006 draft and he has done nothing to dispel that notion since turning pro. As a high school senior, he led Jackson High in Mill Creek, Wash., to a No. 2 national ranking. After signing for $1.7 million as the 14th overall pick, Snider earned MVP honors and No. 1 prospect status in the Rookie-level Appalachian League, where he batted .325 with 11 homers. He might have led the league in homers had he not lost the last week of the season to wrist tendinitis. Snider nearly repeated as MVP of his circuit in 2007, when he led the low Class A Midwest League with 35 doubles, 58 extra base hits, 93 RBIs and a .525 slugging percentage. That last figure was particularly impressive, seeing as Snider was the only MWL qualifier to slug better than .500. Snider also finished second in the batting race at .313, but MWL voters chose West Michigan outfielder Gorkys Hernandez, who led only in stolen bases, as MVP. Snider hit .405 in April, and after pitchers adjusted to him, he regrouped, batting .333 with eight of his 16 homers in the final month. After the season, the Blue Jays assigned the 19-year-old Snider to the Arizona Fall League. The only younger player in the AFL was Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus, yet Snider batted .316 with four homers. Snider is extremely advanced for a young hitter. He has a quick, powerful swing from the left side and already can handle southpaws and offspeed pitches. He has the tools--strength, bat speed and a simple swing--necessary to hit for both average and power in the big leagues. He stays balanced throughout his swing, thanks to a sound hitting base, and shows advanced hitting instincts. When they saw the baby-faced Snider for the first time in the AFL, veteran pitchers tried to blow the ball past him. But after he connected for a few line drives to the gaps, he encouraged opponents to modify their plans of attack. His mental and competitive makeup is off the charts. Though he's already strong for a player his age, some Toronto officials think he has a chance to get even more physical. Snider is more athletic than he appears, and he has improved his reads and routes enough to project as an average defender on an outfield corner. He has enough arm for right field and topped the MWL with 16 outfield assists. Snider is physically mature with a muscular build that served him well as a high school running back until he broke his leg as a junior. But that frame--he already plays at a weight in the neighborhood of 245 pounds--means he'll have to stress conditioning as he matures, especially with regard to his heavy lower half. He will accumulate some strikeouts, but they don't cost him much in the way of production. He has below-average speed but isn't a bad runner once he gets underway. Snider has exceeded expectations thus far, and those expectations were high to begin with. He could move more quickly now that he has been exposed to the AFL and has put the MWL, the toughest hitting environment he'll encounter, behind him. Ticketed for high Class A Dunedin in 2008, he'll eventually bat in the middle of Toronto's order and has a big league ETA of 2010.
One of the top high school bats available in the 2006 draft, Snider led Jackson High (Mill Creek, Wash.) to a No. 2 national ranking. After signing for $1.7 million as the 14th overall pick, he won MVP honors and rated as the No. 1 prospect in the Rookie-level Appalachian League. He was leading the league in home runs when wrist tendinitis shelved him for the final week of the season. Snider is physically mature with a muscular frame that served him well as a high school running back until he broke his leg as a junior. Hitting and hitting for power are Snider's best tools, as his powerful swing generates above-average bat speed and tremendous raw power. He displays advanced hitting instincts, stays back on breaking balls and hangs in against lefties. His mental and competitive makeup is off the charts. The only knock on Snider leading up to the draft was his thick frame, especially his heavy lower half, and concerns about how it would project down the line. He worked hard on his conditioning and is more athletic than he appears. With work, he can be an average right fielder with a solid-average arm. He's a below-average runner but hustles. Snider will head to low Class A Lansing to begin 2007. He has the tools and desire to become an impact corner outfielder in the majors, and his bat should allow him to move more quickly than most high schoolers.

Minor League Top Prospects

Snider entered 2009 as a prime Rookie of the Year candidate, but he tried to do too much and lost his approach, hitting just .242/.292/.394 in Toronto before being sent down in mid-May. He tore up the PCL--though he spent a month on the disabled list with a back injury--and performed better when he returned to the Blue Jays in mid-August. Still just 21, Snider has tremendous power to all fields and is a gifted natural hitter as well. His biggest need right now is to tighten his strike-zone discipline, and he made strides in Las Vegas. He has to be sure to stay through the middle of the ball and not sell out for power, which is unnecessary with his strength. Snider isn't a great runner or the most rangy outfielder, but he's a better athlete than his 6-foot, 235-pound frame might indicate. He's an intelligent defender in left and right field, doing a good job of cutting balls off and throwing to the right base. He has enough arm to stick in right field.
Snider had a right elbow injury that hampered him this spring, limiting him to DH duty and affecting his swing path. As he got healthy, he showed his hitting aptitude, smoothing his stroke and improving his plate discipline. His raw power began translating more consistently to home run production in games. Though he's 5-foot-11 and 230 pounds, he's a decent athlete with enough arm for right field. Snider impressed his manager Gary Cathcart with his work ethic and leadership skills. His biggest issues are getting better at identifying breaking balls from lefthanders and maintaining his fitness. "I thought he was pull-happy early, and when I'd seen him in the Arizona Fall League, what I liked best was how he drove the ball to the opposite field," another AL scout said. "He got back to staying inside the ball, and his bat stopped being in and out of the zone so quickly. It's a different sound when he squares it up."
Some scouts considered Snider the best hitter in the entire 2006 draft and he has done nothing to dispel that notion since turning pro. He was named the Rookie-level Appalachian League's MVP in his pro debut and he led the MWL in doubles (35), extra-base hits (58), RBIs (93) and slugging (.525) while finishing second in the batting race (.313). He hit .405 in April, and after pitchers adjusted to him, he counteradjusted and batted .333 with eight of his 16 homers in the final month. Snider is extremely advanced for a young hitter. He has a quick, powerful swing from the left side and already can handle southpaws and offspeed pitches. He'll have to watch the weight on his 5-foot-11, 230-pound frame and he topped the league with 16 outfield assists, but he's reasonably athletic, has a strong arm and should be able to handle left or right field. "He's got a chance to be an impact bat," the NL scout said. "He's the one guy in this league who will hit for both average and power. He can hit in the middle of a good big league lineup."
Considered by some clubs the top bat available in the 2006 draft and the best hitter to come out of Washington since Grady Sizemore, Snider led Jackson High (Mill Creek, Wash.) to an undefeated season and a No. 2 national ranking. He won Appy MVP honors in his pro debut after leading the league in slugging percentage (.567). He might have added the home run crown if he hadn't missed the final week of the season with a sore left wrist. Snider's swing generates above-average bat speed and tremendous raw power. He stays back well on breaking balls and hangs in well against lefthanders. "First of all, you look at his immense physical presence and you think, ‘He must be able to bang.' He does bang," Princeton manager Jamie Nelson said. "He's a legit hitter with pretty good discipline. He's got power to hit the other way, and he goes up the middle on offspeed pitches." Managers also were impressed with his mobility, as Snider ran out groundballs hard and laid out on plays in the outfield, though his range is just adequate. His arm rates as average and he's a below-average runner. His makeup is as good as it gets.