Julio Borbon Stats & Scouting Report

AB	802
AVG	.273
OBP	.318
SLG	.347
HR	8

Full name Julio Alberto Borbon
Born 02/20/1986 in Starkville, MS
Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 195 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Tennessee
Debut 06/29/2009
Drafted in the C-A round (35th overall) by the Texas Rangers in 2007 (signed for $800,000).

View Draft Report

The top college outfielder in a draft virtually devoid of them, Borbon broke his ankle during an intrasquad game a week before the spring season started. He made it back to the Tennessee lineup by the end of March, but he had just two home runs and seven doubles in 143 at-bats. He had not shown the consistent hard contact that made him Team USA's catalyst last summer, when the college national team brought home a gold medal from the World University Championship in Cuba. At his best, Borbon is a top-of-the-order hitter who makes sharp contact and changes games with his plus speed. He's more than a slap-and-run type, with above-average bat speed and some sock in his bat. A Dominican native, he has an aggressive approach and doesn't walk often. His defense is adequate, but he could improve his reads and routes. A popular comparison for Borbon is Johnny Damon, for the pop in his bat as well as his speed and well-below-average arm. He was expected to be taken in the first round despite a lackluster junior year.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

A 2007 supplemental first-rounder who got a $1.3 million major league contract, Borbon was hampered by a minor leg injury in April. The Rangers liked how he learned to be effective while less than 100 percent, and he hit .321 with 53 steals while reaching Double-A in his first full pro season. Borbon learned to take more advantage of his plusplus speed in 2008. More pull-oriented in the past, he did a better job using the whole field and keeping the ball on the ground, and he developed a much better feel for bunting. He has strength in his line-drive swing and will hit a few homers. He also worked hard with Rangers outfield instructor Wayne Kirby on improving his jumps and reads in center field, where he can become a plus defender. Though he made progress with his offensive approach, Borbon still needs to work counts better and take more walks. He's learning to pick his spots on the basepaths and how to get good jumps after getting caught 11 times in 28 steal attempts in Double-A. He has a below-average arm, though his accuracy and transfer have improved. Borbon profiles as a slashing leadoff man and solid center fielder in the Johnny Damon mold. He could compete for a big league job by 2010.
Tennessee coach Rod Delmonico discovered Borbon almost by accident while recruiting another player in the Dominican Republic, and Borbon helped lead the Volunteers to the College World Series as a freshman before exploding onto the prospect landscape with a standout summer for Team USA in 2006. He missed the first eight weeks of his junior year after fracturing his ankle while sliding awkwardly during an intrasquad game, and though he never fully got on track during the season, the Rangers signed him to a major league contract worth $1.3 million, including an $800,000 signing bonus. Borbon garners comparisons to Johnny Damon for his prototypical center-field tools. His 70 speed on the 20-80 scale and his good instincts make him a plus defender in center. He has a strong, physical frame with gap-to-gap power, and he projects to hit 10-20 homers annually in the big leagues. He makes consistent, line-drive contact, is a good bunter and isn't afraid to work the count. He's also a natural leader. Like Damon, Borbon has a below-average arm, though Texas thinks it could become average if he can improve his exchange from his glove and retrain his muscle memory. Offensively, the Rangers want him to narrow his stance to get more weight transfer. He also needs to use the opposite field more and work on getting better jumps on the basepaths. He'll have to be more patient as a pro than he was as an amateur (37 walks in 155 games) to be a leadoff hitter. Borbon has the tool set to be an everyday center fielder in the big leagues. He should open 2008 in low Class A and could move fairly quickly.

Minor League Top Prospects

Borbon opened his first full season in Bakersfield and earned a promotion to Double-A after just 66 games. He actually put up better numbers after the promotion, adding 98 points to his OPS. While Cal League scouts and managers thought he can become a big league regular, they weren't blown away by his performance. Borbon's tools suggest an ideal leadoff profile, but there were questions about how much he'll get the bat on the ball as he moves up. He needs to tighten his strike zone, walk more and strike out less. He shows gap power but is better off keeping the ball on the ground to take advantage of his speed. While Borbon is an above-average runner, he didn't always show that speed in the Cal League, and one manager called him a "sloppy player." His speed does give him the ability to be an above-average defender in center field, and he has enough arm for the position.
Just as he had been for high Class A Bakersfield, Borbon became a catalyst for Frisco after joining the club in late June. He hit .337/.380/.459 while demonstrating most of the skills a team wants in a leadoff hitter. He showed the ability to drive the ball for occasional gap power, slap groundballs to take advantage of his plus-plus speed and bunt. Borbon still can tighten his strike zone, and he needs to improve his basestealing ability. He did swipe 17 bases in 60 games but he also got caught 11 times. He uses his speed to intercept hits in the gaps or flyballs in the alleys, and while his arm is nothing special, it's playable in center field.