Gregorio Petit

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Oakland Athletics #13 prospect in 2008
  Left unprotected in the 2006 Rule 5 draft because of questions about his bat, clubs apparently missed out on Petit a year ago. Signed out of Venezuela in 2001, Petit's offense finally blossomed in 2007, as he moved up to Triple-A as well as the top of the A's depth chart at shortstop. Defense has never been an issue for Petit, whom managers rated as the best defensive shortstop and best infield arm in the Double-A Texas League. He has plus range to both sides, outstanding first-step quickness and gets good reads off the bat. He has soft hands and makes all the throws with plus arm strength. Petit still needs to work on some of the little things offensively--he doesn't bunt particularly well or work deep counts to draw walks. He's a contact hitter who puts the ball in play. He's more of a line-drive singles hitter who can shorten his stroke and go the other way. He likely profiles as a utility player in the long run, with the ability to play either middle infield spot. Added to the 40-man roster in November, he'll start 2008 as the everyday shortstop in Triple-A.
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  Ranked Oakland Athletics #16 prospect in 2006
  Petit wowed Northwest League observers with his defensive prowess at shortstop in 2004, but he got off to a slow start in low Class A last year and missed a month with a fractured finger on his throwing hand. Moved to second base in the second half to accommodate first-round pick Cliff Pennington, Petit came alive with the bat, hitting .305 in the final three months. A good athlete with too much power for his own good, he finally responded to the organization's pleas to use the whole field. He still can turn on mistakes, but no longer tries to jerk every pitch and makes much more consistent contact. Already a plus defender at shortstop, Petit showed little trouble in moving to the other side of the bag and even impressed in some spot starts at third base. He doesn't have the power or on-base skills to profile as a top-of-the-order presence, but with his defensive skills and offensive potential, he has enough tools to emerge as a big league regular. Now on the same development path as Cliff Pennington, he'll stay at second base for now as they both move up to high Class A.
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  Ranked Oakland Athletics #27 prospect in 2005
  Petit is another in a long line of Venezuelan shortstops known more for their glovework than their bat. He has Gold Glove potential with good range and instincts, soft hands and a strong, accurate arm. Unlike many young shortstops, he also takes pride in making the routine play and isn't susceptible to errors. As advanced as Petit is in the field, he still has a long ways to go offensively. He carried a .292 average a month into the Northwest League season last year, but hit just .234 the rest of the way. He has a decent understanding of the strike zone, but he can lose his concentration from at-bat to at-bat and is prone to strikeouts. He's a gap-to-gap hitter who probably won't ever hit for much power. With average speed, he's not much of a basestealing threat either. After putting on weight during the summer, he'll need to watch his conditioning. The A's think Petit has the potential to be a special defensive player with just enough bat to make it. He'll get his first taste of full-season ball in 2005 in low Class A.