Greg Halman Stats & Scouting Report

AB	116
AVG	.207
OBP	.233
SLG	.302
HR	2

Full name Gregory Anthony Halman
Born 08/26/1987 in Haarlem, Netherlands
Died 11/21/2011 in Rotterdam, Netherlands
Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 210 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Mendel College
Debut 09/23/2010

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Halman spent the majority of the 2010 in Triple-A, continuing to show well-above-average raw power and a propensity for striking out. He finished second in the Pacific Coast League with 33 homers and led the league with 169 whiffs. He made his major league debut in a September callup, during which he whiffed 11 times in 29 at-bats. Halman worked on his approach at the plate, becoming less pull-happy and setting a career high in walks (37), but still had the third-worst strikeout rate among minor league qualifiers at 36 percent. The No. 1 prospect on this list two years ago, Halman is a gifted athlete who can hit the ball out of any part of the park. But opponents don't fear his power because they know his swing can get long and has lots of holes. He'll swing through fastballs in on his hands or chase soft stuff off the plate. Halman is an average runner who shows good range in the outfield, though not quite enough for center field. He has a strong arm. The Mariners would like to see him be more aggressive on the basepaths and less aggressive at the plate. If he can make strides in that area, he could be an everyday player in the Preston Wilson mold. If he doesn't, he could languish in Triple-A. Halman will head back to Tacoma and continue to refine his approach at the plate.
Halman's showing in the World Baseball Classic--1-for-11 with nine strikeouts while playing for the Netherlands--was a harbinger of things to come. A year after finishing a homer shy of a 30-30 season and ranking No. 1 on this list, he endured long stretches void of productivity. He tied for the Southern League lead with 25 home runs, yet ranked last in average (.210), on-base percentage (.278), strikeouts (183) and K-BB ratio (6.3). Halman's game is centered on quick-twitch athleticism. It lends him explosive power at the plate and long, graceful strides in center field, where he's a solid defender with a strong arm. Plus-plus power is attainable with his whip-like bat speed and strong forearms. Lean and long-limbed, Halman draws physical comparisons to Andre Dawson and Alfonso Soriano. Though he's a tick above-average runner, he attempted just 16 steals in 2009 after swiping 30 in each of the past two seasons. Eaten alive by a poor hitting approach, Halman was on target to set the SL's strikeout record before a bruised heel knocked him out for two weeks in June. He still wound up leading the minors with 191 over two stops. In contrast to years past, he struggled to put pitches in play early in counts, then seemed incapable of recognizing and maintaining enough balance to hit breaking balls. The Mariners have stressed to him the need for consistency and improved self-discipline. Halman stopped by instructional league to put in extra work. He remained upbeat after a tough year, perhaps because he's been there before. A year before his 2008 breakthrough, he bombed in the Midwest League. The ultimate boom or bust prospect, he'll return to Double-A to begin 2010.
Halman's father Eduardo played professionally in Holland into his mid-30s, and Greg knew from an early age that he wanted to pursue a career in baseball. He turned pro in 2003 at age 16, when he joined Hoofdklasse Honkbal, or the Dutch Major League. The Twins signed him that year, but the contract later was voided. As a 17-year-old first baseman in 2004, Halman earned MVP honors in the Dutch league while nearly winning its triple crown. He signed with the Mariners for $130,000 that June. After an encouraging U.S. debut in 2005, he played just 28 games in 2006 because he broke his right hand in an on-field brawl. He voiced his displeasure with a 2007 Opening Day assignment to low Class A Wisconsin, but instead of making a case for promotion, he sulked and hit just .182 before earning a demotion to short-season Everett in June. Humbled by experiencing failure for the first time, he led the short-season Northwest League in slugging (.597) while finishing second in homers (16) . Halman started putting it all together in 2008, hitting .272/.326/.528 and advancing to Double-A West Tenn, where at age 20 he was the Southern League's youngest regular position player. Halman hit 29 home runs and stole 31 bases, narrowly missing becoming the minors' only 30-30 player since Terry Evans in 2006. Halman is a physical specimen with the potential for five average or better tools. He has drawn comparisons to Andre Dawson and Alfonso Soriano because he's a long-limbed, high-waisted, quick-twitch athlete. Wiry strong, especially in the wrists and forearms, he figures to add strength as he physically matures. He already has the reflexes and whip-like bat speed to hit for plus-plus power. Seattle believes he has the confidence, hand-eye coordination and ability to make adjustments mid-swing that will enable him to be an above-average hitter in time. Though his speed is just a tick above-average, Halman covers swaths of center field with long, graceful strides. He also thrives as a basestealer because of his first-step quickness and acceleration. He has a plus arm. For all his upside, Halman presents more risk than most No. 1 prospects. His pitch recognition is below-average, resulting in many swings and misses and mis-hits as he chases pitches out of the zone. He's too aggressive at the plate to execute much of a plan, and as a result he strikes out too much and walks too little. His plate coverage suffers because of his tendency to get pull-happy. Halman shows visible frustration on the field at times and has admitted to having a quick temper. He has improved his maturity by leaps and bounds, however, in part by working with Dr. Jack Curtis, who aids Mariners players with their mental approach. Halman shows real passion for the game to go with his noteworthy toolset. Because he'll be 21 in 2009 and needs repetitions to get a handle on the strike zone, the new regime in Seattle may opt to slow down his timetable a bit by sending him back to Double-A. He could challenge for a big league job in 2010.
A long-limbed, high-waisted athlete, Halman signed after winning the MVP award in the Dutch league as a 17-year-old. With a projectable frame and wiry strength, especially in his wrists and forearms, Halman has drawn physical comparisons with Andre Dawson and Alfonso Soriano. Because he had played well in a few big league spring training games, Halman was unhappy with his Opening Day assignment to low Class A Wisconsin. He fared so poorly, failing to make adjustments, that he was demoted to Everett in June. He said the experience has humbled him. Halman dominated in his return to the Northwest League, leading all batters in slugging (.597) and finishing second with 16 home runs. With the power came bushels of strikeouts, as Halman struggled with pitch recognition and continued to sell out for power. With plus bat speed and above-average power, the home runs will come naturally if he lets them. A long-strider who runs well for his size, Halman is capable in center field but probably will shift to right, where his plus arm also plays. Few Seattle prospects have as many raw tools as Halman, but he still has a long way to go to harness his ability. Shortening his swing and focusing on contact--as Wladimir Balentien had to do as he advanced--should be on his to-do list as he heads back to Wisconsin.
Halman signed after winning the MVP award in the Dutch league as a 17-year-old. The popular comparison among Mariners officials is Andre Dawson, because Halman is long-limbed, high-waisted athlete. He has a projectable frame and present strength, and Seattle envisions him hitting for power and average once he matures physically, gains more experience and tightens his strike zone. He needs to improve his approach, because he's a dead-pull hitter who chases pitches. Halman is a long-strider who runs well for his size, especially once he gets going. Halman may be able to stay in center field, and if he can't he has more than enough arm and bat projection to play in right. The biggest negative about his 2006 season was that it lasted just a month because he broke his right hand in an on-field brawl. Though he's still young and raw, Seattle will promote him to low Class A this year as a 19-year-old.

Minor League Top Prospects

No player frustrated PCL managers and scouts more than Halman. He finished second in the PCL in homers (33) while leading it in strikeouts (169)--the second year in a row he's topped his league in whiffs after fanning 183 times in the Double-A Southern League a year ago. Halman's pure tools are undeniable. He has the strength and bat speed to generate plus power to all fields, but his swing has length and a natural hooking action to it. Though he did a better job of attempting to make adjustments this year, he overcompensated and starting pulling off balls when pitchers tried to jam him. That made him even more vulnerable to breaking pitches away, which he struggles to recognize. Halman has an athletic build and a strong arm, yet he's an erratic defender. He frequently gets poor reads on balls and led PCL outfielders with 11 errors. Observers criticized his inconsistent attitude and wavering effort level, and there are increasing doubts about whether he can reach his tantalizing ceiling.
The Mariners have brought Halman along slowly since signing him out of the Netherlands in 2004, and he showed signs this season of translating his considerable tools into production. His .892 OPS would have ranked fifth in the Cal League if he had enough at-bats to qualify, but he moved up to Double-A after just 67 games. Halman has strong tools, but what stood out the most was the way he improved as the season went on and performed at his best in important game situations. He has unbelievable bat speed and drove the ball as well as anybody in the league. He closed up some holes in his swing and improved his strikeout rate marginally, but he still needs to make more contact. His arm and speed are both above-average and he covers ground well in center field. Halman eventually could shift to right field as his big frame fills out.
Scouts love Halman's tools, managers wish he didn't play with such a chip on his shoulder and opposing pitchers learned to respect his ability. He spent 2006 at Everett and returned after batting .182/.243/.273 in low Class A to start the season. He led the league in slugging (.597) but must improve his plate discipline and stop selling out so much for power. Halman finally began making adjustments this summer. His strong hands and loose wrists allow him to generate plus bat speed and above-average power, so the home runs will come naturally if he lets them. He's a plus runner, though he doesn't always hustle out of the box and in the outfield. He's an adequate defender who can handle center field, but most likely will have to slide over to right in the future. "He runs, throws, hits and has power," Decker said. "He has tools and skill, and he has some upside. He was repeating the league and was much better this time around, a more disciplined hitter than he was the year before. He got pitches he could recognize and when you made mistakes, he would make you pay."