Daniel Murphy Stats & Scouting Report

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Murphy played in the same Jacksonville infield with Anthony Bernazard, whose father Tony is the Mets' vice president of player development. The team had an extended look at him and wasn't fazed by knee and arm injuries in his junior season that limited Murphy to DH duties after signing in 2006. His bat always has been his calling card--he hit .398 as a college junior--and allowed him to rank second in the Florida State League with 143 hits in his first full season. He has a steady, contact-oriented approach and a short, balanced swing. He has a feel for RBI situations and for moving runners along. Murphy's defense at third base remains a work in progress. He didn't play the position regularly until midway though his sophomore college season, and he made 35 errors in 135 games for St. Lucie. Footwork is the main culprit, as he's inconsistent with his setup and has somewhat limited mobility. A below-average runner, he is more likely to move to first base than the outfield if his defense and/or David Wright's presence in New York forces the issue at third. The problem is Murphy's gap-to-gap power doesn't profile well at a less challenging position, though optimistic scouts believe he might hit 20 homers annually. After working primarily on his defense in Hawaii Winter Baseball, Murphy is ticketed for Double-A.

Scouts agree with the shorthand assessment of Murphy's Binghamton manager, Mako Oliveras: "He's a grinder who can hit." Murphy has hit at every level, a trend that continued in the EL and again after his big league promotion. He does it with a polished gameplan and excellent two-strike approach. He has advanced offensive instincts that also translate onto the basepaths, where his average speed plays up, and his selectivity gives him average power. He's less capable defensively, though he's decent at third base. He volunteered for left field and second-base duty, taking on extra work before games to work on the new positions. Scouts don't consider him capable of handling second base consistently, but he should continue to hit enough to fit in left field for New York long-term. He's headed to the Arizona Fall League to work on his play at second.

2B Daniel Murphy assigned to Salt Lake Bees from ACL Angels.
2B Daniel Murphy assigned to Salt Lake Bees from ACL Angels.
2B Daniel Murphy assigned to ACL Angels from Los Angeles Angels.
2B Daniel Murphy assigned to ACL Angels from Los Angeles Angels.
Los Angeles Angels signed free agent 2B Daniel Murphy to a minor league contract.
Long Island Ducks activated 2B Daniel Murphy.
2B Daniel Murphy assigned to Long Island Ducks.