Dee Strange-Gordon Stats & Scouting Report

AB	3906
AVG	.286
OBP	.319
SLG	.36
HR	18

Full name Devaris Strange-Gordon
Born 04/22/1988 in Avon Park, FL
Profile Ht.: 5'11" / Wt.: 166 / Bats: L / Throws: R
School Southeastern
Debut 06/06/2011
Drafted in the 4th round (127th overall) by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2008 (signed for $250,000).

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A 5-foot-11, 150 pound middle infielder, Gordon is the son of major leaguer Tom Gordon, and like his father is undersized. Academically ineligible in the spring at his junior college, Strange-Gordon did not play this season but did participate in numerous workouts with major league clubs. Strange-Gordon is athletic and has above-average speed. He is fluid in the field and a gap-to-gap hitter at the plate.

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Organization Prospect Rankings

Gordon's father Tom pitched 22 seasons in the majors, winning 138 games and saving 158 in a career that ended in 2009, but Dee didn't take up baseball until his senior year of high school. A basketball player up to that point, he quickly took to the diamond. Gordon went undrafted out of high school in 2006 and landed at Southeastern (Fla.), where he hit .378 in his one season at the NAIA school. He planned to transfer to Seminole (Fla.) CC for his sophomore season, but a problem with his high school transcript nixed that plan. That's when his father's connections came in handy. The elder Gordon roomed with Dodgers farm director DeJon Watson in the minors when Dee was born, and he tipped Watson off about his son. After working him out, Los Angeles took Gordon in the fourth round of the 2008 draft and signed him for $250,000. He batted .331 in Rookie-level Ogden in his pro debut, won MVP honors in the low Class A Midwest League in his first full season and started at shortstop for the U.S. team in the Futures Game last summer. The Dodgers jumped him two levels to Double-A Chattanooga in 2010, and he responded by leading the Southern League with 53 steals. Managers voted him the league's most exciting player. Gordon's athleticism is off the charts, giving him the potential for four plus tools. He has a short, compact swing that's geared to let him take advantage of his well above-average speed. He did a better job of taking balls back up the middle last season, and he has a knack for barreling up balls and spraying line drives from gap to gap. He has plus bat speed and while he's primarily a fastball hitter, he has shown he can adjust to breaking pitches. Though he hits balls hard consistently, Gordon lacks power and his approach isn't designed for it, so he'll likely max out at 10 homers per year. He did a better job of incorporating the bunt into his game last year, and he has the skills to be an effective top-of-the-order hitter. He comes to the plate with an aggressive mentality, however, and needs to learn to see more pitches. He carries that same aggressiveness with him on the bases and in the field as well. Along with leading the SL in steals, he also ranked first by getting caught stealing 20 times, the second consecutive season he's topped his league in both categories. He has blazing speed but still has to learn to pick his spots. Gordon is a flashy defender whose range allows him to reach balls few can, and he has an above-average arm. However, he can get a bit out of control on defense and led SL shortstops with 37 errors in 133 games. He rushes plays at times and makes some ill-advised, off-balance throws. Most of Gordon's deficiencies should be correctable with experience, and all the tools are there for him to be an above-average major league shortstop and leadoff hitter. He followed up his strong season with an outstanding turn with Carolina in the Puerto Rican League. He'll move up to Triple-A Albuquerque in 2011 and should be ready to make his big league debut by September, if not sooner.
Gordon's father Tom has spent 22 seasons pitching in the major leagues with eight clubs, including the Diamondbacks in 2009. Dee's first love as a youngster was basketball, though. He didn't play baseball until his senior year of high school in Avon Park, Fla., but he quickly learned to like the sport. Undrafted and lightly recruited out of high school, Gordon attended NAIA Southeastern (Fla.) and hit .378 with 45 steals as a freshman in 2007. He planned to transfer to Seminole (Fla.) CC in 2008 to increase his exposure, but he had to sit out the season because of issues with his high school transcript. While scouts couldn't see him in game action, Tom Gordon tipped off Dodgers assistant general manager for player development DeJon Watson, who was his roommate in the Royals system when Dee was born. Gordon threw too much in predraft workouts for a handful of clubs and showed a below-average arm when he auditioned for the Dodgers. Intrigued by his speed and athleticism, however, they took him in the fourth round and signed him for $250,000. Gordon showed little rust from his layoff, batting .331 in his pro debut. For an encore he shared the MVP award in the low Class A Midwest League with Great Lakes teammate Kyle Russell in 2009. Gordon led the MWL with 73 steals--22 more than his nearest competitor--and 12 triples while ranking second with 96 runs and 162 hits. He also won the Dodgers' Branch Rickey minor league player of the year award. Gordon is the best athlete Los Angeles has signed since Logan White took charge of the club's drafts in 2002. His most impressive tool is his game-changing speed. He has been clocked at 6.3 seconds in the 60-yard dash and has the raw ability to lead the majors in steals one day. Despite his inexperience, he's an adept hitter who crowds the plate and uses his quick bat to hit line drives from gap to gap. He's not just a slap hitter and should have decent pop for a middle infielder once he adds strength. His range is outstanding, as he gets to balls few other shortstops do. He has good actions and a solid arm. His tools also would make him a plus defender in center field. Gordon is still raw in all phases of the game. He needs to learn how to recognize pitches better and show more discipline at the plate to be a truly effective leadoff hitter. He steals bases strictly on speed at this point, and he led the minors by getting caught 25 times in 2009. He topped MWL shortstops with 34 errors, with many coming on throws because he tends to drop down his arm angle. He also needs to be more aggressive at shortstop and let fewer grounders play him. He has tried, so far in vain, to gain weight despite often eating five or six meals a day last season. However, his broad shoulders suggest he has the frame to add strength. Gordon has only scratched the surface of his potential. Considering his lack of experience, he has made amazing progress. He'll begin 2010 at high Class A Inland Empire and should be ready to become the Dodgers' starting shortstop and leadoff hitter at some point in 2012.
A son of big league reliever Tom Gordon, Devaris originally attended Southeastern (Fla.) before transferring to junior college to become eligible for the 2008 draft. He didn't play at Seminole (Fla.) CC because of a grade mixup, so scouts couldn't see him in game action last spring. As a Royals farmhand, Dodgers farm director DeJon Watson once roomed with Tom Gordon, who tipped off Watson about his son. Los Angeles liked what it saw in workouts and signed him for $250,000 in the fourth round. Gordon is a pure athlete who can cover 60 yards in 6.3 seconds and dunk a basketball despite standing 5- foot-11. He sprays the ball from gap to gap and showed little rust by ranking fourth in the Rookie-level Pioneer League batting race with a .331 average in his pro debut. He has plus range to both sides, a solid arm and the actions of a big league shortstop. Despite his big league bloodlines, Gordon is raw and the time off last spring didn't help. With his size, his power potential is limited. He must learn to play more under control so he can be a more consistent defender. Gordon will move as fast as he can mature, with his next test to come in low Class A. If all goes well, he could blossom into a leadoff hitter and plus defender.

Minor League Top Prospects

The son of Tom Gordon was a clear choice as the PCL's best shortstop prospect, showing every tool but power. He struggled in his first two big league callups in June and August, but finished the year by playing every day in September and batting .372 for the Dodgers. Gordon's best tool is his well above-average speed. He has refined his basestealing technique, succeeding on a career-high 82 percent of his attempts between the majors and minors this year. He makes contact and puts the ball on the ground, so his wheels allow him to hit for a high average, though he could stand to draw more walks. Gordon's quickness also translates to his defense. He has the range and strong arm to be a plus defender at shortstop. He's still working on his consistency after committing a combined 29 errors in 2011.
Managers rated Gordon the most exciting player in the league, in large part because of his extraordinary speed. His wheels rate an 80 on the 20-80 scouting scale and have helped him win league stolen-base titles in each of his two full pro seasons. Gordon is an aggressive batter who likes to attack early in the count. He lacks patience and power but makes consistent contact and can reach base via the bunt. He has all the tools to be a standout defender at shortstop: smooth actions, quick feet and plus agility and arm strength. Though he's the son of former all-star closer Tom Gordon, Dee lacks baseball experience because he didn't start playing the game until his senior year of high school. He's still learning many of the game's nuances, which explains why he led the league in caught stealings (20) and errors (37).
A transcript mixup left Gordon ineligible to play in the spring before the 2008 draft, but the Dodgers learned about him because his father Tom, the big league all-star, tipped off Los Angeles farm director DeJon Watson, a former teammate in the Royals system. Smaller but just as athletic as Hicks, Gordon is still raw yet hit .301 in his first full season and stole a league-high 73 bases. "He's just touching what he can do," South Bend manager Mark Haley said. "He's got a lot more in the tank. He's just learning to play the game." Gordon crowds the plate and is a free swinger, but he consistently barrels balls and drills liners to the opposite field. He's working on drawing walks and bunting so he can get on base more to take advantage of his top-of-the-line speed. He's still learning to steal bases after topping the minors by getting caught 25 times. More than a slap hitter, he should have decent pop once he gets stronger. A defensive work in progress as well, Gordon led MWL shortstop with 34 errors. He needs to charge more balls and keep his elbow up on his throws. With good actions, plus range and a solid arm, he has the tools to stay at shortstop, and it's also easy to envision him as an above-average defender in center field.
Gordon failed to qualify academically at Seminole (Fla.) Community College and couldn't play this spring, but the Dodgers drafted him in the fourth round anyway. Once he stepped onto the field in the Pioneer League, it was apparent why. The son of Phillies righthander Tom Gordon, Gordon has outstanding athleticism and 65 speed on the 20-80 scouting scale. He's extremely skinny with wide shoulders, so he has plenty of room to add strength to his wiry frame. Despite his slender build, he swings the bat with surprising authority and drives balls to the gaps. With excellent range and good first-step quickness, Gordon has the tools to stick at shortstop. Some of the rust from not getting live game action this spring showed, as he made 28 errors in 60 games, but the miscues should be correctable once he learns to play more under control.