Jake Lamb

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Arizona Diamondbacks #6 prospect in 2015
  Lamb's breakout season in 2014 shows that the Diamondbacks guessed right when they believed they could iron out his swing coming out of college. They jumped the 2012 sixth-rounder to high Class A Visalia in 2013, a season interrupted by a broken left hamate bone in his wrist, but he made up for lost time in the Arizona Fall League. He opened 2014 at Double-A Mobile and finished in the majors, winning the Southern League MVP award along the way after leading the SL in batting (.318) and ranking second in on-base percentage (.399), slugging (.551) and RBIs (79). The improvement in Lamb's bat came when he adjusted his swing to better handle inside pitches, with an approach more suited for hitting for a high average. He has above-average power to all fields, driving the ball even in Mobile's pitcher-friendly park. His long swing can lead to high strikeout totals, but he has a good approach at the plate and draws his share of walks. Lamb is a solid defender at the hot corner with good hands and an above-average arm. He's athletic but is a below-average runner, especially out of the box. His work ethic is strong. Slotted as the top third baseman on the Diamondbacks' depth chart, Lamb will head to spring training as the odds-on favorite to earn a starting job in 2015.
• 
  Ranked Arizona Diamondbacks #12 prospect in 2014
  The Diamondbacks gambled that they could iron out Lamb's swing when they selected him from Washington in the sixth round of the 2012 draft. So far, so good. After a strong 2012 debut at Rookie-level Missoula, Lamb jumped two levels to high Class A Visalia for 2013. He slammed eight homers in the first half while posting a .973 OPS to make the California League midseason all-star team, but he had to drop out when he broke the hamate bone in his right wrist in early June. He returned in early August and finished the year with a solid Arizona Fall League showing. Lamb's raw power began to emerge in 2013, and he offers a patient approach from the left side with the ability to go deep into counts, meaning he could hit for both solid average and power. He's a plus defender at third base with an above-average arm, though he can still be inconsistent on routine plays. Lamb projects as a big league third baseman, and he's ready to move to Double-A Mobile in 2014.
• 
  Ranked Arizona Diamondbacks #16 prospect in 2013
  Lamb earned honorable mention all-Pacific-12 Conference recognition to wrap up his career at Washington, before the Diamondbacks picked him in the sixth round last June and signed him for $161,000. He began his pro career at Rookie-level Missoula, leading the team with a .929 OPS. Lamb stands out for his athleticism and his defense at third base, with his plus arm ranking as the best infield arm in the system. He has plus raw power that is starting to translate to game power and could grow as he matures physically, learns to hit off the fastball and adjusts better to offspeed pitches. His swing still gets a little too long. He's an adequate baserunner, stealing eight bases in 10 attempts at Missoula. Lamb plays the game the right way and is a hard worker. Scouts give him a legitimate chance to be a big league regular. After showing good progress in instructional league, he may be advanced enough to open 2013 in low Class A.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #266 prospect in 2012 draft
  When Lamb was a senior in high school, he formed the middle of a lineup that also included Rays outfielder Josh Sale, a junior at the time. A tough sign out of high school, Lamb fell to the 38th round in 2009, when the Pirates finally took a chance on him. Lamb stands out on the field with his athletic 6-foot-3, 210-pound frame. A shortstop in high school, he's a good defender at third base with above-average arm strength. Lamb shows well in batting practice, flashing above-average raw power, but has struggled in games this year, hitting just .313/.422/.436 over 179 at-bats. His swing will need some work in pro ball and he doesn't look comfortable in the box against lefties. The lefthanded hitter shows some feel for hitting, but uses a slashy, inside-out swing in games instead of trying to tap into his power.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Southern League #9 prospect in 2014
  Suffering no ill effects from a broken hamate bone in his right wrist in 2013, Lamb won the Southern League MVP award after finishing first in the batting race (.318) and second in on-base percentage (.399), slugging (.551) and RBIs (79). He might have led the SL in doubles, too, had he not been promoted out of the league at the end of July. Since turning pro, the 6-foot-3 lefthanded hitter has adjusted his swing to handle the inside pitch better, and Lamb hit with authority to all fields in 2014. He hangs in against southpaws and gets the most out of his ability with good plate discipline, projecting on the high end as a 50 hitter with 60 power on the 20-80 scouting scale. He will need to shorten his swing to avoid the excessive strikeout rate that met him in the majors. The best defensive third baseman in the SL, Lamb has average range for the hot corner, good hands and a solid-average arm. He's a solid athlete but a well below-average runner.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #78 prospect in 2015

• December, 2014 Scouting Report
  Lamb's breakout season in 2014 shows that the Diamondbacks guessed right when they believed they could iron out his swing coming out of college. They jumped the 2012 sixth-rounder to high Class A Visalia in 2013, a season interrupted by a broken left hamate bone in his wrist, but he made up for lost time in the Arizona Fall League. He opened 2014 at Double-A Mobile and finished in the majors, winning the Southern League MVP award along the way after leading the SL in batting (.318) and ranking second in on-base percentage (.399), slugging (.551) and RBIs (79). The improvement in Lamb's bat came when he adjusted his swing to better handle inside pitches, with an approach more suited for hitting for a high average. He has above-average power to all fields, driving the ball even in Mobile's pitcher-friendly park. His long swing can lead to high strikeout totals, but he has a good approach at the plate and draws his share of walks. Lamb is a solid defender at the hot corner with good hands and an above-average arm. He's athletic but is a below-average runner, especially out of the box. His work ethic is strong. Slotted as the top third baseman on the Diamondbacks' depth chart, Lamb will head to spring training as the odds-on favorite to earn a starting job in 2015.