Jeremy Hazelbaker Stats & Scouting Report

AB	252
AVG	.258
OBP	.327
SLG	.5
HR	14

Full name Jeremy Philip Hazelbaker
Born 08/14/1987 in Muncie, IN
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 190 / Bats: L / Throws: R
School Ball State
Debut 04/03/2016
Drafted in the 4th round (138th overall) by the Boston Red Sox in 2009 (signed for $191,700).

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Hazelbaker hit .246 with 31 errors at second base in his first two seasons at Ball State, but earned all-star honors as an outfielder in the Great Lakes League last summer. Even then, no one expected him to rank among the NCAA Division I leaders in batting (.429), runs (77), hits (87), triples (nine), total bases (147), walks (48), on-base percentage (.550), slugging percentage (.724) and steals (29). He's a totally different hitter now, as he has stopped trying to pull everything and focused on using the entire field and letting his considerable speed work for him. A 65 runner out of the box on the 20-80 scouting scale--he grades as a 70 once he gets going--Hazelbaker is adept a bunting, a skill that helped the lefty hitter bat .419 against southpaws. The 6-foot-3, 195-pounder also has deceptive strength, hitting for the cycle against Kent State (doing most of the damage off prospect Brad Stillings) and driving some balls out of the park to the opposite field. Despite his strength, he understands his primary role as a leadoff hitter is to get on base and create havoc. His speed also allows him to chase down balls in center field, where his arm is playable. He made seven errors this spring, though it was his first year as a full-time outfielder. His limited track record bothers some scouts, but there aren't many college prospects in this draft who are legitimate up-the-middle players and have performed, so he could get picked as high as the third round.

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A teammate of Kolbrin Vitek at Ball State, Hazelbaker hit just .246 and made 31 errors at second base in his first two college seasons. Like Vitek, he used a strong summer performance in the Great Lakes League as a springboard to a standout junior season, ranking among the NCAA Division I leaders in hitting (.429), on-base percentage (.550) and steals (29) in 2009. A fourth-round pick that June, he had a dismal pro debut but started to turn things around in instructional league. In 2010, he made the South Atlantic League all-star team, led Red Sox farmhands with 63 steals (the most in the system since 1981) in 80 attempts and won the organization's minor league baserunner of the year award. Hazelbaker can go from the left side of the plate to first base in less than 4.0 seconds on a bunt and his speed rates a 70 on the 20-80 scouting scale. In addition to sheer quickness, he also possesses the best baserunning instincts in the system. More than just a speedster, Hazelbaker also has plus raw power to his pull side. He's willing to take walks, but his swing can get long at times and he needs to make more consistent contact so he can take advantage of his speed. Hazelbaker has the athleticism to handle center field, though he didn't get much of an opportunity to do so playing alongside superior defender Reymond Fuentes in low Class A last year. He played more in right field, where his fringy arm isn't a great fit, but should get a shot in center this year in high Class A, after Fuentes went to the Padres in the Adrian Gonzalez trade. Hazelbaker will be old for that level at 23, so Boston would like him to force his way to Double-A at some point during the season.