Niko Goodrum Stats & Scouting Report

AB	13
AVG	0
OBP	.133
SLG	0
HR	0

Full name Cartier Niko Goodrum
Born 02/28/1992 in Atlanta, GA
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 215 / Bats: S / Throws: R
School Fayette County
Debut 09/02/2017
Drafted in the 2nd round (71st overall) by the Minnesota Twins in 2010 (signed for $514,800).

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Goodrum is part of the deep class of Georgia prep players who are viewed as future outfielders, a list that includes Delino Deshields Jr., Chevez Clarke, Aaron Shipman and Chris Hawkins. Goodrum, like Hawkins, played shortstop in high school but probably will move out of the infield as a pro because he lacks the pure infield actions most scouts look for at short. He has excellent quickness and well-above-average arm strength and is a 60 runner on the 20-80 scale, though he should slow down as he bulks up. Goodrum was committed to Kennesaw State, and despite the Owls' recent track record of success, he is considered signable. Goodrum is a switch-hitter who got off to a slower start with the bat, thanks in part to him pressing on a modestly talented high school team. As the weather heated up, though, so did Goodrum's bat and he made more contact. He's long and lean at 6-foot-3, 175 pounds, and his swing has holes as a result of his long arms. He also has surprising raw power, as his swing has leverage and he has good hands. Scouts like Goodrum's makeup, and he's an easy player to dream on. He could wind up at third base, center field or even right and should go out in the first four rounds.

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Bumped off shortstop by Jorge Polanco during the first half of 2014, the strong-armed Goodrum split his time between third base and shortstop at high Class A Fort Myers after Polanco advanced to Double-A. In the Twins system, only Miguel Sano has a stronger infield arm. Signed for $514,800 as a second-round pick in 2010, Goodrum has moved slowly but steadily through the system. A home-plate collision in 2013 at low Class A Cedar Rapids cost him two weeks with a concussion, but he was durable in 2014 while slashing his strikeout rate under 20 percent for the first time. Tall and lanky with a high waist, the speedy switch-hitter has a tremendous work ethic and outgoing personality that lends itself naturally to clubhouse leadership. All three of Goodrum's homers in 2014 came from the left side, but his OPS was 87 points higher from the right side. He shows fast hands, decent gap power and an improving eye. Miracle manager Doug Mientkiewicz turned Goodrum loose on the bases, where he's both prolific and efficient. Goodrum's speed and versatility makes him a potential future utilityman.
Signed for $514,800 as a second-round pick in 2010, Goodrum finally made it to full-season ball at low Class A Cedar Rapids in 2013, his fourth pro year. Injured in a home-plate collision in early June, he missed two weeks with a concussion that sent him to the hospital, then suffered through a difficult July (.195 average). The switch-hitting Goodrum's numbers were almost identical from both sides of the plate, where he showed fast hands, decent gap power and continued to improve his patience (60 walks). Tall and lanky with a high waist, some believe he will have to move off shortstop, eventually landing at a corner infield or outfield spot. He made 27 errors in 2013, many of them because he fails to follow through on his throws. For now he will stay put because he shows plus arm strength and surprisingly good range for his body type, thanks to excellent first-step quickness. He's an average runner and doesn't project as a true stolen-base threat at the higher levels. Goodrum shows leadership qualities and brings good energy to the ballpark each day. He figures to open 2014 as the starting shortstop at high Class A Fort Myers.
Goodrum repeated the Appalachian League and saw his batting average drop 33 points in 2012, not what an organization wants to see from a prospect. However, every indicator other than batting average was positive for Goodrum, who moved from a second base/utility role in 2011 to an everyday shortstop job. While he has added 15 pounds since signing, Goodrum is still built like a young colt, long-legged and high-waisted. The added strength helped him drive the ball with more consistency last season. He doubled his home run total from 2011 and led the Appalachian League with eight triples and 38 walks. He has fast hands that work on both sides of the plate as well as in the field. Goodrum is an above-average runner whose first-step quickness gives him range in the middle infield. He also has plus arm strength and an energetic style of play. He remains unpolished defensively, though, thanks to inconsistent footwork and focus, and some scouts think he's headed for the outfield as his body fills out. Goodrum profiles as a utility infielder unless he develops more physically and adds power. He's slated to finally break through to full-season ball in 2013, his fourth pro season.
Goodrum played alongside man-child Miguel Sano in the Appalachian League last year, and the two couldn't be more different. Lean and high-waisted, Goodrum is far from having filled out. His father has the physique of an NFL lineman, however, so the Twins don't think Niko still will look like a greyhound in five years. For now, he's a fast-twitch, raw athlete with the range and arm for shortstop. He has a cannon--edging Tyler Grimes as the system's best infield arm--and fast, soft hands. His size eventually may make his actions too long for short, however. He's an above-average runner under way, so some scouts see him as a center fielder in the Dexter Fowler mold. A switch-hitter, Goodrum has a sound swing from both sides and surprising strength considering his present build. It's easy to dream on his leverage and strength producing average to plus power down the line. At times his swing gets long, and he needs at-bats to improve his pitch recognition. He got better in that regard as the season progressed and finished strong, hitting .341 in August. His overall
The Twins' international spending spree in 2009 focused on athletes in part because the domestic draft was short in that regard. They wanted to get back to more athletes in the 2010 draft, and the long, lean Goodrum was part of that focus. Minnesota drafted him 71st overall and signed him away from a Kennesaw State commitment with a slot bonus of $514,800. He emerged from the scrum of Georgia's amazing high school talent last year, and his plus-plus arm may have been the best in the state. Goodrum is raw at the plate, where he switch-hits and has some holes because of his long arms, and in the field, where he lacks classic infield actions. Goodrum generates leverage and raw power in his swing, and he's an above-average runner, especially under way. He has good hands and there's some thought he could wind up at third base eventually. However, some with the Twins believe he has enough athletic ability and the requisite work ethic to stick at shortstop, unless he gets too big. He has the frame to get much bigger and heavier--his father is a solid 6-foot-4 and 275 pounds--and could wind up as a right fielder with big power and arm strength. As one club official put it, "Whichever way the body goes, if he gets just a little bigger or a lot bigger, it will be a great body." The Twins will take it slow with Goodrum, who could wind up back in the Gulf Coast League or move up to Elizabethton this season.