Gavin LaValley

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Cincinnati Reds #21 prospect in 2018
  An offensive lineman in high school with a chance to play college football, LaValley has always had projected power, but only in 2017 did that carry over to games. LaValley had as many home runs in the first half of the season (15) as he did in his first two years of full-season ball combined. At the time of his promotion to Double-A, he led the Florida State League with those 15 home runs, not including a pair of homers he hit in the FSL All-Star Game en route to being named the game's MVP. Those homers dried up, though, in Double-A, where he hit just three in 67 games. LaValley struggled against more advanced pitching, and needs to improve his ability to recognize the breaking ball. He has played some third base in the past, but projects as a first baseman. He's a better athlete than many would suspect upon first glance, but it may not be enough to allow him to play in the outfield. LaValley played alongside Nick Senzel at High-A Daytona and Double-A Pensacola this season, limiting his time at third base to just four innings in one game.
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  Ranked Cincinnati Reds #24 prospect in 2016
  A high school offensive lineman on the football field, LaValley weighed as much as 270 pounds. As baseball became his primary focus, he slimmed down, but there was only so much slimming he could do as long as he was also trying to block defensive linemen. After turning pro, LaValley was free to shape his body for baseball, and he dropped down to about 215 pounds, gaining agility but also losing some of the pop that the Reds expected to see. He handled an aggressive jump to low Class A Dayton demonstrating a solid approach by using the whole field, drawing walks and showing a relatively advanced hit tool that projects as above-average. But his power disappeared. LaValley's .091 isolated slugging percentage ranked in the bottom third of qualified MWL hitters, and his hits didn't pass the eye test either--the ball rarely jumped off his bat. Defensively, LaValley showed good body control, soft hands and a solid-average arm at third base to go with average range. He has to develop at least average power to project as a regular. A jump to high Class A Daytona won't help him add to his slim home run numbers.
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  Ranked Cincinnati Reds #17 prospect in 2015
  Getting a good feel on Oklahoma prep hitters isn't easy because they get to beat up on poor pitching. A two-sport star in high school, LaValley was an all-state offensive guard who dominated on the baseball diamond. He slimmed down for baseball season and should melt away more weight. LaValley has excellent bat speed and an advanced, all-field hitting approach that gives him a chance to both hit for average and produce at least average productive power. For his size, he showed nimble feet and a tick above-average arm. The Reds will let him continue to play third base for now, but scouts see him moving to first before long, as he lacks range. He's a well below-average runner. LaValley is one of the more advanced high school hitters the Reds have drafted in recent years. He could make the jump to low Class A Dayton in 2015.