Bobby Dalbec

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Boston Red Sox #3 prospect in 2021
  Hitting: 40. Power: 70. Run: 45. Fielding: 50. Arm: 70.
  Track Record: Dalbec’s elite power made him first-round candidate in the 2016 draft, but his struggles as a junior caused him to slip to the fourth round. The Red Sox signed the two-way standout for $650,000. He made that slide look misguided in pro ball with a combined 59 home runs in 2018 and ’19, sixth-most in the minors. He continued that power display with eight home runs in 19 games in his big league debut.
  
  Scouting Report: Dalbec has massive all-fields power with enough strength and leverage to allow even some mis-hits to leave the yard to right field. He also has sizable holes for big league pitchers to exploit, both on elevated fastballs as well as breaking balls and offspeed pitches below the zone. The cerebral Dalbec posted a 42.4 percent strikeout rate in the big leagues but has shown the ability to adjust and lower his strikeout rate throughout his pro career. While Dalbec spent most of his time at first base in Boston, he continues to be somewhat stiff there and remains a work in progress. He is more natural at third base, where he is a solid defender and his arm plays as double-plus—but he’s blocked by Rafael Devers.
  
  The Future: Dalbec’s first exposure to the majors validated the impression he can become a valuable power hitter and corner infielder. He’ll open 2021 back in Boston. .
• 
  Ranked Boston Red Sox #2 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: Dalbec shows elite power, with his 59 homers over the last two seasons ranking as the sixth-most in the minors. Though high strikeout rates created caution about his floor, he has sustained the ability to slug and get on base while moving up the ladder, and he's also managed to cut his strikeout rate without compromising power.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Dalbec is incredibly strong, allowing him to drive the ball out to all fields, sometimes even when not fully squaring up. His plate discipline is a strength that gives him solid on-base numbers regardless of his average. Still, his frame both creates holes in his swing and magnifies mechanical inefficiencies. Most of his struggles occur due to issues in the direction and timing of the weight transfer in his lower half, staying back for too long and then spinning off the ball while rushing forward. But when locked in, his homers come in bunches. Despite below-average speed on the bases and his size, Dalbec shows quickness, anticipation, and range in the field, with the hands and footwork to play solid defense at third. While he's still acclimating to first base and reads of the ball off the bat on the right side of the infield, he made considerable strides at the position with increased exposure to it in 2019.
  
  THE FUTURE: With Rafael Devers anchoring third base for years to come, Dalbec—who is expected to open 2020 back in Triple-A—could find his way to the big leagues at first base or perhaps in left field if the Red Sox need righthanded thump.
• 
  Ranked Boston Red Sox #1 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: A two-way player at Arizona who dominated on the mound in the 2016 College World Series, Dalbec has had a pro career of extremes. He had a tremendous pro debut with short-season Lowell in 2016, then struggled severely in his first full season in 2017, which was interrupted by surgery to remove a broken hamate. With health in 2018, Dalbec turned heads with top-of-the-charts power to all fields as well as plus defense at third base. He set a high Class A Salem record with 26 home runs before his promotion to Double-A Portland.
  
  Scouting Report: Between his power, glove and arm, Dalbec has a combination of plus or better tools that few others in the system possess. Yet early in 2018, some scouts thought that it was a matter of time before he moved to the mound. Then Dalbec got on a roll in which he not only made more frequent contact but destroyed baseballs with eye-opening consistency. “My God, what power,” exclaimed one scout. To get to that elite power, he will need to control his strikeout rate, which ballooned to 37 percent at Double-A. It’s a challenge made greater by a hand hitch in his swing. But some believe that Dalbec’s hitting intellect will allow him to hit enough to make an impact, particularly given that (A) he handled good fastballs in the zone this year, (B) he may benefit from a more consistent strike zone as he moves up, and (C) he has the ability to stay back on pitches rather than selling out for power. He can hit line drives to right-center field that carry over the fence. Still, some evaluators view his profile as risky given the frequency with which he chases secondary pitches out of the strike zone. Though a 6-foot-4 frame sometimes works against third basemen, Dalbec shows surprising quickness and range, excellent hands and a cannon arm that delivered mid-90s fastballs from the mound. While he has the skills to play third, he also saw time at first base in the Arizona Fall League to open more potential pathways to the big leagues.
  
  The Future: If Dalbec can’t control his strikeout rate, his future role would be limited to that of a platoon corner bat with good defensive skills. But his power is so significant that if he can hit .250 while maintaining a high walk rate, he could be an above-average or better third baseman who offers ample run production as a five- or six-hole type of hitter
• 
  Ranked Boston Red Sox #16 prospect in 2018
  Though Dalbec propelled Arizona to the brink of a championship with his work on the mound in the 2016 College World Series, he remained resolute in his preference to pursue a career as a position player. Dalbec made a spectacular short-season debut with Lowell that year, showing immense power and a better-than-expected offensive approach while hitting .386/.427/.674. But in 2017, a difficult start was quickly compounded by wrist soreness and a broken hamate, the latter of which required surgery. While injuries played a role in some of his approach challenges, Dalbec endured extreme difficulties making contact, striking out in a shocking 37.4 percent of plate appearances with low Class A Greenville while hitting .246/.345/.427. There were particular concerns about his inability to recognize breaking balls and a tendency to swing through hittable fastballs in the strike zone. Those woes were sufficient to have some evaluators writing off Dalbec, but others remained convinced that injuries rendered the 2017 season insufficient to overlook Dalbec's top-of-the-charts raw power and potentially strong third base defense. He represents as much of a boom-or-bust prospect as the Red Sox have.
• 
  Ranked Boston Red Sox #5 prospect in 2017
  When Dalbec dominated on the mound at the 2016 College World Series, it led to plenty of questions about why the Red Sox intended to develop him as a third baseman. Once he reported to short-season Lowell, those questions faded, both because the 21-year-old made clear that he wanted to be a full-time position player and because he showed an enormous offensive ceiling, as he had in the 2015 Cape Cod League, when he slugged 12 homers in 27 games. After a junior year in which Dalbec's approach proved inconsistent with varying stances, loads and strides that made it difficult for him to repeat his swing, he relaxed and smoothed out his mechanics in short-season Lowell with dazzling results. The pull-happy approach he showed this year in college was replaced by an up-the-middle emphasis in which Dalbec showed a vastly improved ability to make contact and to drive the ball with prodigious power to all fields. He slugged .674 in the New York-Penn League thanks to impressive bat speed and a power hitter's extension through the ball. He certainly has the arm for third base, with the actions to suggest he can continue to develop at that position. Dalbec's spring will determine whether he opens 2017 at low Class A Greenville or high Class A Salem.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #118 prospect in 2016 draft
  A Colorado prep product, Dalbec presents scouts with more questions than any prospect in the West. He ranked 18th in the country with 15 home runs as a sophomore, when he also started seven games and pitched 62 innings for Arizona. He played for both USA Baseball's Collegiate National Team and in the Cape Cod League last summer, showing plus-plus righthanded power and leading the Cape with 14 home runs in 33 games (counting the playoffs). He also had 56 strikeouts in 116 Cape at-bats, and his swing-and-miss tendencies continued in his junior season (59 through 156 ABs for Arizona). However, Dalbec, 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, is still having a fine season, thriving as a pitcher for the spunky Wildcats and first-year head coach Jay Johnson. He was 8-3 with a 2.78 ERA and six saves, showing a 92-94 mph fastball at his best with a slider and changeup flashing average if not a tick above. Most scouts still see Dalbec as a hitter, but his pitching has intrigued, and he was sidelined in early May by an undisclosed injury, clouding his draft status even more. His defense has improved this spring, as he's shown better hands and a quicker first step, giving some evaluators confidence that he could play third base at the highest level.
• Ranked #287 prospect in 2013 draft
  Dalbec wasn't a big name on last summer's showcase circuit, but he has emerged this spring and Arizona coaches are starting to worry he won't wind up on campus. He has a thick, strong frame at 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds and stands out for his above-average power potential. He doesn't play frontline competition, so scouts aren't sure how he'll do against better pitching. He plays shortstop now but will move to third base right away and may eventually wind up at first base. He is a below-average runner with average arm strength. Dalbec would be a two-way player if he goes to college and has been up to 91 mph on the mound, though his secondary stuff needs work. Not all teams are on Dalbec, but those that are could call Dalbec's name as early as the fourth round.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Eastern League #8 prospect in 2019
  Dalbec appeared in 29 games last season in the Eastern League and returned this season. He was on fire during the month of May, when he hit .279/.359/.596 with 16 extra-base hits in 28 games. He finished the season ranked among the EL leaders in on-base percentage (.371), slugging (.454) and OPS (.825). Dalbec receives high marks for his work ethic and ability to grind out at-bats. His hit tool is below-average, but his strike-zone knowledge is improving and he has prodigious power. "You don't want to go to the hot dog stand when he is at the plate—you might miss a 500-foot bomb," Portland manager Joe Oliver said. Dalbec's plus arm is a major asset at third base. His ceiling is as a future plus defender at third and as a six-hole hitter whose power and walks will provide the bulk of his value.
• 
  Ranked Carolina League #8 prospect in 2018
  Dalbec was the best power hitter in the Carolina League. He led the circuit in home runs, slugging percentage, extra-base hits and home run rate (1 home run every 13 at-bats). But scouts knew going into the season that he could crush a mistake–he has 70 grade raw power. What impressed evaluators was his steadily improving at-bats and solid defense. Dalbec has a 70 arm that helps him be an average defender. Dalbec’s range and hands are just average, but his arm allows him to get outs that other third basemen can’t. Dalbec’s hitting ability will determine his ultimate future. No one expects him to be even an average hitter, but if he hits .240, he’ll hit enough home runs to be a productive regular. Dalbec has a hitch with his hands that leads to some of the swing-and-miss tendencies, especially against breaking balls.
• 
  Ranked New York-Penn League #9 prospect in 2016
  Dalbec was a hero for College World Series runner-up Arizona--as a starting pitcher. Featuring a low-90s fastball and an effective breaking ball and changeup, Dalbec was a postseason workhorse, tallying the second-most strikeouts in the CWS in the last 30 years, with 26. But the two-way player has always preferred hitting, and that's what the Red Sox drafted him in the fourth round to do. Dalbec struggled this spring at the plate, batting .260/.370/.429 with 85 strikeouts in 231 at-bats, but he put those struggles behind him as a pro, where he found a more consistent, quieter offensive approach at the plate. He led Lowell with seven homers in just 34 games. Strikeouts always will be an issue for Dalbec, but he flashed 70-grade righthanded power on the 20-80 scouting scale and could be a middle-of-the-order bat if he's able to make contact consistently. Dalbec's defense at third base has steadily improved, and evaluators are optimistic he'll be able to stick there. He certainly has the arm strength for third.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #90 prospect in 2021
• Ranked Baseball America's #75 prospect in 2020

• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  Hitting: 40. Power: 70. Run: 45. Fielding: 50. Arm: 70.
  Track Record: Dalbec’s elite power made him first-round candidate in the 2016 draft, but his struggles as a junior caused him to slip to the fourth round. The Red Sox signed the two-way standout for $650,000. He made that slide look misguided in pro ball with a combined 59 home runs in 2018 and ’19, sixth-most in the minors. He continued that power display with eight home runs in 19 games in his big league debut.
  
  Scouting Report: Dalbec has massive all-fields power with enough strength and leverage to allow even some mis-hits to leave the yard to right field. He also has sizable holes for big league pitchers to exploit, both on elevated fastballs as well as breaking balls and offspeed pitches below the zone. The cerebral Dalbec posted a 42.4 percent strikeout rate in the big leagues but has shown the ability to adjust and lower his strikeout rate throughout his pro career. While Dalbec spent most of his time at first base in Boston, he continues to be somewhat stiff there and remains a work in progress. He is more natural at third base, where he is a solid defender and his arm plays as double-plus—but he’s blocked by Rafael Devers.
  
  The Future: Dalbec’s first exposure to the majors validated the impression he can become a valuable power hitter and corner infielder. He’ll open 2021 back in Boston. .
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  Hitting: 40. Power: 70. Run: 45. Fielding: 50. Arm: 70.
  Track Record: Dalbec’s elite power made him first-round candidate in the 2016 draft, but his struggles as a junior caused him to slip to the fourth round. The Red Sox signed the two-way standout for $650,000. He made that slide look misguided in pro ball with a combined 59 home runs in 2018 and ’19, sixth-most in the minors. He continued that power display with eight home runs in 19 games in his big league debut.
  
  Scouting Report: Dalbec has massive all-fields power with enough strength and leverage to allow even some mis-hits to leave the yard to right field. He also has sizable holes for big league pitchers to exploit, both on elevated fastballs as well as breaking balls and offspeed pitches below the zone. The cerebral Dalbec posted a 42.4 percent strikeout rate in the big leagues but has shown the ability to adjust and lower his strikeout rate throughout his pro career. While Dalbec spent most of his time at first base in Boston, he continues to be somewhat stiff there and remains a work in progress. He is more natural at third base, where he is a solid defender and his arm plays as double-plus—but he’s blocked by Rafael Devers.
  
  The Future: Dalbec’s first exposure to the majors validated the impression he can become a valuable power hitter and corner infielder. He’ll open 2021 back in Boston. .
• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Dalbec shows elite power, with his 59 homers over the last two seasons ranking as the sixth-most in the minors. Though high strikeout rates created caution about his floor, he has sustained the ability to slug and get on base while moving up the ladder, and he’s also managed to cut his strikeout rate without compromising power.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Dalbec is incredibly strong, allowing him to drive the ball out to all fields, sometimes even when not fully squaring up. His plate discipline is a strength that gives him solid on-base numbers regardless of his average. Still, his frame both creates holes in his swing and magnifies mechanical inefficiencies. Most of his struggles occur due to issues in the direction and timing of the weight transfer in his lower half, staying back for too long and then spinning off the ball while rushing forward. But when locked in, his homers come in bunches. Despite below-average speed on the bases and his size, Dalbec shows quickness, anticipation, and range in the field, with the hands and footwork to play solid defense at third. While he’s still acclimating to first base and reads of the ball off the bat on the right side of the infield, he made considerable strides at the position with increased exposure to it in 2019.
  
  THE FUTURE: With Rafael Devers anchoring third base for years to come, Dalbec—who is expected to open 2020 back in Triple-A—could find his way to the big leagues at first base or perhaps in left field if the Red Sox need righthanded thump.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Dalbec shows elite power, with his 59 homers over the last two seasons ranking as the sixth-most in the minors. Though high strikeout rates created caution about his floor, he has sustained the ability to slug and get on base while moving up the ladder, and he's also managed to cut his strikeout rate without compromising power.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Dalbec is incredibly strong, allowing him to drive the ball out to all fields, sometimes even when not fully squaring up. His plate discipline is a strength that gives him solid on-base numbers regardless of his average. Still, his frame both creates holes in his swing and magnifies mechanical inefficiencies. Most of his struggles occur due to issues in the direction and timing of the weight transfer in his lower half, staying back for too long and then spinning off the ball while rushing forward. But when locked in, his homers come in bunches. Despite below-average speed on the bases and his size, Dalbec shows quickness, anticipation, and range in the field, with the hands and footwork to play solid defense at third. While he's still acclimating to first base and reads of the ball off the bat on the right side of the infield, he made considerable strides at the position with increased exposure to it in 2019.
  
  THE FUTURE: With Rafael Devers anchoring third base for years to come, Dalbec—who is expected to open 2020 back in Triple-A—could find his way to the big leagues at first base or perhaps in left field if the Red Sox need righthanded thump.
• December, 2018 Scouting Report
  Dalbec appeared in 29 games last season in the Eastern League and returned this season. He was on fire during the month of May, when he hit .279/.359/.596 with 16 extra-base hits in 28 games. He finished the season ranked among the EL leaders in on-base percentage (.371), slugging (.454) and OPS (.825). Dalbec receives high marks for his work ethic and ability to grind out at-bats. His hit tool is below-average, but his strike-zone knowledge is improving and he has prodigious power. "You don't want to go to the hot dog stand when he is at the plate—you might miss a 500-foot bomb," Portland manager Joe Oliver said. Dalbec's plus arm is a major asset at third base. His ceiling is as a future plus defender at third and as a six-hole hitter whose power and walks will provide the bulk of his value.
• July, 2018 Scouting Report
  Dalbec swings and misses a ton, but when he connects, he features 65- to 70-grade power that gives him the ability to drive the ball out of the park to all fields (he’s been leading the Carolina League in homers for most of the year), and he also produces high walk rates. The offensive tools and impressive defense at third base suggest a player with at least a chance to be a three-true outcomes third baseman in the big leagues (a sort of Matt Chapman Lite), though his high strikeout rates give him a problematic floor.
• December, 2016 Scouting Report
  Background: When Dalbec dominated on the mound at the 2016 College World Series, it led to plenty of questions about why the Red Sox intended to develop him as a third baseman. Once he reported to short-season Lowell, those questions faded, both because the 21-year-old made clear that he wanted to be a full-time position player and because he showed an enormous offensive ceiling, as he had in the 2015 Cape Cod League, when he slugged 12 homers in 27 games. Scouting Report: After a junior year in which Dalbec's approach proved inconsistent with varying stances, loads and strides that made it difficult for him to repeat his swing, he relaxed and smoothed out his mechanics in short-season Lowell with dazzling results. The pull-happy approach he showed this year in college was replaced by an up-the-middle emphasis in which Dalbec showed a vastly improved ability to make contact and to drive the ball with prodigious power to all fields. He slugged .674 in the New York-Penn League thanks to impressive bat speed and a power hitter's extension through the ball. He certainly has the arm for third base, with the actions to suggest he can continue to develop at that position.
  
  The Future: Dalbec's spring will determine whether he opens 2017 at low Class A Greenville or high Class A Salem.