Bradley Zimmer

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Cleveland Guardians #2 prospect in 2017
  Two years after the Royals drafted his older brother Kyle fifth overall, Zimmer became the second first-round pick in the family when the Indians selected him 21st overall. It marked the third straight year the Indians used their top pick on a center fielder. Zimmer had a breakout 2015, as he started in the Futures Game, advanced to Double-A Akron and earned a spot on the BA Minor League All-Star team. While his 2016 wasn't quite on the same level, he reached Triple-A Columbus in late July. Zimmer has the potential to be a five-tool player and is capable of affecting the game in many ways. He has a smooth lefthanded swing and a patient approach at the plate. His strikeout rate spiked in 2016, when he whiffed 30.7 percent of the time, up from 23.8 percent in 2015. At the same time, however, his walk rate also increased, albeit not as dramatically. Zimmer's swing has natural loft to it, and his strength and bat speed give him above-average power. He also has above-average speed, which is further enhanced by his keen instincts on the basepaths and in the outfield. His power-speed combination gives him a chance to be a 20-20 player, while also providing plus defense in the outfield. He has primarily played center field, where his ability to track down balls and above-average arm strength profiles well. The Indians' outfield situation is muddled beyond Michael Brantley, leaving the door open for Zimmer to take over a starting spot sometime during 2017. He appears destined for Columbus, however.
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  Ranked Cleveland Guardians #1 prospect in 2016
  Zimmer was teammates with his older brother for a year at San Francisco before the Royals drafted Kyle fifth overall in 2012. Bradley developed into a star over the course of the next two years. Before his junior year, he played for USA Baseball's Collegiate National Team--a roster that already has produced big leaguers from Michael Conforto and Kyle Schwarber to Carlos Rodon and Brandon Finnegan. When he was done with Team USA, Zimmer kept player in the Cape Cod League and was named playoff MVP. The following spring, he hit .368/.461/.573 with seven home runs and 21 stolen bases and one-upped his brother when he was named an All-American. He became the second first-round pick in the family when the Indians selected him 21st overall in 2014. It marked the third straight year the Indians used their top pick on a center fielder, but Zimmer could end up being more productive than Tyler Naquin (2012) and Clint Frazier (2013). After signing for $1.9 million, Zimmer began his pro career with a solid showing for short-season Mahoning Valley. The next year, he truly broke out. He started in center for the U.S. in the Futures Game, advanced to Double-A Akron and earned a spot on the BA Minor League All-Star team. He accomplished all of that despite playing for the final two months of the season with a hairline fracture in his right foot that wasn't discovered until after the season ended. Zimmer has true five-tool potential and is capable of impacting the game in many ways. He has a smooth lefthanded swing and advanced understanding of the strike zone, enabling him to make consistent contact. He uses the whole field to hit and has had no trouble handling lefthanded pitchers in the minor leagues. He hit just 14 home runs in his college career, but he eclipsed that total with 16 in 2015, and the loft in his swing should translate into more home-run power as he continues to physically mature. He has above-average speed, which is enhanced by his keen instincts on the basepaths and the outfield. He has a good feel for stealing bases and, despite his midseason promotion, his 32 steals in 78 games with high Class A Lynchburg ranked third in the Carolina League in 2015. His power-speed combination gives him a chance to become a 20 homer-20 steal player at his peak. Long and lanky, Zimmer looks a bit unconventional at times in the outfield but has all the tools to play center field. His reads and routes on flyballs have improved in the minor leagues as he focuses on improving his defense. He covers ground well and has above-average arm strength, which could play in right field, if necessary. While at Lynchburg in 2015, Zimmer split time with Frazier in center field, but Zimmer logged the majority of games there and then played the position exclusively at Akron. Zimmer's broken foot derailed the Indians plans to send him to the Arizona Fall League, but the injury isn't expected to have any lingering effects. After trading Michael Bourn to the Braves in August, the Indians have no long term commitments to a center fielder. Zimmer should begin 2016 back in Akron and, if he continues to progress, be on track to take over an everyday spot in Cleveland some time in 2017.
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  Ranked Cleveland Guardians #2 prospect in 2015
  Zimmer and older brother Kyle got to play together at San Francisco in 2012, the year Kyle became the fifth overall pick in the draft by the Royals. Bradley carried with him that experience of seeing how his brother dealt with the pressure and became a first-round pick himself two years later. Bradley broke out as a sophomore, then earned first-team All-America honors as a junior, when he hit .368/.461/.573 for the Dons en route to being the 21st overall pick and signing for $1.9 million. Zimmer has the makings of a five-tool player. He has a calm approach at the plate and outstanding bat-to-ball skills. His power shows up more in the form of doubles for now, but he has the leverage in his swing to drive balls a long way when he gets his arms extended. He has a lanky, superbly athletic frame and catches eyes with his long strides on the bases and in center field. Scouts who watched Zimmer in college were mixed about whether he could stay in center, but the Indians like what they've seen. He's able to cover plenty of ground and has good instincts, and his plus arm strength would fit in right field. Zimmer reached low Class A Lake County at the tail end of his pro debut and should be advanced enough to handle high Class A in his first full season. He has all the ingredients to move though the system quickly and be an impact player on both sides of the ball.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #14 prospect in 2014 draft
  Zimmer spent his freshman season with the Dons watching his older Kyle deal with the pressure of being a first-round pick. Kyle, a righthander, went fourth overall to the Royals in 2012, and Bradley emerged as a potential first-rounder with a strong sophomore season. That 2013 campaign got better when he earned a spot on USA Baseball's Collegiate National Team and performed well, hitting .300 and leading the team with 11 stolen bases. Zimmer ranks as one of the better athletes in the college hitter class, with a lean 6-foot-5, 205-pound frame, broad shoulders and an extra gear as a runner, grading out as above-average. He has shown plus arm strength as well and looks the part of a right fielder. He's played plenty of center field in college--which not all scouts are sold he can play--and some scouts see him as a better fit there, mostly because they doubt he has the power to be a regular on a corner. Zimmer has an unorthodox setup that produces line drives and hard contact but little loft power. He's led off for the Dons this season and profiles better as a two-hole hitter or further down the order, rather than as a middle-of-the-order bat.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked International League #7 prospect in 2017
  Zimmer slugged just .308 in the IL in 2016 during a 37-game trial, but he bounced back with Columbus this year to earn a callup to the Indians in mid-May. Zimmer made more contact this season to enable him to tap into his power, but because of a hitch in his load, he probably will strike out frequently (30 percent this season) and be a below-average hitter. He does most of his damage versus righthanders and offers little power in same-side matchups. Zimmer offers significant value as a plus-plus defender in center field and as a plus-plus runner--he went 27-for-31 on stolen bases attempts between Triple-A and the majors--giving him a high floor as at least a strong-side platoon player.
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  Ranked Eastern League #14 prospect in 2016
  As has always been the case, Zimmer's calling card as a prospect revolves around his combination of power and speed and his strong defense in center field. He showed many of those same traits this year in a return to Akron, which won the EL championship, but he also showed a few warts. A lanky player with long arms, Zimmer has a few holes he needs to close. Indians coaches worked with him to keep his bat in the zone through impact and also to adjust his bat path to allow him better access to inside pitches. Zimmer also has a severe platoon split and hit just .176 against southpaws at Double-A. Zimmer always has been a strong defender and still projects to stay in center field, but he worked this year to improve his reads and jumps, especially on balls hit directly at him.
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  Ranked Arizona Fall League #12 prospect in 2016
  While Kelly showed a good approach at the plate with gap-to-gap power, batting .286/.387/.455, it's his defense that stood out for scouts covering the Fall League this year. In only his third season behind the plate after starting his career at the hot corner, Kelly is a solid-average defensive catcher with a plus arm, recording 1.9 second pop times. He could become a plus defender with more experience, and pitchers like throwing to him. Kelly was unquestionably the top catching prospect in the AFL this year.
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  Ranked International League #12 prospect in 2016
  After a breakout 2015 in which he reached Double-A in his first full season, Zimmer returned to Akron to begin 2016. The Indians promoted him to Columbus in late July, and he struggled to adjust offensively to the new level, much as he did a year ago in the Eastern League. At his best, Zimmer has five-tool potential and impacts the game in a variety of ways. He does a good job of using the whole field to hit and produces plenty of bat speed. He has above-average power but didn't get to it much with Columbus, in part because he struggled to make as much contact as he had in the past. He whiffed in more than a third of his plate appearances with Columbus. Zimmer is a plus runner and his speed plays well both on the bases and in the outfield. He covers ground in center field and has above-average arm strength.
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  Ranked Eastern League #9 prospect in 2015
  After a loud stint at high Class A Lynchburg, Zimmer struggled a bit following a promotion to Akron. No matter the numbers, though, evaluators came away convinced that Zimmer's future is bright. He split time between left and center field in the Carolina League but played exclusively in center once he reached Double-A. He's a smooth defender at the position who lopes across the outfield with long, fluid strides. He also shows off a better than average arm for the position. At the plate, Zimmer has the potential to hit for average and power, and those who saw him at Akron thought he might have been flustered by pitcher-friendly Canal Park. As a result, he might have overcompensated in his swing, which led to bad habits and over-aggression and, in turn, ugly numbers. If Zimmer reaches his ceiling, he'll become a top-of-the-order center fielder with speed and on-base skills, with the ability to hit for occasional power.
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  Ranked Carolina League #2 prospect in 2015
  Before moving up to Double-A Akron on July 16, Zimmer shared the center field position at Lynchburg with Clint Frazier, the Indians' first-round pick in 2013, the year before they selected Zimmer 21st overall. Of the two, Zimmer drew more plaudits. As a center fielder, Zimmer covers ground with long strides that belie his bigger frame, and he boasts an average arm at the position. Even though he's not a burner by any means, his polished instincts on the bases allowed him to steal 32 bags in 37 chances in the Carolina League. At the plate, Zimmer has quick hands and above-average power to all fields. Based on his tool set, he could grow to become a 20 homer-20 steal player if he reaches his peak. If his speed wanes with age, he still has enough sock in his bat to profile in either corner of the outfield, with right a more likely destination because of his arm strength.
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  Ranked New York-Penn League #5 prospect in 2014
  After earning first-team All-America honors as a junior at San Francisco, Zimmer followed in the footsteps of older brother Kyle by becoming a first-round pick. He missed a week and a half in early August with a concussion, then caught fire upon his return, hitting .346/.477/.538 in his last 15 NYPL games to earn a late promotion. Long and lean, Zimmer is a long strider with above-average speed underway, and he covers enough ground defensively to give him a shot to stay in center field. Some scouts think he'll wind up in right field as he fills out, and his plus arm will play in either spot. Zimmer flashes plus raw power in batting practice, though he still is learning to harness it in game action. His lefthanded swing is a bit unorthodox, but he has a knack for making contact and uses the whole field effectively. Zimmer has five-tool potential if he can unlock his power potential.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #62 prospect in 2017
• Ranked Baseball America's #31 prospect in 2016

• December, 2016 Scouting Report
  Background: Two years after the Royals drafted his older brother Kyle fifth overall, Bradley Zimmer became the second first-round pick in the family. It marked the third straight year the Indians used their top pick on a center fielder. Zimmer had a breakout 2015 and, while his 2016 wasn't quite on the same level, he reached Triple-A Columbus in late July. Scouting Report: Zimmer has the potential to be a five-tool player and is capable of affecting the game in many ways. He has a smooth lefthanded swing and a patient approach at the plate. His strikeout rate spiked in 2016, when he whiffed 30.7 percent of the time, up from 23.8 percent in 2015. At the same time, however, his walk rate also increased. Zimmer's swing has natural loft to it, and his strength and bat speed give him above-average power. He also has above-average speed, which is further enhanced by his keen instincts on the basepaths and in the outfield. His power-speed combination gives him a chance to be a 20-20 player, while also providing plus defense in the outfield. He has primarily played center field, where his ability to track down balls and above-average arm strength profiles well.
  
  The Future: The Indians' outfield situation is muddled, leaving the door open for Zimmer to take over a starting spot during 2017. He appears destined for Columbus, however.
• August, 2016 Scouting Report
  While Kelly showed a good approach at the plate with gap-to-gap power, batting .286/.387/.455, it's his defense that stood out for scouts covering the Fall League this year. In only his third season behind the plate after starting his career at the hot corner, Kelly is a solid-average defensive catcher with a plus arm, recording 1.9 second pop times. He could become a plus defender with more experience, and pitchers like throwing to him. Kelly was unquestionably the top catching prospect in the AFL this year.