Brett Netzer
| AB | 1137 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .262 |
| OBP | .326 |
| SLG | .354 |
| HR | 10 |
- Full name Brett Netzer
- Born 06/04/1996 in Tega Cay, SC
- Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 195 / Bats: L / Throws: R
- School Charlotte
-
Drafted in the 3rd round (101st overall) by the Boston Red Sox in 2017 (signed for $475,000).
View Draft Report
Netzer provides scouts another offensive second baseman in the college ranks in a draft year thin on college bats. He's athletic enough to be an above-average runner, and he takes aggressive, confident swings. He got off to a strong start before falling off a bit, hitting .342 after batting .384 as a sophomore, but most scouts still grade him as at least an average hitter, with some going above-average thanks to his bat speed and strong strike zone judgment (more walks than strikeouts the last two seasons). His power is mostly to the gaps, and scouts have to project a bit to give the 6-foot, 192-pounder average power, though he showed solid pop in the Cape Cod League (.283/.360/.424, 8 XBH in 99 at-bats) last summer. Netzer has some rough edges defensively at second base but should be average, with enough arm strength to turn the double play.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
-
Track Record: Netzer played his first full pro season in 2018 under challenging circumstances after his father passed away from colon cancer in the spring. By the end of the year at high Class A Salem, Netzer seemed understandably drained while posting a .235/.292/.329 line down the stretch. But some evaluators believed a strong first half in which he hit .308/.361/.396 while showing good strike-zone judgment, may be more representative of his skill set.
Scouting Report: Netzer swings at strikes and shoots line drives to all fields. The approach serves him well against righties (.288/.344/.377 in 2018) but he struggles against lefties (.229/.278/.319) and has little power present or projectable. Defensively, he projects as average or a tick below at second.
The Future: Netzer’s contact ability from the left side is a good starting point, but he needs to make more impact and improve his defense. He stands to open 2019 at Double-A Portland. -
Netzer showed a consistently sound offensive approach at Charlotte, posting a .342/.425/.509 line with more walks (29) than strikeouts (27) as a junior. He also got a bit of a boost from a pair of strong summers--first in the Ripken League in 2015 where he ranked as the No. 8 prospect, then in 2016 in the Cape Cod League. Netzer makes steady, hard contact while controlling the strike zone, a combination that has tended to yield some undervalued college players in the draft. His hit tool is his calling card because of a strong knowledge of the strike zone and above-average bat speed. He projects to have gap power, or perhaps a tick better. Still, a hitter who seemingly represents a quality eight-hole option with a chance to move rapidly up the ladder stands out in a system that is short on middle-of-the-field players. He played to those expectations in his first pro summer, hitting .317/.376/.390 with short-season Lowell before moving up to low Class A Greenville, where he performed modestly in the final month of the regular season. His defense is closer to average or a tick below. Netzer should return to Greenville to start the year with a chance to finish at high Class A Salem.
Draft Prospects
-
Netzer provides scouts another offensive second baseman in the college ranks in a draft year thin on college bats. He's athletic enough to be an above-average runner, and he takes aggressive, confident swings. He got off to a strong start before falling off a bit, hitting .342 after batting .384 as a sophomore, but most scouts still grade him as at least an average hitter, with some going above-average thanks to his bat speed and strong strike zone judgment (more walks than strikeouts the last two seasons). His power is mostly to the gaps, and scouts have to project a bit to give the 6-foot, 192-pounder average power, though he showed solid pop in the Cape Cod League (.283/.360/.424, 8 XBH in 99 at-bats) last summer. Netzer has some rough edges defensively at second base but should be average, with enough arm strength to turn the double play.
