Mound Talk

BACKGROUND AND STATS

Evan Longoria was taken with the third pick in the 2006 draft by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and his impact was felt immediately. The 6-foot-2, 213 pound third baseman bats and throws right handed.

Undrafted out of high school, Longoria went to Rio Hondo Community College before transferring to Long Beach State University. Longoria had a good sophomore season at LBSU hitting .320/.368/.421 and was recruited to play in the Cape Cod League. Longoria hit .299/.331/.500 with eight home runs and six stolen bases en route to being named the Cape Cod MVP. His draft stock continued to soar his junior year as he hit .353/.468/.602 with 11 home runs and 13 doubles.

Longoria was sent to the New York-Penn League where he hit .424/.500/.879 in 38 plate appearances before being promoted to High-A, Visalia. He needed just 128 plate appearances before moving up to Double-A, Montgomery. Over his first season of professional baseball, (275 PAs) Longoria hit 18 home runs and 14 doubles. He started 2007 in Double-A hitting .307/.403/.528 in 452 plate appearances. He finished the season with Triple-A, Durham and in 128 plate appearances he hit .269/.398/.490.

AT THE PLATE

Longoria has a slightly open stance. He has a deliberate step into his swing which allows him to drive the ball well. He has quick hands that give him plus-plus bat speed. His stroke is quick, compact and powerful.

Longoria has good pitch recognition. He sees the ball and knows what to do with each pitch. He’ll rarely try to pull an outside pitch. He has good power to all fields. Longoria struggled early in his professional career with pitches inside. He has improved here significantly.

Longoria is one of the top prospects in all of baseball and his negatives are few and far between. However, Longoria is very aggressive at the plate. He often goes after first pitches and chases. For that reason, Longoria doesn’t draw a lot of walks and strikes out a little too often. But this is a trend that has a diminishing impact as he gets more and more professional at-bats.

Longoria isn’t a huge stolen base threat but is very smart on the bases. He has the potential to steal upwards of 20 bases in a season and knows how and when to take the extra base.

IN THE FIELD

Longoria has played second, third and shortstop. The Devil Rays have predominantly played him at third where he is most comfortable. He has good footwork and is smooth in the field. His arm is average but when he has problems in the field, they tend to be throwing mistakes. His range is adequate for a third baseman and overall, he should be a slightly above average defender.

INTANGIBLES

Longoria has a great attitude and plus makeup. He has been described by coaches as a “great student of the game” and his work ethic shows.

THE FUTURE

Longoria must continue to become more consistent at the plate and a little less aggressive. He has good speed and should use it more to his advantage.

Longoria has the ability to hit for average and power while playing a solid defense. Ryan Zimmerman is a good comparison for him. He has the upside to become a .300/.340/.500 hitter with 30 home runs over the majority of his career. He’ll get a chance to start the season in Tampa Bay but it is more likely that he will join the big league club in June.