Is Stefan Gartrell a legit prospect?

[caulfield12]

Discuss our 25 year-old Barons outfielder.

 

Is this season an anomaly? Who do you think from the Birmingham roster is more likely to stick with the White Sox in the future (of the non Top 10 types), Gartrell or Retherford? Cook?

 

What is his biggest weakness besides average speed and strikeouts?

 

Would anyone feel confident if they knew that Shelby or Gartrell would be the starting LFer or RFer for the White Sox in 2010 or 2011?

 

That Retherford might be the starting 3B in 2010 or 2011?

 

 

[Chisoxfn]

I'd say he's still on the outside looking in, but he has a very good skill-set, one that I believe Ozzie Guillen would like. In fact, if the Sox can't find anything in the outfield, I wouldn't be at all surprised if Gartrell got a shot. He really seems to be putting things together and he is definately a prospect. Top 10, probably not, but he's a guy that if you give him a shot might earn himself a major league job.

[Chisoxfn]

 

Despite the title, that is a video of Stephan Gartrell hitting a homer off of McGee. It was a 94MPH fastball that he belted out of the park.

[Chisoxfn]

You'll also fine a ton of good info on him in the AAP section. A top 50 senior who was drafted later in the draft because college seniors can fall as teams found and drool over younger guys. But Gartrell has tools and the big thing scouts seem to boast is that he has a cannon arm and good speed (not great speed).

 

http://www.soxtalk.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=52137

[chunk23]

At least from what I've seen at the few Barons's games I've attended, his strikeouts are in the mold of Thome/Swisher. He takes a ton of pitches and runs up the count. So even if he strikes out he's seen 6 or so pitches.

[Cali]

How's his Defense?

[flavum]

Without having seen him play, Gartrell reminds me of Lyle Mouton. Was a decent college player, mid-20's, repeating AA.

[JPN366]

Yes, he has a rightfielder's arm. Yes, he has power to ALL fields. Tremendous power the opposite way. He's faster than he looks. He's a hell of a good guy as well. He's big and strong, I've never noticed any serious flaws with him. He does look at a lot of pitches, so that accounts for a lot of his K's.

[Chisoxfn]

How's his Defense?

Solid defensive player. Don't know how he'd be able to handle CF, but projects as a solid defensive outfielder with a plus arm. By all means I'm not saying we have a star, but he's the type of guy that if he got a shot, might just be a pretty solid all around ball player or at least a solid bench player. And since the Sox might have some big holes in the outfield and not many major league ready replacements in the outfield, this might be a good year for Gartrell to get his chance.

[Chisoxfn]

Yes, he has a rightfielder's arm. Yes, he has power to ALL fields. Tremendous power the opposite way. He's faster than he looks. He's a hell of a good guy as well. He's big and strong, I've never noticed any serious flaws with him. He does look at a lot of pitches, so that accounts for a lot of his K's.

Its a bad comparison, but he kind of has that Vladdy build to him (think 2 years ago Vladdy). Where he's a pretty big guy, but finds a way to move well. And no, I'm not at all comparing him to Vladdy the player.

[JPN366]

How's his Defense?

 

He covers ground well enough in the outfield. He gets to ball sometimes that I think he's not going to get.

[JPN366]

Its a bad comparison, but he kind of has that Vladdy build to him (think 2 years ago Vladdy). Where he's a pretty big guy, but finds a way to move well. And no, I'm not at all comparing him to Vladdy the player.

 

I get what you're saying and I agree.

[JPN366]

Solid defensive player. Don't know how he'd be able to handle CF, but projects as a solid defensive outfielder with a plus arm. By all means I'm not saying we have a star, but he's the type of guy that if he got a shot, might just be a pretty solid all around ball player or at least a solid bench player. And since the Sox might have some big holes in the outfield and not many major league ready replacements in the outfield, this might be a good year for Gartrell to get his chance.

 

Not CF, but defintely LF or RF. Mostly RF.

[Chisoxfn]

He covers ground well enough in the outfield. He gets to ball sometimes that I think he's not going to get.

Would he at all be able to even play a mediocre center? I believe he played there a bit in college.

[Chisoxfn]

Not CF, but defintely LF or RF. Mostly RF.

Well I guess you answered my next question.

[caulfield12]

It seems (from listening to many of the games) he has a really strong arm (I know he threw a runner out at 2nd last night and the same runner didn't try to go 1st to 3rd on a single the next time around)...but not the kind of speed or agility for CF.

 

Of course, expecting someone like Gartrell or Shelby to put up a 850 OPS at a corner OF spot would REALLY be pushing it.

 

We'd have to get some stolen bases (Shelby) and also power from Flowers, plus some unexpected pop from Beckham/Nix/Getz/Ramirez up the middle to compensate for offense we might lose playing Jordan Danks and either a Gartrell or Shelby in the same outfield.

[Ozzie Ball]

How's his Defense?

Statistically, going by the TotalZone metric he's been worth 17 runs above average in pro ball, that averages out to +7.68 runs/150 games, as a comparison +10 runs/150 games is considered very good. I don't know how well minor league defensive statistics would translate to major league ability but I've got to assume it's at least a reasonable representation.