jthunder93 Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 (edited) Sammy Ayala, C Born 07/12/1994 in San Diego, CA School: La Jolla Country Day School (HS) 6’2", 195 Throws: R Bats: L OVERVIEW/SCOUTING INFO Ayala's three-sport prowess kept him somewhat under the radar in baseball circles, but he made a name for himself at the Southern California Invitational at the MLB Urban Youth Academy in June, hitting an inside-the-park homer against top prep lefthander Max Fried and an RBI single to the opposite field against righty Andrew Potter. A standout defensive end in football, Ayala has a physical, 6-foot-2, 205-pound frame. He projects for average or slightly better power down the road, but scouts are divided on whether he will hit. He tends to get pull-happy and is vulnerable against soft pitches away or hard pitches in. He'll look bad at times in the batter's box, but his feel for hitting has improved and should solidify once he focuses on baseball. Ayala's arm is above-average, but his receiving and blocking is a work in progress. He moves well enough to play a corner outfield spot, but plenty of scouts think he has a chance to stick behind the plate. A club that believes in his power and defense could take him as high as the second or third round, while other teams would be content to let him go to UC Santa Barbara. (Baseball America Scouting Report) Catchers with defensive potential and true raw power are always interesting prospects, and Ayala is no different. While every part of his game is raw, Ayala has the raw power to hit 20 home runs a year if the utility of his hit tool matures completely. His defense needs considerable work but he is a quality athlete, hard worker and has a strong arm. Ayala will have to develop as a hitter to remain a prospect but at least right now, he is highly intriguing. (Baseball Prospect Nation) Among returning players [to the Bristol White Sox], Sammy Ayala is the most intriguing. The Sox pried the catcher away from college after a lengthy negotiation process with a sizable $258,000 bonus for a 17th-round pick, and he played 24 games for Bristol in 2012. He's still 18 for another month as he rejoins the Sox for the start of the season this time around (6/20/13, South Side Sox). Top 2012 MLB Draft Sleeper by [Baseball Instinct. "Ayala is a 3-sport athlete and while the athleticism is there, questions about his ability to hit on the pro level caused him to drop to the 17th round. But he’s going to project for average power or better and if he can develop to his ability he could be an above average catcher with enough bat to move up the prospect ladder." Ranked #10 White Sox Prospect by Baseball Prospect Nation on 12/13/2012 Ranked #22 White Sox Prospect after the 2012 Season by Baseball America Ranked #218 Prospect for the 2012 Draft Class by Perfect Game SCHOOL NOTES High School: La Jolla Country Day School (Maxpreps) Freshman Year: .203/.382/.339, 9 R, 13 RBI, 2 2B, 2 HR, 14 BB, 15 K, 1 SB Sophomore Year: .345/.458/.619, 25 R, 28 RBI, 8 2B, 5 HR, 17 BB, 16 K, 4 SB Junior Year: .308/.418/.473, 14 R, 20 RBI, 3 2B, 4 HR, 17 BB, 15 K, 6 SB Senior Year: .333/.482/.816, 29 R, 27 RBI, 4 2B, 1 3B, 12 HR, 19 BB, 19 K, 7 SB 2010 2nd Team All-Coastal South (So.) - San Diego Union Tribune 2011 CIF Division IV Champions (Jr.) - La Jolla Light 2012 High Honorable Mention Rawlings/Perfect Game High School Senior Preseason All-American - Perfect Game 2012 Rawlings/Perfect Game Preseason California Region All High School Senior 2nd Team - Perfect Game 2012 1st Team All-Coastal South (Sr.) - San Diego Union Tribune Split time behind the plate in high school with two catchers who went on to play Division I baseball. When not behind the plate, Ayala played right field. SIGN/DRAFT 17th Round (531) Ayala was almost drafted in the fourth round by the St. Louis Cardinals, but the team's offer wasn't substantial enough to persuade Ayala to give up his full scholarship at UCSB. Ayala said the Cardinals offered him $300,000 and a guarantee to cover four years of college tuition and room and board if his baseball career didn't go well. "That's not the money I was looking for,'' Ayala said. "If someone offered me what giving up college for now is worth, I'd be a fool not to take it, but I want to go to college.'' The White Sox, Ayala said, still decided to draft him...in the 17th round and offered him $200,000 and a guarantee to fund his college education if baseball doesn't work out. "That wasn't my number either,'' Ayala said. (La Jolla Patch). Ayala later agreed to sign with the White Sox for a $258,800 bonus, which is 5th round money (Chicago Tribune). MINORS 2012: In his first season in the minors, Ayala hit .202/.261/.274, which wasn't a surprise given his age. However, he turned his struggles around in his final 10 games of the season, hitting .324, including his first professional home run in his last game of the season. 2013: After 10 appearances, he is hitting .270 with 3 RBI. He has thrown out 8 of 15 runners this season, but also has 8 passed balls. He struck out 9 times in his first 5 games, but only twice in his last 5. PERSONAL/OTHER STATS REFERENCE Sammy Ayala Profile Prospect Video - MLB Edited July 20, 2013 by jthunder93 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boopa1219 Posted July 6, 2013 Share Posted July 6, 2013 (edited) How is Ayala supposed to develop if he dose not play everyday? Edited July 7, 2013 by Joshua Strong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jthunder93 Posted July 7, 2013 Author Share Posted July 7, 2013 QUOTE (Joshua Strong @ Jul 6, 2013 -> 05:56 PM) How is Ayala supposed to develop if he dose not play everyday? No idea. He's appeared in less games (5) than Stoner (7), Parent (6), and the same number as Rosario (5). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake Posted July 8, 2013 Share Posted July 8, 2013 Who knows. I'm sure they wouldn't be deliberately sabotaging him, given the investment they put in him. There must be something going on -- maybe lots of side work, maybe a nagging injury, discipline, tough to say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jthunder93 Posted July 10, 2013 Author Share Posted July 10, 2013 QUOTE (Jake @ Jul 7, 2013 -> 07:20 PM) Who knows. I'm sure they wouldn't be deliberately sabotaging him, given the investment they put in him. There must be something going on -- maybe lots of side work, maybe a nagging injury, discipline, tough to say. Hmm. I saw him around two weeks before he was going to head out to Bristol. I don't think it's an injury...he has struck out a lot this year, but that still doesn't explain why he sat out the first 2-3 games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 Hopefully they're using his off-time wisely. Things are often a crapshoot at his age/level. We could see him with few at-bats, no production, and suddenly he's sent to A-ball and does well. Hard to say without any media inquiring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jthunder93 Posted July 11, 2013 Author Share Posted July 11, 2013 QUOTE (Jake @ Jul 10, 2013 -> 12:24 PM) Hopefully they're using his off-time wisely. Things are often a crapshoot at his age/level. We could see him with few at-bats, no production, and suddenly he's sent to A-ball and does well. Hard to say without any media inquiring. Who have you seen this with? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knightni Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 Released by Sox in 2014-15 offseason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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