Prospect Retro: Brad Wilkerson

by John Sickels on Jul 20, 2005 1:40 PM EDT in News

Brad Wilkerson

Brad Wilkerson was drafted with a supplemental first-round pick, 33rd overall, by the Montreal Expos in 1998. He'd had a very successful career at the University of Florida, thriving as both an outfielder/DH and as a pitcher. He was considered a better prospect as a hitter for pro ball. For the Gaters, he showed solid power production, very high walk rates, but an erratic batting average.

Wilkerson signed late and didn't make his pro debut until 1999. It was a disappointment: he hit just .235/.370/.355 at Double-A Harrisburg. The good news was that he showed good command of the strike zone, drawing 88 walks. But his power was disappointing, and his batting average was much too low. I gave him a Grade C in the '00 book, though with the note that I expected him to improve. Scouts said that in some ways he was too patient, too passive, at the plate.

Wilkerson returned to Harrisburg in '00, hitting .336/.443/.590 in 66 games, including an incredible 36 doubles. Promoted to Triple-A Ottawa at that point, he hit .250/.386/.481 with 12 homers in 63 games. I gave him a Grade B in the '01 book, writing that he probably needed more Triple-A time, but that he should develop into a solid player and possibly a minor star.

Wilkerson split '01 between Triple-A and the Majors, hitting well at Ottawa (.270/.425/.468) but poorly with the Expos (.205/.304/.325 in 47 games). He turned things up a notch in '02, with 20 homers, and has been a solid source of power and on-base percentage ever since. His minor league career was marked by high walk rates, large numbers of doubles, but up-and-down batting averages. He's been more consistent in the Majors than he was in the minors, but the overall shape of his game is not out of context with what he did at the lower levels.

Comparable Players to Brad Wilkerson, no actives listed.

Dwayne Murphy
Willie Kirkland
Gary Roenicke
Johnny Briggs
Leon Wagner
Mike Young
Rick Monday

Those guys all had moments of good effectiveness but did not age well. My guess is that Wilkerson will follow a similar pattern, being effective for the next four or five years but fading quickly after the age of 30. What do you guys think?

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Comments

Well

There are certainly a few black guys on the comp list, but whenever I see "fading quickly" I think of a stereotype: slugger type like Eddie Mathews, old player skills like walks, and ... white. Is race a topic you'd want to address on a macro level sometime? Did Bill James say all there was to say on the issue back in one of the 20+ year old Baseball Abstracts?

by Flynn Blake on Jul 20, 2005 10:26 PM EDT reply actions

yeah, but

Yeah, but those guys did fade quickly, even the black ones. Old Player Skills know no race. :)

Think Alvin Davis.

Race in baseball is a fascinating but dangerous topic. My main interest in this is the disturbing lack of African-American players in college baseball.

by John Sickels on Jul 21, 2005 1:46 AM EDT up reply actions

That's an interesting topic

We've come a long way from when baseball was king to the NFL and NBA (and their college farm systems), heavily dominated by blacks. And even many white kids find baseball too static and boring compared to skateboarding or other extreme sports. I work in the newspaper biz, and some days I think papers and baseball will one day be dinosaurs. Hopefully not soon, however.

by Flynn Blake on Jul 21, 2005 3:19 AM EDT up reply actions