San Francisco Giants prospect list progress report

Good morning everyone. An Attack of the Killer Stomach Flu on the Sickels family has delayed completion of the San Francisco Giants prospect list, but I hope to have it completed tomorrow. In the meantime, I thought I would give you a quick look into how the sausage is made with a draft of a player comment from  the 2015 Baseball Prospect Book.

This is the report for Giants prospect Kelby Tomlinson, a Grade C type, but in this comment I went back and found my old scouting college notes for 2011 and incorporated them into the text.

Kelby Tomlinson, SS-2B, San Francisco Giants
Bats: R Throws: R HT: 6-2 WT: 180 DOB: June 16, 1990

Tomlinson was drafted in the 12^th round in 2011 out of Texas Tech University. I noticed him in college and scribbled this note to myself the weekend I saw him play:

Athletic, lean, lively body, +run, aggressive, good jumps. Swing mechanically simple but kind of slow, hits up middle/opposite field. Good eye, no trouble reading breaking stuff, weak contact vs 92 MPH fastball, no present power, projection for gap-pop if he adds strength to frame? Dunno why but I think that can happen. Average range but + instincts, arm average or slightly below for SS, ++accurate, quick release, steady eddie. Hustles, good effort, appears alert at all times. UT infield projection, sixth round or later. Consider for shadow draft and sleeper college pick articles.

That is typical of the reports I write for myself. A report from a real scout would include projections or observations on the 20/80 scales but I’m a writer, not a mathematician, and in notes to myself I like using words. In any event, what I saw in 2011 carried forward to Double-A last year, Tomlinson showing a good batting eye and some knack for contact, good use of speed on the bases, reliable-if-unspectacular defense at shortstop, but excellent work when used at second base. Lack of power is his biggest handicap and my hope that he could add some strength to his frame and hit doubles eventually has not panned out. That said, sources who follow the Giants closely to regard Tomlinson as a potentially interesting utility guy, perhaps providing some unexpected steals for fantasy owners in deep leagues and a useable bench asset for real teams. Grade C.