5’9” – 180 lbs. – Bats/Throws (B/R)| SS |
As of today, and for the second straight year,
The Statistics
2007
2008
AVG – .376
AVG – .320
SLG – .488
SLG – .382
OBP – .486
OBP – .416
AB – 170
AB – 241
SO – 15
SO – 26
BB – 39
BB – 35
H – 64
H – 77
2B – 11
2B – 11
3B – 4
3B – 2
HR – 0
HR – 0
RBI – 34
RBI – 35
R – 51
R – 52
SB – 32/37
SB – 30/36
Miclat has a firm grasp of the strikezone, as evidenced by his BB/SO ratio of 39/15 in ’07. Even in a down ’08, he managed a ratio of 35/26. While there isn’t a ton of pop in his bat, the UVA shortstop has a solid gap-to-gap approach and above-average speed, leading to a quarter of his hits going for extra bases in ’07. With the decreased bat speed in ’08, that rate dropped to one out of every six hits going for extra bases. If he is able to build his strength back up to his pre-surgery level, there is reason to believe his college numbers will translate to fringe-above-average gap-to-gap power at the ML level.
Grading Out
Hitting - 55
Power - 35
Fielding - 60
Arm - 50
Speed - 55
A recurring theme through this report is Miclat’s injury. With increased strength, his hitting, power, fielding and arm grades could all be bumped anywhere from Greg to 2 levels (5-10 points). Miclat has plus-range and excellent footwork around the bag. His arm has fringe-plus potential. Even if it doesn’t come back fully, it should more than play at 2b, along with his hands and range. At the plate, Miclat’s solid approach helps him to grade out as an above-average hitter, even without being at full-strength. He has above-average-speed that translates well on the bases.
Swing Mechanics
Scouted:
Load –Miclat’s load is sound. He starts with his hands placed just above shoulder-level and keeps them fixed to the body. His back elbow is below 90-degrees and dips through the load, keeping his path to the ball short. He turns his lead shoulder in a bit, which keeps him inside the ball and helps him to go the other way on outside pitches. His weight distribution is a solid 60/40 on his back leg.
Stride – The stride is smooth with a slight foot lift and moderate length. His hands stay tied to the body, allowing him a quick path to the pitch and the ability to let the ball get deep into his body (which will help with pitch ID, contact rate and power at the pro level). He has a clean weight transfer to 50/50.
Swing – Miclat is a slap hitter that relies on a quick swing. His plane is clean, though it’s more suited to contact than generating much power. On more hittable pitches, Miclat does a decent job driving the ball. On the corners, Miclat does a good job of going with the pitch and putting the ball in play. Like fellow Orioles draftee, Kyle Hudson, he is comfortable with his game and doesn’t try to do too much. He may rely too much on his upper-body (which in turn could account for some of his struggles this year with decreased strength in his lead shoulder). This year he had a tendency to get a little too far in front with his top hand (again, possibly because of his shoulder), which took away some from his bat-head accuracy (squaring-up), primarily on off-speed stuff.
Contact – Miclat makes consistent contact, though he tends to hit off of his front foot. His ability to slap the ball pole-to-pole stems from his ability to put the bat head on the ball in all parts of the strike zone. His upper-body will get out in front of his legs, affecting his power more than his ability to make contact. If he can restore more strength to his shoulder, and go back to keeping his upper-body behind his hip turn, Miclat’s ability to square could lead to solid gap-to-gap power potential.
Follow-Through – Miclat finishes his swing cleanly, with a one-handed follow-through. When his hands are out in front, the conclusion of his hip turn will often land in a running position. While this helps him to get out of the box quickly, he’ll need to trade a bit of that quick first step in for power (keeping his momentum around his hip turn, rather than shifting forward and towards first base). Otherwise, he may struggle getting enough on the ball with a wood bat for his slap approach to play.
Swing Grade – C
Fielding
Miclat is smooth and confident at shortstop. He ranges very well to both sides and comes in well. His arm was above-average pre-surgery. This year, it was still strong enough to play everyday at shortstop, though it was not ideal. Around the bag his footwork is clean, and his pivot on the back-end of the double-play is more than adequate. He has the hands, footwork and range to play any position in the infield, which will be a benefit if his bat doesn’t reach his ceiling. At minimum, he has the potential to be a solid utility player on a good major league team. With a little work, strengthening and luck he could be an everyday shortstop.
Fielding Grade - B
Nick's Notes
The injuries are a true wildcard. Miclat could profile anywhere from “Brian Roberts”-light to a AAAA player that just doesn’t hit enough to keep a spot in the bigs. If his labrum continues to recover, Miclat’s offensive development should flourish. He is already ahead of many prospects with respect to commanding the strikezone, pitch-ID and overall approach at the plate. While fellow UVA middle-infielder David Adams (Yankees, 4th round) may have a slightly higher offensive ceiling, Miclat is probably the better bet to reach the majors, assuming a full recovery. With some breaks,
Prospect Grade – C+
ETA - 2012