This past Sunday I took advantage of a break in the rainy weather to travel to Hagerstown to watch a doubleheader between the home Suns and the visiting Delmarva Shorebirds.  Certainly my eyes were focused on Victor Robles and the Suns, but I was curious to watch Delmarva’s D.J. Stewart, the Orioles 1^st Round pick  last summer as well.

Stewart was drafted following a standout career at Florida State with the reputation as a polished collegiate hitter who could move quickly through the minor leagues.  Stewart is kindly listed at 6-0 230lbs, with thick legs and a round midsection.  This hinders his foot speed, making the 22-year-old already a below-average runner.

At the plate Stewart shows a solid awareness of the strike zone, which allows him to see pitches and produce a healthy walk rate.  His left-handed swing has some length to it, and he struggles hitting velocity on the inside half of the plate.  Stewart does show some power, particularly to the pull side, though it feels more like his raw strength muscling the ball rather than a product of a quality swing.  He does not possess elite bat speed or the sweetest swing, but I can envision a ceiling as a future “45-50/45-50” bat, hitting .260-.270 with 12-17 home runs a year.

Defensively Stewart has a solid, accurate throwing arm, but his poor speed and thick midsection makes him profile as a long-term left fielder.  Stewart does show quality instincts in the outfield and a baseball savvy that should allow him to play a passable left field, but unless he reshapes his body, his defense will not play better than mediocre.  This puts extreme pressure on his bat to carry him to the major leagues.

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Overall Stewart is an interesting prospect, as he has a keen batting eye and obvious pull power, but his lack of athleticism is uniquely surprising for a 1^st round pick.  His ceiling is not particularly high because of his lack of a standout tool, but his ability to draw walks and hit the occasional home run, plus his draft pedigree, should give him a strong chance to reach the major leagues.  The best case scenario has him serving as a starting everyday left fielder or the strong-side of a platoon, with the most likely result being Stewart settling in as a backup.  This may feel slightly underwhelming for a 1^st rounder, but Stewart should move quickly and could arrive in Baltimore in 2018.

Short Hops

LHP Garrett Cleavinger, Baltimore’s 3^rd round pick last summer, entered in the 5^th inning of Game 1 for the Shorebirds and immediately caught the attention of the entire scouting section.  Cleavinger flashed an 89-93mph fastball with some late life, a hammer 73-77mph curveball with hard downward movement and a 82mph changeup.  The almost 22-year-old is a thick, well-built, 6-1 210lbs with little projection remaining in his frame.  His age, plus his lack of physical projection and a 3^rd pitch, limits his ceiling as a prospect, but Cleavinger is a solid arm not receiving enough attention in Baltimore’s system.  With some development, Cleavinger could develop two above-average pitches in his fastball and curveball, allowing him to profile as a future 7^th/8^th inning lefty reliever.