Thursday, December 15, 2016

DrB's 2017 Giants Top 50 Prospects: #6 Steven Duggar

Steven Duggar, OF.  DOB:  11/4/1993.  B-L, T-R.  6'2", 195 lbs.  Drafted in 2015 Round 6 out of Clemson U.

2015 SS:  .293/.390/.367,  12 2B, HR, 6 SB, 13.1 BB%, 19.5 K%, 267 PA.
2016 A+:  .284/.386/.448, 12 2B, 4 3B, 9 HR, 14.1 BB%, 21.2 K%, 311 PA.
2016 AA:  .321/.391/.432, 16 2B, 4 3B, HR, 10.1 BB%, 18.5 K%, 276 PA.

Steven Duggar is kind of a mirror image of Austin Slater.  Athletic OF, major college program, borderline speed for CF, iffy power for a corner, great looking hit tool.  Just look at those K/BB's!!  I mean, those are Joey Votto/Brandon Belt walk rates combined with K rates he keeps right at or under 20%.  

On video, he still has a leg kick, but it seems toned down a bit from what I recall seeing at draft time.  He has a bit more load and weight shift than Slater, but his swing looks longer too.  Still, it's a fairly simple swing, direct to the ball.  Some analysts have panned his game power, but he did hit 9 dingers in half a season for SJ and the transition to AA Richmond tends to suppress power dramatically until players get settled in.  The swing looks like it should produce a few dingers to me.

I look for him to start the season back in Richmond with an early midseason promo to Sacramento if he continues to hit .300 or better.  He could even be a factor at the MLB level later in the season if a need arises.

7 comments:

  1. Doc - Do you feel like either Slater or Duggar have a legitimate shot at being an MLB centerfielder defensively, in more than just a reserve roll? I see that they're both a bit on the fence, bit that's a huge difference in a prospect, particularly with the Giant's needing more than a light hitting corner OFer to compliment their other power-deficient positions.

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    1. Most everything I've read about Dugger says he has ++speed(70/80), a +arm(60/80) and CF range. And if he can't stick there, he's got a RF arm.

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    2. Eric Longenhagen says Dugger has that kind of speed once he gets moving, but tends to be a bit slow out of the blocks.

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    3. PG reports 60 times from when both Slater and Duggar were in HS. Slater's best reported time was 6.62 and Duggar's 6.64. Those are approximately 80'th percentile.

      I would say both are about the same ability to cover CF which is borderline for both. Of course, all things are relative. Would they cover CF as well as Denard Span or Gregor Blanco in their primes? probably not even close. Would they cover it as well or better than Angel Pagan in 2015 and Denard Span in 2016? Probably. Then you have to weigh the bats and whether the offense you get is enough to allow you to tolerate average or slightly below average D in CF.

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    4. Right on - thanks for the Info!

      If Duggar/Slater can play even Span-2016 level defense and provide a .300/.350 avg/obp bat to the lineup, at league minimum salary, that's an awfully useful player to add. Then again, I think Slater's bat has the chance to be league average or above, particularly for a CF. If that's the case, it should allow the Giants to pursue a major addition in the 2017-2018 FA market, or even in next year's market with JD Martinez as a FA.

      Maybe I'll just have to get myself up to Sacramento this year and catch a few games with these gentlemen in the lineup.

      Speaking of which - where are they each going to play this year, since both are slated for AAA??!
      I'd guess Duggar in CF, Slater in LF - and hopefully Slater gets the call-up in an early mid-season advancement. Kid will be ready, says I.

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  2. Duggar makes incredible plays in the OF all the time. He ran a 6.25 and 6.26 back to back at the Cape Cod League showcase at Fenway. Not 6.6 speed.

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    1. Sorry Mike, I looked it up. Duggar's 60 time at the Fenway Showcase was 6.56, just a hair behind Drew Jackson at 6.55.

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