Lucas Duda

B/T: L/R

HT, WT: 6’4”, 225 lbs

Acquired:  7^th Rd 2007

Born. 2/3/86

Why ranked here: Duda is a big dude with average MLB power, that rarest and most precious commodity. Duda has the feet to hold his own at first or in leftfield.

2008: Duda had a disappointing 2008 in which he hit .263/.358/.398 for St. Lucie. To be considered a top prospect and project as an everyday player at either corner, he’ll simply have to hit more than that and none of his other tools really stand out. He struggled adjusting his leg kick and timing mechanisms over the course of the summer. More troubling than any of his rate stats, none of which was terribly impressive, was that Duda struck out 129 times in 133 games. I believe in the sabermetric tenet that at the Major League level, a strikeout is no worse than any other kind of out. However, this is NOT true in the minor leagues. At the advanced-A level, when a player strikes out once per game, that serves as an indicator that the player is struggling to make consistent contact, which could presage drops in batting average as he moves up the ladder.

Projected 2009 start: AA Binghamton