Written by Greg Fertel
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21 February 2008
- Age: 19
- Height: 5'11"
- Weight: 200 lbs
- Position: Right Field
- Bats: Right
Scouting Report: Tabatas extremely quick wrists and hands have drawn comparisons to Manny Ramirez. He generates amazing bat speed and profiles as a very high average hitter. He hasnt shown much power yet, but some power should come eventually. Hes not going to hit 40 home runs, but he should sit in the 20s pretty comfortably. He has good plate discipline when hes hitting well. Hes a good athlete with decent speed. On the bases, he steals bases more out of good instincts than blinding speed, but should steal a decent amount in the majors. In the field, he has plus range for a corner outfielder and may be able to hold down center while hes young. His arm is strong for a left fielder and very solid for a right fielder.
History: The Yankees signed Tabata at the tender age of 16 and sent him to the Gulf Coast League immediately. He was excellent on the 2005 championship GCL Yankees, hitting .314/.382/.417 in 44 games with 22 stolen bases, 15 walks, and 14 strikeouts, despite not turning 17 until August. He spent 2005 with Charleston, where he hit .298/.377/.420 despite being the youngest hitter in the league and spending most of the 2nd half of the season hampered by a debilitating wrist injury. Tabata hit .321/.432/.450 his first three months, but fell off after. The Yankees sent him to Tampa to begin 2007.
This Season: Despite the murderous conditions in the Florida State League, competition 3-4 years older than him, and a lingering hamate bone injury, Tabata held his ground in 2007. The final line was .307/.371/.392 with 70 strikeouts, 33 walks, 5 HR, and 15 SB in 103 games. The average OPS in the Florida State League was .714 last year. When he was struggling with the wrist injury, the Yankees had Tabata spend time in the DH slot. He hit .169/.234/.225 as a DH and .327/.391/.417 while playing in the outfield, so that may be a better indication of how good Tabata was when he was healthy this year.
Outlook and Movement: There's no reason to rush the young outfielder. After off-season surgery on his injured hand, he should be healthy in 2008. He'll have left behind the Florida State League's heavy air. The stage is set for Tabata's big break out. We're waiting for his batting practice power to translate on to the field. If the Yankee 40-man situation allows it, I would think that the Yankees would call him up in September. However, that's unlikely. I'd wager that Tabata sees his first major league time some time in the late spring of 2009, before his 21st birthday.
Ranking: I have Tabata at #2 while Eric has him at #3, and Ashish at #1. We're looking at a young future star. It seems like Tabata has been around forever, but he's just two months older than
Austin Romine. He'll spend most of the 2008 season playing at Double-A before his 20th birthday. Tabata's future worth will be determined by how much power he hits for. He could be an effective major league player by hitting 15 home runs, or he could be a star and hit 30. He's a real good bet to hit .300/.370/.450 at the absolute minimum, and could end up hitting .320/.400/.550 if everything goes right. We'll see what he does as his body matures and he plays injury-free.
