Written by Greg Fertel
|
30 May 2007
- Age: 22
- Height: 6'2"
- Weight: 200 lbs
- Acquired: Drafted 4th Round in 2006 out of the Arizona State
- Position: Outfielder
- Bats: Left
Scouting Report: When looking at Colin Curtis from a tools perspective, it's easy to forget that he was a 4th round pick. Curtis is fast, but he's no Brett Gardner. He can hit for average, but he's no Jose Tabata. He has below average power. His biggest strength is control of the strike zone. Curtis posted a positive K/BB ratio in college, posting a 107/118 K/BB ratio in 182 games. On defense, Curtis is a good defender at all outfield positions, cashing in his athleticism and outfield sense. His throwing arm is on par with what we see from Bobby Abreu. Nothing really stands out for Curtis, but he possesses no major weaknesses.
History: Curtis didn't overpower college pitchers, but still managed to be an on base machine. His junior year saw hit .335/.432/.515 with 36 walks and 31 strikeouts. He also stole 21 bases in 58 games, being caught just four times. Curtis was drafted and immediately sent to the Gulf Coast League, where he raked for a few games before being promoted to Staten Island. Curtis helped lead the Staten Island Yankees to a NY-Penn League championship, and finished the minor league short season with a .311/.374/.437 line with 19 strikeouts and 13 walks in 47 games. Those results got Curtis fast tracked to Tampa.
This Season: Curtis has put together a decent little season for Tampa so far, hitting .272/.366/.401. His K/BB ratio is off a little bit, sitting at 32/22 in 45 games. Colin started the season off scorching hot, hitting .318/.451/.424 in April but cooling off in May, although he has started to get hot again in the last 10 games, hitting .375/.431/.525. His time in the field has been split between all three outfield positions and the designated hitter spot, because of the flood of outfielders currently in Tampa.
Outlook and Movement: Curtis could find his way to Trenton around the beginning of July if he keeps his hot streak up for a few more weeks. He was drafted as a well polished college center fielder not a lot different from Brett Gardner. For now, the Yankees are happy to let him roll with the punches down in Tampa. Either way, he should be ready for the major league sometime early to mid 2009. If he adapts quickly to Trenton, that could be pushed to September 2008, but I can't see him running up the ladder much quicker.
Ranking: The Yankees understood that Curtis was a future bench player when they drafted him and it's unreasonable to expect much more. Nothing really stands out about Curtis. He's not a great base stealer. He doesn't hit for much power. He'll keep a fairly high average and a fairly high on base percentage and play good defense. Think about Melky Cabrera in 2006. That's what we can expect out of Curtis' major league career, and there is nothing wrong with that. Championship teams have championship benches. Think about Jeff DaVanon as a good comparable, or Shane Spencer without all the personal problems. I couldn't rate him higher than #22 without some kind of ceiling, but Curtis was a good 4th round draft choice.
Next up: Steve White at #21
