Monday, May 14, 2012

Meet A Prospect : Angelo Gumbs

Meet a Prospect is back and this time it is really with a prospect and not a look back at current players. This edition we will all be introduced (or re introduced) to Yankees infield prospect Angelo Gumbs. Angelo Gumbs is a Greedy Pinstripes reader and follower on twitter (@GreedyStripes) so let me introduce you all to Mr. Angelo Gumbs.


In the 2010 first year players draft the Yankees selected Angelo Gumbs in the second round and signed him for $750,000K. Gumbs was signed to play 2B but also played a lot of center field in his career and short stop and he excelled in both positions. He wears #21 to honor his favorite player Roberto Clemente.  The website Baseball Beginnings even touted Gumbs as the bets athlete in the entire draft, saying:


An athlete. Chance to be true 5-tool player, with grades 50 or better in each tool. Whippy and strong athletic body; could play SS or CF. Should become multi-platform offensive and defensive threat.


Here is the write up before the draft that Baseball Beginnings had for Gumbs, from the same link above.



ANGELO GUMBS, SS-CF, Torrance HS (2010 Draft)6-2, 180
Bats Right, Throws Right
Games Seen 1, Innings: 7 (Spring 2009, Junior year at Angel Stadium)

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Lean athletic and muscular build, strong forearms and hands, long fingers; High athletic legs; still physically maturing, like night and day between sophomore and junior years. Natural athlete.

STRENGTHS: Way above-average athletic actions. Fast arm, feet move, good arm action and footwork. 4.25 runner to 1B from RH side, fast first step, starts and stops on bases. Instinctive fielder; possess game-awareness, soft hands on defense, plus-range as SS. Fast hands at plate.

WEAKNESSES: Still growing as a hitter. A little too armsy and long with swing right now, and a little flat at times. Needs experience regularly hitting with wood against good pitching. Will need to show he can get his hands inside the good fastball. Power is a few years down the road.

SUMMARY: An athlete. Chance to be true 5-tool player, with grades 50 or better in each tool. Whippy and strong athletic body; could play SS or CF. Should become multi-platform offensive and defensive threat.

GRADESHit          35/50
Power   30/70
Run        50/50
Arm       60/60
Field      60/60
Overall Future Potential:  58


Angelo is down in Charleston right now with that very talented Riverdogs team. I recently saw on twitter that he has been asked to start playing the outfield for Charleston, which I think is an interesting move considering how well he plays short stop. The good thing is the kid is going to know how to win by the time he reaches the majors at the rate he is going after winning the New York Penn League title with Staten Island last year and looking like he is on the favorite to win it this year with the Riverdogs. 
It is hard to get excited for a guy that is so far away from the majors but we have to remember that Angelo was drafted at age 17 and straight out of high school. There are going to be a lot of growing pains and tweaking that the coaches have to do before we see a finished product here. I personally, and I got killed for this, think he is the better short stop of the two that he gets lumped together with, Cito Culver. I think if we have a true heir apparent to Derek Jeter in our minor league system you are reading about him right now. 





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