Baseball Prospectus – Prospecting: Jeff Francoeur
It can be summarized by the last sentence:
While Francoeur is indeed a gifted player, his career projection could range anywhere from Richard Hidalgo or Vernon Wells down to Juan Encarnacion or worse based almost entirely on his ability to teach himself how to work the count for pitches to drive and for walks.
Mac,
I saw your name on the HACKING MASS page at BP.com (#924 of 927). You’ve been sabotaged by several usually reliable stiffs. Javy and Vinny were quite ‘productive’ last year, and it looks like Lockhart is not getting the PT to be a ‘valuable’ contributor. It’s rare to see someone you know (we all feel like we know you, anyway) at either end of the spectrum on contests. So Congratulations!!
http://premium.baseballprospectus.com/hm/
http://premium.baseballprospectus.com/hm/index.php?mode=team&owner=macthomason&nocache=1060984048
I knew I was doing “poorly”, but I didn’t realize how much. I wonder I I’m actually last among people trying to follow the object of the game.
Saw Francoeur play a few months ago in Rome. A prototypical free-swinging Braves’ hitting prospect. I can’t imagine where in our system he’ll learn to hit.
Funniest sight that day was a guy down the first base line holding up his glove when John Schuerholz Jr. was at bat – as if he has the capability to actually pull one hard and foul.
I am the biggest Braves fan ever. I am also a very very big fan of Jeff Francoeur. I am really happy that he is a prospect except that I don’t want him to go to Greenville b/c I want to watch him play more here in Rome. But I will be a fan of whoever he is playing for.