2011 Indians Top 50 Prospects: #23 Giovanny Urshela

Giovanny Urshela – Third Baseman
Born: 10/11/1991 – Height: 6’0” – Weight: 185 – Bats: Right – Throws: Right

(Photo: Tony Lastoria)

History: Urshela was signed by the Indians as an undrafted minor league free agent in July of 2008 out of Columbia. He struggled in the first half last year at short-season Single-A Mahoning Valley hitting just .248/.285/.274 in his first 29 games, but in his remaining 29 games from July 21^st on he hit .333/.370/.463 and was one of the best hitters in the league. He missed a few weeks in August because of a hand injury he suffered on August 13^th.

Strengths: Defensively, Urshela is in a world all to his own as he shows exceptional Gold Glove ability at third base with his range, hands, and arm. He plays near flawless defense with a very strong, accurate arm, soft hands, and shows very good ability to go to his left and right as well as coming in on balls. While he did not lead the NY-Penn League in fielding percentage last season, he was only 14 points off the leader (.970) even though he was three to four years younger than most of the third basemen in the league. Even so, he was a defensive highlight reel every night and played well above his age. There is still a lot of room for growth, but he has already made a big impression on Indians personnel as well as scouts around the league with his defense and emerging
bat.

The Indians did not expect much offense from Urshela last year considering his age and the advanced level he was playing at, but he surprised and more than held his own and was one of the best hitters in the lineup by the end of the season. His power is still developing, and he shows an ability to consistently make contact with just 58 strikeouts in 434 career at bats. The Indians believe he will continue to get bigger and stronger and like his approach at the plate where he is already displaying good gap power. He is an average runner, and shows an advanced maturity for his age in being able to make adjustments and implement instruction. He also has the instincts and physical tools to continue to grow as a player where his performance should hopefully continue to improve as he gets older.

Opportunities: There is no doubt that the defense is there for Urshela, so his progress as a prospect will almost exclusively be determined by how he develops as a hitter. He has made some positive strides as a hitter, but as he moves up the minor league ladder he is going to be tested more and more as he faces better pitching. He is currently not very big and lacks much punch with the bat, so he needs to continue to work out and get stronger so he can drive the ball more and pile up more extra base hits. He also needs to refine his approach and be more patient at the plate so he is more selective and swings at better pitches and draws more walks.

Outlook: Urshela was not a household name coming into last season, but he definitely is now. The Indians are very high on him and showed that excitement by having him open last season as the starting third baseman at Mahoning Valley at just 18 years old. His numbers from last season may not appear to be very impressive, but when you consider his age (18) and how he really held his own offensively in a league so much older than him (mostly college players), they are remarkable. His upside is extremely high, especially if the bat continues to develop and he gets more consistent at the plate. The Indians will continue to push the envelope with him and he will likely start the 2011 season at Low-A Lake County.

Year	Age	Team	Lvl	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
2009	17	DSL Indians	R	27	108	10	29	8	1	1	24	7	14	2	.269	.316	.389	.705
2009	17	AZL Indians	R	32	105	10	27	2	0	0	11	10	12	3	.257	.322	.276	.598
2010	18	Mahoning Valley	A-	58	221	22	64	8	0	3	35	12	32	5	.290	.326	.367	.693
		MiLB Totals		117	434	42	120	18	1	4	70	29	58	10	.276	.323	.350	.673

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