2011 Indians Top 50 Prospects: #8 Tony Wolters

Tony Wolters – Shortstop
Born: 06/09/1992 – Height: 5’10” – Weight: 175 – Bats: Left – Throws: Right

(Photo: Ken Carr)

History: The Indians selected Wolters in the 3rd round of the 2010 Draft out of Rancho Buena Vista High School (CA). In just 25 games his senior year in high school he hit .430 (34-for-97) with 27 runs scored, 6 doubles, 3 triples, 4 home runs, 17 RBI and was a perfect 25-for-25 in stolen base attempts. In 2009 he was part of the Team USA 18-under club which defeated Cuba to win the Gold medal in the Pan Am Junior Games, hitting .371 with 4 doubles and 10 RBI in the tournament. He was also named to the 2009 Aflac All-American team and earned the game’s MVP award as he went 2-for-4 with a triple, RBI and a stolen base in Petco Park. He had a verbal agreement to attend the University of San Diego and slid to the 3rd round because of his seven figure bonus demands, but he was eventually signed by the Indians on the deadline for $1.35 million.

Strengths: Wolters doesn’t show a ton of plus tools, but he is a guy scouts just love to watch play. He is a smart, natural hitter who shows good hitting skills at the plate with good bat speed and hand-eye coordination. He shows an advanced approach at the plate for his age as he works counts well and is a selective hitter. He only has average at best power, but he still shows some surprising pop because of his innate ability to square the bat up with the ball and make hard contact. He is a line drive gap-to-gap hitter who sprays the ball all over the field with the ability to turn on balls. He is an average runner with strong leadership qualities who loves the game and plays it with a ton of enthusiasm. He is the very definition of a baseball "rat" that works hard to improve and spends a lot of time in the weight room in an effort to get bigger and stronger.

What the Indians and scouts like most about Wolters is his potential to be an above average hitter who plays excellent defense. His range at shortstop is only average at best, but he is an amazing defender who the Indians believe has the ability to remain at shortstop as he displays outstanding hands, actions, balance and instincts for the game. Because of his good instincts it helps him get to a lot of balls that a typical average ranged shortstop does not get to. While his arm is only solid average and lacks much arm strength for future gains, he is fundamentally sound and accurate with his throws. He is an extraordinary playmaker who shows a lot of flair, and he has an exceptional ability at turning the double play.

Opportunities: While there is little doubt about Wolter's defensive potential, the bat is still a big question mark. The Indians first order of business for him will be to help him improve as an offensive performer as he is still searching for his swing, something that is not uncommon for a player his age breaking into pro ball. While he shows an advanced approach at the plate it is more just an innate ability as he presently is still learning the nuances of hitting as a pro. In high school he would just go up to the plate and swing with little thought about the situation or what was coming, where as a pro he will need to have a more solid approach to hitting and be able to identify how pitchers are throwing to him and what pitches to attack. He has some issues with his setup and approach where his hands were too low in high school and not in proper hitting position as the pitch came to the plate. In the fall the Indians began working with him to help him become more efficient and fundamentally sound with his swing, and one small minor adjustment made in Instructional League was to bring his hands up.

Wolters is an under-sized player, so in order to remain a high level prospect he will need to remain in the middle infield. Due to his average range and arm and lack of plus speed, it is possible that down the road he could move to second base, but at this point that would appear to be a move that would be made only out of necessity.

Outlook: Wolters oozes all the intangibles and good fundamentals to be a very good player down the road. He just looks like a ballplayer out there with his on field actions and demeanor which are all very advanced for his age. There is no question that his bat is raw, but as he and the Indians make some adjustments and he matures his potential as an offensive player is very reachable. Also, while it is possible he may end up at second base down the road, it is way to early to consider such a move because of his amazing skills at shortstop. There is a strong belief in the scouting community that he will be a big leaguer someday, and some have even comped him as a left-handed hitting version of Dustin Pedroia. That is a very long projection at this time, but with his skills as a defender and hitter, the sky is the limit for him right now and why he is such an exciting, young prospect in the Indians organization. He should open the 2011 season at Low-A Lake County as the regular shortstop.

Year	Age	Team	Lvl	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
2010	18	AZL Indians	R	5	19	2	4	0	0	0	3	2	5	2	.211	.286	.211	.497
		MiLB Totals		5	19	2	4	0	0	0	3	2	5	2	.211	.286	.211	.496

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIPI. Also, his latest book the 2011 Cleveland Indians Top 100 Prospects & More is available for purchase for $20.95 to customers in the US (shipping and handling extra).

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