Baseball Prospectus | | Eyewitness Scouting Report


	Josh Morgan Born: 11/16/1995 (Age: 20)
	Bats: Right	Throws: Right
	Height: 5' 11"	Weight: 185
	Primary Position: 3B
	Secondary Position: SS

Stocky build, developed chest and shoulders, thick backside and lower half, strong quads, quick feet; present leg strength, some spring in his step; fluid physicality, loose movements, limited physical projection for additional upper-half strength

Evaluator	Wilson Karaman
Report Date	09/15/2016
Dates Seen	6x April-September 2016
Affiliate	High Desert Mavericks (High A, Rangers)

MLB ETA	Risk Factor	OFP	Video
2018	Moderate	45	Yes

Tool	Future Grade	Report
Hit	50	Subtle early rhythm, open with a leg kick to square, quiet setup, high back elbow; leg kick has toned down, now quick and short, sets front foot firm, some rigidity, hips fire early off strong plant, rotational; quick stroke, steep path, minimal leverage, fringe-average bat speed, arms swing; up-the-middle approach, doesn't try to do too much, adept at punching it oppo, strong bat-to-ball, some inner-third vulnerability to velocity; works counts, can get passive, advanced approach, above-average on-base profile
Power	30	40 present raw to pull side, chance for another tick with added strength; plays down with approach, swing lacks leverage or plane to drive the ball with carry, line-drive game power with ability to hook an occasional ball to pull-side foul pole
Baserunning/Speed	45	4.36 average on four clocks; mild effort to the stride, picks up coaches, solid instincts; passive leads, not a base-stealing threat; thicker lower half, borderline average tool at present should settle in as fringe
Glove	50	Smooth defender at third, solid-average lateral agility, first-step quickness to handle the position, soft hands, fluid fielding actions; borderline range at short, lacks explosiveness to the ball, steady with sound fundamentals on balls he can get to, some feel for the turn on both sides of second, quick transfer; average potential at second or third with fringe utility at short
Arm	55	Solid-average arm strength, plays up a bit with quick transfers and consistent mechanics when set, enough to play comfortably at third; throws hold their lines when he has time, struggles with cross-body accuracy working to his left, tendency to short-arm and spike throws

Drafted and signed as an over-slot third-rounder in 2014, Morgan offers the potential to fill a valuable bench role with infield versatility and solid on-base skills. He's a natural hitter with simple swing mechanics and quality bat-to-ball. While his patient approach can border on passivity, he's a selective hitter who will take what he's given, and the swing plane produces frequent line-drive and hard ground-ball contact to all fields. On defense his is a steady if unspectacular glove, with quick feet and transfers that help him convert outs efficiently from all over the diamond. I liked him best at third, though he showed as capable both at second and, to a lesser extent, short.

There is second-division starting potential here at his peak, with a realistic path to a long career as a quality utility asset off the bench.