Baseball Prospectus | | Eyewitness Scouting Report


	Alen Hanson Born: 10/22/1992 (Age: 21)
	Bats: Switch	Throws: Right
	Height: 6' 0"	Weight: 170
	Primary Position: SS
	Secondary Position: 2B

Accurate size listing; slight room for growth; smaller framed player with skinny legs.

Evaluator	Tucker Blair
Report Date	07/25/2014
Dates Seen	7/3/14, 7/24/14 - 7/26/14
Affiliate	Altoona Curve (AA, Pirates)

MLB ETA	Risk Factor	OFP	Video
2015	Moderate	50	No

Tool	Future Grade	Report
Hit	50	Tick above-average bat speed; not quite plus; able to extend well with hands; good barrel-to-ball skills; has some issues picking up good spin out of hand; CB from both sides can catch him looking. LHH: Wide stance in set; pulls leg in some on load; slight hitch; hands are quick and bat is quick through zone; better barrel skills from this side; more arms/hands than torque from this side; saps some of his power; swing is more linear from this side; has ever-so-slight lift; ocassionally will drop his hands below the letters and gets under some pitches. RHH: Stance looks a little shorter from this side; still wide and pulls leg in on load; less hitch; more torque; swing is much more violent from this side; looks to have a tick more length and can get elongated when he chases pitches outside; swing has more lift from this side.
Power	45	Average raw power; plays to fringe-average overall due to slightly less power as a LHH; ball has good pop when barreled; smaller framed player and gets the most out of his power; tick above-average bat speed and slight arc provide him with plenty of power as a middle infielder; not impact but enough to be effective.
Baserunning/Speed	60	4.19 and 4.21 home to first times; good second gear and shows some agility; decent on the base-paths; don't think he will be a 30 steal guy in the majors; could steal 20+ though if he can improve his jumps and reads on the basepath.
Glove	45	Range is average; shows ability to reach balls in up the middle and in the hole; feet are very clunky; can get sloppy at times and looks a tick late on his jumps; does not position himself well on plays; has trouble turning his body in the correct position for fielding the ball and making throws; too delayed; works well around the base; pivots are average but he is efficient in turning double-plays; defense better suited for 2B.
Arm	40	Not good enough for SS; arm strength is below average; has trouble making through from the hole; ball dies at the end and loses velocity; really struggles to set up feet for throws; will be best served at 2B where he has more time and does not need as much arm strength.

Hanson does not have an exciting profile, largely because he will not be able stick as a SS. He does not have the arm or instincts to play there, and he is much better off playing a position with less athleticism required, such as 2B. He should be fine there, and could play average to solid-average defense there, simply because he has more time to set his feet and the throws are not as long.

At the plate, Hanson shows ability to barrel the ball and spray is across the diamond. He is fairly consistent from both sides of the plate, and will make enough contact to hit for a decent batting average. He does not have a great eye at the plate and the discipline is not terrific. They likely hinder his ability to get on base, but the barrel skills make up for this some.

Overall, Hanson is a solid second division prospect that should provide some offensive value at 2B. He can play SS in a pinch if necessary, but will not be able to stick there long-term.