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BP Annual Player Comments

Year		Comment
2016		Former Astros first-rounder Brian Bogusevic had an impressive and versatile showing as a Triple-A outfielder before his call-up, and he could probably still provide viable emergency depth at 32.
2014		In some alternate universe the Astros immediately stuck Bogusevic in the outfield after making him their top pick in 2005, and he’s likely enjoying Nick Markakis’ career. In our world, however, Bogusevic lost four years of precious development time toiling fruitlessly on minor league mounds before moving to the outfield, and was eventually released. Signed by the Cubs, Bogusevic earned steady playing time after the midseason trades of David DeJesus and Alfonso Soriano, and showed enough down the stretch to prove his value as a bench bat and occasional platoon mate. He’s nobody’s idea of an everyday starter, as Bogusevic is helpless against lefties, struggles with breaking stuff, is stretched in center field, and doesn’t swing enough lumber to be an asset in a corner. That said, he posted a solid .295 TAv against righties last season, which should earn him part-time employment in various cities until all those great prospects you're always reading about come up.
2013		Bogusevic's fourth season of full-time position-player duty was a clunker, but he still delivered some value via his walk rate, baserunning, and decent fielding, the last aided by his ex-pitcher's arm. A first-round pick by the Astros out of Tulane in 2005, Bogusevic made it to Double-A as a pitcher before switching to the outfield in 2008, when he was 24. For context, Rick Ankiel, that crazy long-shot story, transitioned to the outfield at 25. Bogusevic's late start on learning to hit means he's aged out of his chance to be a starter in the major leagues, but he has enough tools to bounce around as a reserve—either on a bench or in Triple-A—for a few years.
2012		Two of last year's top three most comparable players to Bogusevic were Cliff Floyd and Von Hayes. While this is stunning, inasmuch as both had very good careers compared to even the wildest dreams remaining for Bogusevic, it does hint at the five-tool talent and plate discipline Bogusevic has always been thought to have. It will be interesting to see how much of this talent can be converted into production, considering that four prime development years were lost while he pursued his other career, pitching. The biggest casualty appears to be his power, but that came and went even in college. His Triple-A stats—including in 2011—are those of a fourth (or even fifth) outfielder. But his surprisingly good MLB stats indicate that it's more than just a long shot now that he could turn into a player whose cannon arm and speed could serve a team well in center field. Fortunately for him, the Astros are the perfect setting for on-the-job training.
2011		A little less than three years after the 2005 first-round draft pick from Tulane converted from pitcher to position player, Bogusevic made his major-league debut as a September call-up. It's too easy to point out that the first syllable of "Bogusevic" is "bogus" and let things stand there; he has value as a player who has the versatility to play all three outfields and first base while swinging a lefty line-drive bat, showing a good eye, and stealing bases at low volume but with a high rate of success. A .274/.353/.389 hitter at Triple-A and already at an age where most players would be unlikely to develop further (he may have a little more room to grow than a player of the same age given his late conversion), Bogusevic can be a fine fourth outfielder, better than nothing after washing out on the mound.
2010		In his first season as a full-time outfielder, Bogusevic disappointed, putting up pedestrian numbers at Round Rock. He also spendt much of his time in left field instead of center, but that can be partly explained by having defensive whiz Yordany Ramirez as a teammate. He's had a crazy career path—he was a first-round pick in 2005 and spent three years pitching before returning to the outfield in 2008—so there are all sorts of ways that this story could play out. At this point, his 2008 line looks more like a BABIP-induced fluke than an indication of Bogusevic's true talent, but he has plenty of tools and is heading into his prime. He'll likely be heading back to Triple-A, and the Astros will have their fingers crossed hoping for a breakout.
2009		The Astros finally gave up on Bogusevic as a pitcher—he's got a translated line showing 17 starts and an 8.68 DERA at Corpus Christi— and moved him to the outfield. A two-way star in college, he picked up the offensive side as though he'd never put down the bat. He didn't show much power, though, and and his speed was down from his college days; it's already marginal for a center fielder, and he may not have enough bat for a corner spot. A strong showing in the Arizona Fall League should see him make Triple-A out of spring training, and from there it's just a short jump to the center fielder-less, Bourn-ful major league club.
2008		A first-round pick in 2005, Bogusevic is yet another of this system's many disappointments. Injured throughout much of his junior year leading up to the draft, Bogusevic has never returned to the form he showed at Tulane. His fastball now sits in the 88 to 90 mph range, two or three ticks below his college days. There was a small minority that wanted to make him an outfielder rather than a pitcher, but there has been no talk of moving him yet.
2007		Brian Bogusevic has been a disappointment since becoming the team`s first-round pick in 2005. He`s battled arm soreness since signing, though the team thinks he finally came around with a nice run of starts at the end of last year. He`s a power lefty with a fastball-slider combination and will get lots of time to bounce back.

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