Baseball Prospectus | | Eyewitness Scouting Report


	Austin Meadows Born: 05/03/1995 (Age: 19)
	Bats: Left	Throws: Left
	Height: 6' 3"	Weight: 225
	Primary Position: CF

Tall thin frame, ideal for adding weight, which he will need to do; not weak but hasn't filled out yet. High waist, long legs.

Evaluator	Jeff Moore
Report Date	04/27/2015
Dates Seen	4/24-4/25/15
Affiliate	Bradenton Marauders (High A, Pirates)

MLB ETA	Risk Factor	OFP	Video
2017	Moderate,	60	No

Tool	Future Grade	Report
Hit	60	Pros: Fluid swing with direct path to the ball; short, compact for a tall player; quick wrists make up for lack of elite bat speed; good feel for manipulating the barrel; uses whole field; buys into leadoff profile, patient hitter, works counts, constantly puts together good at-bats even when they don't result in a hit. Cons: Doesn't use lower half, no weight transfer in swing; does not look to drive the ball, line drive approach.
Power	40	Limited power profile, sacrifices power for contact; will run into a few home runs because of size, has strong wrists that will generate some pull-side power; approach at the plate limits power more than anything; does have good gap/doubles power and should post strong totals, but over-the-fence power is limited.
Baserunning/Speed	60	4.1 to first base; quick-twitch athlete, long strides; takes a few steps to get to full speed but then glides fluidly.
Glove	55	Good jumps, quick first step, limited wasted movement; glides gracefully towards the ball; smooth, effortless routes; won't be an elite center fielder due to lack of elite speed, but has enough speed and athleticism to handle it in his twenties; gets the most out of his abilities in the field.
Arm	40	Below-average arm strength, enough for center field but will limit him to left field if he has to move to a corner.

Meadows is a good, natural hitter, and that will ultimately determine his ceiling as a major leaguer. It is not, however, his only tool. The power profile is limited, though it's due primarily to his leadoff/line-drive approach at the plate. He could likely hit for slightly more power if he was willing to swing and miss more and sacrifice a few points on his batting average, but it's not his game. His patient approach at the plate constantly produces long, pitch-eating at-bats and he embraces the role.

In the field, Meadows is a good enough outfielder to handle center field. His speed isn't at the elite level you'd like from a center fielder, but he makes up for it with good jumps and strong instincts. He has enough speed to handle center field and should be able to stay there until he ages out of the position, unless he puts on a significant amount of weight and loses a step.

The overall profile is similar to that of Christian Yelich, with a contact-oriented approach that leads to high batting averages, strong on-base skills and just enough power (mostly in the form of doubles) to keep pitchers honest. It's a definite big league profile and one that should make for an every day outfielder.