Monday, December 28, 2009

Top 15 Hitters: #9 Jeff Malm

Jeff Malm
6"3" 225 lbs DOB: 10/31/1990
First Baseman
Bats: Left | Throws: Left
2009: GCL Rays
Acquired: 2009 Draft, 5th Round, 169th Overall

Jeff Malm was perhaps the best pure hitter out of all of the Rays touted high-ceiling 2009 draft picks. Malm started over 2008 1st round pick Eric Hosmer on Team USA's junior squad and he led the state of Nevada in homeruns by a high schooler in 2009(no small feat given that probably 2010 #1 pick Bryce Harper was a Nevada high schooler).

He shows the ability to consistently drive the ball, but there's some question about whether his power can fully transfer from aluminum to wood bats. He has an ideal frame for a power hitter at 6'3" but needs to add strength. Malm has made his way around the circuits, from Team USA to the Cape Cod High School classic, and has had success wherever he's been.

Defensively, Malm has a plus throwing arm but is limited to first base. He could probably fill in at third base or a corner outfield spot in a pinch, but he would be well below-average. Malm's bat is his calling card and is going to determine how far and how quickly he advances through the system. He signed late and appeared in just 7 games for the Gulf Coast League Rays, but his bat is advanced enough and he has a good enough track record to skip him over Princeton to Hudson Valley(Bill Ballew speculated Malm could start at Bowling Green and, well, I disagree with that). If Malm can show the ability to hit homeruns with wood, he should emerge as one of the minors' premier first base prospects.
-- By Kevin Gengler at 11:51 AM

24 comments:

  1. The kid throws mid 90s. His arm is wasted at 1B. RF?
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  2. What year should he be MLB ready? Also, does he project to be a power or an average hitter?
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  3. if he is such a good hitter then why did he fall to the 5th round?Were teams afraid he wouldnt transfer to wood well enough?And how is his D at 1st?
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  4. It's hard to project how long it'll take a HSer to be MLB-ready. Prince Fielder was a 1st round pick who signed quickly and he reached the majors toward the end of his 4th professional season, so that would be the absolute minimum I would say. Right now he doesn't project as a 30-HR type threat but he could definitely develop the power.

    He fell because of a strong commitment to USC mainly. There's not a lot of reports about his defense at 1st, and what's out there isn't overly high or low on it, so I'd say roughly average.
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  5. Is he more likely to start at Princeton or Hudson?And do the Rays really have any hitting parks at the lower levels?Because stats make em all lok like pitching parks
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  6. The Rays have never had a GCL affiliate so there's no history to go on for players from there. My guess is that Ryan Wiegand gets the bump to Bowling Green and Jeff Malm will start in Hudson Valley.

    As for parks, I haven't seen new park factor info in quite a while, but I know Hudson Valley played as a pitcher's park, but it had been neutralized somewhat in like 2008. I think the Rays have just simply done a better job drafting pitchers lately, so the stats for the hitters they do have don't look great.
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  7. If Wiegand goes to Bowling Green and Malm goes to HV, is Sonoqui finished with the Rays?
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  8. Sonoqui's spent four year in short-season ball now, and 2009 was his worst year since his debut season. He'll be 22 for the 2010 season, so I don't think the Rays will make getting him in the lineup a big priority.
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  9. who are the projected starting 1st baseman's @ charlotte & montgomery for 2010 ?
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  10. (In all fairness to Sonoqui, he sat out almost his entire 2nd season with an injury.) He also played a great defensive 1st baseman last season at Hudson Valley. I think that Sheridan will play at Charlotte and Fields will be at Montgomery. But, maybe TB will try Jefferies at 1st base?
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  11. where does wrigley fit into the mix ?
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  12. Wrigley could see some time with Mike Sheridan at Charlotte, or could get bumped to Montgomery, where there's no obvious 1B candidate, assuming Chris Nowak starts in Durham.
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  13. Won't MATT FIELDS be in Montgomery? He was promoted up to AA, to play 1st base, during 2009 season.
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  14. That's a good point, he slipped my mind. Fields will be in Montgomery, so Wrigley will either split time with him there or be the primary back-up to Mike Sheridan in Charlotte.
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  15. Jeff is going to be a super star. I was coaching my little league team in Las Vegas and I see the little 7 year old lefty playing first base with wristbands on his forearms and batting gloves in his back pocket. The following year I wrote a letter to move the kid up a to minor 9's and I was fortunate to start coaching Jeff then. As a 10 year old he was my first pick in the majors. He was not the fastest or biggest but he had the heart whether it was practicing playing or even playing MLB on his xbox. I have watching since, Player of the Year 4 years in Nevada, MVP for state tournament 4 years and MVP for his high school American Legion World Series winning team. Jeff dropped to the 5th round because there was a question of his signability. He was going to go to USC.
    His Biggest Fan from Vegas.
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  16. Hey coach, I would be interested in your opinion as to whether he is athletic enough to play anywhere but 1B.
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  17. He is not an outfielder and when I saw someone say third? He is a lefty
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  18. He won't be playing third base because Evan Longoria will b
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  19. haha...he wont be playing third base because he is left handed
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  20. Nobody says he (or any other lefty thrower) can play 3rd. Why not RF? He has the arm. Is the footspeed/athleticism that bad?
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  21. i think we will have to wait and see on that...some publications have him stuck at first but others say he has decent athleticism for his size...so who knows?
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  22. Spoiled brat, Wont make it, to soft
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  23. last comment obviously knows nothing about the kid
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  24. He is doing so well with the Renegades (Short season Single A of Rays).
    AVG. .301 , 11 HR, 6 2B, 30 RBI in 35 games.... and he can hit the ball well with great defense
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