23 replies to this topic

[njingles3]

DOB: 12/5/89
Ht: 6-1
Wt: 170
Pos: SS
B/T: R/R
Drafted: Round 2 Pick 77
Bonus: $600,000

PG Crosschecker

SCOUTING REPORT (3/1): Gibson performed at a high level all of last summer but it wasn’t until the World Wood Bat Association fall championship in Jupiter, Fla., in late October that scouts truly appreciated his tools. He has always been considered a slick-fielding shortstop with range and plus instincts but his bat speed, running speed and offensive potential are now recognized due to the four doubles and two triples he hit for the Orioles Scout Team in a near-MVP performance. He is mainly a singles and doubles hitter, but will hit his share of triples as he has power to the alleys and can run. Gibson has never been timed in the 60 at a Perfect Game event but he was clocked at 6.61 seconds last summer at the East Coast Pro Showcase and has game-changing speed. He can absolutely fly going from first to third, has great base-running instincts and stolen-base potential. He is a fun player to watch. Gibson is related to former major league star Delino DeShields and you can see the athletic resemblance. He hit .491-1-19 with 15 stolen bases as a high school junior and was 7-1, 1.38 on the mound with 108 strikeouts in 56 innings as an upper-80s righthander. His present arm strength is just adequate by shortstop standards and may be better suited for second base, but it figures to improve through natural progression.—DAVID RAWNSLEY

UPDATE (5/1): All the gains that Gibson appeared to make towards becoming an elite prospect last summer and fall may have been squandered this spring as he did not perform to the level scouts expected—or even close. He had positioned himself as a possible second-rounder but only his speed, always his best tool, played to an acceptable level this spring. His bat was light as he did not drive balls consistently to the gaps, like he specialized in doing a year ago. He often got tied up by high-velocity fastballs and adopted more of a passive inside-out approach to hitting. His actions in the field were rough and inconstant, and his arm showed little life and below-average velocity. More than anything, he did not play the game with a bounce in his step. But his athleticism, raw tools and excellent speed all hold too much promise for scouts to walk away from.—ALLAN SIMPSON

Derrik was committed to play for UNC. He's off to a good start in the GCL.

G: 9
AB: 29
H: 9
XBH: 4
BB: 7
K: 4
SB/CS: 4/0

.310/.462/.448

[Quintanariffic]

Damn you! I was just coming over here to adopt Gibson.

According to multiple reports, Gibson wowed the Sox brass at the tryout they conducted for many of their draftees earlier this month. IIRC, he went something like 5-6 with 6 SB and, despite being viewed as a tough sign, was in the fold within 10 days or so of that tryout. When he was drafted as a SS, there was speculation that he could end up at SS, 2B or CF. Looks like he's been playing all over the infield in the GCL due to the presence of guys like Almanzar, Kelly and Joantoni Garcia.

Obviously it's a very SSS, but he's only K'd 4 times in 36 PA, with 7 BB and 4 XBH to go along with that. I love low K rates in young, toolsy prospects.

Edited by Quintanariffic, 29 July 2008 - 10:15 AM.

[templeUsox]

According to multiple reports, Gibson wowed the Sox brass at the tryout they conducted for many of their draftees earlier this month.

That's the Fenway Summer Classic to you, sir.

[Quintanariffic]

That's the Fenway Summer Classic to you, sir.

When they start opening the gates so that fans can come and watch, then I'll call it the Fenway Summer Classic. Until then, it's just a (rather unique) closed door tryout. And no, your fancy shmancy (and fleetingly seen) pictures don't count as public access.

[njingles3]

Since last update, k's up and bb's down but still little to worry about:

G: 8
AB: 33
H: 12
XBH: 3
BB: 1
K: 7
SB/CS: 4/0

Season Totals:

G: 17
PA: 74
H: 20
XBH: 7 (0 HR)
BB: 9
K: 12
SB/CS: 9/0

.323/.419/.871

Games by position: 3b/ss/2b/dh - 10/4/1/2 (two errors at ss but otherwise clean defensively)

[njingles3]

Gibson has been promoted to Lowell and struck out in one at bat tonight.

Final GCL line:

G: 27
PA: 113
H: 29
XBH: 7 (6 2b & 1 3b)
BB: 14
SO: 18
SB/CS: 14/0
GIDP: 0

On defense:
3B: 0 E in 14 G
2b: 2 E in 5 G
ss: 2 E in 5 G

.309/.411/.804

[jsinger121]

Here is a Q&A with Derrik Gibson.

http://soxprospects....ick-gibson.html

Edited by jsinger121, 09 September 2008 - 09:16 AM.

[Jed Zeppelin]

Gibson was named fastest baserunner in the system in BA's writeup. Between GCL and Lowell he stole 16 bases without being thrown out.

Edited by Jed Zeppelin, 31 December 2008 - 05:22 AM.

[phrenile]

"Taking a closer look at top Red Sox prospects" (Portland Press Herald):

First-round draft pick Casey Kelly got all the publicity last year, but Gibson, a second-rounder, looked solid in the Gulf Coast League (.308). Gibson, 19, is an excellent infielder and could make it up to Greenville by the end of the year.

[Jed Zeppelin]

Gibson played his first game of the season tonight with Lowell, going 2-4 with a triple and a HBP.

The excellent Cem21 of soxprospects.com had this write-up after seeing the game live:

Derrik Gibson- Gibson is still very slight and lean. There is a lot of room on his frame to fill out. He looked the same as ST and last year when he was with Lowell. Gibson hit an absolute shot into the LF gap in his last AB of the night and scortched into 3rd for the triple. Gibson will develop some nice gap power and hits with some backspin. It'll be interesting to see how he fills out and how that plays into his power game. His speed is right around Westmoreland, but maybe a touch slower. He can fly. His other hit was on a fastball in his 2nd AB that he turned around for a nice hard grounder to the SS. He probably could have come up with it, but Gibson would have beaten it. He got hit, grounded out to 2B that he made very close, and reached on an error in the other AB's. In the field, Gibson looked a little rough at 2B, but his athleticism helps him. He made a sensational play diving towards CF and gunned the guy out at 1B. He made all of the other plays his way, but looked like he was still feeling things out at 2B. He still has his odd throwing mechanics, but his arm looked strong.

Edited by Jed Zeppelin, 20 June 2009 - 12:52 AM.

[Jed Zeppelin]

Derrik is off to a hot start in Lowell where he struggled mightily in 14 games last year. In 6 games he's 8/20 with one 2b and one 3b, 5 bb and 3 k. He's only stolen one base so far and was caught for the first time in his pro career last night. He has two errors in five games at 2nd, none in a game at ss.

.400/.538/.550

It's early but don't overlook this guy as a prospect. He won't hit for much power but he'll hit line drives, take walks and let his legs do the work. He could still probably stand to fill out a bit. Depending on how this season progresses, it won't be long before he's considered one of the top middle infield prospects in a system hurting for some success there. You could probably call him top 5 right now anyways with Navarro (we still like him), Diaz (15 errors), Tejeda (14 errors) and Dent (60K/25BB) mostly struggling at higher levels and Kelly dominating on the mound.

Edited by Jed Zeppelin, 26 June 2009 - 02:46 PM.

[Quintanariffic]

Derrik is off to a hot start in Lowell where he struggled mightily in 14 games last year. In 6 games he's 8/20 with one 2b and one 3b, 5 bb and 3 k. He's only stolen one base so far and was caught for the first time in his pro career last night. He has two errors in five games at 2nd, none in a game at ss.

.538/.550/1.088

It's early but don't overlook this guy as a prospect. He won't hit for much power but he'll hit line drives, take walks and let his legs do the work. He could still probably stand to fill out a bit. Depending on how this season progresses, it won't be long before he's considered one of the top middle infield prospects in a system hurting for some success there. You could probably call him top 5 right now anyways with Navarro (we still like him), Diaz (15 errors), Tejeda (14 errors) and Dent (60K/25BB) mostly struggling at higher levels and Kelly dominating on the mound.

Maybe I'm just being pedantic, but could you use the avg/obp/slg triple slash line going forward? Just doing obp/slg/ops tells the reader a lot less if they are able to do basic math.

[Jed Zeppelin]

Maybe I'm just being pedantic, but could you use the avg/obp/slg triple slash line going forward? Just doing obp/slg/ops tells the reader a lot less if they are able to do basic math.

Fair enough. I was just being selfish as doing basic math brings me severe mental and physical pain.

[Jed Zeppelin]

Gibson is just making it look easy...3-3 with a double, 2 BB and 2 SB.

Through ten games:

.471/.600/.735
16-34 with 7 XBH (5 double & 2 triples)
10/6 BB/K
4/2 SB/CS (at least one of the CS was a PO, not sure about the other)

The sample is still really small, less than half the at bats of Kalish's brief dominance in Lowell a couple years ago when he had everyone going nuts over him. You'd eventually like to see a promotion for Gibson but even then there would have to be some maneuvering to get everyone in that potential Greenville infield at bats.

Edited by Jed Zeppelin, 29 June 2009 - 10:35 PM.

[Jed Zeppelin]

Gibson struggled through much of July (.506 OPS) but really turned it on over the last couple weeks.

Through last night:
.277/.386/.381
19/4 SB/CS (career 35/4)
24/29 BB/K
14 XBH (12 doubles, 2 triples)

He has 8 errors at SS and 7 at 2B, with exactly 100 chances at each position. He has yet to play 3B this season with Almanzar there.

Some other stats that aren't particularly meaningful but fun to look at nonetheless:
.231/.286/.369 vs LHP (65 AB)
.311/.447/.389 vs. RHP (90 AB)

.234/.327/.330 with the bases empty (94 AB)
.344/.468/.459 with runners on (61 AB)

[Jed Zeppelin]

End of the month update for Derrik, who put together a very nice .320/.407/.398 line in August after a tough July.

Overall '09 slash stats haven't changed much since the last update:
.282/.388/.370
27 SB/5 CS (43/5 career)
36 BB/41 K
18 XBH (15 doubles, 3 triples)

Only 2 errors since the last update for 17 on the season...10 in 32 games at SS, 7 in 30 games at 2B. I'd like to see him keep the errors down at both positions and it appears he made some strides this month. His ability to be adequate at multiple positions can only help him moving up the ladder.

Gibson is currently 37th on the SoxProspects rankings and doesn't get a ton of publicity for a 2nd round pick who has actually enjoyed quite a bit of success. He compares favorably to his middle infield "rivals" Dent and Tejeda. He doesn't have Dent's power but has put together consecutive high OBP seasons, while Dent has struck out in 30% of his minor league at bats. I'll take the guy with a good contact rate, advanced approach and understanding of the strike zone along with elite baserunning ability. His skills look like they should translate to higher levels and I'm pretty excited to see this guy playing full season ball next year.

[Quintanariffic]

End of the month update for Derrik, who put together a very nice .320/.407/.398 line in August after a tough July.

[snip]

Quoted for truth. Per the thread on same in the main section of the ml forum, it speaks well to the depth of this system that he's under the radar like he is.

[EP Sox Fan]

Saw this in Keith Law's most recent chat:

Joe (Mansfield, MA)


As often as Red Sox prospects can get overrated, is Derrik Gibson underrated? 19, .384 OBP in the minors, middle infielder, 6th in the NYPL in 2009 in OBP. Or does he need some power?
Klaw
(1:10 PM)


I think he's a future star, and he'll add power as he continues to fill out physically. Great approach, quick bat, plus runner, can certainly play 2b and might be able to play ss.

Certainly high praise for Gibson.

Edit: Inserted quote box.

Edited by EP Sox Fan, 02 October 2009 - 04:26 PM.

[Jed Zeppelin]

Welcome to the big time Derrik. BA's Top 10:

1. Ryan Westmoreland, of
2. Casey Kelly, rhp
3. Josh Reddick, of
4. Lars Anderson, 1b
5. Ryan Kalish, of
6. Junichi Tazawa, rhp
7. Reymond Fuentes, of
8. Anthony Rizzo, 1b
9. Jose Iglesias, ss
10. Derrik Gibson, ss/2b

I don't have a subscription so I couldn't read his individual blurb but I'm sure it read something like Keith Law's comment in the post above this one. Suffice to say I think he could be on many more Sox top 10 lists by the end of the season. Some might be surprised by the ranking but I believe BA is pretty tools-happy and Gibson has production to match. He only needs to add a little power to be an .800+ OPS MI. Not necessarily home runs, not this season at least, but some singles into doubles and doubles into triples is what I'm looking for. Combine that with elite baserunning and that's a nice looking player. If he develops 8-10 home run power eventually, even better.

Edited by Jed Zeppelin, 23 December 2009 - 01:21 PM.

[Jed Zeppelin]

No surprise here - Gibson will start the year at Greenville.

Link

[Jed Zeppelin]

Gibson batted leadoff for Greenville on opening night going 2-4 with 2 rbi singles and a walk. As he is on the map now I'm going to try to keep a closer eye on his peripherals and post them here whenever I can.

2GB/1FB
1K/1BB

I'm taking these right from the MiLB.com game logs so I don't know how accurate the GB/FB stuff is. I know minorleaguesplits.com has that information so I might draw from there as well.

Also of note tonight, Gibson had 7 putouts at shortstop.

Edited by Jed Zeppelin, 09 April 2010 - 12:41 AM.

[Jed Zeppelin]

Update one week into the season. Derrik's getting on base as usual but has not hit for any power.

9/27 (0 XBH)
6K/3BB
68.2%GB/31.8%FB (28.6%IF/F) No line drives yet according to milb.com game logs.
2SB/1CS

.333/.400/.333

He's played all seven games at shortstop and made one fielding error.

[Jed Zeppelin]

Gibson's been in a pretty big slump lately. Grounders that got through the infield for the first two weeks have been outs the last two weeks, though he did finally hit some line drives since my last update. He certainly needs to pick it up to keep pace with Tejeda and Dent who look like different players so far.

.250/.324/.281 with 14 singles and 2 doubles
67.9%GB/5.7%LD/26.4%FB (17.7%IF/F) which comes out to 36GB/3LD/14FB
12K/6BB
5SB/1CS

He's made just one error in 80 chances, all at shortstop.

[Jed Zeppelin]

Two months later, Gibson might finally be coming out of a season long slump. His last ten games look a lot more like the player we were hoping to see:

.275/.388/.425 (11 for 40 with 6 2B)
7/9 BB/SO

For the whole season:
.240/.313/.307
15 XBH (13 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR)
26/54 BB/SO
18/4 SB/CS
56.4%GB/9.6%LD/33.5%FB

He's only played SS this season and made 14 errors, so his defense needs to improve as well.

Here's hoping Gibson continues to heat up with the weather.