Michael Chavis, SS: 2014 MLB Draft 26th overall
- Thread starter Merkle's Boner
- Start date
Chavis is a great pick! # 26 according to Baseball America. Here is his scouting report there:
As many of the toolsy high school position players raise questions about their hitting ability, the players that teams are confident will hit have moved up draft boards, and Chavis is one of the better bats in the class. He has a chance to go in the first round, a testament to his consistency as a 5-foot-10, 192-pound righthanded hitter. Chavis has tremendous strength through his hands and wrists and produces plus bat speed from a short, compact stroke. He hit consistently on the showcase circuit, including sending a 94 mph fastball from Touki Toussaint right back up the box at East Coast Pro. He has plus raw power that translates to game action. Currently a high school shortstop, Chavis will likely move off the position as a pro. Third base remains his most likely destination because of his first-step quickness, body control and above-average arm. Catching is an option and he has the necessary physical attributes, but he has spent limited time behind the plate. He has slightly above-average speed that will likely settle in around average with his strong, compact build. The Clemson commit is a high-effort, gamer who endears himself to scouts with his style of play, and scouts lauded his work ethic.
As many of the toolsy high school position players raise questions about their hitting ability, the players that teams are confident will hit have moved up draft boards, and Chavis is one of the better bats in the class. He has a chance to go in the first round, a testament to his consistency as a 5-foot-10, 192-pound righthanded hitter. Chavis has tremendous strength through his hands and wrists and produces plus bat speed from a short, compact stroke. He hit consistently on the showcase circuit, including sending a 94 mph fastball from Touki Toussaint right back up the box at East Coast Pro. He has plus raw power that translates to game action. Currently a high school shortstop, Chavis will likely move off the position as a pro. Third base remains his most likely destination because of his first-step quickness, body control and above-average arm. Catching is an option and he has the necessary physical attributes, but he has spent limited time behind the plate. He has slightly above-average speed that will likely settle in around average with his strong, compact build. The Clemson commit is a high-effort, gamer who endears himself to scouts with his style of play, and scouts lauded his work ethic.
Yeah, gotta hope that projection's a bit low, third baseman who might hit .275 with 20 homers, in his prime .Seels said:
soxhop411 said:
This really changes everything for me. I like hit tool guys. To me, much better bet in later picks than raw power.
Andrew said:
It is mostly useless scout speak, but don't you just love his swing? I mean, his step is a little big, but he's got a short load and he gets to the ball quickly. He looks like a worthy addition.
soxhop411 said:
Yes.
Andrew said:
He's both. And everything else.
Kiley McDaniel @kileymcd
Some teams asked Chavis if he would be open to catching as his tools profile back there. He's game to try it, could be instructs experiment.
I was thinking the same thing. Doesn't look like a high schooler. Really excited about the pick.JimD said:
Like the pick. Don't love it, but I'm going off the word "awkward" being thrown around earlier in the year.
Next pick I'm expecting pitcher, but would love if they doubled down with Davidson (assuming Gatewood and Harrison are gone)
Next pick I'm expecting pitcher, but would love if they doubled down with Davidson (assuming Gatewood and Harrison are gone)
Wow Chavis already has almost 3000 twitter followers and has made almost 16000 tweets! I'm sure my surprise at this says more about me then him, but that seems like a shitload.
soxhop411 said:
Heh, he hits himself in the foot with every swing follow-through. Is that common?
{placeholder first post - I will be moving over some commentary from the draft game thread here}
Kind of a boring video but you get a good look at his swing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRl-zRydenc
Kind of a boring video but you get a good look at his swing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRl-zRydenc
My in-laws are annoying Clemson people. (Example: They root against JBJ because he was South Carolina.)
I will sing and dance on the inside when they sign this kid away from his college commitment.
I will sing and dance on the inside when they sign this kid away from his college commitment.
Pete Abraham @PeteAbe
#RedSox scouting dir. Amiel Sawdaye on Chavis: “He would take BP before games and put on a show.” He took aim at cars on a road beyond LF
My son played in a couple of games at his home field in HS, so I'm familiar with the field. I wasn't sure of the actual dimensions, so I used the measuring tool on Gmaps, and it looks like the LF fence is around 330' from home. The field sits well below, maybe 20', the level of the road and there is a concrete barrier and fence on the road, so he would have had to easily clear 25', maybe 30', above the field to even come close to being able to hit that road. You can get an idea about the height of the barrier on the road here.
#RedSox scouting dir. Amiel Sawdaye on Chavis: “He would take BP before games and put on a show.” He took aim at cars on a road beyond LF
My son played in a couple of games at his home field in HS, so I'm familiar with the field. I wasn't sure of the actual dimensions, so I used the measuring tool on Gmaps, and it looks like the LF fence is around 330' from home. The field sits well below, maybe 20', the level of the road and there is a concrete barrier and fence on the road, so he would have had to easily clear 25', maybe 30', above the field to even come close to being able to hit that road. You can get an idea about the height of the barrier on the road here.
I have a cousin that hit .570 his senior year of high school in Western Mass. Even his outs were hit hard. He played college ball at UMass and hit about .260 for his career there. Level of competition matters.ehaz said:
Yes, the level of competition matters. Georgia high school baseball is among the 2 or 3 best states in the country. Cobb County is one of the hubs of great baseball in the state of Georgia. Numerous draft picks and high-major Division I players come out of Cobb every year. To hit .580 against that competition says a lot more about your future than putting those numbers up in Western Massachusetts.phenweigh said:
The Boomer said:
Sounds like Michael Young II -- hit ++, power + (for an infielder), run, field and throw OK with multiple position destinations.
mwonow said:
The Red Sox have the Drew Family Homestead on their Favorites list.
Georgia FTW!
An ominous blast from the past (no not me!). The BA 1st rd analysis lists the area scout for each player picked and for the Sox and Chavis it is.... Rob English!
English was a the message board bete noir of the Sox scouting under Theo. The Sox signed a ton of player from GA in those first few years, some with big over slot bonuses, and they mostly sucked. Given the overall great success by Sox players signed during that time they really stood out. That list includes"
2002 Scott White
2002 Chad Spann
2002 Brandon Moss! - wait a minute he was a bust last I posted this and now it's a big success. See how English was maligned!
2003 Matt Murton
2003 Mikey Hall
2004 Mike Rozier - no need to show Moss level patience to call this one a bust
2005 Jon Egan - him either
2006 Jason Place - him either, again
2006 Josh Reddick
Hmm, Reddick and Moss do well for Oak and the Sox bring back English... always trying to copy the A's.
Actually, English has always been with the Sox. A few years ago they hired a younger scout for GA and English - who in the Media Guide pictures looked pretty old - was cut back to part time scout status which his pretty common for older scouts. Those guys usually do not get credited with signing players.
I haven't followed the Sox scouting dept for a few years, but looking it up that young area scout was Tim Hyers who covered GA from 2009-2012 and then became the minor league hitting coordinator in 2013. Maybe the Sox bumped Enlgish back up to full time status then.
Anyway, just have some patience with Chavis or else he'll bloom in Oak in 2024 or something.
English was a the message board bete noir of the Sox scouting under Theo. The Sox signed a ton of player from GA in those first few years, some with big over slot bonuses, and they mostly sucked. Given the overall great success by Sox players signed during that time they really stood out. That list includes"
2002 Scott White
2002 Chad Spann
2002 Brandon Moss! - wait a minute he was a bust last I posted this and now it's a big success. See how English was maligned!
2003 Matt Murton
2003 Mikey Hall
2004 Mike Rozier - no need to show Moss level patience to call this one a bust
2005 Jon Egan - him either
2006 Jason Place - him either, again
2006 Josh Reddick
Hmm, Reddick and Moss do well for Oak and the Sox bring back English... always trying to copy the A's.
Actually, English has always been with the Sox. A few years ago they hired a younger scout for GA and English - who in the Media Guide pictures looked pretty old - was cut back to part time scout status which his pretty common for older scouts. Those guys usually do not get credited with signing players.
I haven't followed the Sox scouting dept for a few years, but looking it up that young area scout was Tim Hyers who covered GA from 2009-2012 and then became the minor league hitting coordinator in 2013. Maybe the Sox bumped Enlgish back up to full time status then.
Anyway, just have some patience with Chavis or else he'll bloom in Oak in 2024 or something.
Not sure if this adds anything new, but it's from a friend who's a scout in the South for an NL West team:
Yep. Right up the road at sprayberry hs. He has power with plus bat speed. He is a slugging infielder that is more agile than he looks and the arm to play anywhere. The drawbacks are he is physically maxed out and he has some swing and miss to his game.
Yep. Right up the road at sprayberry hs. He has power with plus bat speed. He is a slugging infielder that is more agile than he looks and the arm to play anywhere. The drawbacks are he is physically maxed out and he has some swing and miss to his game.
Ryan Hannable @RyanHannable 8m
Source: Red Sox first-round pick (No. 26 overall) Michael Chavis and the club have agreed to terms for the slot value of $1,870,500.
Source: Red Sox first-round pick (No. 26 overall) Michael Chavis and the club have agreed to terms for the slot value of $1,870,500.
A month into his minor league debut and the kid's certainly had his struggles. In his first 11 games he managed just 2 H and 4 BB in 40 PA while racking 15 Ks (.056/.150/.111/.261). But he finished out July on better (though still not great) footing with 5 H (including 2 doubles), 3 BB, 6 K and an HBP in 24 PA (.250/.375/.350/.725). Overall he entered August play with a .125/.234/.196/.431 line.
He's been splitting time at shortstop for the GCL Sox with Javier Guerra. However today he played his first-ever pro game at third base, going 1-for-4 with 2 Ks. He also showed up at the ballpark in Fort Myers with this, so at least he's learning how to spend that signing bonus:
He's been splitting time at shortstop for the GCL Sox with Javier Guerra. However today he played his first-ever pro game at third base, going 1-for-4 with 2 Ks. He also showed up at the ballpark in Fort Myers with this, so at least he's learning how to spend that signing bonus:
