Jose Abreu – 1B – Chicago White Sox

Height: 6'2" Weight: 258 lbs. -- Hits: Right Throws: Right

2013 Stats (Cuba) – 264 AB’s, .344/.475/.614, 19 HR, 60 RBI, 60 Runs, 1 Steal

 

Scouting Report

At 27 years old and having played for the Cuban National Team since he was 16, Jose Abreu is as experienced at prospect as you will see. As the statistics show us he completely dominated the Cuban and foreign Baseball world. He did this because of his raw power stroke. Many scouts are concerned about Abreu’s bat speed not being on the level of other top sluggers in the game today. While this is true he is a very patient hitter who has a tremendous ability to set up pitchers. This characteristic is similar to Manny Ramirez in his prime. His double toe tap also is a red flag to some scouts as major league pitching will work to throw him off rhythm. While his bat speed and toe tap are concerns he manages to keep the barrel of the bat by his side allowing him to quick to the ball. This eases some concerns about him not being able to get around on high velocity fastballs. Abreu is not a superb athlete but has very strong legs which generate much of his power. He will not be a stolen base threat but should be able to play first base with decent range. As with most high priced foreign players the physical skills are all present in Abreu. But coming to a new country, learning how to adjust to the culture, language and immediately having more money are resources than ever create reasons for concern. Signing with a club with a vast Cuban  population and being teammates with former Cuban National teammates Dayan Viciedo and Alexi Ramirez will help tremendously in this regard.

2014 Analysis

The White Sox expect Abreu to start at first base for them on opening day. They believe his personality makeup is mature enough to handle the distractions of being a major league player right away. His power upside combined with the ballpark make him a very intriguing player for Fantasy owners this season. Scouts have some doubts about whether he can match the hype of his arrival. No matter what you think of Abreu’s longterm outlook, he remains a mystery heading into the 2014 season. He will have a great opportunity with the White Sox to hit a bunch of HR’s and drive in a lot of runs. But his lack of athleticism means he will only be 1B eligible and likely will impact only three categories (HR, RBI, Runs). Some may reach on Abreu hoping for Yasiel Puig or God forbid even Miguel Cabrera type numbers. He is much more likely to settle somewhere in the Yoenis Cespedes type of power and run production spectrum.

 

Compare To

Manny Ramirez – Sets up pitchers extremely well. Can look foolish for most of count then park his pitch a mile out to any field.

Buster Posey – Incredible similarities in their swings. Check out this piece by Dan Farnsworth over at Fangraphs about it.

Current ADP

Jose Abreu has an average draft position of 104.29 according to the National Fantasy Baseball Championship (NFBC).

He was drafted in the 8th round (104th overall) in the FSTA Fantasy Baseball League