Tyler Goeddel looks to hit the ground running

In the 2011 MLB Draft, the Rays signed every single one of their 12 first rounders to a contract that exceeded to more than 29% of the slot bonus for that pick- except for one, third baseman Tyler Goeddel. The slot was $815,400, and the Rays signed Goeddel for 1.5 million dollars, nearly 84% higher than slot. Why? Well that’s pretty obvious. He’s a great talent with a chance to be an impact player for the Rays in a few years.

In the first round of the 2011 draft, the Rays went pretty conservative because of their multitude of picks. But Goeddel was certainly an exception to that. Goeddel, who turned 19 in October, is currently 6-4, 175, and he’s teeming with ability. He possesses a nice line drive swing as a right-handed batter that makes him certainly a threat to be a .300 hitter in the big leagues, and that swing allowed him to drive balls to the gaps consistently in high school. As he fills out his frame, that gap power has a chance to become true plus power. Goeddel also happens to be speedy for someone his size, something that may decrease a little as he fills out, but still an asset for him right now. His 6.67 in the 60-yard dash according to Perfect Game comes out to a 4.47 in the 40, and most of the time, a runner’s 40 would be better than his 60 projected into 40. Goeddel’s speed combined with nice quickness gives him nice range defensively, and combining that with his smooth hands and motions along with his strong arm gives him great defensive ability and possibly the ability to play anywhere on the field other than pitcher and catcher. He played third base in college, but Baseball America once called him a shortstop prospect anyway. Goeddel has significant upside both offensively and defensively and is the exactly the type of upside pick that the Rays love to take in the draft. Goeddel will head to Advanced Rookie-Level Princeton for his first season of professional ball. From the moment he plays his first game, we’ll witness his potential, and hopefully his ability will come into fruition in the coming years.