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Questioner: Starting to come around on Matt Skole? Has been raking in the AFL...Not saying that means anything, but Keith Law thinks Skole has a slow bat?
The high strikeout total would indicate that, that may be likely.
It'll be interesting to see if his average decreases as he ascends. K's could go up, BB's down too. Possibly, that'd suck.
I don't think that he's doomed by any means... but it's something to watch out for in coming seasons.
1B Matt Skole (Nats): An intriguing prospect, with some tools that will translate at the major-league level; solid eye at the plate and takes pitches. The raw power is plus. I’m hesistant on practically every other aspect of his game. Bat speed is solid, but it does not remedy the main issue of an elongated swing; even in BP, it has too much of a process; noticeable hand-wrap; elbow moves too much for my liking; trouble catching up with mid to high end velocity the entire series against Bowie; saw a lot of pitches but largely did nothing with them; able to pound inside then sweeping sliders away; I have always questioned the bat against left-handed pitchers, and this series did not change that thought. Overall, I question the ability to make enough contact at higher levels; will show on-base skills, but that will mainly come from taking a ton of pitches. He is also going to strike out a ton, which has been a common theme throughout his career. Important to remember he missed all of 2013 with an ugly injury; wrist/elbow injury could still be lingering. Defensively, a first basemen all the way; I saw him play games at both third and first, and range is below average and the arm is average. –Tucker Blair
Overall, I question the ability to make enough contact at higher levels
With less power.
MLB ETA: 2016 Bench BatRealistic Role: Bench BatHit 35 Plus bat speed; elongated swing; too much of a process; noticeable hand-wrap; elbow moves; trouble catching up with mid to high end velocity; saw a lot of pitches but largely did nothing with them; able to pound him inside then sweep sliders away; needs to lessen noise in entire swing to make enough contact; great eye at plate; does not chase many pitches outside of the zone.Power 55 Slight arc in swing; plus bat speed; plus raw power; plays down due to contact issues and elongated swing; Does not always barrel the ball, even in BP.Baserunning/Speed 40 Not a burner; decent second gear; speed is not a factor in his game.Glove 40 Poor third basemen; mechanical; feet stutter; does not read ball off bat well; better at first base; displays average range for the corners.Arm 55 Arm is plus but plays down due to inaccuracy; does not always repeat the same arm slot on throws; struggles with this in infield practice as well.OverallI have seen Skole multiple times now, heading back to 2012 when he was with Hagerstown and Potomac. While he has raw power and a terrific eye at the plate, the swing has been extremely inconsistent. The year he missed due to injury may be a factor in development. However, he has a lot of work to do with the bat. The swing will never work if he cannot lessen the noise and shorten it. His fringe ability at the hot corners is also a hindrance on his overall future potential.