Author Topic: Follow the Prospects: Kevin Keyes, OF  (Read 6200 times)

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Offline JMUalumni

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Follow the Prospects: Kevin Keyes, OF
« Topic Start: April 24, 2012, 01:44:14 PM »
Height: 6'3
Weight:  225
DOB:  03/15/1989
Hometown:  Austin, TX
College:  Texas
Position:  Outfield
Drafted:  7th Round, 2010



Prior to the 2010 college season, many analysts viewed Keyes as a potential first round pick, in part because of his size and power potential.  While he didn't have a bad season in his junior season at Texas (.311/.384/.550), many scouts thought that his potential had tapered out and he had too many holes in his swing to make it to the major league level.  So he fell to the Nationals in the 7th round of the 2010 draft.  Many Texas fans will remember that it was Keyes that scored the only run off of Matt Purke in the 2010 NCAA Super Regional, a solo shot in the 7th inning.

After struggling in his first season at Vermont (.175/.321/.278) in 39 games, he showed some promise last season despite starting the year slow and later suffering an injury, costing him part of the season.  Batting mostly 5th or 6th in the Suns lineup last year, he posted an OPS of .846, hitting 22 2B and 17 HR in just 85 games.  Having seen him play a few times, he is certainly an imposing figure and its easy to see where his power comes from, but the 80 strikeouts showed that he is still has adjustments to make in order to ever have a chance to climb further up the ladder.

This year he has started on Potomacs roster in an outfield that includes Michael Taylor and Randolph Oduber, but has struggled early much like last year.  In 14 games, he only 6 hits (3 for extra bases) and has struck out a whopping 18 times, compared to 5 walks.

The Good:  The conversation about Keyes starts and, mostly, ends with power.  The guy is going to hit in the 20-25 range for home runs and has the potential to possibly hit more with an improved eye and a better approach to breaking pitches.  Also hits lots of balls towards the gaps which will result in a good amount of doubles each year.  But his biggest asset is his strength, an obvious observation after seeing him hit a few balls.

The Bad:  Has trouble hitting breaking stuff, strikes out too much, and is going to struggle to hit for a decent average, likely resulting in a .250-.260 batting average.  While he struggles with curves and sliders, the changeup has given him the most problems in his young milb career.  While he isn't as slow as you would expect for a guy his size, many scouts believe that he will eventually end up as a first basemen down the line. 

This is from BA's 2012 prospect handbook:

Quote
No. 30, Kevin Keyes, OF
Key 2011 stats: At Hagerstown, .263, 22 2B, 1 3B, 17 HR, 65 RBI, 6 SB, .336 OBP, .510 SLG
Breakdown: Keyes was a seventh-round pick out of Texas in 2010. He hit 15 home runs at the Longhorns’ home field, which isn’t terribly conducive to power. The Nationals signed him for $125,000 and sent him to short-season Vermont, where he came in overweight with a long swing and a big leg kick the franchise didn’t like. After staying in extended spring training last year working out the kinks, a slimmer Keyes showed flashes of his above-average power potential. He’s hitting cleanup for Potomac this season. His power is his best tool, and it will have to continue to improve if he wants to make it to the bigs.

Offline JMUalumni

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Kevin Keyes, OF
« Reply #1: April 24, 2012, 08:44:05 PM »
Quote
Tim Swartz ‏ @TimSwartz
Kevin Keyes with a laser out to left in the 5th first run for the P-Nats. 3rd HR of year for Keyes. Potomac leads 3-2 b6. #nationals

Offline JCA-CrystalCity

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Kevin Keyes, OF
« Reply #2: July 23, 2012, 11:35:25 AM »
Full year stats at Potomac show good power (14 HR, .242 ISO), some willingness to take a walk (7.2% BB%) but a low batting average (.215) brought on by a below average BABIP (.241) and a high K rate (26.1%).  291 PAs.

Seems to have heated up over the past 10 games. .324 / .378 / .794 for a 1.172 OPS over 36 PAs.  OK, it is a small sample size, and the strikeouts (10) are still not good.  streaky as all heck, as before this stretch he was having an off July.

Here is a cool story about his relationship with Blake Kelso.  Seems they first played together on a little league all star team when Keyes broke Kelso's thumb when Kelso tried to catch Keyes ptiching.
Quote
No way, Blake Kelso thought, could it be possible that Kevin Keyes, the guy who broke Kelso’s thumb during Little League practice, become his teammate in the Washington Nationals’ minor league system.

Sure enough it happened.

“It was crazy,” Kelso said. “We’d known each other since we were nine and we were both drafted by the same professional team.”



Offline imref

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Kevin Keyes, OF
« Reply #3: July 23, 2012, 11:41:51 AM »
I saw both of them yesterday.  Kelso is really small, looks like Brian Peacock.  Keyes didn't really stand out either (1-5).

Offline Lintyfresh85

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Kevin Keyes, OF
« Reply #4: July 23, 2012, 11:50:28 AM »
Keyes is third in the Carolina League in ISO at .242. Of course, that's mainly due to the fact when he does get a hit, it's an extra base hit.

Offline PANatsFan

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Kevin Keyes, OF
« Reply #5: July 23, 2012, 07:53:15 PM »
WE WANT HAYES!

Offline Lintyfresh85

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Kevin Keyes, OF
« Reply #6: July 23, 2012, 08:35:34 PM »
Ha.

Nice recall.

:clap:

Offline tomterp

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Kevin Keyes, OF
« Reply #7: August 12, 2012, 02:14:52 PM »
Needs to work on his conditioning.

Offline Lintyfresh85

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Kevin Keyes, OF
« Reply #8: August 12, 2012, 02:19:03 PM »
Needs to work on his conditioning.

Still a big boy, huh?

Offline tomterp

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Kevin Keyes, OF
« Reply #9: August 12, 2012, 02:24:17 PM »
Still a big boy, huh?

Yup.  Kind of Sam Hornish.

Offline blue911

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Kevin Keyes, OF
« Reply #10: August 12, 2012, 02:26:05 PM »
Yup.  Kind of Sam Hornish.

Horn? You must have never seen Calvin Pickering.

Offline tomterp

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Kevin Keyes, OF
« Reply #11: August 12, 2012, 02:32:12 PM »
Horn? You must have never seen Calvin Pickering.

LOL, that's the name I was trying to remember, but all I could think of was Horn.

I saw the Baysox once, had heard all this great stuff about Ryan Minor and Calvin Pickering, but it was evident that Minor was a wooden stiff and Pickering was a lardass with a stone glove, and neither was ever going to get more than a cup of coffee.

Keys is not quite to the Pickering level yet but it would be a valid, albeit negative, comp.

Calvin Pickering

Offline Lintyfresh85

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Kevin Keyes, OF
« Reply #12: August 12, 2012, 02:43:23 PM »
The biggest player I ever saw play was Jose "Jumbo" Diaz who pitched for the Baysox last year.

They have him listed at 6'4" 300 pounds... but I think that's about 100 pounds less than what he really weighs.





http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=471822

He got called into a game... started a jog from the OF bullpen... half way to the infield, Diaz had to stop as he ran out of gas... he walked the rest of the way to the mound.

He could bring it though... was touching 98 pretty easily on the gun.

Offline blue911

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Kevin Keyes, OF
« Reply #13: August 12, 2012, 02:44:22 PM »
Calvin was huuuuge. We used to Baysox games just for the chance he'd hit a double. Well that and the beer

Offline Tyler Durden

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Kevin Keyes, OF
« Reply #14: August 12, 2012, 02:56:45 PM »
LOL, that's the name I was trying to remember, but all I could think of was Horn.

I saw the Baysox once, had heard all this great stuff about Ryan Minor and Calvin Pickering, but it was evident that Minor was a wooden stiff and Pickering was a lardass with a stone glove, and neither was ever going to get more than a cup of coffee.

Keys is not quite to the Pickering level yet but it would be a valid, albeit negative, comp.

Calvin Pickering
(Image removed from quote.)

Growing up in the DC area without a team in DC, I remember Ryan Minor as well.  He was the guy that played 3B when Cal finally ended his streak.  I also thought Sam Horn would be hitting the warehouse with long home runs regularly.  Ha.

Offline imref

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Offline Smithian

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Kevin Keyes, OF
« Reply #16: May 03, 2013, 10:07:20 AM »
Maybe I'm crazy but I think Kevin Keyes can be a Tyler Moore type. Maybe not have his long term starting potential but a bopper off the bench. This is the year he really has to take off (hasn't looked good so far) or he will be a career minor leaguer probably.

Offline Lintyfresh85

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Kevin Keyes, OF
« Reply #17: May 03, 2013, 02:04:23 PM »
He's can't move and his swing has a lot more holes than Moore, from what I've seen in person of both.

Offline imref

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Kevin Keyes, OF
« Reply #18: June 15, 2015, 03:36:48 PM »
promoted to Syracuse - .235 / .321 / .361 with 5 HRs in 56 games at Harrisburg.

Offline JCA-CrystalCity

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Kevin Keyes, OF
« Reply #19: June 15, 2015, 03:58:40 PM »
promoted to Syracuse - .235 / .321 / .361 with 5 HRs in 56 games at Harrisburg.
failing up?

Offline blue911

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Offline imref

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Offline JCA-CrystalCity

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Kevin Keyes, OF
« Reply #22: June 15, 2015, 04:01:21 PM »
Looks like they are clearing some of the veterans out Syracuse, or, as Blue says, they are opting out.

Offline welch

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Kevin Keyes, OF
« Reply #23: July 10, 2015, 08:39:09 PM »
Keys has been hitting some at Syracuse.

Offline Matugi

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Trea Turner, SS
« Reply #24: August 13, 2015, 08:14:26 AM »
Keyes has had a strong season and can be a reserve outfielder.