Matthew Etzel 2024

[RZNJ]

3 hours ago, sportsfan8703 said:

You could make a case that he’s our #4 behind the big 3. 

Need to see more power first but it is kind of wide open after the first 3-4.

[jabba72]

14 hours ago, Aristotelian said:

Amazing progression for a 10th round pick, he just keeps hitting. Could he be in O's Top 10 and MLB Top 100 by the end of the year? Any reports on his defense? 

Etzel's playable in CF by all accounts. Just a meteoric rise, As we've seen with Beavers, sustaining a hot start in Bowie can sometimes be a challenge.

[Aristotelian]

5 hours ago, Frobby said:

I don’t want to get too excited based on a ten game hot streak.  Beavers had an .894 OPS at Bowie last year, and was at .886 in May.   Since then he’s slumped, but my point is that ten games of success for Etzel  doesn’t tell you that much about how he’ll do over 90ish games.   I’m glad he’s got it going and hope it continues.  

He has been hitting all year, albeit at lower levels. Of course we don't know what he'll do in the future but this is more than a 10 day hot streak.

[Frobby]

11 minutes ago, Aristotelian said:

He has been hitting all year, albeit at lower levels. Of course we don't know what he'll do in the future but this is more than a 10 day hot streak.

I agree, but AA is a higher level and we’ll need a new see how he does over a substantial period before he’s in consideration to be a top 10 prospect. 

[Aristotelian]

3 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I agree, but AA is a higher level and we’ll need a new see how he does over a substantial period before he’s in consideration to be a top 10 prospect. 

If you had to make a call right now where would you put him? 

[emmett16]

55 minutes ago, Aristotelian said:

If you had to make a call right now where would you put him? 

If Kjerstad & Povich are still #4 #5 

I'd have Etzel Slotted in at #10 behind

McDermott, DeLeon, Norby, & Beavers.  

[btdart20]

20 minutes ago, emmett16 said:

If Kjerstad & Povich are still #4 #5 

I'd have Etzel Slotted in at #10 behind

McDermott, DeLeon, Norby, & Beavers.  

I think I squeeze Forret ahead of him too.  But that could just be me forcing up pitchers...

[bluedog]

What's amazing to me is how consistently excellent he's been at every level. .300ish BA, .380+ OBP, .470+ Slug, .850+ OPS at every level except for 15 ABs in Aberdeen at the end of last year.

Edited July 4 by bluedog

[RZNJ]

Baseball America did a top 30 update on all 30 teams.  Etzel came in at #30.

picked.

Scouting Report: Etzel is a speedster who can handle all three outfield positions while causing havoc on the basepaths. He swiped 58 bases in his first 100 pro games at an 81.7% success rate. At the plate, Etzel is a slasher who looks to sting ground balls and line drives into the gaps. He has the pop to yank a ball over the right field fence or line a ball into the left center gap for a double or triple, but it’s below-average power. He knows the strike zone and knows that a walk often leaves him standing on second thanks to his base-stealing prowess. Defensively, he’s an average center fielder who can handle either corner and even has shown he can play first base. He is fearless near the wall.

The Future: Etzel is a promising fourth outfielder type. He can handle center field and his bat is just good enough that he could stick in that role, especially since he’s shown he can string together solid at-bats against lefties.

Scouting Grades: Hitting: 45 | Power: 40 | Speed: 60 | Fielding: 55 | Arm: 50

[Frobby]

Not a bad write up.  Thanks for posting, @RZNJ!