Tavian Josenberger 2024

[RZNJ]

Josenberger was our 3rd round pick last year.   In 2021 at Kansas he played exclusively in CF.   In 2022, back at Kansas, he played exclusively at 2B.  He transferred to Arkansas and the SEC for the 2023 season and played exclusively at CF.  On draft day he was listed as an OF.  Last year at Delmarva he played all three outfield positions with 17 overall including 9 in CF.   This year it looks like he’s back at 2B.   He hasn’t made an error in 9 games and has been involved in turning 6 DP.    So far, so good.   The bad news.  He’s only hitting .177 with no extra base hits.   The good news.  In 47 PA he has 11 walks and only 5 strikeouts.  More good news.  He has 11 stolen bases without being caught.  Josenberger didn’t show much power at Kansas but he did smack 10 homers last year in the best conference there is.    He’s making a lot of contact and it looks like he’s making good swing decisions.   He’s worth keeping an eye on.

Edited April 20 by RZNJ

[RZNJ]

Draft report courtesy of Baseball America.

School: Arkansas Source: 4YR

Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted 
Age At Draft: 21.7 
After two productive years for Kansas, Josenberger brought his game to Arkansas, where he posted a .286/.414/.490 slash line with nine doubles, 10 home runs and 13 stolen bases. The athletic, 6-foot, 185-pound switch-hitter led off for Arkansas throughout the spring, bringing to the plate the exciting combination of speed and power. Josenberger uses his quick, loose set of hands to create plus bat speed, registering exit velocities up to 108 mph. In a matchup against Paul Skenes in Baton Rouge this spring, scouts saw Josenberger turn on an inside 97 mph fastball, lacing it down the right field line for a double, proving he can compete against the country’s most dominant arm. Josenberger is a pull hitter from either side of the plate. He can be overaggressive when behind in the count, punching out 51 times in 192 plate appearances, but has also proven he can work the count with 41 walks this spring. With his plus run tool, reads off the bat and high baseball IQ, the center fielder did not commit one error this spring while also collecting seven outfield assists. He has the ability to stay in center field long term and with the addition of his intriguing offensive profile, he makes for a strong prospect heading into next month’s draft.

[Otter]

3 hours ago, RZNJ said:

Josenberger was our 3rd round pick last year.   In 2021 at Kansas he played exclusively in CF.   In 2022, back at Kansas, he played exclusively at 2B.  He transferred to Arkansas and the SEC for the 2023 season and played exclusively at CF.  On draft day he was listed as an OF.  Last year at Delmarva he played all three outfield positions with 17 overall including 9 in CF.   This year it looks like he’s back at 2B.   He hasn’t made an error in 9 games and has been involved in turning 6 DP.    So far, so good.   The bad news.  He’s only hitting .177 with no extra base hits.   The good news.  In 47 PA he has 11 walks and only 5 strikeouts.  More good news.  He has 11 stolen bases without being caught.  Josenberger didn’t show much power at Kansas but he did smack 10 homers last year in the best conference there is.    He’s making a lot of contact and it looks like he’s making good swing decisions.   He’s worth keeping an eye on.

Nice summary.  I wonder why he's playing 2B this year instead of OF.  It seems all the scouting reports were high on his outfield defense, and we are much deeper at 2B than CF.  

[RZNJ]

14 minutes ago, Otter said:

Nice summary.  I wonder why he's playing 2B this year instead of OF.  It seems all the scouting reports were high on his outfield defense, and we are much deeper at 2B than CF.  

Tough to get a lot of CF time with Bradfield on the team.  Etzel is another guy whose draft report said he could stick in CF and he’s playing corner OF and 1B.   Horvath was supposed to be a RF who might be able to play CF and he’s playing 3B and 2B.   He played 3B his sophomore year in college.   Versatility and there’s value if you can stay on the dirt.   I’m sure if Josenberger blows up and he’s blocked at 2B, that CF is still an option.

[OsFanInOhio]

16 minutes ago, Otter said:

Nice summary.  I wonder why he's playing 2B this year instead of OF.  It seems all the scouting reports were high on his outfield defense, and we are much deeper at 2B than CF.  

Are we deeper at 2nd than cf? What 2b prospects due we have outside norby? Maybe Wagner if he hits enough but can’t handle 3rd? Horvath is more valuable at 3rd or cf as well…I feel like our middle infield depth has actually dried up quite a bit in the last year with westburg and Holliday moving up to the bigs and Ortiz getting traded … 

 

within his own draft class he’s competing with bradfield and etzel who either have higher draft capital or are playing even better. 
 

flexibility is never a bad thing, but I feel like the road to the majors is clearer in middle infield than outfield. 

[Otter]

17 hours ago, OsFanInOhio said:

Are we deeper at 2nd than cf? What 2b prospects due we have outside norby? Maybe Wagner if he hits enough but can’t handle 3rd? Horvath is more valuable at 3rd or cf as well…I feel like our middle infield depth has actually dried up quite a bit in the last year with westburg and Holliday moving up to the bigs and Ortiz getting traded … 

 

within his own draft class he’s competing with bradfield and etzel who either have higher draft capital or are playing even better. 
 

flexibility is never a bad thing, but I feel like the road to the majors is clearer in middle infield than outfield. 

True.  But I was looking more at majors and minors depth combined, so we have Mateo/Urias/Holliday/Westburg/Norby that can all play 2B, but mostly just Mullins and Bradfield as legit CFs ahead of him right now.

[OsFanInOhio]

21 minutes ago, Otter said:

True.  But I was looking more at majors and minors depth combined, so we have Mateo/Urias/Holliday/Westburg/Norby that can all play 2B, but mostly just Mullins and Bradfield as legit CFs ahead of him right now.

Fair, but Urias and Mateo are assuredly gone by the time Josenberger sniffs the majors (2026 at the earliest), and norby is likely trade bait for the same reason (blocked). There are no particularly exciting 2b prospects in Bowie or Aberdeen atm, and you have to plan for a pipeline years out.

I also just tend to imagine it’s easier to move back to cf if he’s settled at 2nd than nice back to the dirt if he’s been a cf for years. 

No love for Jud Fabian in cf? And orioles may think cowser will eventually be an average major league cf. 

[Otter]

Good points.  As for Fabian, good defense but I'm not sold on the bat skills translating against major league pitching.  And although Cowser has looked so much better defensively this year, I don't think he's a full-time CF at the major league level.  Although I'm comfortable with him filling in at CF.

[Tony-OH]

The fact that he has played one inning of CF this year tells us what they think of his ability to play there. 

He's controlled the strike zone well, but doesn't hit the ball with much authority. He's like a 2B version of Bradfield, but Bradfield at least drives the ball occasionally.

[RZNJ]

On 4/22/2024 at 1:22 PM, Tony-OH said:

The fact that he has played one inning of CF this year tells us what they think of his ability to play there. 

He's controlled the strike zone well, but doesn't hit the ball with much authority. He's like a 2B version of Bradfield, but Bradfield at least drives the ball occasionally.

Since April 23.

7 for 28 including 2 doubles, 1 triple, and 1 homer.   5 walks.  3 strikeouts.

 

[now]

TJ caught my eye in the game summary of the comeback win on 7 May, when he singled in the tying run and then stole second and third: his 17th steal of the season. That's 17 steals and 17 hits (and 17 runs!) in 79 AB. Only 2 caught stealing. BTW that steal rate translates as 106 SB with 500 AB. 

[sportsfan8703]

Any updated takes on him?  He and Cunningham were the other top 10 position players taken in last year’s draft with EBJ, Horvath, and Etzel. 

Josenberger seems like a poor man’s EBJ so far and theoretically can’t get any CF reps because of EBJ. 

Still a .670 OPS at Aberdeen as a toolsy athlete isn’t terrible. .801 OPS in June. 

32 SB in 53 games this season. 

Does the .801 OPS in June put him back on the map?

Edited Thursday at 10:06 by sportsfan8703

[RZNJ]

3 hours ago, sportsfan8703 said:

Any updated takes on him?  He and Cunningham were the other top 10 position players taken in last year’s draft with EBJ, Horvath, and Etzel. 

Josenberger seems like a poor man’s EBJ so far and theoretically can’t get any CF reps because of EBJ. 

Still a .670 OPS at Aberdeen as a toolsy athlete isn’t terrible. .801 OPS in June. 

32 SB in 53 games this season. 

Does the .801 OPS in June put him back on the map?

He shows signs of being really interesting except he just doesn’t hit enough.   He takes walks, steals bases, plays good defense at 2B and the OF and shows some pull side power.   If he was hitting  .280 he’d be in the conversation with Etzel but he’s flirting with the Mendoza line in A+.