Kyle Roller - Sr. 1B/DH - East Carolina

[Obando]

No, not Kyle Boller, who Ravens fans had to suffer through for 5 miserable seasons. This is Kyle Roller, a 6'1, 255 LB left handed hitting Senior 1B/DH at East Carolina University. In a word, this guy is a masher. He kind of reminds me of Jack Cust or Prince Fielder in terms of body type and has the same kind of power. In the Cape Cod League last summer he was a man among boys with 10 homeruns (first in the league) to go along with a .342 avg (second in the league). He also led the league by far in OPS with a percentage of .1093 (the next closest was .958). That is impressive in a notorious pitchers league. This is a guy who also walks and strikes out a lot, but this season at ECU he has 59 walks & 43 strikeouts, so at least the ratio is pretty good.

Considering we are always in search of power, I think Roller would be a great senior draft pick in the middle rounds, maybe 5th-7th if he's still there. To me, the way he performed in the Cape last summer along with his continued solid numbers this season (.333-10-44, .1144 OPS) makes me overlook the fact that he doesn't have a ton of physical upside and is limited to 1B/DH. Simply put, the guy can hit for both average & power and we could use that in our lineup. We drafted Devin Harris last year in the 8th round from the same school but, despite Harris having a better body & tools, Roller is clearly a much better hitter and this is a case where you throw out all the "prototypes" and match stat for stat and Roller comes out ahead in virtually every category.

I could see a team like Boston or Oakland taking Roller in the first 3-5 rounds because they are able to overlook body type and tools and see a guy for what he is. And what Roller is is a guy who can help most any team in the hitting department. I just hope the Orioles have this same purview and strongly consider Roller because I think he's going to be a solid major league hitter based on his track record. I could live with his positional limitations because I think his hit tool is that strong.

Kyle Boller may have been a bust in Baltimore but Kyle Roller should be a success if the Orioles are wise enough to draft this kid before some other team is smart enough to realize his hitting value and take him. And considering he's a senior, he should be a pretty easy sign, which is a win-win all the way around.

[Stotle]

Bit of a metal bat talent, and approach isn't great, but definitely agree he is someone i'd consider in the 5-7 range. He may be a DH in the not too distant future, and the bat isn't necessarily "safe", so I wouldn't invest more than low-six figures, I don't think.

[bluehens45]

Not to change the subject but anyone know how the Harris kid is doing this year? Is he a guy we are going to look back on and be upset we missed out on?

[Obando]

Stotle, I trust your scouting judgment, but to say that Roller is a "metal bat talent" would seem to discredit how he hit on the Cape with a wood bat. If he can hit .342 with 10 home runs (second & first, respectively, among league leaders) in a wood bat league that is notorious for favoring pitchers, I don't see how he can simply be just a metal bat talent. Many of the hitters, such as Zack Cox and Hunter Morris, who get much more hype than Roller didn't hit nearly as well as he did with wood. So can you please clarify why he is nothing more than a "metal bat talent" when he's shown he can be successful using a wood bat in the most prestigious summer league in baseball?

[NewMarketSean]

I bet OldFan is against taking this guy no matter where he goes in the draft. :laughlol:

[Stotle]

Stotle, I trust your scouting judgment, but to say that Roller is a "metal bat talent" would seem to discredit how he hit on the Cape with a wood bat. If he can hit .342 with 10 home runs (second & first, respectively, among league leaders) in a wood bat league that is notorious for favoring pitchers, I don't see how he can simply be just a metal bat talent. Many of the hitters, such as Zack Cox and Hunter Morris, who get much more hype than Roller didn't hit nearly as well as he did with wood. So can you please clarify why he is nothing more than a "metal bat talent" when he's shown he can be successful using a wood bat in the most prestigious summer league in baseball?

Sure, no problem. His swing is a little long, and he can cheat some and try to yank to the pull side. He hit well on the Cape with wood, but remember the Cape is still wood against college talents, not wood against advanced arms (even if it is still some of the better college talents, it isn't close to what he'll be facing in pro ball). There isn't any projection left and he is at best a first baseman (most likely a DH) so the bat has to be top notch to warrant a mid- to high-six figure bonus. Metal bat swing may be a little harsh, you are right, but he isn't a quick wrist/bat speed kind of power hitter. More like a Poythress or Wilkins with less defensive value, to me.

[Hutman]

Well we definitly need bats in the later rounds. How does he compare to Towsend who we drafted last year.

[Stotle]

Well we definitly need bats in the later rounds. How does he compare to Towsend who we drafted last year.

I only saw very limited video of Townsend and have seen a fair amount of Roller the last two seasons. Both seem limited to 1B, w/Roller a likely DH. Both had solid wood bat success the summer leading up to their draft season. Townsend's bat speed MAY be a little better (but honestly, that's more an educated guess than an observation). Anyone else more familiar with Townsend feel free to correct me.