Donnie Dewees
| AB | 2351 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .27 |
| OBP | .33 |
| SLG | .407 |
| HR | 47 |
- Full name Donald William Dewees
- Born 09/29/1993 in Inverness, FL
- Profile Ht.: 5'11" / Wt.: 205 / Bats: L / Throws: L
- School North Florida
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Drafted in the 2nd round (47th overall) by the Chicago Cubs in 2015 (signed for $1,700,000).
View Draft Report
Dewees was a three-sport star at Crystal River (Fla.) High and earned all-district honors in football and soccer. He was somewhat unheralded in baseball but has done nothing but hit since arriving at North Florida. After an all-conference freshman year, a wrist injury sidelined him for most of the next season and he took a medical redshirt. He returned in time to play in the Cape Cod League, where he was named to the all-star team. He has taken his performance to another level this spring and entered the final weekend of the regular season on a 29-game hitting streak and batting .438/.498/.763 with 15 home runs and 20 stolen bases. He led the country with 96 hits, ranked second in slugging and third in hitting. While North Florida's home ballpark is known for being hitter-friendly, Dewees has established solid credentials as a hitter. He has a compact swing, good bat-to-ball skills and a feel for the barrel. He doesn't project as a power hitter in the professional ranks, but he can drive the ball to all fields and is a plus runner. He tracks down balls well in the outfield, but he has well-below average arm strength. That may mean he will move to left field at the next level, which would put more pressure on his bat. Because Dewees played in just 12 games last year, he has two years of eligibility remaining. He'll turn 22 in September, however, and will likely get drafted high enough to buy out his last two years of eligibility.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Dewees was acquired by the Royals prior to the start of the 2017 season in a straight-up swap for pitcher Alec Mills. The North Florida product was Chicago's second-round pick in 2015, rising to the high Class A level with his former organization. Dewees is a high-energy gamer and a hard worker with a good feel for the game. He is a top-of-the-order hitter with above-average strike zone judgment, barreling balls with above-average bat speed. The biggest improvement from 2016 to 2017 was an increase in walk rate from 6.8 percent to 8.8 percent, and his strike-zone judgment grades as above-average. An above-average runner, he's already got 70 stolen bases in his two-and-a-half-year minor league career and became a more efficient baserunner as the 2017 season progressed. He takes good jumps and routes in the outfield, allowing him to stay in center, but a below-average arm will keep him out of right. Dewees should head to Triple-A and looks to be a backup outfielder in Kansas City before long. -
Dewees led Division I in slugging (.749), hits (106) and total bases (188) while ranking second in batting (.422) in 2015 at North Florida, which plays in an offensive ballpark. The Cubs often move college picks quickly, but they took it slower with Dewees, who signed for $1.7 million as a second-round pick. Despite his college success, he had to streamline his approach to eliminate pre-swing movement and a toe-tap timing mechanism in favor of a traditional stride. While Dewees may have lost a bit of pop as a result, that's not his game. He is a slasher with double-plus speed who thrives when he's using the whole field and keeping the ball out of the air. His speed played well on the bases with 31 steals in 36 attempts at two Class A levels, and he thrived in the playoffs for high Class A Myrtle Beach. Dewees could stand to walk more to be a true table-setter, and his average defense in center field would improve with refined routes and better jumps. He outruns mistakes now and has a well-below-average arm. Dewees has improvements to make, but is moving along just fine and should reach Double-A Tennessee in 2017. -
North Florida's ballpark plays as an offensive haven, and Dewees was the latest to take advantage, leading to a monster 2015 spring. He led all of NCAA Division I in hits (106), total bases (188), slugging (.749) and runs (88) while ranking second in batting (.422) and 18th in on-base percentage (.483). The Cubs also liked his all-star turn in the Cape Cod League the previous summer, when he was coming off a wrist injury that caused him to take a medical redshirt in 2014. Dewees couldn't keep up his torrid pace at short-season Eugene and may have to make some adjustments to his approach, but he has the natural hand-eye coordination and at least plus speed--including some 4.0-second times to first base--to give him a chance to be an above-average hitter. Dewees has a rhythmic lefthanded swing with a lot of pre-swing movement and aggressive stride, which he may need to tone down against better pro pitchers. He has line-drive power for now and a compact frame that should add some strength, and he projects to fringe-average power eventually thanks to his feel for hitting. Defensively, he runs well enough for center field but lacks the instincts or route-running efficiency to play there long term, so left field is a better fit with his below-average arm. Dewees will have to hit a lot to be a regular, but his track record suggests that it's possible. He should jump to low Class A in 2016.
Draft Prospects
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Dewees was a three-sport star at Crystal River (Fla.) High and earned all-district honors in football and soccer. He was somewhat unheralded in baseball but has done nothing but hit since arriving at North Florida. After an all-conference freshman year, a wrist injury sidelined him for most of the next season and he took a medical redshirt. He returned in time to play in the Cape Cod League, where he was named to the all-star team. He has taken his performance to another level this spring and entered the final weekend of the regular season on a 29-game hitting streak and batting .438/.498/.763 with 15 home runs and 20 stolen bases. He led the country with 96 hits, ranked second in slugging and third in hitting. While North Florida's home ballpark is known for being hitter-friendly, Dewees has established solid credentials as a hitter. He has a compact swing, good bat-to-ball skills and a feel for the barrel. He doesn't project as a power hitter in the professional ranks, but he can drive the ball to all fields and is a plus runner. He tracks down balls well in the outfield, but he has well-below average arm strength. That may mean he will move to left field at the next level, which would put more pressure on his bat. Because Dewees played in just 12 games last year, he has two years of eligibility remaining. He'll turn 22 in September, however, and will likely get drafted high enough to buy out his last two years of eligibility.
Minor League Top Prospects
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Also a soccer and football player in high school, Dewees is athletic but was unheralded in baseball before his arrival at North Florida. He led NCAA Division I in hits, runs, slugging and total bases in the spring, then grinded his way through a solid pro debut as a Cubs second-rounder. Dewees has a compact lefthanded swing, good contact skills and a feel for the barrel, with excellent bat control. While he can drive the ball the other way, he projects to have below-average power. Dewees is a plus runner whose times to first base border on double-plus, and one scout timed him at 3.94 seconds on a bunt. His speed helps him go get the ball in center field as well. He's an average defender whose well below-average arm strength--combined with a lack of power--would present a challenge if moved out of center field.
