Scott Schebler
| AB | 1262 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .237 |
| OBP | .314 |
| SLG | .437 |
| HR | 61 |
- Full name Scott Anthony Schebler
- Born 10/06/1990 in Cedar Rapids, IA
- Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 228 / Bats: L / Throws: R
- School Des Moines Area CC
- Debut 06/05/2015
- Drafted in the 26th round (802nd overall) by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2010 (signed for $300,000).
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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All of the arrows pointed in the right direction for Schebler in 2015. After a huge year at high Class A Rancho Cucamonga in 2013, he performed even better at Double-A Chattanooga the next year by cutting his strikeout rate, hitting for power and far exceeding expectations as a 26th-round pick in 2010. After the 2014 season, the Dodgers added Schebler to the 40-man roster, but when he reached Triple-A Oklahoma City in 2015, he strayed from what had made him successful. Trying to prove himself and force his way to the big leagues, Schebler began to press and got caught up in over-swinging and chasing pitches. That caused his offensive performance to sink, though he did receive two callups to the majors in 2015. When he's at his best, Schebler uses the middle of the field and stays within the strike zone. He can go deep to all fields with plus raw power, and he recorded impressive exit-velocity numbers. He's an average runner who has played center field, but his range and below-average arm fit best in left. Schebler will get a chance to reset in a pivotal 2016 season as he attempts to get back to what made him successful. -
When Scott Van Slyke came through the Dodgers' system as a 14thround pick, he dealt with detractors at every level. Schebler, who signed for $300,000 as a 26th-rounder in 2010, has faced similar skepticism from scouts but has now strung together two stellar offensive seasons, with improvement across the board upon making the jump to Double-A Chattanooga in 2014. He led the Southern League in home runs (28), triples (14) and slugging (.556). Schebler sliced his strikeout rate from 26 percent in 2013 to 20 percent in 2014 while facing better pitchers. Early in the season, teams had success against Schebler by pitching him away and getting him to chase sliders off the plate. In the second half, he improved his pitch recognition, tightened up his plate discipline and forced pitchers to come into the zone, where he made them pay. Scouts who once questioned his bat speed and ability to cover the inner third of the plate saw a quicker stroke in 2014. Schebler has above-average raw power that plays in games. He's an average runner who played center field in a pinch, but he mostly split time between left and right field, with left a better fit due to his below-average arm. While he's on the 40-man roster, Schebler has no big league opportunity in the foreseeable future. He's headed to Triple-A Oklahoma City for 2015 and could develop into a solid everyday left fielder. -
After batting .446 with 20 home runs for Des Moines Area CC in 2010, Schebler prepared to transfer to Wichita State for the following season, that is until the Dodgers signed him for $300,000 as a 26th-round pick at the signing deadline. After a mediocre 2012 season in the low Class A Midwest League, Schebler had a breakout season in 2013 in the high Class A California League, leading the league in extra-base hits (69) while ranking second in slugging (.581) and homers (27) to become the Dodgers' minor league player of the year. He's more production than tools, and some scouts believe the hitter-friendly Cal League may have masked some of his weaknesses. Schebler sacrificed contact for power in 2013, which led to a jump in his strikeout rate (26 percent of plate appearances) along with a career-high .941 OPS. He generates surprising power and has a chance to hit 20-25 home runs in the majors, but skeptics wonder whether more advanced pitchers will be able to exploit the holes he has on the inner third of the plate. Schebler runs a tick-above-average underway, though he doesn't post correspondingly strong home-to-first times. He should steal more bases than the typical left fielder, a position he'll have to play because of his below-average arm strength, though he did spend the second half of 2013 in right field. Schebler will head to Double-A Chattanooga in 2014, where he'll get his first test against upper-level pitching. -
Schebler batted .446 with 20 home runs last spring for Des Moines Area CC. He was set to transfer to Wichita State for the 2011 season and would've been the Shockers' starting left fielder, but the Dodgers changed his mind with a $300,000 bonus at the Aug. 16 signing deadline. One of Los Angeles' goals with last year's draft was to inject speed and athleticism into the system, and Schebler is another piece of that puzzle along with Leon Landry and James Baldwin. Schebler has plus speed in the outfield and should have a chance to play center as he moves up. He shows promise at the plate as well. He has a sound swing that's short to the ball. He primarily has a line drive, gap-to-gap approach, with the strength and bat speed to hit for at least average power. While Schebler has plus speed, it doesn't translate into stolen bases yet. It does help him leg out more hits than an average runner, but he needs to getter better reads and jumps to be a more effective basestealer. His throwing arm is below-average and would dictate a move to left field if he isn't able to play in center. Schebler could find himself playing on a corner anyway if he's alongside Landry in low Class A in 2011.
Minor League Top Prospects
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Cubs slugger Kris Bryant led the SL in virtually every offensive category before his promotion to Triple-A in mid-June. After he left, Schebler rode a huge second half at Chattanooga to assume leadership of all the SL's power categories, including home runs (28), triples (14) and slugging (.556). He also led the way in extra-base hits (65) after topping the high Class A California League in that same category in 2013. Schebler draws comparisons with Matt Stairs and Travis Snider for his blue-collar approach, powerful, squat build and potent lefthanded bat. Evaluators praise him for his bat speed, barrel awareness and power to all fields, projecting him as an above-average power source and fringe hitter for average. He won't run or offer more than average defense in left field, so his future value depends on his bat. A 26th-rounder out of junior college, Schebler has continually improved since turning pro, most notably in terms of strike-zone judgment. For example, he shaved nearly nine percentage points off his strikeout rate between the first and second halves of 2014. "He makes the pitcher pay in the zone with the best bat speed I saw among lefthanded batters in the league," Mobile manager Andy Green said. "As the year progressed, his plate discipline improved, forcing the pitcher to come into the zone."
