Kelly Dransfeldt
| AB | 112 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .205 |
| OBP | .233 |
| SLG | .259 |
| HR | 1 |
- Full name Kelly Daniel Dransfeldt
- Born 04/16/1975 in Joliet, IL
- Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 190 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Michigan
- Debut 05/01/1999
- Drafted in the 4th round (113th overall) by the Texas Rangers in 1996.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Dransfeldt has reached the produce-or-depart stage of his career with Texas. He's an excellent defensive shortstop, making up for a big body with good footwork and an accurate arm. He's more consistent with the glove than Royce Clayton, the Rangers' starter for the previous 2 1/2 seasons. But Texas never used Dransfeldt for more than spot duty because he has been helpless at the plate. He has batted .239 above Class A, showing modest power and little sense of the strike zone. He can't settle on a stance and lacks bat speed. Dransfeldt obviously won't move Alex Rodriguez out of the lineup, and he'd be best served by going to a shortstop-needy organization. -
Background: Always regarded as a superior athlete by scouts, Dransfeldt's performance had lagged behind his potential, even in college. Under the tutelage of former Rangers hitting instructor Don Reynolds, Dransfeldt exploded in 1998. Strengths: Dransfeldt combines the quickness and actions of a smaller player with the power and strength of other players his size. His range and hands are good enough for him to play shortstop, but he will move to second base this season after Royce Clayton was re-signed. Dransfeldt has a tremendous throwing arm and he is "positively frightening" coming across the bag on the double play. Weaknesses: Prior to 1998, Dransfeldt's swing was very long and he was frequently jammed by mediocre stuff. His reconstructed swing is both shorter and quicker. Another factor in Dransfeldt's improvement, according to Rangers officials, was getting him to cut back on his addictive passion for golf. The Future: Dransfeldt could potentially become a spectacular defensive third or second baseman. The key will be maintaining the growth he showed with his bat last season.
