ProfileHt.: 5'11" / Wt.: 205 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School
Louisiana State
Drafted in the 4th round (116th overall) by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2005 (signed for $162,500).
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OF Ryan Patterson went undrafted in 2004 and turned down free-agent offers after leading the Cape Cod League with a .327 batting average. A center fielder this season, he'll have to move to a corner as a pro. He has 49 homers in three seasons with the Tigers, but some scouts wonder if his power will translate to wood bats.
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Patterson had a successful career at Louisiana State but wasn't drafted as a junior in 2004, nor was he signed as a free agent after winning the Cape Cod League batting title with a .327 mark that summer. Upon turning pro, Patterson led the New York-Penn (.595) and Florida State (.520) leagues in slugging percentage in his first two seasons. His progress was halted in spring training 2007 when he a pitch from Boston's Edgar Martinez shattered his right forearm, requiring the insertion of a metal plate. Originally slated to miss three months, Patterson returned to the field April 30. Patterson stays on the ball well and uses his short, powerful swing to drive the ball to all fields. Most of Patterson's home-run power is to left field. He provides average speed, arm strength and corner-outfield defense. Patterson likes to swing at the first pitch he can handle, and his lack of selectivity hampered him in Double-A. While his unorthodox swing works for him despite a number of moving parts, he can get off balance at times. The Blue Jays have minimized the sink in his load that he displayed in college, in an attempt to keep his eye level steady. Because he never admitted to lingering pain, it's difficult to know how heavily Patterson's gruesome spring-training injury factored into his mediocre Double-A performance. If he comes to spring training in the same physical shape he did last year, he could open 2008 in Triple-A.
Patterson had a successful career at Louisiana State but wasn't drafted as a junior in 2004, nor was he signed as a free agent after winning the Cape Cod League batting title with a .327 mark that summer. He tore up the New York-Penn League in his pro debut in 2005, leading the league in extra-base hits (40), RBIs (65) and slugging percentage (.595). Proving that was no fluke, he led the Florida State League in slugging percentage in his first full season before a promotion to Double-A. Strong and compact, Patterson is a hitting machine. He ranked second in the Jays system in homers and RBIs and finished among the minor league leaders in extra-base hits (65) and total bases (266). Though he doesn't employ a classic swing, he's short and direct to the ball. Because he sinks into his load, he has a flatter swing plane than the typical power hitter, enabling him to get backspin on the ball. He shows the instincts to make adjustments during an atbat. He has average speed and is a good baserunner. Patterson likes to jump on the first pitch he can handle, though he's not a free swinger. The Blue Jays believe his plate discipline will catch up with his level of competition. Patterson can play center field in a pinch, but his range and arm fit best in left. Toronto pushed Patterson to Double-A in his first full season, and he responded after a rough start. He'll likely begin 2007 back with New Hampshire, and he could see Triple-A and maybe the majors later in the year.
A fourth-round pick who signed in June for $162,500, Patterson arrived in pro ball with an impressive hitting résumé. A third-team All-American in 2005, he hit 50 homers as a collegian and led the Cape Cod League with a .327 batting average in 2004 after finishing eighth at .288 the year before. Despite being a little old for the short-season New York-Penn League--he was a senior sign who went undrafted as a junior--Patterson couldn't have made a stronger impression, as he led the league in RBIs, extra-base hits and slugging percentage. He's an aggressive hitter who's locked in at the plate and likes to jump on the first pitch he can handle. Though his swing is somewhat unconventional, it's compact and his bat stays in the hitting zone for a long time. He has shown an ability to hit fastballs and breaking balls in any count. Patterson played center field in college and in his pro debut, but he profiles more as a right fielder. He has the arm strength for right field and he's an average runner. Expected to begin 2006 in high Class A, Patterson will try to make the same jump Adam Lind did last season.
Minor League Top Prospects
Patterson never has wowed scouts, even when he was winning the Cape Cod League batting title or hitting 50 homers during his college career at Louisiana State. But he continues to hit, and he impressed FSL managers with his heady approach at the plate. He led the league with a .520 slugging percentage after topping the short-season New York-Penn League with a .595 mark in his pro debut a year ago. Patterson has quick hands and power to all fields. He hits breaking balls well, but there's some concern that he still has too much of an aluminum-bat swing, with his weight too far forward at contact, leaving him vulnerable to being busted inside. Though he has average speed and an average arm, Patterson was able to handle center field with few problems. He still profiles better on a corner, however.
Though Patterson hit 50 homers in three years at Louisiana State and won the Cape Cod League batting title with a .327 average in 2004, some scouts wondered how he'd fare with wood bats. Leading the NY-P in RBIs and slugging percentage should quell some of those doubts. Patterson consistently puts the ball in play and likes to sit on first-pitch fastballs. He needs to work counts better, but with his success, it's hard to fault him for his aggressiveness. He can make adjustments and uses the whole field. He played center field as a senior and with Auburn, but he doesn't have the range to stick there at higher levels. His bat does profile on the outfield corners, so moving won't hurt him much.
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