Drafted in the 46th round (1,375th overall) by the Texas Rangers in 1999.
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Organization Prospect Rankings
The Rangers summoned Botts to the majors in May when DH Phil Nevin was struggling, and Botts showed flashes of promise in his sporadic playing time. He continued to hit when he was returned to Triple-A before breaking his hamate bone and missing three weeks in August. Botts has huge power from both sides of the plate, and he has shown the ability to hit for average as well. He commands the strike zone and takes plenty of walks. He runs well for a 6-foot-5, 250-pounder, especially once he gets going. Despite his sincere efforts to improve his defense, Botts remains a below-average defender in left field and at first base, so he will likely be primarily a DH. His willingness to work deep counts results in more than his share of strikeouts. There's still some question about his long swing and how well it will work against quality pitching in the big leagues. Botts should earn a spot on the Rangers' Opening Day roster, either as the everyday DH or a power bat off the bench. He's 26 years old and has nothing left to prove in the minors.
After bouncing between first base and the outfield for a couple of years, Botts settled in left field in 2005 and posted good power numbers for the second straight year. He held his own in a September callup to Arlington but struggled in the Dominican League. Botts has the body and athleticism of an NFL tight end, and he has more raw power than anyone in the system. He hits for power from both sides of the plate but is a better hitter righthanded. He draws walks and isn't afraid to hit with two strikes. He runs well for his size, particularly once he gets under way. Despite all his athleticism, Botts is brutal defensively and never will be better than adequate in left field. To play every day in the majors, he'll have to hit a lot of homers, but some scouts question how usable his raw power is. He runs into some pitches, but his swing is long and lacks a suitable load, so he has trouble catching up with good fastballs, especially on the inner half. Botts doesn't really have a position, so it's hard to see him playing regularly in the majors in 2006. He should return to Triple-A to continue working on his defense, though he could provide the Rangers with a power boost if needed.
Previously known more for his size and upside, Botts turned potential into production in 2004. He may not cover 60 yards in 6.6 seconds as he did when he first turned pro, but Texas much prefers that Botts is a better hitter now from both sides of the plate. Particularly powerful as a righthanded hitter, Botts has shortened up his swing. At 6-foot-6 with long arms, he still has holes, however. Always a patient hitter, he's learning when to be more aggressive and pounce in hitter's counts, rather than just working walks. Botts continued his development in the Arizona Fall League, playing left field after spending the entire regular season at first. Botts is just adequate defensively at either spot. While he's athletic and still has slightly above-average speed once he gets going, he's not particularly fluid either at the plate or in the field. His work ethic and aptitude have the Rangers excited that Botts can help as a reserve if needed in 2005. If he's not, he'll be ready at Triple-A.
Thanks to the Rangers' depth on the corners and the addition of first baseman Adrian Gonzalez at midseason, Botts has bounced between first base, his natural position, and left and right field. At 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds, he's an Adonis in a baseball uniform. Even at his size he doesn't sacrifice any athleticism and he ran the best 60-yard dash (6.55 seconds) in the organization two years ago. Botts has a patient approach and is an on-base machine, though at times he is too selective. The Rangers asked him to be more aggressive in trying to target pitches he could attack last season. He's more comfortable from the right side of the plate and temporarily gave up switch-hitting in junior college. There's length and often too much strength to his swing, creating problems getting the bat head to the ball on a direct path, especially with inside pitches. He won't tap into his big-time raw power until he makes adjustments. Botts hasn't taken to the outfield as expected, looking tentative and showing a well-below-average arm. He often is asked about in trade talks, by organizations who covet tools and athleticism as well as by those who emphasize plate discipline. However, he wasn't added to the 40-man roster last winter and was available in the Rule 5 draft. Botts will return to Double-A and try to find a defensive home, most likely in left field.
Botts is good friends with Laynce Nix and spent a third straight season with him, but he fell behind his buddy in terms of development. Botts, whose cousin Carl Bacon is a college catcher at Santa Clara, is the most physically imposing player in the system. He has size and speed to go with it, once running a 6.55-second 60-yard dash, best in the organization at the time. With all that athleticism, the Rangers will be patient--and Botts is testing that patience. His raw power and selectivity at the plate should generate a lot of home runs, but he has yet to crack double digits as a pro, thanks in part to some serious holes in his swing. In his first full season as more of an outfielder than first baseman, Botts looked raw in right field last year. He should repeat high Class A in 2003, this time closer to family back at Stockton.
Based on early results, Botts could become one of the few Rangers draft-and-follows to make a significant impact. A close friend of Laynce Nix, Botts shares the same off-the-charts makeup. He didn't start switch-hitting until turning pro and now displays power from both sides. He showed a bit more power as a righthander but is effective either way. The next step is for Botts to become comfortable at turning the bat loose and slugging more homers. He has a slight uppercut to his swing, but his raw power potential has yielded only 15 homers in 567 career at-bats. Botts runs surprisingly well and ran an organization-best 6.55 seconds in the 60-yard dash last spring. His athleticism prompted a move from first base to the outfield. He's still learning the nuances of the position. A full-time move to high Class A in 2002 will be an important step in Botts' development.
In many ways, Botts is the biggest sleeper in the organization. A draft-and-follow from 1999, he showed a lot more than the Rangers expected after signing last summer. They knew he could hit with power, and he did just that in the Gulf Coast League. They didn't know he could switch-hit, which Botts did when he began batting from the left side after turning pro. He knows how to lift balls and showed power from both sides of the plate. The Rangers also didn't know Botts could be so controlled at the plate. He made acceptable contact and walked nearly as much as he struck out. He fills out a uniform at 6-foot-6 and 245 pounds, but he has good footwork and can run the 60-yard dash in 6.6 seconds during workouts. Botts could come on in a hurry.
Minor League Top Prospects
Botts, never a great defender, made the move from left field to first base this season, and finally started to hit for the power associated with his excellent size and those positions. He had his best season as he returned to Frisco, where he had finished in 2003, and ranked second in the league in homers and RBIs and fourth in on-base and slugging percentage. Botts has good athleticism and runs well (4.15 seconds to first base) for any player, not to mention one freakishly large and muscular at 6-foot-6, 250 pounds. He's also a switch-hitter with power from both sides, though most said he has more pop from the left side. He was significantly better from the right, hitting .369 (and slugging .581) from that side as opposed to .255 and .470 from the left. However, while he has made refinements, Botts remains fairly mechanical in all phases, whether it's defensively around the bag at first, or at the plate, where he can still overswing and be too passive. "I see him get tied up by good fastballs, and he tends to feel for pitches," the NL scout said. "I thought he had trouble recognizing the breaking ball from the left side, and at times I questioned the bat speed. But he's so big and strong, it's hard to walk away from a guy like that."
An impressive physical specimen at 6-foot-6, 240 pounds, Botts combines natural athleticism and raw power. He has made promising strides throughout his four-year pro career, and the Rangers believe he still has untapped potential. "He's a legit switch-hitter with power with a real easy, fluid swing from both sides," the NL scout said. "He can drive the ball, he stays balanced and the kid's got tremendous ability." Botts started the year at first base, but after the Rangers traded for Adrian Gonzalez, they shifted Botts to the outfield in Double-A. He runs very well for his size so he should be up to the challenge.
Botts made a huge impact on managers, considering he was a 49th-round pick of the Rangers out of a California high school in 1999. He signed just before this year's draft.
Botts is a mammoth switch-hitter who didn’t begin batting from the left side until he joined the Rangers after a year at Glendale (Calif.) Junior College.
"The ball jumps off his bat," Alfaro said. "He's got legitimate power from both sides."
Best Tools List
Rated Best Power Hitter in the Texas Rangers in 2006
Rated Best Power Hitter in the Texas Rangers in 2005
Scouting Reports
Botts made a huge impact on managers, considering he was a 49th-round pick of the Rangers out of a California high school in 1999. He signed just before this year's draft.
Botts is a mammoth switch-hitter who didn’t begin batting from the left side until he joined the Rangers after a year at Glendale (Calif.) Junior College.
"The ball jumps off his bat," Alfaro said. "He's got legitimate power from both sides."
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