Tyler Kuresa
| AB | 206 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .204 |
| OBP | .278 |
| SLG | .267 |
| HR | 1 |
- Full name Tyler Suki Kuresa
- Born 11/17/1992 in Sacramento, CA
- Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 245 / Bats: L / Throws: L
- School UC Santa Barbara
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Drafted in the 16th round (470th overall) by the Minnesota Twins in 2014.
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Kuresa ranked as the 2010 draft's No. 163 prospect out of Oakmont HS in Roseville, Calif., but he opted to attend Oregon rather than sign with the Twins as an 11th-round pick. He hit just .191/.263/.270 in 89 at-bats as a freshman, then transferred to UCSB, where he sat out the 2012 season due to NCAA transfer rules. He has been a solid performer for two years with the Gauchos, and his power production increased this spring, when he hit nine home runs and slugged .495. Still, the 6-foot-4, 225-pound Kuresa is more of a gap-to-gap hitter than a true slugger; he has a rhythm swing, and most scouts say he has slider bat speed, looking like a star against below-average fastballs but struggling to catch up to good velocity. He has an opposite-field approach and rarely turns on balls with authority. But Kuresa is a true plus defender at first base, with a solid-average arm.
Top Rankings
Draft Prospects
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Kuresa ranked as the 2010 draft's No. 163 prospect out of Oakmont HS in Roseville, Calif., but he opted to attend Oregon rather than sign with the Twins as an 11th-round pick. He hit just .191/.263/.270 in 89 at-bats as a freshman, then transferred to UCSB, where he sat out the 2012 season due to NCAA transfer rules. He has been a solid performer for two years with the Gauchos, and his power production increased this spring, when he hit nine home runs and slugged .495. Still, the 6-foot-4, 225-pound Kuresa is more of a gap-to-gap hitter than a true slugger; he has a rhythm swing, and most scouts say he has slider bat speed, looking like a star against below-average fastballs but struggling to catch up to good velocity. He has an opposite-field approach and rarely turns on balls with authority. But Kuresa is a true plus defender at first base, with a solid-average arm. -
Kuresa was BA's No. 163 prospect for the 2010 draft out of high school in Roseville, Calif., but he opted to attend Oregon rather than sign with the Twins as an 11th-round pick. He hit .191/.263/.270 in 89 at-bats as a freshman, then transferred to UCSB, which forced him to sit out the 2012 season due to NCAA transfer rules. His production this spring was solid but hardly loud (.298/.353/.452 with four homers through 53 games), and scouts are still waiting for him to show more power. At 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, Kuresa looks the part, but scouts describe him as "slow twitch" in the box and doubt whether he'll ever have home run power. His rhythmic lefthanded swing is tailored to take balls to the opposite field, and he needs to get stronger in order to generate enough bat speed to turn on pitches. He has good hand-eye coordination but is prone to chasing breaking balls out of the zone. Kuresa is smooth around the bag at first, projecting as a plus defender with a solid-average arm. He doesn't play with energy, which also gives scouts pause.
