Drafted in the 16th round (478th overall) by the Atlanta Braves in 2009.
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Though Spanjer-Furstenburg was on South Africa's provisional World Baseball Classic roster and hit .393- 15-67 at Nova Southeastern (Fla.) in the spring, he was a relative unknown when he signed for $75,000 as a 16th-round pick in June. That changed after he tore up the Appalachian League, hitting safely in his first 10 pro games en route to winning the MVP award and batting title (.359). Spanjer-Furstenburg has a sweet swing with a chance to hit for average and solid power. He has a lot of strength in his 6-foot-2, 235-pound frame. He doesn't have much speed or athleticism, which limits him to first base, where he's an average defender at best. With Freddie Freeman in the system, his lack of versatility may hurt him. He could end up as a solid bat off the bench and a caddy for Freeman on the major league roster in the future. Spanjer-Furstenburg's impressive debut could allow him to jump to high Class A in 2010.
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