AB 2836
AVG .249
OBP .315
SLG .404
HR 81
  • Full name William Dion Venable
  • Born 10/29/1982 in Greenbrae, CA
  • Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 205 / Bats: L / Throws: L
  • School Princeton
  • Debut 08/29/2008
  • Drafted in the 7th round (218th overall) by the San Diego Padres in 2005 (signed for $120,000).
    View Draft Report
    Princeton OF Will Venable is one of the most intriguing players in the draft. He's the son of Max Venable, who played 12 years in the big leagues, but has played little baseball. He has focused on basketball through high school and college and earned all-Ivy League honors his last two years at Princeton. He didn't play baseball as a freshman and hit .239 in 50 at-bats as a sophomore, but he emerged as a baseball talent a year ago, when he hit .344-1-20 with 14 stolen bases and was a surprise 15th-round pick of the Orioles. This year, Venable finished basketball early enough to play in 36 of Princeton's 41 games and improved his numbers to .385-9-33--all team-leading figures. There is a wide range of opinion on his tools and potential, particularly with his bat. Some scouts say he has barely scratched the surface of his ability but resembles Dave Justice, right down to the swing, and could be a sandwich pick. Others say he is raw with limited aptitude and that he'll be lucky to be drafted as high as he was a year ago.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Best Tools List

  • Rated Best Strike-Zone Discipline in the Pacific Coast League in 2008

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