Drafted in the 24th round (708th overall) by the Cleveland Guardians in 2003.
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OF Ryan Goleski went to the rescue of a teammate attacked on campus in late April and broke a bone on his right hand. He returned a couple of weeks later with his fingers taped together so he could throw and hit and wasn't expected to be 100 percent by the draft. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound Goleski has excellent upper-body strength and can hit balls a long way. He hit .381 with 22 homers a year ago, but he slumped this year. The rest of his tools are average, at best.
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The A's picked up Goleski in the major league Rule 5 draft by sending cash to the Devil Rays for the No. 1 overall pick. They also added deceptive sidearmer Jay Marshall from the White Sox with their own choice, and Marshall could make the big league club as a situational lefthander. Oakland considered Goleski a candidate to get platoon at-bats as a corner outfielder before discovering he had aggravated a left wrist injury while taking batting practice two weeks after the season. He had surgery to repair ligament damage and wasn't expected to be ready for the start of spring training. Goleski was expected to go in the first three rounds in the 2003 draft, but his stock slipped after he broke his hand while breaking up a fight on Eastern Michigan's campus. The injury sapped his power and he fell to the Indians in the 24th round. A free swinger with plus raw power, Goleski hit 28 homers in low Class A in 2004. Poor pitch recognition and plate discipline doomed him in 2005, when he dropped to .212 with 17 homers. An extremely hard worker, he spent the offseason breaking down video of his swing and hours in the cage to make improvements in his approach. The biggest adjustment was finding much better balance at the plate. His patience and pitch recognition also improved significantly. An average runner, Goleski has above-average arm strength and takes good routes to balls in right field. To send Goleski and Marshall to the minors in 2007, Oakland first would have to slide them through waivers and then offer them back to their original clubs for half their $50,000 draft price.
Despite setting Eastern Michigan and Mid-American Conference records with 51 homers, Goleski lasted until the 24th round of the 2003 draft. The Indians knew they were buying a ton of raw power potential when they selected him, and he has exceeded their expectations since signing. With the exception of outfielder Jonathan Van Every, Goleski was the most improved player in the organization in 2004. He's a dead-pull hitter and is primarily a two-tool player, featuring a power bat and a cannon arm from right field. Goleski needs to use the whole field more often, and some scouts wonder if his power will decrease when he shortens his swing to make better contact. There also are questions about his ability to hit quality breaking stuff. He'll be challenged in high Class A this year.
Best Tools List
Rated Best Outfield Arm in the Cleveland Guardians in 2007
Rated Best Power Hitter in the Cleveland Guardians in 2007
Rated Best Outfield Arm in the Cleveland Guardians in 2006
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