Travis Hafner

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Cleveland Guardians #5 prospect in 2003
  The December trade that brought Hafner to Cleveland couldn't have worked out better for the player or the team. The Indians saved $4.65 million and cleared the catching job for Victor Martinez and Josh Bard by sending Einar Diaz to Texas. And Hafner, who had a premium bat but no clear path to regular playing time with the slugger-laden Rangers, immediately becomes Cleveland's replacement for Jim Thome. One member of the Texas front office directly compared him to Thome a month before the trade and said Hafner's offensive upside rivaled that of Rangers farmhand Mark Teixeira, the best hitting prospect in the game. Hafner always used the whole field, and as his plate discipline has improved he has unleashed his power by working himself into favorable counts and learning to pull the ball. He's a grinder who has learned to hang tough against lefthanders and knows the value of a walk. He led the minors with a .463 on-base percentage in 2002 while walking more than he struck out. Only nagging wrist injuries, including a broken wrist in 2001, have slowed him offensively since he signed as a draft-in-follow in 1997--days after earning tournament MVP honors while leading Cowley County to the national junior college title. Defensively, he's not a slug, but Hafner's footwork can be awkward. He'll have to work to be adequate.
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  Ranked Texas Rangers #16 prospect in 2002
  Problems with his right wrist have dogged Hafner for more than a year. He left the Puerto Rican winter league early in 2000 because of wrist soreness and had spring-training surgery to repair a broken hamate bone. Limited during the 2001 season at Tulsa, Hafner had only a brief stay in the Arizona Fall League because of more wrist problems that required a second operation. The Rangers hope an offseason of rest will cure the problem. When he did play last year, he showed his trademark farmboy power. The strongest player in the organization, he can drive the ball a great distance to any part of the ballpark. Lefthanders don't give him any trouble, as he has hit .358 with a .575 slugging percentage against them over the last two years. Hafner is a poor defensive first baseman and his slow feet aren't suited for any other position. There are questions as to whether he'll be able to catch up to a major league fastball, but at this pace he'll get a chance to find out. The offseason acquisition of Jason Hart may force Hafner to repeat Double-A at the beginning of 2002.
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  Ranked Texas Rangers #12 prospect in 2001
  No one in the Rangers organization improved more last season than Hafner. Probably the strongest player in the system, he rose in Texas' judgment by dramatically changing his approach at the plate. In 1999, Hafner led the South Atlantic League in homers and RBIs but also had 151 strikeouts in 480 at-bats. He moved up to the Florida State League last season, when he began to understand the concept of hitting with two strikes and using the opposite field. Hafner again ranked among the league leaders in homers and RBIs while cutting his strikeouts nearly in half. The rap against Hafner is that he's a man without a position. He has slow feet and hands that are average at best. He simply doesn't compare to Carlos Pena at first base. Hafner is determined and fearless, traits that can make up for other deficiencies.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked Pacific Coast League #11 prospect in 2002
  Unlike the players ahead of him on this list, Hafner didn't come to the PCL with a blue-chip prospect pedigree. He already has spent five years in the minors and missed much of 2001 with a wrist injury. There were doubts about his true hitting ability and he was overshadowed in a Texas system deep in hitters such as Hank Blalock, Mark Teixeira, Ryan Ludwick and Kevin Mench. But Hafner isn't anonymous any more. He may be 25 and he may never be more than an adequate first baseman, but Hafner is a legitimate slugger. He made a run at the PCL batting title, led the minors in on-base percentage (.463) and walked more than he struck out. Hafner is a more pure hitter than Choi, using the whole field and faring better against quality pitching, but has slightly less power. The AL scout thinks Hafner's home run production will continue to increase. "He's an animal," the scout said. "He had the best strike-zone judgment I saw all year. He stays inside the ball well, and his pull power will come."
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  Ranked Florida State League #15 prospect in 2000
  No Scouting Report entered

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #46 prospect in 2003

• December, 1999 Scouting Report
  No Scouting Report entered