Kenny Lewis
| AB | 502 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .233 |
| OBP | .337 |
| SLG | .313 |
| HR | 2 |
- Full name Kenneth Eugene Lewis
- Born 10/13/1984 in Manhasset, NY
- Profile Ht.: 5'9" / Wt.: 195 / Bats: L / Throws: L
- School George Washington
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Drafted in the 4th round (111th overall) by the Cincinnati Reds in 2003 (signed for $300,000).
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The 5-foot-9, 180-pound Lewis is easily the fastest player in the draft, with 80 speed on the traditional 20-80 scouting scale. He ran the 60-yard dash in a lightning-fast 6.20 second at a workout in Texas in early May and zooms to first in less than four seconds. His game and approach have drawn comparisons to Kenny Lofton. After adding 20 pounds of muscle, he looks like a classic sprinter and profiles more like Rickey Henderson than Lofton. His speed plays everywhere, especially on the basepaths, where he could become a threat to swipe 65 bags annually even if he hits just .250. He can run down balls in center field, but needs work on getting jumps and making reads as he's played baseball seriously for only three years. Lewis has a left-field arm. Like high school teammate Jonathan Fulton, Lewis has committed to Virginia Tech. Lewis, however, has accepted a football scholarship as a running back and defensive back. He would follow in the footsteps of his father Kenny, who played in the NFL with the Jets, but Lewis has indicated he wants to sign. He could go as high as the second or third round to a team that covets his speed. His football prowess would also allow a team that drafts him to spread his bonus over five years.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Lewis didn't play baseball in high school until his junior year, and even then football commanded much of his attention. It's a testament to his natural athleticism that he was attracting crosscheckers and scouting directors by the dozens last spring. His father Kenny Sr. spent four years in the NFL as a running back for the Jets. He was going to follow in his father's footsteps at Virginia Tech before deciding to sign for $300,000. The fastest player in the 2003 draft, Lewis was clocked at 6.2 seconds in the 60-yard dash in a May workout. He led the Gulf Coast League in steals with his speed and tools recalling those of Deion Sanders. But Lewis is very raw. The Reds will have to mold Lewis into a slap-and-run contact hitter who can shoot grounders through the left side of the infield. He tends to drop his hands and swings uphill, resulting in too many fly balls and strikeouts. His stroke is also geared to pull everything. Lewis worked on bunting for hits during instructional league. In center field, he needs to improving his reads and routes on fly balls. After playing Rookie ball, Lewis was thrust into the Southern League playoff race to provide speed off the bench, but he was overmatched at the plate. It should give him an idea of what he needs to do to get back to that level. He'll start working on those things in low Class A this year.
Minor League Top Prospects
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Lewis was the fastest player in the 2003 draft and his game feeds off his speed. He was clocked from the left side of the plate to first base in 3.74 seconds and led the GCL with 37 stolen bases. "He can fly," Alfaro said. "He can really go get it in center field and he's capable of stealing even on pitchouts." Lewis is green in all phases of his game, though he outruns mistakes now on the bases and in the field. His arm is a little short, forcing him to play a shallow center field. He has surprising pop in his powerful 5-foot-9, 185-pound frame, but needs to work on putting the ball in play to maximize his speed. "The whole key with him," Treuel said, "is will he hit enough. If he can just make consistent contact, he could be a special player."
