Henri Stanley

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked San Diego Padres #26 prospect in 2004
  Stanley endeared himself to the Astros, but they removed him from their 40-man roster in November, allowing the Padres to grab him with a waiver claim. He has hit line drives and shown on-base skills since turning pro. He has gap power and above-average speed. Stanley can be too passive early in the count and could drive the ball more often if he were more aggressive. He runs the bases well but doesn't get good reads and jumps to be a big basestealing threat. Defensively, he has the range but not the instincts for center field, and his well-below-average arm relegates him to left field. He's a classic tweener outfielder who can't handle the defense in center or provide enough offense to play on the corner. But Stanley would make a good fourth outfielder and could have a career like Troy O'Leary's. San Diego may not have an outfield opening on its roster, so Stanley may have to repeat Triple-A.
• 
  Ranked Houston Astros #12 prospect in 2003
  Stanley was a Clemson senior in 2000 when he made a brief impression on the Astros at an early-season tournament. Then he lost his starting job and teams passed him over in the draft. Houston was having trouble in its early negotiations with fifth-round outfielder Jake Whitesides when scouting director David Lakey happened to see Stanley playing in the College World Series on an airport television. The Astros decided to sign him for insurance as a nondrafted free agent and haven't regretted it. His performance in 2002, when Stanley led the Texas League with a .542 slugging percentage and posted a .408 on-base percentage for the second straight year, earned him a spot on the 40-man roster. He handles the bat well, as he's able to bunt, hit-and-run or drive the ball into the gaps as needed. He also led the TL in triples (10) and extra-base hits (62). Stanley runs well and hard, which combined with his ability to draw walks makes him a potentially exciting leadoff hitter. His makeup is another plus, and not getting drafted has only made him try harder. Stanley covers enough ground to play center field, though his instincts aren't the best and he relies on his speed to compensate for mistakes. His arm is well-below-average and probably will force him to left field in the major leagues. Triple-A is next for Stanley, who could help Houston as an extra outfielder later in 2003.