Jeremy Cotten

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #9 prospect in 1999
  Background: The Pirates brought Cotten to Three Rivers Stadium for a pre-draft workout last June and he put on a show by launching balls into the upper deck. Pittsburgh almost took him in the first round, but he was still available a round later. Strengths: Cotten has outstanding power to all fields and could eventually hit 30 home runs a year. He handles breaking balls and offspeed stuff well for a young hitter, and also has a strong arm and good defensive instincts. Weaknesses: Like most young hitters, Cotten just needs experience and at-bats. That showed late last season when he was promoted to short-season Erie and struggled against more advanced pitchers. He needs to refine his footwork at third base and curb a temper that can occasionally be a problem. The Future: Scouts say Cotten could get to the big leagues at an accelerated pace. With Ramirez and Haverbusch in front of him on the third-base depth chart, it will be interesting to see what the Pirates do.