Roman Quinn

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #13 prospect in 2018
  Quinn's list of injuries could take up his full report. He's been one of the most frustrating prospects in the organization, because he's an outstanding athlete with premium speed in the middle of the diamond but struggles to stay on the field. In 2017, Quinn played through May 28, when he suffered a UCL injury to his left (non-throwing) elbow and missed the remainder of the season but didn't require surgery. Wrist, leg and oblique injuries in previous seasons have prevented Quinn from ever playing more than 100 games in a season. When he's healthy, he's a 80 runner with excellent range and a plus arm in center field. Quinn's power is mostly to the gaps, but he has enough pop to sneak out 8-12 home runs per year. His strikeout rate has climbed at the upper levels, but he has solid enough contact skills with the speed to help him leg out extra hits. Quinn has the upside to be an everyday center fielder, but his profile combined with his medical history make a fourth outfielder outcome more likely.
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  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #8 prospect in 2017
  In four years of pro ball, Quinn has yet to play more than 100 games in a season because of a lengthy medical file. A broken wrist and torn right Achilles heel in 2013, leg injuries in 2014 and 2015 and an oblique strain in 2016 have held him back, but he remains an explosive athlete. Quinn performed well when healthy at Double-A Reading in 2016 before making his major league debut as a September callup. Despite an array of lower-body injuries, Quinn remains a true 80 runner on the 20-80 scouting scale. Signed as a shortstop, he has played center field the last three years, where his speed gives him excellent range to go with a plus arm and good accuracy. Quinn isn't a pure hitter, but he has solid bat-to-ball skills from both sides of the plate with good bat speed and the sneaky pop to hit 8-12 home runs. His game has to be about getting on base, and he must develop more selectivity to have a better grasp of the strike zone. Quinn's speed and defense should make him at least a fourth outfielder, though he has the upside to become a regular in center field with more progress as a hitter. Triple-A Lehigh Valley should be his next stop.
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  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #8 prospect in 2016
  A dual-sport star in high school, Quinn intended to go to Florida State before the Phillies used a last-ditch effort--and $775,000--to sign him as a second-rounder in 2011. So far, he's proved worth the investment. Originally signed as a shortstop, Quinn moved off the position and has had his progress slowed by injuries. He broke his wrist in 2013, blew out his Achilles heel later that year and then missed the last two months of 2015 with a torn left quadriceps. Only in 2014, counting the Arizona Fall League, did he surpass 100 games played. Despite his leg injuries, Quinn has retained his top-of-the-scale speed. It allows him to turn grounders into hits and his own miscalculated routes in the outfield into outs. He made tremendous strides in center field as it pertains to his routes and jumps, and he is transitioning away from an infielder's throwing motion DAVID SCHOFIELD DAVID SCHOFIELD into something more suited for an outfielder. His arm is average and accurate. He's never going to be a slugger, but he's not going to be a pushover, either. He'll spray the ball around but also has occasional home run power. The Phillies want both Quinn and Nick Williams to get reps in center field, so they could be split up or share time there at Triple-A Lehigh Valley in 2016. Quinn must prove he can survive the full-season grind to profile as a regular.
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  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #4 prospect in 2015
  A high school quarterback at Port St. Joe (Fla.) High, Quinn passed up a scholarship to play the position at Florida State. Instead, he signed as the Phillies' second-round pick for $775,000 in 2011. He spent his first two seasons playing exclusively shortstop, but then the Phillies drafted J.P. Crawford in 2013, so Quinn moved to center field in 2014. He tore his right Achilles tendon in a workout following the 2013 season, but his topof- the-scale speed took only a minimal hit in 2014. Quinn's calling card is blinding speed, which has allowed him to steal 94 bases in 121 tries--a 78 percent success rate--over his first three seasons. It also has been crucial to his fine play in center field, where he draws comparisons with current Phillie Ben Revere. Like Revere, Quinn's routes lack precision or polish, but his speed allows for quick corrections and minimal misplays. Given his dimensions, Quinn projects to hit for little power, but he has the skills to be an average hitter, and his fleet feet could allow him to tick up just slightly if he learns to embrace an approach more suited for his skill set. Quinn played in the Arizona Fall League in 2014 to make up for the time he missed while rehabbing from his leg injuries. He will get his first test at the upper levels in 2015 when he moves up to Double-A Reading.
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  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #10 prospect in 2014
  When he was in high school, Quinn was neither a shortstop nor a switch-hitter. He has become both in pro ball, which speaks both to his athleticism and his coachability. He was an effective running prep quarterback, earning scholarship offers from football programs including Florida State. Instead he signed for $775,000 with the Phillies. His first full season was cut short on June 24, when a pitch struck and broke his right wrist. Quinn's calling card is his blazing speed, which rates at the top of the scouting scale and is just a tick below Reds burner Billy Hamilton's. He was clocked this season at 14 seconds flat on an inside-the-park home run. He is still learning to switch-hit but should be a solid hitter from both sides. Despite his size, he has enough pop to keep pitchers honest. He's raw at shortstop, as shown by his 31 errors in 66 games last year. Most came on throws, and the Phillies have worked with Quinn to correct flaws in his motion and iron out that part of his game. The presence of 2013 first-rounder J.P. Crawford and a postseason injury cloud Quinn's future. Crawford might have pushed him off shortstop anyway, and in November, Quinn ruptured the Achilles tendon in his right leg. The injury and rehabilitation could sideline him most or all of 2014, costing him valuable development time and perhaps hastening his move to center field or second base.
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  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #2 prospect in 2013
  The fastest player in the 2011 draft, Quinn signed for $775,000 hours before the Aug. 15 deadline. He made his pro debut in 2012 and led the short-season New York-Penn League in runs (56), triples (11) and steals (30). A true 80 runner on the 20-80 scouting scale, Quinn impacts all phases of the game with his speed. After toying with switch-hitting as an amateur, he committed to it after signing and he projects to be a solid hitter from both sides. He has a simple, fast stroke and more pop than his size would suggest, but he won't be a home run threat and will need to cut down on his strikeouts. A center fielder in high school, Quinn is learning the intricacies of shortstop. He must do a better job at positioning and gathering his feet before throwing after making 27 errors in 66 games at Williamsport. He has elite first-step quickness and tremendous range to go along with a plus arm. All the pieces are in place for Quinn to become a top-of-the-order, middle-of-the-diamond catalyst. He inevitably draws comparisons to Jimmy Rollins, but he runs faster and has a better arm than Rollins did at the same stage. Quinn will advance to low Class A Lakewood in 2013.
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  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #11 prospect in 2012
  The Phillies drafted Quinn 66th overall last June and signed him away from his commitment to Florida State for $775,000 several hours before the Aug. 16 deadline. Scouts flocked to see Quinn, the fastest player in the 2011 draft, at the relatively remote town of Port St. Joe on the Florida panhandle. A star basketball player in high school, he's a true top-of-the-scale runner with game-changing speed and incredible first-step quickness. His game draws comparisons to that of Michael Bourn, Philadelphia's 2003 fourth-round pick, and he physically resembles Jimmy Rollins with his compact frame. Quinn toyed with switch-hitting as an amateur and never fully committed to it after struggling at the East Coast Pro Showcase in 2010, but the Phillies think he can swing it from both sides. He's a natural righthanded hitter with surprising pop for his size, and he has shown improvement from the left side. Scouts aren't sure what position best fits Quinn, but Philadelphia is dedicated to developing him as a shortstop, where he shows a strong arm, average hands and good instincts. His speed will allow him to play center field if he doesn't stick at short. Quinn is still raw but has the potential to move quickly, and he could advance to low Class A in 2012 after opening the year in extended spring training.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked New York-Penn League #3 prospect in 2012
  Signed for $775,000 just hours before the Aug. 15 deadline in 2011, Quinn made his pro debut this summer and showcased a dynamic tools package against older competition in the NY-P this summer. Taking full advantage of his top-of-the-line speed, Quinn recorded more than twice as many triples (11) as any other player in the league and also led the circuit in runs (56) and steals (30). Quinn is still new to switch-hitting and remains more advanced from his natural right side, but he made considerable progress from the left side this year, driving a couple of balls to the wall in left field. He has good bat speed and hand-eye coordination, giving him a chance to be an average to plus hitter with gap power as he matures. He'll need to cut down his strikeout rate and improve his bunting skills to increase his value as a tablesetter, but his pitch recognition is improving, as his defense at shortstop, where he has solid range and a plus arm. "Obviously he's going to get to a lot of balls that a lot of people don't because of his speed and quickness," Williamsport manager Andy Tracy said. "He's learning to make plays from different body positions, the depth of the play through the infield, charging the ball, taking command of popups--everything a shortstop has to do, he was starting to get a feel for. Obviously he has to go a long way still, but he's made real progress."

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #100 prospect in 2013

• December, 2016 Scouting Report
  Background: In four years of pro ball, Quinn has yet to play more than 100 games in a season because of a lengthy medical file. A broken wrist and torn right Achilles heel in 2013, leg injuries in 2014 and 2015 and an oblique strain in 2016 have held him back, but he remains an explosive athlete. Quinn performed well when healthy at Double-A Reading in 2016 before making his major league debut as a September callup. Scouting Report: Despite an array of lower-body injuries, Quinn remains a true 80 runner on the 20-80 scouting scale. Signed as a shortstop, he has played center field the last three years, where his speed gives him excellent range to go with a plus arm and good accuracy. Quinn isn't a pure hitter, but he has solid bat-to-ball skills from both sides of the plate with good bat speed and the sneaky pop to hit 8-12 home runs. His game has to be about getting on base, and while he showed more patience in 2016 than he did the year before, he must develop more selectivity to have a better grasp of the strike zone.
  
  The Future: Quinn's speed and defense should make him at least a fourth outfielder, though he has the upside to become a regular in center field with more progress as a hitter. Triple-A Lehigh Valley should be his next stop.
• December, 2012 Scouting Report
  Background: The fastest player in the 2011 draft, Quinn went 66th overall and signed for $775,000 hours before the Aug. 15 deadline. He didn't make his pro debut until 2012, when he led the short-season New York-Penn League in runs (56), triples (11) and steals (30). Scouting Report: A true 80 runner on the 20-80 scouting scale, Quinn impacts all phases of the game with his speed. After toying with switch-hitting as an amateur, he fully committed to it after signing and he projects to be a solid hitter from both sides. He has a simple, fast stroke and more pop than his size would suggest, but he won't be a home run threat and will need to cut down on his strikeouts. A center fielder in high school, Quinn still is learning the intricacies of shortstop. He must do a better job at positioning and gathering his feet before throwing after making 27 errors in 66 games at Williamsport. He has elite-level first-step quickness and tremendous range to go along with a plus arm. The Future: All the pieces are in place for Quinn to become a top-of-the-order, middle-of-the-diamond catalyst. He inevitably draws comparisons to Jimmy Rollins, especially in stature, but he runs faster and has a better arm than Rollins did at the same stage. Quinn will advance to low Class A Lakewood in 2013.