- Full name Brandon Duncan Balkcom
- Born
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
-
With the system lacking outfield depth, the Angels made outfielders their top priority in the 2003 draft. When all of their targets--Chris Lubanski, Lastings Milledge, Brian Anderson, Brad Snyder--were gone by their 23rd pick, they weren't going to take a lesser outfielder that high just to fill a need. Instead they addressed the position by snagging Balkcom in the fifth round and Reggie Willits in the seventh. After transferring from Chipola (Fla.) Junior College to Florida State in the fall of 2002, Balkcom required minor knee surgery. He tried to come back too early last spring and injured his quadriceps, so many clubs didn't get a good look at him. A big, strong-bodied corner outfielder in the Tom Brunansky mold, Balkcom impressed Angels scouts with his opposite-field juice. His bat stays in the zone for a long time, a promising sign for developing young power hitters. He's trying to shorten and become more consistent with his stroke. He also needs to tighten his strike zone. Balkcom is a below-average runner but runs better once he gets under way. He has average arm strength for a corner outfield position. The Angels are banking on Balkcom's bat to come on in a big way and will send him to high Class A in 2004.
