Josh Bonifay
| AB | 2727 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .286 |
| OBP | .355 |
| SLG | .494 |
| HR | 129 |
- Full name Joshua Cameron Bonifay
- Born 07/30/1978 in Macon, GA
- Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 185 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School UNC Wilmington
- Drafted in the 24th round (722nd overall) by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1999.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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The son of former Pirates general manager and current Devil Rays farm/scouting director Cam Bonifay, Josh had a breakthrough year in 2002 for the organization that fired his father the previous summer. He led the Carolina League in homers, RBIs and extra-base hits (63). Bonifay has a live bat with power and crushes mistake pitches. He improved his plate discipline last season. As the son of a baseball man, he has a good feel for the nuances of the game. Bonifay isn't a good defensive player, however, as he lacks range and has a below-average arm. The Pirates moved him from second base to left field for the final month of last season. While his performance opened some eyes, he also was repeating the Carolina League and was old for high Class A. Bonifay will play left field in Double-A this season and go as far as his bat will take him. His best bet at a major league career is as a utility player with some thump in his bat. -
Bonifay is the son of longtime Pirates general manager Cam Bonifay, but he is proving he isn't with the organization because of nepotism. He has held his own in two professional seasons despite the added pressure of being the GM's son. Bonifay is considered a heady player, not surprising since he has been around the game his entire life. He's developing decent power for a middle infielder and uses the whole field as a hitter as well as anyone in the system. He also has decent speed and will steal an occasional base. Bonifay sometimes gets too anxious at the plate, as his 104 strikeouts last year were too many for a player with only average pop. He was more of an outfielder in college and still is adjusting to second base, particularly with the double-play pivot. Bonifay is a scrapper and a student of the game, so he shouldn't be counted out. He has shown enough to think he could be a major league second baseman, though probably not until at least 2004.
Minor League Top Prospects
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At the beginning of the season, Bonifay was known as former Pirates GM Cam Bonifay's son. Now Josh is known as a bona fide prospect after winning the CL home run title. There still are some questions about Bonifay. At 24, he was old for high Class A and was repeating the CL after hitting .297-13-41 in 85 games at Lynchburg in 2001. The Hillcats tried to make him an everyday second baseman this year, but moved him back to the outfield in late July. His bat will have to carry him, but Bonifay finally showed that it might be able to. "We always felt he was a good hitter," Mackanin said. "If he learns to play left field adequately, which I think he will, he's a legitimate major league prospect."
