Tim Hummel

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Chicago White Sox #17 prospect in 2003
  Following a disappointing season in Triple-A, Hummel found his stride again in the Arizona Fall League. In his second year in the AFL, he hit .303 and had the best walk-strikeout ratio in the league (18-10). The Sox hope he can continue that trend when he returns for a second tour of the International League. He's considered a textbook hitter with a unusually pure righthanded stroke. But he couldn't get himself going until late 2002 and slipped behind D'Angelo Jimenez and Willie Harris in the organization's pecking order. Hummel, an All-America shortstop at Old Dominion, had been considered the likely successor to Ray Durham before Harris and Jimenez were acquired in trades. He constantly has been juggled between shortstop, second base and even third. He's a reliable fielder up the middle--which showed as he made one error in 28 games between short and second in the AFL--but lacks the speed and range of a typical shortstop. His first order of business in 2003 is to re-establish himself as a possible No. 2 hitter.
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  Ranked Chicago White Sox #6 prospect in 2002
  Hummel was a polished hitter when the White Sox drafted him. He has moved all over the infield, settling in at second base in the second half of 2001. He spent his first full season as a pro in Double-A and then continued to be pushed in the Arizona Fall League. Hummel is an offensive player with lots of upside. He's a rare righthanded hitter described as having a stylish swing. He hits for average and is selective at the plate, traits that have given him a career .380 on-base percentage as a pro. Hummel uses the whole field. He showed emerging power last season but projects more as an ideal No. 2 hitter. He has a plus arm for second base but needs to work on his first step in the field. His range is limited, though he compensates with a good positioning. He isn't fluid on the pivot but makes up for it with solid throws. With Ray Durham in the last season of his contract, Hummel could be a 2003 regular. For that to be a successful transition for the White Sox, however, Hummel must improve enough defensively to be superior to Durham, a consistent liability through the years.
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  Ranked Chicago White Sox #19 prospect in 2001
  The Padres knew what they were doing when they drafted Hummel in the fifth round in 1997, but they couldn't get him signed. He went to Old Dominion instead, where he was the 2000 Colonial Athletic Association player of the year. The White Sox took him in the second round of the draft last year and quickly got a look at him at his two possible positions, at shortstop in the Midwest League and then third base in the Carolina League. Hummel is a solid fundamental player who never wastes a step on the field. He's smooth at shortstop but has problems getting to some grounders. His arm is considered average for the position. Hummel had a six-hit game with Winston-Salem and hit .326 in his first pro season. He has good bat speed and knowledge of the strike zone, which resulted in more walks than strikeouts last year. It will be a bonus if he develops into a double-digit homer hitter, and at worst he should drive the ball to the gaps. His speed is average. The Sox will give him a chance to win their Double-A shortstop job in 2001 and could move him fast if he remains a .300 hitter.