Larry Broadway
| AB | 2835 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .273 |
| OBP | .358 |
| SLG | .454 |
| HR | 106 |
- Full name Larry Lee Broadway
- Born 12/17/1980 in Miami, FL
- Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 230 / Bats: L / Throws: L
- School Duke
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Drafted in the 3rd round (77th overall) by the Washington Nationals in 2002 (signed for $450,000).
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Like Adams and Bush, Broadway starred in the Cape Cod League last summer. Unlike them, he couldn't follow up with the kind of spring scouts thought he would have. He didn't match the power he showed with wood bats in games, though he still has put on a show in batting practice. He has been too passive at the plate, and at times his swing has looked long and slow. Scouts expected more than eight homers out of a 6-foot-4, 230-pounder, though to be fair he doesn't get much support from the rest of the Duke lineup. He moves well for his size, and his arm and hands are assets on defense.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Broadway was the top hitting prospect in the Nationals system entering the 2005 season, when a knee injury derailed him. He rebounded with a solid 2006 campaign in his first extended taste of Triple-A, leading Nationals farmhands with a .288 average, and he would have been in line for a big league promotion when Nick Johnson got hurt if he hadn't dislocated his shoulder diving for a ground ball in late August. He did not need surgery and planned to spend all winter strengthening the joint for spring training. Broadway's best tool is his above-average power. He can drive the ball to all fields, and he's always had a solid offensive approach and drawn plenty of walks. Broadway is a reliable defender at first base, with sure hands and a plus arm, but he has lost a step since his knee injury--and he was a below-average runner to begin with. The Nationals have talked with Broadway a lot about his physical condition, and they expect him to enter spring training ready to play first base in the big leagues in case Johnson is not fully recovered from his broken femur. He doesn't look like a future star, but he still has a chance to be a solid everyday player. That chance may have to come with another organization, however. -
Broadway got off to a characteristically slow start in 2005 before straining a knee ligament fielding a ground ball. An injury to first baseman Nick Johnson caused Broadway to try to rush his return, setting him back further. A bulky knee brace hindered him when he returned, though he did hit nine homers in August. Broadway has above-average power to all fields, and his pop stands out in a system desperate for some. He also hits for a decent average and draws his share of walks. He's a solid defensive first baseman, overcoming his lack of range with smooth actions, sure hands and an above-average arm. In order to make more consistent contact, Broadway needs to stay behind the ball better. He could flourish if he can drive more pitches to the opposite field. At 25, Broadway heads into a pivotal season. He could compete for a big league job if he can get completely healthy by spring training, and he still can become a 30-homer man in the majors. -
The No. 3 starter on a Wellington (Fla.) High staff that included Pirates first-rounders Bobby Bradley and Sean Burnett, Broadway pitched his freshman year at Duke before a nerve problem in his elbow relegated him to first base. He struggled early last season while dealing with back problems, then recovered and hit like he had in his first two years. Broadway is the best power prospect in an organization desperate for power tools. He has the ability to hit for average and hit deep in the count. For a big guy, he handles himself well around the bag, and managers voted him the best defensive first baseman in the Double-A Eastern League. Broadway still has holes in his swing. When pitchers pound him inside, he tends to get jammed, and his stroke can get long. He's a well-below-average runner. Broadway will start 2005 in Triple-A, but he's not farm from the big leagues. He just needs to polish his approach a bit to become a 30-homer-a-year first baseman. -
The only hitter among the first eight prospects on this list, Broadway tore up the South Atlantic League to open his first full season. Managers rated him the league's best batting prospect, power prospect and defensive first baseman at midseason. He also won the home run derby at the all-star game. After reaching Double-A in mid-August, Broadway homered three times in his first six games. Broadway has a balanced, slightly open stance with good leverage and loft in his swing. He generates top-of-the-scale raw power. He executed a better game plan at the plate in 2003, enabling him to get better pitches to hit. He also showed the ability to make adjustments. He hit .300 or better against lefthanders at all three levels. Broadway's biggest weakness is his speed. He has a strong arm for a first baseman, but his defense is merely adequate. After playing in the Arizona Fall League, Broadway likely will return to Double-A to start 2004. With the acquisition of Nick Johnson, the Expos can afford to be more patient with his development. -
Broadway is a product of Wellington (Fla.) High, where he played with Pirates first-round picks Bobby Bradley and Sean Burnett. Broadway began his career at Duke as a two-way player before an elbow injury made him a full-time first baseman. After displaying tremendous pop with wood bats in the Cape Cod League in 2001, he didn't hit as well with aluminum last spring. Broadway's best tool is his bat. He has a smooth left handed stroke with natural loft that produces top-of-the-scale raw power, which he showed off with a mammoth homer in his first pro at-bat. He has the ability to hit the ball a long way without making sweet-spot contact. He moves well for a big man, and his arm and hands are solid. Broadway has made strides but must refine his approach at the plate. He relied on pure ability in college. He missed time at short-season Vermont because of a pulled muscle in his back. The Expos system desperately needs power prospects, so Broadway should be put on the fast track. He'll open the season with one of Montreal's Class A affiliates.
Minor League Top Prospects
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Broadway rounds out an impressive crop of first basemen to make the list, joining Howard and Aubrey. He isn't the pure hitter Aubrey is and doesn't project to post the prodigious power numbers Howard does, but he offers a good blend of both tools. He got off to an atrocious start, perhaps due in part to a back injury, but came on strong and rediscovered the smooth and powerful lefthanded stroke that earned him top batting and power prospect honors in the South Atlantic League last year. He hits the top half of the ball with regularity, and will turn on the inside pitch and pull it down the line and centers pitches on the outer-half equally well. Like many players his size, he struggled at times to catch up to good, high fastballs as his swing at times gets long. He is well above average defensively. His broad wingspan makes his range impressive and his footwork around the bag and hands are major league quality currently. -
Broadway's torrid start earned him a promotion to high Class A by July. A month later he was in Double-A, where he hit .321-5-18 in 78 at-bats. He made quite an impression during his half-season in the SAL. Managers rated him the league's best batting prospect, best power prospect and best defensive first baseman at midseason. Broadway also showed good strike-zone judgment to go with good pitch recognition and the ability to make adjustments. Several managers likened Broadway's approach and swing to John Olerud's. "He's very quiet at the plate," Rivera said. "He reminds me a little of Olerud, with a little more energy. He swings like Olerud with more power."
Best Tools List
- Rated Best Defensive 1B in the International League in 2008
- Rated Best Power Hitter in the Washington Nationals in 2006
- Rated Best Power Hitter in the Washington Nationals in 2005
- Rated Best Defensive 1B in the Eastern League in 2004
