Jeff Fiorentino Stats & Scouting Report — College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects

AB	148
AVG	.27
OBP	.341
SLG	.324
HR	1

Full name Jeffrey Phillip Fiorentino
Born 04/14/1983 in Pembroke Pines, FL
Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 185 / Bats: L / Throws: R
School Florida Atlantic
Debut 05/12/2005
Drafted in the 3rd round (79th overall) by the Baltimore Orioles in 2004 (signed for $450,000).

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OF-C Jeff Fiorentino, after playing outfield his first two seasons at Florida Atlantc, has mixed in some catching this year. His arm is fringy behind the plate, but he's taken to the position pretty well, showing good hands and athleticism. Most scouts expect him to be adequate behind the plate as he gains more experience, if his 6-foot-1, 175-pound frame can handle the position. Fiorentino has a short, line-drive stroke, surprising power (42 college homers) and profiles best as a lefthanded-hitting reserve because of his versatility.

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Organization Prospect Rankings

While getting to the big leagues is usually a cause for celebration, getting there so quickly hasn't been a boon for Fiorentino. The Orioles jumped him from high Class A to Baltimore in 2005 and it has stunted his progress since, raising expectations unnecessarily. He got off to a horrible start in 2007, batting .160 in April, but hit .298 or better in every month after that and had 10 home runs in July and August. At the plate, Fiorentino uses the whole field when he's at his best and has power in his bat. He has an unorthodox approach, relying on his hands to do the work in his swing, but he succeeds with it. He struggles when he tries to pull the ball, and he didn't perform well against lefthanders last season, batting .217. Fiorentino has a wide range of skills, offering above-average defense at all three outfield positions with good speed, range and arm strength. He plays hard every day. While Fiorentino seems to have stalled, the Orioles still believe he can be an everyday player, though he would also seem to be an ideal fourth outfielder. Pleased with his performance last year, they'll move him up to Triple-A and see if he can earn his way back to the big leagues.
The numbers show a pedestrian 2006 season, but they don't show two nagging injuries--a sprained ankle, followed by a strained hamstring-- that short-circuited Fiorentino for most of the first half. Healthy by the end of the year, he hit .376 with four home runs in August. He's a do-everything player who brings energy to the ballpark every day, runs well and can play anywhere in the outfield. He has an unorthodox approach, putting his upper half over the plate, but he has good hand-eye coordination and gets himself into position to hit for power when the ball enters the hitting zone. He's a good situational hitter who should have enough power to hit 15-20 homers a year. While he does everything pretty well, Fiorentino doesn't have one overwhelming tool. He also needs to be more consistent with his pitch selection, as he wavers between being too patient and too aggressive. In a perfect world, Fiorentino would be a fourth outfielder who could fill in at all three positions and provide a lefthanded bat with some pop. The Orioles will give him a chance to be more than that, and he'll probably start 2007 in Triple-A.
Fiorentino's promising pro debut in 2004 had Orioles officials expecting him to move quickly, but not this quickly. He jumped from Class A to the big leagues in May when injuries hit in Baltimore, as the club looked for someone who could play defense and hold his own at the plate. Fiorentino, not surprisingly, quickly showed he wasn't ready to hold his own against big league pitching, and he remained in a funk even after getting sent back to Frederick. He finally came around in August, batting .347-12-33 for the month. Fiorentino has a stiff setup at the plate, but he uses his quick hands to get the bat through the hitting zone. He's athletic enough to play anywhere in the outfield, and some in the organization think he'd profile best as a center fielder. Former scouting director Tony DeMacio and his staff drafted Fiorentino with the idea of giving him a chance at catcher, where he played some in college, but he hasn't gone behind the plate as a pro. It's not clear he'll have enough power for an outfield corner, though there are some club officials who say he has the potential to have more power than Nick Markakis or Val Majewski. Fiorentino must cut down on his strikeouts, and he also needs more repetitions in the outfield to refine his routes. Fiorentino's overall package of solid tools is good enough to reach the majors, but he'll need to develop his power or prove he can play center field to be a starter.
The Orioles botched their first-round pick and lost their second-round pick for signing Miguel Tejada, so Fiorentino will have to carry the flag for their 2004 draft class. He looked up to the task in his pro debut, though the Orioles played him in the outfield after the scouting department viewed him as a potential catcher. Fiorentino is athletic enough to play anywhere on the field, which is why he was able to catch at Florida Atlantic and why some in the organization wanted to try him there. He also has the bat to play just about anywhere, with a smooth line-drive swing and the ability to drive inside pitches and center the ball on the bat. While Fiorentino is athletic and versatile, he doesn't have overwhelming defensive tools for any position. His build and arm worked against him as a catcher. He should be an average left fielder down the road. He needs to cut down on his strikeouts. Fiorentino moved quickly after signing, and the Orioles won't try to slow him down. He'll open 2005 in high Class A.

Minor League Top Prospects

Fiorentino received a surprise promotion to Baltimore in May, less than a year after he signed as a third-round pick. He held his own in the majors, victimizing Randy Wolf for his first big league homer, and helped lead the Keys to the league championship after he returned. He has unorthodox but effective mechanics at the plate. He's not fluid but he's still able to turn on balls because he has quick hands. He's a good athlete and can steal an occasional base, though he'll probably wind up in left field. Fiorentino doesn't have enough range to play center (his primary position for Frederick) or enough arm strength to play right in the majors on a regular basis. Baltimore's previous scouting department wanted to try him at catcher, where he played some at Florida Atlantic, but the development staff overruled them.