Anthony Webster Stats & Scouting Report — College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects

AB	2758
AVG	.284
OBP	.336
SLG	.415
HR	44

Full name Anthony George Webster
Born 04/10/1983 in Parsons, TN
Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 195 / Bats: L / Throws: R
School Decatur County Riverside
Drafted in the 15th round (463rd overall) by the Chicago White Sox in 2001.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

A Tennessee high school football star at tailback, Webster has never been able to fully translate his considerable athleticism into results on the diamond. Acquired from the White Sox in the July 2003 Carl Everett trade, he put up another solid but unspectacular year in 2006, playing his way out of Double-A and holding his own in Triple-A. Webster has an unorthodox offensive approach, with an excessive weight transfer from front to back, but he remedied that somewhat last year by going into more of a crouch, which allowed him to drive the ball better. With a tools package similar to that of Jacque Jones, Webster has become a better player as he has bought into stealing bases and mixing in some bunts so he can take advantage of his speed. His bat, raw power and defense are all average tools, but he has yet to hit for enough power to stick as a corner outfielder. Webster's weakest tool is his below-average arm and he's more of a left fielder despite spending much of 2006 in right. With another good season in Triple-A, Webster could force his way into the Rangers' outfield picture, most likely as a versatile fourth outfielder.
Part of the July 2003 Carl Everett trade with the White Sox, Webster was a Tennessee high school football star at tailback. It has taken awhile to translate his athleticism into baseball skills. He played like he expected success to be handed to him in the first half of 2005, prompting the Rangers to tell him to kick himself into gear if he didn't want to be sent home. After batting .222 in the first two months, Webster hit .345 the rest of the way. His best tool is his plus speed, which he used to leg out 11 triples and steal 25 bases in 30 tries. He has average power, particularly to the gaps. He can spray balls to all fields, though his swing tends to get long. His athleticism should make him a better defensive center fielder than he is, but his routes are suspect. His arm is no better than average. Webster likes to have a good time, but if he can refine his work habits and stay focused, he could become a center- field option for Texas in a couple of years. He faces an important year in Double-A.
Webster ranked as the third-best prospect in the White Sox system entering 2003, the year he came to the Rangers in a fruitful trade for Carl Everett. Webster remains a work in progress, so raw that Texas left him off its 40-man roster and no club took him in the Rule 5 draft. A Tennessee high school football star as a tailback, he still looks too much like a football player. Webster does have plenty of tools. He's an above-average runner, has good enough bat speed that some scouts project plus power, and he has the range and arm to be a solid center fielder. He still has to put his tools to use. Webster's swing can get long, leaving him vulnerable to fastballs inside, and he's still struggling to work his way into hitter's counts. He doesn't take good routes in center, and his lack of instincts eventually may relegate him to left field (his arm is just average). He missed six weeks of crucial development time last season with a groin injury. The Rangers still lack depth in center field, so they hold out hope that Webster will refine his game in Double-A this year.
Webster was part of the payment for Carl Everett. An all-Tennessee running back in high school, he was recruited by Southeastern Conference football programs. The resulting signability concerns dropped him in the 2001 draft. After he hit .330 in two years of Rookie ball, his production dropped in his first full season but he still held his own. Webster has a good idea at the plate and puts the ball in play consistently. Rangers hitting instructors are working with him to improve his hand position and his pre-swing load to help him drive the ball more often. Webster is a 60 runner on the 20-80 scouting scale, with an above-average arm and solid instincts for center field. He's scheduled to play in high Class A this year.
An outstanding high school tailback, Webster picked baseball over football and is proving his instincts to be as good as his ability. Despite rough edges and a lack of amateur pedigree, he has come out firing as a pro, hitting .330 in his first two pro seasons while scoring 96 runs in 116 games. He led Bristol to the Rookie-level Appalachian League title. Webster is reminiscent of a young Marquis Grissom, though he's still learning how to put his explosive speed and his raw power to use on a diamond. He's a natural hitter and made tremendous strides in his approach in 2002, drawing as many walks as strikeouts. He plays the game with a vengeance. Despite his strength, Webster has one homer in two pro seasons. He lacks experience, which sometimes leads to him trying to force the action in center field. He'll have to prove he can hit the quality breaking pitches he'll see in full-season leagues. Webster will open 2003 as a teenager at low Class A Kannapolis. He's a good candidate for step-by-step development but has the talent to force his way upward quickly if he continues to play like he has thus far. All the tools are there for him to develop into an all-star.
This guy was as raw as they come beginning his pro career but wasted no time putting his athleticism on display. Webster wasn't drafted until the 15th round in 2001 but impressed managers enough to be rated the No. 7 prospect in the Rookie-level Arizona League. Skippers liked his hard-nosed approach as much as his ability. He finished second in the AZL in stolen bases and fourth in hits. An outstanding high school tailback recruited by Southeastern Conference schools, Webster has intrigued the Sox with his combination of quickness and strength. He shows power to the gaps and uses his speed to get extra-base hits. He covers lots of ground in center but time will tell whether he stays there or moves to a corner. The Sox will know more about Webster after he plays a full season, but it appears all the pieces are there.

Minor League Top Prospects

Webster has looked like a steal since the White Sox drafted him in the 15th round in 2001. He's far from a finished product, yet he's a career .330 hitter who dramatically improved his batting eye this summer. Webster is a quintessential leadoff hitter/center fielder with plus speed that he incorporates in all phases of his game. He also possesses some serious sting in his bat, though he doesn't hit for considerable power. "He can really handle the bat," Leyva said. "He's a heads-up player who walks a lot and is always a threat to run. For a young kid, he is very disciplined. I think you're going to see him really come on fast in the near future."
A 15th-round pick in June, Webster made a strong impression on every manager. He showed every tool except arm strength, and his exceptional speed compensates for that shortcoming. He covers a lot of ground on defense and charges balls well. His speed also enables him to be a flashy leadoff hitter. The White Sox are working hard at getting Webster to bunt the ball more to take advantage of his wheels. "He's very raw," Munoz said, "but he's got tools. I was impressed with the way he hits lefthanded pitching so well, which is unusual for a first-year guy."