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TopProspectAlert.com Minor League News & Autograph Blog HomeTop Prospect Alert - Austin Kearns By Robert SherryAustin Kearns: After spending his second
season in the Midwest League, This 20-year-old proved to be one of the top
power-hitting prospects (along with Seattle's Chris Snelling) that this
Low-A league saw in 2000.
Originally a first round selection by the Reds in the 1998 draft, the Reds decided to place Kearns at Dayton rather than jump him to double-A (they will have a High-A team starting in 2001 for the first time since 1996). He excelled with the Dragons, batting .306 with 27 home runs, 104 runs batted in, 37 doubles, 2 triples, 110 runs scored, 90 walks, 93 strikeouts and 18 steals in 484 at-bats. This was a big improvement over his 1999 stats when he batted .258 with 13 home runs and 48 runs batted in. At 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, this 20-year-old
has the size to be a big-time run producer, but he also has some speed
that you usually don't realize when you think of his game. Plus, his arm
strength is more than capable of handling right field in the majors. When
you add everything together, what you get is a potential future five-tool
player. I would place Kearns at the top of the Reds prospect
list.
When Kearns plays for Mudville next season, his all-out style of play should go a long way to becoming a favorite of another former hard-nosed player, new Mudville manager Lenny Dykstra. |
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