Drafted in the third round of the 2004 MLB draft by the Toronto Blue Jays, Adam Lind has risen to the top of the Jays farm system in two and a half years. There are two common themes to Lind’s baseball career: power and poor defense. He is now poised to play a role in Toronto.
Lind, who was drafted out of South Alabama, moved to low-A ball and posted a .312/.371/.477 line immediately out of college. The next year he started in high-A and hit a remarkably similar .313/.375//.478.
Lind started 2006 in Double-A where he saw his OBP drop (.357) but his slugging percentage rise (.453). Some of his doubles began leaving the yard while his strikeouts spiked. But Toronto saw beyond that and promoted him to Triple-A where he, in a 109 at-bat stint, posted a .394/.496/.596 line. That earned him his first chance to perform in the big leagues.
For the 2007 season, Lind has to battle Reed
Johnson for a spot in left field and Frank Thomas for DH duties.
Regardless, Lind should provide some offensive boost for the Jays in
2007.
Offense
Lind has been an above-average hitter for his entire career. Dating back to college, Lind has displayed immense power potential and the ability to hit for average. He has quick hands that allow him to cover most of the plate, catch up to gas, and recover from mistakes.
The lefthander is able to generate power to all fields with a fluid, concise swing. Lind has an understanding of an at-bat that he uses to his advantage. He is usually patient enough to wait for his pitch and then to tee off on it. His bat is definitely ready to make an impact in the major leagues.
Lind shows an above-average ability to handle breaking balls. He thrives on smacking fastballs all over the park but the ability to unload on breaking balls is what helps him succeed on a consistent basis.
Lind is not very athletic or quick and therefore struggles on the base paths. Players that are less mobile with power and on-base skills tend to decline faster than others.
Defense
The biggest concern for Lind is where he will play defensively. He has limited range and doesn’t have a great arm. That doesn’t bode well. Combine that with Vernon Wells, Alex Rios and Reed Johnson already in Toronto, and you see a man without a home. Lind could end up seeing some time at first base.
Future Outlook
Wherever Lind plays he’ll hit. He has the potential to hit .315 with 25-30 home runs. His patience will help him maintain an elevated level of play at the plate. Lind has All-Star potential and will be an important part of the Blue Jays future. He just needs to find a spot to play. For the 2007 season, Lind only needs playing time in order to challenge Delmon Young, Alex Gordon and Daisuke Matsuzaka for AL Rookie of the Year.
Koby Schellenger can be reached at koby.schellenger@gmail.com.