Akil Baddoo - 2018

[Vanimal46]

Akil Baddoo

 

 

 

Position: OF 

B/T: L/L
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 185 lbs. (Yeah right!)
Birthday: August 16, 1998 AGE: 19 

Drafted in the 2nd round (74th overall) in 2016

 

He will be playing his first FULL professional season this year. Starting in Cedar Rapids, and hopefully ending the year in Fort Myers. 

Have you ever needed motivation to work out and get RIPPED?! Well, my friends, let me introduce you to Akil Baddoo, the winner of Twins' Daily's Short-Season Hitter of the Year in 2017. His instagram is loaded with pictures of him working out, and building himself for future success in baseball. 

 

His first taste of professional baseball didn't go as planned in 2016, where he only managed a .570 OPS in 127 PA. The second time was the charm for Akil, as he returned to the GCL in 2017 and made headlines with his speed and his bat! In 243 PA, he batted .323/.436/.527, 19 2B, 5 3B, 4 HR, and 9-for-13 in stolen base attempts! 

 

The largest improvement for Baddoo from 2016 to 2017 was his K/BB ratio. In 2016, it looked like we had another Eddie Rosario on our hands, with 36 K's to go with only 18 walks. In 2017, we may have a LaMonte Wade on our hands, with 36 walks and 32 strikeouts. 

 

Baddoo played a majority of his games in CF, and he has the athleticism to play anywhere in the OF. 

 

And now, here's some fun videos! 

First, here's Baddoo starting the fireworks early on July 4th hitting a walk-off HR

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RQDxu3WAzo

 

And here's a video of him getting some work in the cages before heading down to Spring Training this year. 

 

If you're a Twitter person, follow him here 
 

 

 

[Squirrel]

Well done, Van! First in, first up today!

 

And yeah ... heh ... 185??? When was that from?

[Vanimal46]

This is how Baddoo grades out on MLB.com's 2018 Preseason Top 30 Prospect list...

 

Team Rank: #11

 

Hit: 55 | Power: 45 | Run: 60 | Arm: 40 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45

ETA: 2020

 

Full scouting report on him and 29 other prospects here.

 

 

[Vanimal46]

[Vanimal46]

[markos]

Is it just me, or his swing Denard Span-esque?

[gunnarthor]

My guess is that he catapults up prospect lists this year and finishes in the top 50. He, Kiriloff, Miranda and Rortvedt are going to make the 2016 draft class rival 2012.

[goulik]

 

My guess is that he catapults up prospect lists this year and finishes in the top 50. He, Kiriloff, Miranda and Rortvedt are going to make the 2016 draft class rival 2012.

This ^

That is a list of 4 guys I believe will surprise people down the road (well, kirloff might not be a surprise). I'll predict that barring injury, all 4 will rise the prospect lists this year.

[nicksaviking]

 

Is it just me, or his swing Denard Span-esque?

 

Span never stepped toward the pitch, it's why he never generated any power. I always disagreed with that aspect of his game, his swing made him look a lot smaller than he was. The guy is 6' 210 lbs, we've seen much smaller frames do more driving the ball.

[Vanimal46]

Copied from the National Writers on Twins prospects thread...

 

Dane26

1:45 Does Akil Baddoo have the tools to be an above-average regular?

 

 

Keith Law

1:45 Absolutely.

[Vanimal46]

[ashbury]

Taking nothing away from the Kernels' pluck in winning the game, but that was a highlight reel of atrocious fielding by the Quad Cities guys. Bobbled pickups, bounced throws... I guess learning is what single-A is for.

[Vanimal46]

Taking nothing away from the Kernels' pluck in winning the game, but that was a highlight reel of atrocious fielding by the Quad Cities guys. Bobbled pickups, bounced throws... I guess learning is what single-A is for.

Concur. There's better fielding in a high school game compared to the blunders from Quad Cities.

[Guest]

Nice "get to know" video by the Kernels on Baddoo. 

 

https://youtu.be/0VbYcNFR3oU

 

[Mike Sixel]

https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/daily-prospect-notes-7-9/

 

tons of video...