Angel Berroa
Kansas City Royals
Position: SS Bats Right Throws: Right Height: 6-0 Weight: 170 Born: 1/27/78
| Year |
Team |
Level |
G |
AB |
R |
H |
2B |
3B |
HR |
RBI |
BB |
K |
SB |
CS |
BA |
OBP |
SLG |
| 2001 |
Wilmington |
A |
51 |
199 |
43 |
63 |
18 |
4 |
6 |
25 |
9 |
41 |
10 |
6 |
.317 |
.382 |
.538 |
| 2001 |
Wichita |
AA |
80 |
304 |
63 |
90 |
20 |
4 |
8 |
42 |
17 |
55 |
15 |
6 |
.296 |
.373 |
.467 |
| 2001 |
Kansas City |
AL |
15 |
53 |
8 |
16 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
3 |
10 |
2 |
0 |
.302 |
.339 |
.340 |
| 2002 |
Omaha |
AAA |
77 |
297 |
37 |
64 |
11 |
4 |
8 |
35 |
15 |
84 |
6 |
4 |
.215 |
.277 |
.360 |
| 2002 |
Kansas City |
AL |
20 |
75 |
8 |
17 |
7 |
1 |
0 |
5 |
7 |
10 |
3 |
0 |
.227 |
.301 |
.347 |
Background
Angel Berroa was originally signed by the Athletics in 1997 out of the Dominican Republic. After a decent full-season debut in 2000, he was traded to the Royals as the key prospect in the Johnny Damon/Roberto Hernandez three-way trade between K.C., Oakland, and Tampa Bay. Berroa broke out with an excellent '01 campaign, hitting .317 at Class A Wilmington, .296 at Double-A Wichita, and combining for 14 homers, 38 doubles, and 25 steals. But 2002 was another story.
The season got off to a bad start, when it was revealed he was two years older than previously admitted, a blow to his prospect status. Injuries limited him to just 77 games at Triple-A Omaha, and he played poorly when he wasn't hurt. Despite these problems the Royals dumped the useless Neifi Perez this winter and have given Berroa the shortstop job for '03, on the theory that no one can be worse than Perez.
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The Rookies
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Throughout spring training, John Sickels will provide in-depth reports on 10 of the hottest rookies to watch. Here's the complete schedule of when each report will appear:
Feb. 27: 1B, Travis Hafner,
Indians
March 5: 2B, Joe Thurston,
Dodgers
March 7: SS, Angel Berroa,
Royals
March 11: 3B, Brandon Larson,
Reds
March 13: C, Miguel Olivo,
White Sox
March 18: SP, John Patterson,
Diamondbacks
March 20: RP, Francisco
Rodriguez, Angels
March 25: OF, Hideki Matsui,
Yankees
March 27: OF, Jason Lane,
Astros
April 1: OF to be determined
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Scouting report
Berroa is an excellent natural athlete, and this shows up strongly on defense. His range, arm strength, and hand coordination are all excellent. He makes too many errors, but is more reliable than he used to be, and this will improve with time. Questions continue to revolve around his bat. He has power, but struggles to control the strike zone. He made some progress with this in '01, but went backwards in '02. I saw him several times at Omaha, and it was clear that he was attempting to work the count. But even when he got ahead 1-0 or 2-1, he was unable to translate this into improved production or more walks. His swing wasn't as smooth as it was in '01. It looked like he was having problems with his weight shift, likely related to the knee troubles that dogged him all year. He looked a little better in September for the Royals, drawing seven walks in 83 plate appearances.
Performance
Berroa's 2001 numbers imply he can hit .270-.285 at the major-league level with decent power and good speed, though with few walks. His '02 numbers imply he'll have trouble hitting .200. Which is accurate? It's hard to know, given his injury problems last year, but the answer is likely somewhere in the middle.
Health record
Injuries were a huge problem for Berroa last year. He missed two months with a knee injury that required surgery, and didn't look the same after he came back. He also suffered several pulled and strained muscles, and was bothered by hamstring and back troubles in particular. Watching him play, it was obvious that he was less than comfortable most of the year, and this clearly had an effect on his performance.
What to expect
Berroa is one of the biggest wild cards of the '03 season. Which was the fluke year, '01 or '02? It is tempting to just set aside the injury-riddled '02 evidence entirely, but that ignores the fact that Berroa's strike-zone judgment has never been good. The two years added to his birth certificate are also a major negative in evaluating his future, and it's possible that '01 was the real aberration. Berroa should do well defensively, and the Royals have nothing to lose by letting him play and seeing what happens with his bat.
John Sickels is the author of the 2003 Baseball Prospect Book, which can be ordered through his website, Johnsickels.com. His biography of Bob Feller will be published this spring by Brassey's. He lives in Lawrence, Kansas, with his wife, son, and two cats. You can send John questions or comments at JASickels@aol.com.
