In 10 words or fewer: Surprisingly good collegiate OF taken in middle rounds of draft.
Position: OF | Age (2016): 22
Bats: L | Throws: R
Height: 6’0″ | Weight: 185
2015 Rank: N/A
OFFENSE
Contact – B. Sanger makes enough contact to hit anywhere in the lineup. While it’s likely he’ll have a more difficult time making contact at the upper levels, it doesn’t appear as if it will ever be a problem. Suffice it to say he’s above average in this context, and will likely remain at least average later on. From an aesthetic standpoint, Sanger has one of the prettiest swings I’ve ever seen.
Power – B-. Sanger is plenty strong, but his power comes in more of the gap to gap sense, and less in the over the wall type. This doesn’t have anything to do with ability, it’s more or less a function of his swing type, more geared for line drives.
Discipline – A. This past draft will go down as one of my favorites (not my favorite, but one of them) because of the type of player former GM Jerry Dipoto was chasing. Collegiate outfielders with great plate discipline that could climb the prospect ladder quickly. Recognizing there would be serious depth isuues in the next three years for the Angels, it was Dipoto’s design to infuse the system with high floor talent, and Sanger fits that profile perfectly. He works counts, takes his walks, hits the ball to all parts of the field and is particularly strong against RHP.
Speed – B. Sanger has above average speed and quickness to go along with above average natural athleticism and the end result of that is an excellent baserunner. While we don’t expect him to be competing for a stolen base crown any time soon, 15-20 SB on a yearly basis can be expected.
DEFENSE
Arm – A. Sanger comes pre-loaded with a cannon as a right arm. Seriously, this guy has a rocket. Easily one of the better arms you’ll see in the minors, and capable of manning any position, particularly RF.
Fielding – C. Sanger was merely average as a fielder. He made some mistakes early on, and his routes weren’t terrible or great. I suspect it was a small sample size though, as most reports indicate Sanger is a solid defensive OF.
Range – C. I think this was the part I wasn’t entirely impressed with. He just didn’t seem to get great jumps on the ball or glide through the OF the way that other guys as fast and athletic as he is can. It wasn’t like he was bad, more that I thought he’d be better.
OVERALL
Performance – B. After a rocky start to his professional career, Sanger found his groove and lit up the Pioneer League. I’m surprised they kept him there instead of moving him on to the Midwest League immediately, but seeing as his team was in playoff contention and the Angels Midwest League affiliate in Burlington wasn’t, they had good reason to keep him down. A .300 average with an OBP north of .400, more walks than strikeouts, power and speed to go along with solid defense. Sanger showed it all.
Projection – B. I don’t envision Sanger ever growing into a superstar, but I’m relatively confident we’re looking at a legitimate major leaguer here. He looks like a starting OF to me and I think he could be the next Kole Calhoun, which is to say he’ll be an unexpected, but good starting major league OF. Not quite an all-star, but good nonetheless.
What to expect in 2016 – I don’t see any sense in keeping a player as gifted and advanced as Sanger in the lowest levels of the minor leagues when he’s ready for a challenge. I think we’ll see a full season from Sanger in the Cal League as a 22 year old, and I think that by next June draft his stock as a prospect will skyrocket and by this time next year he’ll be commonly considered one of the Angels’ top five or 10 prospects.
Most Likely Scenario – Sanger mashes in the Cal League, his hype will drop considerably in AA Arkansas because the hitting environment won’t be as conducive to offensive numbers, but his refinement as a player will still make him one of the better players. He’ll spend about half season in AAA before hitting his way into a role with the Angels. After some adjustments are made, he’ll be a starting corner outfielder.
Grade as a Prospect – C+. Collegiate hitters mash their way through the hitting friendly Pioneer League all the time. If he wants to be more regarded as a prospect, we’ll need to see it across a full season. Still, because of his beautiful swing and ability, he gets the “plus” by his name, but I believe this is the last time Sanger will be anything lower than a “B”.
Estimated Time of Arrival – 2018/2019. Sanger should make it to the majors around age 24/25, which is average for decent collegiate prospects.
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