Director of Scouting Ric Wilson snagged Stamets in the 6th round after Sappington and the Angels sent him straightway to Low-A ball where he held his own and demonstrated gold glove defense.
Eric Stamets has two plus tools, speed and defense at shortstop. With well above-average speed, Stamet's home-to-first times is in the 4.1-second range from the right side of the plate. He stole 100 bases in three seasons at Evansville. Stamets' speed also helps him cover a lot of ground at shortstop, where he's shown soft hands and a strong arm. Offensively, Stamets is a slap hitter who makes solid contact, but he has no power and little extra base pop. Slapping at the ball will play out well with his plus speed and should allow Stamets to hit for a high average if he can catch up to top tier fastballs as he advances through the minors.
Stamets played in 62 games at Cedar Rapids and held his own and for the High-A Inland Empire 66ers he's hitting a .281 with a solid .374 on base pct. The head scratcher thus far is that Stamets has just two stolen bases through 32 games. 2013 should be a telling season to see whether the Angels have a good find in Stamets as a future starter, or the next Andrew Romine, destined for a utility spot on a major league roster.
Check out our interview with Eric conducted a couple weeks ago by David Saltzer.
