STEVE LERUD

10/13/84; '03 3rd; Galena (NV) HS
L/R; 6-1, 205

Level
BA
OBP
SA
AB
2B
3B
HR
BB
K
SB
CS
2003 INJURED
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2004 A-
.241
.353
.241
29
0
0
0
4
6
0
1
2004 R
.246
.297
.411
175
12
1
5
11
38
0
1
2005 A
.088
.149
.238
80
2
2
2
4
27
0
1
2005 A-
.125
.176
.219
32
0
0
1
2
14
0
0
2005 R
.267
.351
.450
60
3
1
2
7
13
0
0
2006 A
.239
.330
.402
393
28
0
12
40
146
4
3
2007 A+
.202
.299
.310
287
17
1
4
31
63
3
2

Lerud batted .490 with 21 HRs his senior year in HS, making him Nevada's career leader in HRs. He was regarded as being a good hitter but probably subpar defensively. Although he signed soon after being drafted, he didn't play in 2003 due to a foot injury. He started off well in 2004, hitting all his HRs in the first few weeks. After that, his hitting and plate discipline tailed off badly. He held his own, and showed more patience, after a late-season promotion to Williamsport. He was expected to spend 2005 splitting the catching and DHing duties with Neil Walker at Hickory, but the season turned into a disaster for him. He suffered a hand injury early from being hit by a pitch. After missing some time, he came back and went into a dreadful slump, as is obvious from his Hickory stats. It turned out his hand was broken. He returned late in the year and did OK in a brief stint in the GCL, then struggled in a briefer one with Williamsport. It's not unlikely the hand was still affecting him at that stage.

Lerud managed to stay healthy in 2006 and spent the year as the regular catcher at Hickory. He showed good power for a catcher and drew some walks, but obviously had huge problems making contact. He's not an impatient hitter. He tries to wait on a good pitch, but when I've seen him it's tended to leave him behind in the count more often than not. He didn't make progress during the season, either; his OPS declined every month, except for a slight rise from July to August. He was prone to lengthy stretches in which he struck out in nearly every at-bat. Surprisingly, he hit LHPs a little better than RHPs (.789 OPS to .711). He also had trouble defensively, with an alarming PB total (35). He moved up to Lynchburg in 2007 and struggled even more than before. Judging by the drop in his K rate, he must have been trying to cut down on his swing, but his power mostly disappeared in the process. He did make some strides defensively, throwing out nearly 40% of the runners who tried to steal on him, which was one of the better percentages in the minors. He also had 25 PBs, though, in fewer games than 2006. He missed time with injuries at various points in the season. Lerud will still be only 22 at the start of the 2008 season, but he's not making any progress with the bat. He'll return to Lynchburg in 2008 and probably share time in some form or other with Kris Watts.

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