EDDIE PRASCH

1/25/86; '04 3rd; Alpharetta , GA (HS)
L/R; 6-1, 180

Level
BA
OBP
SA
AB
2B
3B
HR
BB
K
SB
CS
2004 HS
.463
 
.837
123
15
1
13
 
 
20
0
2004 R
.220
.301
.305
118
6
2
0
12
27
1
1
2005 A-
.217
.321
.239
92
2
0
0
12
17
3
2
2005 R
.302
.403
.340
53
2
0
0
9
12
0
0
2006 A
.241
.303
.341
369
18
2
5
29
103
7
5
2007 A
.236
.327
.385
348
20
4
8
36
122
6
1
2008 A+
.271
.362
.362
365
22
1
3
50
72
8
2

A 3rd-round pick, Prasch was taken for his bat, which was regarded as his only plus tool.  He was a line drive hitter in HS, although the Pirates thought he'd develop power.  A SS in HS, he moved to 3B in the GCL.  He didn't hit in his first season there.  He started 2005 hurt and joined Bradenton partway into their season.  He started hitting for average and showed improved plate discipline, but no power, then moved up to Williamsport and didn't hit at all, although he continued to show good plate discipline.  The Pirates moved him up to Hickory anyway, and he struggled there, although not nearly as much.

As a thirdbaseman, a big issue for him has been developing power.  Through July 20, 2006, he still hadn't hit a professional HR, but he hit two on the 21st and two more over the next four days.  He then hit only one the rest of the year.  He didn't hit LHPs at all, with a .518 OPS.  He may have been trying to hit for more power, considering the sharp increase in his K rate and the decrease in his walk rate.  He's a skinny guy; the Pirates probably hoped he'd fill out.  He runs OK, but he's not good defensively.  Earlier in his career, groundballs tended to eat him up sometimes, and he had an odd throwing motion in which he seemed to sling the ball from the hip.  His error total in 2006 (31 in 105 games at 3B) wasn't good, although at that level it wasn't unusual, either.

Prasch returned to Hickory in 2007 and made improvements, but probably not enough.  He showed decent power and hit respectably (.786 OPS) against RHPs, but remained helpless (.486 OPS) against LHPs.  He fanned in over a third of his ABs, so he probably was overswinging much of the time.  He cut his error total dramatically, to 13, and his defensive play has looked much better when I've seen him the last two years.  His throwing also looks less awkward.  Nevertheless, Jared Keel cut significantly into his playing time until the team decided Keel couldn't handle 3B defensively, so that's an indication that Prasch is off the prospect track.  He opened 2008 at Lynchburg, but Jim Negrych became the starter at 3B and Prasch was slated to be a utility player.  He was one of the few Hillcats' players other than Negrych who hit anything at all early in the season, which bought him semi-regular playing time, mostly in RF in place of the struggling Albert Laboy.  Prasch also served as DH and, when Negrych was promoted, eventually moved back to 3B.  He hit over .300 in both April and May, then tailed off over the remainder of the season.  He still showed dramatically improved plate discipline, possibly because he gave up on the efforts to hit for power.  Because his natural power is to the opposite field and he's not a big guy, he probably just wasn't destined to be more than a line drive hitter.  Prasch continued to struggle with LHPs, although not quite as badly as before.  Prasch is eligible for the Rule 5 draft but there's no chance he'll be selected.  The Pirates could keep him at Lynchburg in 2009 or move him up to Altoona as a utility player.

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