NEIL WALKER

9/10/85; '04 1st; Gibsonia, PA (HS)
S/R; 6-3, 205

Level
BA
OBP
SA
AB
2B
3B
HR
BB
K
SB
CS
2004 HS
.657
  
1.403
67
9
1
13
    
9
  
2004 A-
.303
.333
.394
33
3
0
0
2
1
1
2
2004 R
.271
.313
.427
192
12
3
4
10
33
3
1
2005 A+
.262
.244
.357
42
2
1
0
0
12
0
0
2005 A
.301
.332
.452
485
33
2
12
20
71
7
4
2006 AA
.161
.188
.355
31
0
0
2
1
4
0
0
2006 A+
.284
.345
.409
264
22
1
3
19
41
3
5
2007 AAA
.203
.261
.250
64
3
0
0
2
13
1
1
2007 AA
.288
.362
.462
431
30
3
13
53
73
9
4

Their top pick in the 2004 draft, Walker was identified early as a target for the Pirates, given their desperate need for hitting prospects.  Regarded at the beginning of his senior year in HS as a likely 2nd round pick, he got better and better, moving up quickly as the draft neared, becoming universally regarded as the best available catcher.  The Pirates probably would have selected SS Chris Nelson over Walker, but he was taken before their pick.  Walker has the added advantage of being a local product and lifelong Pirate fan, although that wasn't the reason they drafted him.  He signed just 10 days after the draft for a $1.95M bonus.

Walker struggled initially in the GCL, but began hitting much better late in the season and continued to do so after being promoted to Williamsport at the end of the GCL season.  At Hickory in 2005, he had a very solid year for a 19-year-old, good enough to be chosen the SAL's second best prospect.  He improved steadily throughout the year, with a good deal of his power coming late.  He did OK after being promoted to Lynchburg in time for the playoffs.  The one big issue with his hitting was his failure to draw walks—at one point in 2005 he went nearly two months without walking.  Walker himself said that he intentionally expands the strike zone because "nobody walks to the majors."  This should have created some concern about the quality of the coaching he was getting.

After the 2005 season, Walker hurt his wrist taking a swing in the Arizona Fall League and had to have surgery.  At Lynchburg in 2006, he struggled in the aftermath of the surgery.  He joined the team in mid-May, but didn't start to hit until July.  His power was mostly absent; Walker himself said that he was hitting balls that normally would have been out, but were falling short as the strength wasn't back in his wrist.  He did, however, hit a lot of doubles.  Once he got going in July he posted an OPS close to .900.  Eventually he got his overall numbers up to the point where they weren't that bad for a 20-year-old playing in high A.  Walker's walk rate went through an interesting transition:  he drew none in over 50 plate appearances in May, but 16 in about 190 plate appearances in June and July.  The Pirates promoted him to Altoona in mid-August, to get him some experience in a playoff race and in the post-season.  He showed some power there right away, but unfortunately got sidelined with a viral infection.  He was probably still weak when he returned and didn't hit at all at the end of the regular season, but he batted .300 in the playoffs.

Walker was regarded when he was drafted as having the ability to be a good defensive catcher.  His catching started drawing criticism in 2005, however, as he was regarded by some as awkward behind the plate and he had a fairly high PB total.  His arm is regarded as average, but the Pirates have stated that he times out above average in getting the ball to second due to a quick release, although his mechanics are erratic.  He threw out 37% on base stealing attempts in 2005.  Much of the concern stemmed from the fact that his bat was more advanced than his glove, which could have delayed his arrival in the majors.  The criticism subsided some in 2006, as his defense reportedly improved a great deal, even while the wrist was hampering his hitting.  The Pirates, however, decided in spring training to move Walker full-time to third base.  The move no doubt reflected a combination of concern about his glove, happiness with Ron Paulino, and eagerness to get his bat to the majors.  They also made it clear that they didn't want to be in the position of having to make a position switch later on.

The switch generally went well.  Walker had 25 errors and a .915 fielding percentage at Altoona, but that's not alarming considering that it was his first year at 3B and he was making the transition at a high level of the minors.  He showed the ability to make difficult plays, but sometimes misplayed grounders or made bad throws.  At this point there's no reason to think he can't become a good defender there.  With the bat he started off slowly, not showing much power early in the season, but he got hot in May, hitting seven HRs, and then posted an OPS over 1.000 in June.  Unfortunately, he stopped hitting then, with only one more HR the rest of the season and an OPS just over .600 in July.  One significant sign of progress was his walk rate, which remained good throughout his time in AA.  He also continued to make good contact.  He's been regarded as being a better hitter left-handed, especially in the power department, but he had almost exactly the same numbers from each side in AA, except that he drew more walks hitting right-handed.  Despite the slump, the Pirates promoted him to AAA late in the season and he struggled there.  He didn't turn 22 until after the season, so he was still fairly young.  He'll open 2008 in AAA and will probably make his major league debut at some point unless he suffers some sort of setback.

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