Rank History
| Year | Team | Position | Team Rank | OFP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | BOS | 2B | 2 | 55 |
Grades Update: Dec 2020
| OFP | Role | Hit | Power | Field | Arm | Run |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55 | 60 | 55 | 55 | 50 | 45 | 55 |
Dec 2020 Report
Evaluator: Geoff Pontes
Age: 22 yr
Height: 5-11
Weight: 180 lbs
Hits/Throws: R/R
Acquired: 2017 Draft - CBA, CIN
RuleV: 2021
Physical Description: An athletic 5-feet 11-inches, mature build, not much projection remaining. Lean muscle, strong throughout, muscular lower half. Strong forearms and broad shoulders, body will need some maintenance as he ages.
Hit: Sets up at plate with open stance up on front toe, moderate leg lift timing mechanism and triggers hands. Quick load, sets up with hands by ear, drops quickly, doing a good job of keeping hands inside early, and extending upon contact. Pairs strong pitch recognition with hitter mentality, working deep into counts but avoiding passivity within his approach. Still prone to swing and miss, as a steep angular bat path leads to whiffs against velocity elevated. Heavy pull-middle approach, with a knack for hard, flyball contact to his pullside. Above average contact skills, strong pitch recognition, and approach should translate to above average hit tool, with outside chance for plus at maturation. Grade: 55
Power: Steep bat angle and quick compact swing allow Downs to tap into pull-side power with regularity, getting backspin on balls with ease. His hardest contact and a majority of his future home runs will come to his pull-side almost exclusively. Will drive balls to the gaps to the opposite field on occasion. Should see power production translate to high teen to low 20 home run power at peak with a high number of doubles, particularly as a right handed dead pull hitter in Fenway park. Grade: 55
Field: Quick first step, and strong lateral movement, will make aggressive plays on balls coming in but rarely gets caught off balance on scoop and throws. Hands and actions clean enough for shortstop, but lacks the desired arm strength to stick there long term. Good enough instincts to move around the infield, or cover an outfield spot in a pinch. Grade: 50
Arm: Below average arm, strong enough to work at second base but suboptimal throwing strength for shortstop. Makes accurate throws on the turn and should have the zip to make all the needed throws at the keystone. Grade: 45
Run: Posts surprisingly average run times for a player with high stolen base totals professionally. Is more instinctual runner than burner. Won't be the same stolen base threat at the major league level he has been in the minors. Likely 10-13 steals annually early on in his career with that slowing down over time as Downs matures. Grade: 55
Overall: A strong overall profile with strengths on both sides of the ball. It would be easy to call Downs a bat first second baseman with his strong mix of approach, contact, and power, but he brings a slick glove and heady base running to the table, positioning himself squarely in above average role territory.
OFP: 55
Role: 60 - Above-Average Player / Occasional All-Star
Risk: Moderate
