Scouting Report

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Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 50 | Run: 65 | Arm: 55 | Field: 55 | Overall: 50

There have been some recent Draft success stories among high school shortstops from the Northeast, most notably the Yankees’ Anthony Volpe, a first-round pick out of New Jersey in 2021, and most recently, Cole Young, taken out of Pennsylvania in the first round by the Mariners last year. That certainly hasn’t hurt Stafura, who hails from New York State and shook off a so-so summer to perform very well this spring and put a big up arrow next to his name.

A right-handed-hitting middle infielder, Stafura has gained strength since the summer and that has shown up in his performance. He can drive the ball to all fields, with the ability to hit it hard the other way at times, but it’s strength over bat speed with a bit of a stiff swing, leading some to see him more as a power-over-hit type.

Stafura is an excellent athlete and plus runner, one who even played some center field over the summer. But there’s a stronger belief he can stick at shortstop long term, another reason for his helium, with good actions and enough arm for the premium position. It was a little tough to evaluate him this spring because the league he plays in isn’t super-competitive, but there were teams thinking about the Clemson recruit late in the first round as the Draft approached.

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 45 | Run: 65 | Arm: 55 | Field: 55 | Overall: 45

It’s never clear how a high school player from a cold-weather state is going to transition to pro ball after signing. Stafura, who rose up Draft boards in 2023 while playing in New York, landed in the second round and got an over-slot bonus of $2.5 million to sign rather than head to Clemson. His debut in the Arizona Complex League was a very brief 12-game stint, but showed it might take a little time for the infielder to get acclimated.

The Reds feel that during his senior season, Stafura got away from what made him a prospect in the first place. He was often too stiff, with strength over bat speed as he perhaps tried to tap into his natural raw power too much. The hope is that he can get back to the more athletic and complete hitter he was previously, staying through the middle of the field. There’s some work to be done in terms of consistency in his approach and repeating his swing mechanics will be key.

While he struggled a bit offensively out of the gate, there were no such bumps with the other facets of his game. He’s an easily plus runner, and he showed off very impressive defensive skills in the ACL and instructional league play. A tireless worker with great passion for the game, there’s plenty of confidence he’ll start showing more consistent results once he gets more reps against premium stuff.

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 50 | Run: 65 | Arm: 55 | Field: 55 | Overall: 45

There have been some recent Draft success stories among high school shortstops from the Northeast, most notably the Yankees’ Anthony Volpe, a first-round pick out of New Jersey in 2021, and most recently, Cole Young, taken out of Pennsylvania in the first round by the Mariners last year. Stafura heard his name mentioned in many first-round conversations after shaking off a so-so summer to perform well during his senior year in high school in New York, landing in the second round where the Reds went over slot to sign him away from his Clemson commitment for $2.5 million.

A right-handed-hitting middle infielder, Stafura gained strength since last summer and that showed in his performance. He can drive the ball to all fields, with the ability to hit it hard the other way at times, but it’s strength over bat speed with a bit of a stiff swing, leading some to see him more as a power-over-hit type.

Stafura is an excellent athlete and plus runner, one who even played some center field over the summer. But there’s a stronger belief he can stick at shortstop long term, another reason for his helium as the Drat approached, with good actions and enough arm for the premium position. 

Awards

FSL Player of the Week

Week	Team
08/11/2024

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	05/26/2024	SS Sammy Stafura assigned to Daytona Tortugas from ACL Reds.
	07/27/2023	SS Sammy Stafura assigned to ACL Reds.
	07/27/2023	Cincinnati Reds drafted SS Sammy Stafura.
	06/06/2023	SS Sammy Stafura assigned to College Workout.
	07/18/2022	SS Samuel Stafura and assigned to High School Workout.