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: 45 | Power: 45 | Run: 65 | Arm: 55 | Field: 55 | Overall: 45

Hailing from the Hudson Valley region of New York, Stafura was a high school infielder taken by the Reds in the second round of the 2023 Draft, getting an over-slot bonus of $2.5 million. The Reds sent him to the Arizona Complex League to begin his first full season, and Stafura hit so well there that he got moved to full-season Daytona after just 15 games. He was back in the Florida State League having a solid 2025 when he was sent to the Pirates in the Ke’Bryan Hayes deal at the Trade Deadline. He got pushed from Single-A Bradenton quickly up to High-A Greensboro for a playoff push, and the whirlwind of three teams in seven or so days was a bit overwhelming.

While Stafura struggled a bit after the trade, the Pirates feel there are some underlying metrics that point to future impact. The right-handed hitter’s top-end exit velocities were still well above average, even during his rough stretch in Greensboro while playing at the level at age 20. He can try to muscle up too much and get rigid, and he needs to rely on his natural athleticism in the box more. There’s a bit too much swing-and-miss and chase, especially against spin and elite velocity up in the zone, but his strike zone knowledge has helped him offset that with a career walk rate close to 15 percent heading into the 2026 season.

Stafura’s floor is raised because of his speed -- he’s stolen 30-plus bases in each of his two full seasons of pro ball -- and his defense. The Pirates have every confidence in his ability to stick at shortstop, already liking his outstanding range, actions and instincts at the premium position. They’ll get to help him find out what kind of offensive player he is, and that will determine his ultimate ceiling. 

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

Stafura became just the second high school infielder from New York to be taken in the top two rounds of the Draft, following Yankees 2010 first-rounder City Culver. Signing for an over-slot $2.5 million, Stafura struggled in his first brief taste of pro ball in the Arizona Complex League but clearly learned some lessons he brought with him into 2024, when he posted a 1.031 OPS in 15 games back in the ACL to earn a promotion to Single-A Daytona, where he continued to show impressive on-base skills and basestealing acumen. It was more of the same back in Daytona for the 2025 season when he was sent to the Pirates close to the Trade Deadline for Ke’Bryan Hayes.

Staying more athletic in the box will continue to be key for Stafura, along with using the big parts of the field, rather than trying to muscle up too much. A bat wrap he used back in high school can show up at times, making it a little tougher for him to catch up to elite fastballs, but he’s shown that he can make adjustments and has a pretty good idea of the strike zone, so there’s confidence that more reps will help him address those things. He uses his speed very well, turning his .384 on-base percentage with Daytona over two years into 55 steals in 166 games.

Stafura’s athleticism is an athlete on the dirt as well. He’s played shortstop almost exclusively thus far in his pro career and there are no plans to change that, and he has the range, hands, actions and arm to stick there long term. He’s gotten high marks for his passion for the game and his work ethic, with considerable ceiling to reach as he continues to learn about what it takes to manage a season-long workload.

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 Post-Season All-Star

Year	Team
2025

FSL Player of the Week

Week	Team
08/11/2024

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	03/05/2026	SS Sammy Stafura assigned to Pittsburgh Pirates Prospects.
	08/05/2025	SS Sammy Stafura assigned to Greensboro Grasshoppers from Bradenton Marauders.
	07/31/2025	Bradenton Marauders activated SS Sammy Stafura.
	07/31/2025	SS Sammy Stafura assigned to Bradenton Marauders.
	07/30/2025	Pittsburgh Pirates traded 3B Ke'Bryan Hayes to Cincinnati Reds for LHP Taylor Rogers, SS Sammy Stafura and cash.
	03/06/2025	activated SS Sammy Stafura.
	02/22/2025	SS Sammy Stafura assigned to Cincinnati Reds.
	05/26/2024	SS Sammy Stafura assigned to Daytona Tortugas from ACL Reds.
	05/26/2024	Daytona Tortugas activated SS Sammy Stafura.
	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.