FSU’s D.J. Stewart Offers First-Round Tools in Unusual Package

Florida State outfielder D.J. Stewart was regarded as a first-round talent heading into his junior season, but after seeing him during an Easter weekend series at N.C. State in Raleigh, I came away with a lesser opinion.

A 28th-round draft pick by the Yankees out of high school in 2012, Stewart batted .364/.469/.560 as a freshman, then slashed .351/.472/.557 as a sophomore last year on his way to being named the ACC Player of the Year. He hit a disappointing .232/.362/.316 while playing for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team last summer, although he’s now carrying a .306/ .506/.595 line through 37 games this season. I got two looks at Stewart last week – one on Thursday and the other on Saturday – which is more time than you want to spend without sunscreen at Doak Field unless you’re a masochist who delights in the stinging pain of hot showers.

Physical Description

A former standout high school running back, the barrel-chested Stewart nearly looks the part of a lead-blocking NFL fullback with a broad, powerful torso and legs that approximate tree trunks. He’s listed at 6-foot, 230 pounds, and though he carries his weight well thanks to unexpected athleticism and agility, the body type is more thick than mesomorphic, so maintaining his fitness will require diligent maintenance. Dimensionally speaking, there’s a resemblance between him and Marlon Byrd, although a similarly aged Byrd was more tapered off and had a fast-twitch advantage.

Hit/Power

Unfortunately Stewart hit nothing hard during the two games I saw him play, but he did show the baseline hitting tools and advanced pitch recognition I need to see out of a guy whose value is tied so exclusively to his bat. From a low, wide and open stance, he uses a deep hand load and good bat speed to generate plus raw power. As the pitch travels, he takes a step forward in the box that leaves his stance only slightly less open than it was before, forcefully swiveling his hips as the bat takes a level path with the requisite loft to produce line drives.

From my look, I’m concerned about Stewart handling higher-velocity inside fastballs because of the deep load that can add length to his swing if you disrupt his timing. However, the pronounced load helps create power by adding distance to the impact point, while his shorter arms and above-average bat speed give him some margin for error. He has a power-over-hit approach at the plate that leads to the occasional off-balance whiff, as in the video above. This is more the way he swings than a feature or problem, but in any short look, it can seem like a future indicator. Stewart’s long track record of hitting in games is probably more telling than any handful of at bats.

Field/Throw/Run

Thankfully for my sake, Stewart was tested a few times in left field, showing surprising range for a guy you don’t expect to have the foot quickness he does. Although I didn’t get a true home-to-first time, he has registered average times previously, and may actually run a tick above average once underway.

I certainly wouldn’t call his actions fluid, but they aren’t choppy either, and I didn’t see any late reactions to balls coming off the bat or poor flight readings. His arm strength, however, is merely fringe-average, which keeps him from being able to play anything but left field at the pro level, although he should be at least an adequate defender there.

Summation

Teams will appraise Stewart on his bat alone, as he doesn’t field, throw or run well enough to offer any salvage value if he doesn’t hit. But relative to other position players in this year’s class who are considered top-two rounds talents, he offers a high floor as a power hitter with plate discipline and a track record of performance, which isn’t in ample supply in this year’s draft class. Since he’s locked into left field, he’ll need to meet a higher offensive standard to become an everyday player, which I believe he’s capable of doing. Although he lacks the upside I like to see in a first-round pick, that’s what an optimistic team may believe he is.

Hit: 30/50, Raw Power: 55/55, Game Power: 30/55, Run: 50/45, Field: 40/45+, Throw: 45/45

Other follows from the Florida State-N.C. State series:

• N.C. State righthander Johnny Piedmonte started Saturday’s game and showed an intriguing combination of physicality and present stuff. The 6-foot-8, 240-pounder delivered from an easy, repeatable motion, sitting 89-91 mph with a sinking fastball while mixing in a future average curveball at 74-76 and a show-me changeup. It’s worth noting that he’s a redshirt sophomore who had not thrown a single pitch in college until this year, which makes the current package more impressive. Fully rehabbed from the Tommy John surgery he had in high school, he’s recognized for his size and strike-throwing ability but with the projection to become something more, figuring as a 5th-8th rounder.
• N.C. State outfielder Jake Fincher and second baseman Logan Ratledge both showed a few interesting tools that make them attractive senior signs. Fincher shows center-field instincts, getting good reads off the bat and chasing down balls in the gap with above-average speed to go along with average arm strength and some pop in the bat. Ratledge is a hard-nosed player with a gap-to-gap approach and average speed underway who holds his own in the field.
• N.C. State righthander Tommy DeJuneas and Florida State center fielder Ben DeLuzio are two high-level future follows to keep in mind. DeJuneas, a 6-foot-1, 180-pound freshman, entered Thursday’s game in the eighth inning and sat 93-95 mph and touched 97 with a fastball that featured serious riding life and a low-80s curveball that showed plus potential, although his high-effort motion may limit him to relief long-term. DeLuzio, a third-round pick of the Marlins in 2013, is an athletic specimen at 6-foot-3, 190 pounds with plus speed and at least average raw power, although his plate approach and defensive instincts need much refinement after splitting his time in high school playing baseball and football.