Baseball player named among top 10 prospects in Prospect League for second summer

September 13, 2013 | News, UToday
By Brian DeBenedictis



Sophomore Dan Zuchowski recently was named the No. 8 prospect in the Prospect League, according to Baseball America.

The Prospect League is a summer collegiate wood bat league made up of 11 teams covering six states.

Zuchowski

Zuchowski

A member of the Chillicothe Paints, Zuchowski batted .251 (54 for 215) with 31 runs scored, four doubles, two triples, six home runs, 35 RBI and 42 walks in 58 contests.

He led the team in at-bats, runs scored, hits, home runs, RBI and free passes. He helped the Paints advance to the Prospect League championship contest.

Quoting Baseball America, “Opposing coaches said the left-handed hitter was one of the league’s toughest outs. A solid 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, Zuchowski has gap-to-gap power with the potential to add even more pop. His quick bat and patient approach at the plate allow him to use all fields, and no one in the league was better at fouling off pitches he didn’t like than Zuchowski. There is still some swing-and-miss in his game, as he is prone to chase off-speed pitches away. But his plate coverage is good, and his ability to control the bat allows him to make a lot of contact and drive the ball the other way.

“On the other side of the ball, Zuchowski’s future position is still up in the air. He has more than enough arm strength to play somewhere on the left side of the infield, but he is not a shortstop at the next level, and most coaches felt he would make a better second baseman than third baseman. The position where his tools play best is right field, as he has a strong and accurate arm and enough athleticism and instincts to track down some balls that aren’t hit right at him, but he may not hit for enough power as a professional to play right field in the big leagues.”

Zuchowski missed the entire 2013 campaign with the Rockets because of an arm injury.

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