Today: SF Prospect Travis Denker
Travis Denker is a middle infielder in the San Francisco Giants system. Originally drafted by the Dodgers out of Brea-Olinda high school in 2003, he's came to the Giants in a deadline deal that sent Mark Sweeney down to L.A.
Denker had always been a high average hitter with power in the Dodgers system, but his power has declined rather than improved as he's moved up the minor league ladder. He seemed to peak with 21 homers in 2005 at Sally League Columbus (in 101 games) and hasn't hit more than sixteen in any year since. With a .280/.379/.461 minor league career from rookie ball through high-A, though, he looks ready to move up a notch.
Denker has a great batting eye, drawing walks almost as often as he strikes out, and notching near-.300 seasons almost every year. His swing is compact but powerful. While he may never blossom as a home run threat, his line-drive attack is more than enough to get him to the big leagues as a middle infielder.
In the field, he has limited range but good feet. His accurate arm is good enough for third, but better at his natural second base. Denker's below-average speed won't win him any base-stealing awards, but he's a heads-up, smart runner who does the small things to help a team.
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