Cozart - RedsZone.com - Cincinnati Reds Fans' Home for Baseball Discussion

Kc61 · 07-21-2008, 12:41 PM

I know RedsZone wrote Cozart off the minute he was drafted, but he looks like a potential top ten list prospect to me. Said to have a great glove, now with an .800 OPS at Dayton. The report on him was that he was a pull hitter without the power and would be better hitting to all fields.

People seem to lump him with Janish, but he seems to have more offensive potential.

Anyone who has seen him play with views on his potential?

camisadelgolf · 07-21-2008, 12:46 PM

I've seen him play in college. I've always been a fan of his swing and thought he had more than enough tools to make it to the Big Leagues. Like you said, he pulled the ball too much, but I think it was just a bad habit he got into because he over-matched his competition.

dougdirt · 07-21-2008, 01:06 PM

I didn't like him when he was drafted. All glove, no stick. This year, I saw him at the beginning of the year in late April.... still seemed like all glove, no stick. Watching him recently, he is a different guy at the plate. Like him considerably more now than I did at the start of the year.

medford · 07-21-2008, 01:12 PM

Watching him play about a week ago, the only time I've seen Cozart swing a bat, I came away impressed. I missed his first at bat, but in the next 3 he stung the ball nicely on 2 occasions, 1 for a hit, another for a long out. He also performed a perfect hit & run, knocking the ball b/w the SS & the 3rd basemen. Had I not know his reputation as all glove, no stick, I would have immediatly said "prospect" based upon this one game. I know one game doesn't make a prospect, but he seemed to have a good knowledge of what to do w/ the bat, hit to both fields. Though I'm no scout, far from it, I like his potential.

He was never tested defensively, so I can't say much about that.

OesterPoster · 07-21-2008, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by camisadelgolf

I've seen him play in college. I've always been a fan of his swing and thought he had more than enough tools to make it to the Big Leagues. Like you said, he pulled the ball too much, but I think it was just a bad habit he got into because he over-matched his competition.

He has admitted that the adjustment from metal to wood has taken him some time...mentioning how he had to learn to swing more with his legs than ever before. Could be that he's just putting it all together this season.

RedsManRick · 07-21-2008, 06:26 PM

Cozart was featured in Kevin Goldstein's Future Shock: Monday Morning Ten Pack at BP today.

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/ar...articleid=7834

Quote:

Zach Cozart, SS, Low-A Dayton (Reds)
A second-round pick last year, Cozart entered pro ball as an outstanding defensive shortstop with little offense to offer. The first part of that equation hasn't changed, but the offensive aspect of his game has taken a shocking turn. After hitting just two home runs over 184 at-bats in last year's pro debut, Cozart just slugged his 11th and 12th home runs of the season over the weekend, and is now hitting a shocking .269/.330/.470 in 70 games for the Dragons. The on-base skills are still lacking, but the power development is downright shocking, and all he needed was some kind of offensive upside to project as an everyday player in the big leagues, because the defense really is that good.

camisadelgolf · 07-21-2008, 06:28 PM

Thanks, RedsManRick. That's going to cue the "He's old for his level" posts a la Drew Stubbs.

mth123 · 07-21-2008, 08:07 PM

Sounds like Alex Gonzalez. As a $5 Million per year Free Agent its a pretty crummy value. As a 2nd round pick, its great.

D-Man · 07-21-2008, 08:52 PM

Many people may forget, but he was a hot commodity and Preseason All American coming into 2007. . . And his stock plummeted prior to the draft due to a poor season at the dish.

This pick struck me as a interesting roll of the dice at the time, FWIW. No one else seemed to agree.

http://www.redszone.com/forums/showt...26#post1377926

redsof72 · 07-21-2008, 09:06 PM

Cozart is a big league defensive shortstop right now. He does not have quite the pure athletic ability to be in that elite major league category, but he is good enough that any team would love to have him based strictly on his glove. As a hitter, he still has to learn to use the whole field. I would like to see him become more of a Keppinger type hitter.

UGADaddy · 07-22-2008, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedsManRick

Cozart was featured in Kevin Goldstein's Future Shock: Monday Morning Ten Pack at BP today.

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/ar...articleid=7834

his iso discipline is .060, so while he's not adam dunn, he's definitely not juan francisco either

Rojo · 07-28-2008, 08:13 PM

Move him up?

camisadelgolf · 07-29-2008, 02:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rojo

Move him up?

Amen. I think it could happen soon, since Kahaulelio just came down.

princeton · 07-29-2008, 08:40 AM

it'll be interesting to see whether his "major league shortstop right now" label is downgraded as he hits more.

M2 · 07-29-2008, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by princeton

it'll be interesting to see whether his "major league shortstop right now" label is downgraded as he hits more.

Funny how those two seem to work in inverse proportion.

07-21-2008, 12:41 PM	#1
Kc61 Member Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 10,824	Cozart I know RedsZone wrote Cozart off the minute he was drafted, but he looks like a potential top ten list prospect to me. Said to have a great glove, now with an .800 OPS at Dayton. The report on him was that he was a pull hitter without the power and would be better hitting to all fields. People seem to lump him with Janish, but he seems to have more offensive potential. Anyone who has seen him play with views on his potential?

07-21-2008, 12:46 PM	#2
camisadelgolf Vampire Weekend @Bernie's Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 11,311	Re: Cozart I've seen him play in college. I've always been a fan of his swing and thought he had more than enough tools to make it to the Big Leagues. Like you said, he pulled the ball too much, but I think it was just a bad habit he got into because he over-matched his competition.

07-21-2008, 01:06 PM	#3
dougdirt The Boss Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 30,675	Re: Cozart I didn't like him when he was drafted. All glove, no stick. This year, I saw him at the beginning of the year in late April.... still seemed like all glove, no stick. Watching him recently, he is a different guy at the plate. Like him considerably more now than I did at the start of the year. __________________ www.redsminorleagues.com

07-21-2008, 01:12 PM	#4
medford Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 2,035	Re: Cozart Watching him play about a week ago, the only time I've seen Cozart swing a bat, I came away impressed. I missed his first at bat, but in the next 3 he stung the ball nicely on 2 occasions, 1 for a hit, another for a long out. He also performed a perfect hit & run, knocking the ball b/w the SS & the 3rd basemen. Had I not know his reputation as all glove, no stick, I would have immediatly said "prospect" based upon this one game. I know one game doesn't make a prospect, but he seemed to have a good knowledge of what to do w/ the bat, hit to both fields. Though I'm no scout, far from it, I like his potential. He was never tested defensively, so I can't say much about that.

07-21-2008, 06:28 PM	#7
camisadelgolf Vampire Weekend @Bernie's Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 11,311	Re: Cozart Thanks, RedsManRick. That's going to cue the "He's old for his level" posts a la Drew Stubbs.

07-21-2008, 08:07 PM	#8
mth123 The Big Dog Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 12,678	Re: Cozart Sounds like Alex Gonzalez. As a $5 Million per year Free Agent its a pretty crummy value. As a 2nd round pick, its great. __________________ "All I can tell them is pick a good one and sock it." --BABE RUTH Having better players makes "the right time" or "the big hit" happen a lot more often. PLUS PLUS

07-21-2008, 08:52 PM	#9
D-Man Member Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 787	Re: Cozart Many people may forget, but he was a hot commodity and Preseason All American coming into 2007. . . And his stock plummeted prior to the draft due to a poor season at the dish. This pick struck me as a interesting roll of the dice at the time, FWIW. No one else seemed to agree. http://www.redszone.com/forums/showt...26#post1377926

07-21-2008, 09:06 PM	#10
redsof72 Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 832	Re: Cozart Cozart is a big league defensive shortstop right now. He does not have quite the pure athletic ability to be in that elite major league category, but he is good enough that any team would love to have him based strictly on his glove. As a hitter, he still has to learn to use the whole field. I would like to see him become more of a Keppinger type hitter.

07-28-2008, 08:13 PM	#12
Rojo Member Join Date: May 2000 Location: The Bush Leagues Posts: 8,420	Re: Cozart Move him up? __________________ The widow is gathering nettles for her children's dinner; a perfumed seigneur, delicately lounging in the Oeil de Boeuf, hath an alchemy whereby he will extract the third nettle and call it rent. ~ Carlyle

07-29-2008, 08:40 AM	#14
princeton Member Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: princeton, nj Posts: 9,482	Re: Cozart it'll be interesting to see whether his "major league shortstop right now" label is downgraded as he hits more.

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