Age: 22
Born: March 10, 1984
La Selva Beach, CA
Height: 6-4
Weight: 232
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Drafted: 3rd round, 2006
How Acquired: Draft
College: North Carolina State
High School: Archbishop Mitty HS (CA)

The scouting report on SoxProspects.com doesn't say much:

Bates has played as a catcher and a first baseman. Power bat. Mature and polished. Played very well in the Cape League in 2005.


Some background on AB:

Bates was drafted in the eighth round last year by FLA but decided to go back to school. He had a very good year at NC State in 2005:

.354/.479/.560, good for a 1.039 OPS. In 243 ABs, he had 20 doubles and 10 homers and struck out just 29 times, along with 45 BB. His plate discipline seems very good, especially for someone who is 6'4". He was named third team All-America and first team All-ACC.

Bates played in the Cape league (Brewster) as well in 2005, hitting .333 (4th in the league) with a .446 OBP (1st) and a .457 SLG (5th). He made the all-star team and won the home run derby.

Bates is currently starting in Lowell.

Bates is off to a hot start in Lowell. In eight games:

10/31 (.323), .400 OBP, .452 SLG, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI.

Bates continues to swing a hot bat as he has adjusted well to playing pro ball. Through 17 games:

.373/.425/.537 .962 OPS.

25/67, 5 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 11 runs scored, 2/3 SB attempts. He has struggled making contact with a 3/16 BB/K ratio, but based on his college and Cape League stats I would expect the BBs to go up and the Ks to go down as he continues to improve.

Any idea where he has been playing the bulk of his time? 1B or C?

First base. As a matter of fact, I do not think he has caught at all. I'll check the game logs and get back to ya.

EDIT: He was the DH in their first game and has played first in the rest, with the exception of one day off. He has not caught yet, I'm not sure if it is in their plans for him. You don't see too many 6'4" catchers.

Also, Bates went 3 for 4 with a double, a HR, 2 RBI, and 2 runs scored today in an 8-6 win.

Bates has been promoted to Greenville after just 27 games in Lowell. His final numbers with the Spinners:

.360/.436/.530 .966 OPS.

36/100, 8 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 14 RBI, 17 R, 9/21 BB/K, 2 SB, 1 CS.

http://greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/...001/1002/SPORTS



The numbers in the article (which came out this morning) did not include Bates' game last night, which is why they are slightly different from what I posted above.

Props to HBM for the link.

Bates is struggling in Greenville after his being promoted. In 59 ABs:

.237/.318/.407, 14 for 59, 4 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 6 runs scored, 13 K, 6 BB.

Both of those HRs (and 5 of those RBIs) were last night, so hopefully he's going to bust out.

Bates has been hot lately following a long slump and his numbers have improved. So far, in Greenville (110 ABs):

.264/.325/.382 29 for 110, 4 2B, 3 HR, 14 RBI, 10 runs scored, 9/20 BB/K.

I know they've been done for a while and I am way late with this, but I've been busy. Here is a recap of Bates' first year of professional baseball. He was drafted in the 3rd round this summer.

Bates started the season in low-A ball Lowell. He put up great numbers in just 100 ABs over 27 games:

.360/.436/.530 good for an OPS of .966. Bates hit 3 homers, drove in 14 runs, scored 17 times, and had a K/BB ratio of 21/9.

Those numbers got him a promotion to Greenville, where in 152 ABs over 43 games he put up respectable numbers:

.270/.351/.395 good for an OPS of .745, to go along with 4 HR, 16 RBI, 13 runs, and a K/BB ratio of 26/17. I'm not sure how much of the decline was tougher competition, and how much of it was fatigue as Bates had 495 at bats in 2006 between NC State, Lowell, and Greenville. While he was drafted as a catcher and a 1B, he did not catch at all this season so apparently it is not in his future.

I'd expect to see him start 2007 in Greenville, with a promotion to Lancaster in the cards if he gets off to a hot start.

After spltting time between short season A ball Lowell and A ball Greenville, Bates has started the 2007 season in Lancaster, the Sox new high A team. He is off to a red hot start start:

6 games, 9 for 24, .375/.467/.875, 1.342 OPS. 2 2B, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 9 R, 5 BB, 4 K.

Of course, it's worth noting that Lancaster is an extreme hitters park and all six games have been at home, but those numbers are impressive no matter what. Hopefully he continues to swing the bat well.

Bates has cooled down after hsi hot start, but his numbers are still impressive.

24 games, , .283/.402/.576 1.009 OPS, 24 hits, 7 2B, 1 3B, 6 HR, 21 RBI, 20 R, 21 BB, 26 K.

Bates has shown both a lot of paitence and power at the plate. Since Lancaster can skew the numbers a bit, here are his home/road splits:

Home: .292/.367/.688, 1.084 OPS, 4 HR in 48 ABs
Away: .273/.468/.455 .922 OPS, 2 HR in 44 ABs

Bates had an absolutely ridiculous game last night:

5-5, 4 HR, 6 RBI.

On the season: 41 games, 153 ABs, .294/.436/.634, 1.070 OPS, 11 2B, 1 3B, 13 HR, 37 RBI, 35 R, 32/42 BB/K,

He should be in Portland by July.

Personally, I wouldn'e even wait that long. He's doing everything he needs to do. Hitting for average and power, walking, etc. His Ks are high, but thats the norm for power hitters. I think he should be there soon.

Why rush it? He is only in his first full season as a pro.

He is already 23 and was an advanced college player.

Cameron Parkinson, Antelope Valley Press - Power Stroke; Stance change paid dividends for JetHawks' Bates

Bates and his new batting stance capped off a five-hit game by launching a 2-2 pitch on a line over the right-center field wall for California League records with four home runs and 17 total bases in Saturday's 14-12 win over the visiting Lake Elsinore Storm.

"He has a great work ethic and it's just well deserved," JetHawks manager Chad Epperson said. "It's fun to watch a guy like that get rewarded."

Bates' monster Saturday gives him 13 home runs on the season, tied for tops in the league with teammate Bubba Bell. Bates also has a .301 average with 12 doubles and 37 RBI.

"Aaron is a very intelligent hitter," hitting coach Dave Joppie said. "He knows his strengths and weaknesses as a hitter. He has an outstanding work ethic and he has a game plan every time at the plate."

Joppie said Bates came up with the new style batting stance on his own.

"It's a reminder to himself to keep the barrel of the bat up. He was getting a little floppy with the bat behind his head," Joppie said. "My job is to know what they do when they are going good."

Amalie Benjamin, Globe - Bates's day a stroke of good fortune

Just a day after that 30-0 beating to Lake Elsinore, Bates hit home runs in three consecutive at-bats, singled in his fourth at-bat, then put Lancaster in the lead with his final homer, an eighth-inning shot on a 2-and-2 pitch in a game in which the JetHawks trailed by nine runs but won, 14-12.

Though Bates said the Red Sox organization has never emphasized power to him, he is among a group in the lower minors thought to possess the best slugging potential. Many of the positional players drafted early in recent years have been contact hitters, leaving the power production to players like Bates, said director of player development Mike Hazen.

And, for that, Bates is in the right place.

"Much in the same way we discount the pitching numbers to a degree, we take into account that there's been runs scored that might not be scored [in another league]," said Hazen of the hitter-happy California League, which the Sox joined this season after moving their affiliate in Wilmington (N.C.). "We need to do the same thing with the offensive numbers.

Bates has continued to impress in Lancaster. Hopefully he ends up in Portland soon, as I don't tink he has anything left to prove in A ball.

.310/.455/.582 1.037 OPS

63 G, 232 AB, 72 H, 16 2B, 1 3B, 15 HR, 52 RBI, 51 R. 49/50 BB/K.

Do you have his away stats?

.273/.430/.482 for a .911 OPS. Not as good as his home numbers obviously, but an OPS >.900 is still impressive. He has 6 HR on the road (compared to 9 at home).

Thanks, he really should be up in AA soon.

Bates is currently out with a sprained ankle. His numbers to date:

83 GP, 315 AB, .317/.447/.568 18 2b, 2 3b, 19 HR, 65 RBI, 60 R, 60/74 BB/K.

Bates has struggled a little bit in Portland since the call up but there are some very positive signs. He is batting just .198 in 91 ABs, he is walking a ton and he is hitting for power. His numbers:

.198/.348/.429, 18 for 91, 9 2B, 4 HR, 13 RBI, 16 R, 17 BB 29 K.

Andrew Neff - Sox prospect honoring thy father

"My dad was my best friend. I grew up playing with him and he took me to practice. Me not playing was never an option."

Mark Bates also wasn’t able to see his son get drafted by the Sox in the third round (83rd pick overall) of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft, become the first Sox minor leaguer to hit four home runs in a game since 1949, and have the first four-home run game in the California League’s 66-year history.

Well, maybe not in person, but Bates is pretty sure his dad is watching.

...

ates has been doing really well since coming to Portland Aug. 11 last year. Last season, the former Little League shortstop and pitcher led all Boston minor leaguers with 28 home runs in 125 games with Single-A Lancaster and Portland. He was also third in RBIs (101) and sixth in batting average (.306).

"The funny thing is I never considered myself a power hitter. I just hit doubles that occasionally go out," Bates said.

Through Sunday, Bates was hitting .300 with four homers and a team-leading 42 RBIs.

"We really haven’t changed a whole lot with him. We’re working on controlling the height of his knee knock and length of his stride," said Sea Dogs hitting coach Dave Joppie. "We’ve also focused on refining his pitch selection and getting him more focused on pitches to the bottom of the zone."