Name: Tim FedroffPosition: OutfieldCurrent team: Triple-A Columbus ClippersAge: 26Height: 5’10”Weight: 200Bats: LeftThrows: Right2013 stats: .269 batting average, 4 HR, 23 RBI, 11 SB
Facts & Info: The Indians selected Fedroff in the seventh round of the 2008 Draft out of the University of North Carolina. He would have been taken higher in the draft but slid because of his bonus demands, and the Indians eventually signed him for $725,000. Last season, he finished fifth in the organization in batting average (.316) and was added to the 40-man roster in the offseason.
The Offense: Fedroff has very good on-base skills and has the tools to be a solid tablesetter in a lineup. He has a short, compact build with a good line drive swing, and has a patient approach where he likes to work counts and is not afraid to draw a walk. He puts up consistent, quality at-bats and has good bat-to-ball ability where he makes good, hard contact and limits strikeouts. His power is below average, though he has some strength to drive the ball into the gaps.
The Defense: Fedroff is considered an average defender who can play all three outfield positions, though he best fits in an everyday role in left field. He best projects as a third or fourth outfield at the big league level. He has slightly above average speed and is a solid, unspectacular defender who shows solid range and instincts and an average throwing arm. He continues to improve his route running and jumps.
The Intangibles: Fedroff is a hard-nosed, high-energy player with a motor that does not stop, but he is not a flashy player. He is the ultimate hustler who plays the game with a reckless abandon.
The Focus: Fedroff’s outfield play is what limits his potential. Even though he continues to make some improvement reading the ball off the bat, he does not quite have the range a team would like in a center fielder. He also lacks the bat that profiles well as an everyday corner outfielder, so he has to continue to be an elite tablesetter to have any chance of being a major league starter and may have to initially carve a niche as a good role player. The Indians have challenged him to be a better baserunner by reading pitchers better, getting better leads and being more aggressive running the bases.
The Future: Fedroff had a fantastic season last year and really solidified himself as an outfield prospect for the Indians. He is off to a solid start this season. He has always been viewed as a 'tweener because he does not have the defense to be an everyday center fielder and lacks the power to be an everyday corner outfielder. The Indians have always maintained that if he shows elite on-base skills he will get a chance. He has a good chance to make his major league debut at some point this season, likely as a September callup.
