April 1, 2058
by Banjo Jackson
Nashville, TN
SS Tareef Abdul-Malik
| Contact | Gap | Power | Eye | Avoid K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start 2057 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Start 2058 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Potential | 6 | 6 (+1) | 6 | 5 | 7 |
Abdul-Malik was signed by Nashville as an international free agent for $9.5 million in 2055 in what will be remembered as the great IFA Fiasco of ’55. Prior to playing professional baseball, Abdul-Malik could be found in the cotton fields helping provide for his family. He attributes his defensive prowess to always being in a defensive ready position while crouched over the cotton fields. While his defense is very good, he may be forced to 2B in the BBA, though he is still very young and may continue to grow his skills at SS.
Abdul-Malik has not impressed in his two seasons at rookie ball. In fact, he’s posted back to back -1.0 WAR seasons and batted just .143 in 2057. He’s got great work ethic, but the effort hasn’t translated into results. Just as quickly as he made this list, he may find himself off it next season if he doesn’t start hitting.
ETA: 2062
