Daniel Vogelbach

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Seattle Mariners #17 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: Vogelbach's productive 2018 spring training, when he hit over .400 with seven home runs, earned him a spot on the Mariners' Opening Day roster, but a slow start had him back at Triple-A Tacoma before the end of April. He returned to Seattle for other short stints, but inconsistent playing time resulted in subpar production. Vogelbach put up good numbers at Triple-A Tacoma, hitting .290/.434/.595 with 20 home runs and more walks than strikeouts in 294 at-bats.
  
  Scouting Report: There are many who still believe Vogelbach will hit if given the opportunity, but it will likely need to be as a DH. At the plate, he has a good approach, strong hands and an ability to use all fields with plus raw power. He tapped into his raw power in games more often in 2018, with his 24 combined home runs between Triple-A and the major league marking a career high. Vogelbach is a well below-average defender at first base and a bottom-of-the-scale runner.
  
  The Future: Vogelbach's improvement at Triple-A was a positive sign. With the Mariners moving into rebuild mode and free agent DH Nelson Cruz unlikely to return, Vogelbach could get another shot at that role in at least a platoon capacity in 2019.
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  Ranked Seattle Mariners #12 prospect in 2018
  A year after being acquired in a multi-player deal with the Cubs and coming off a strong season at Triple-A, Vogelbach went to spring training in 2017 with a chance to earn a major league platoon job at first base with Danny Valencia. Instead, he hit .228 in spring training and wound up at Triple-A Tacoma for most of the season. A well below-average fielder and bottom-of-the-scale runner, the hefty Vogelbach has to mash to be a big leaguer. He has a good approach at the plate, uses the whole field and has some power, but evaluators aren't convinced it's enough to justify a regular lineup spot. He also struggles against lefthanders, making a platoon role his ceiling. While Vogelbach worked hard on improving his defense in 2017, he'll never have the range or mobility needed to be even close to an average defender. Most scouts say he's either a bottom-of-the-scale or at best a 30 defender at first base. The ideal role for Vogelbach is as a platoon DH, provided he can get to more of his power. The Mariners acquired the Athletics' Ryon Healy after the 2017 season to handle first base moving forward. Vogelbach will come to spring training in 2018 with a shot to win a job as a platoon partner for Healy and DH Nelson Cruz, although the Mariners selection of Mike Ford in the Rule 5 draft creates further competition for Vogelbach.
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  Ranked Seattle Mariners #10 prospect in 2017
  The Cubs drafted Vogelbach 68th overall in 2011 after he showed prodigious power as a prep. The Mariners acquired him and righthander Paul Blackburn from Chicago in exchange for lefthander Mike Montgomery and righty Jordan Pries in July 2016. Vogelbach has battled injuries but produced in the minors when healthy, posting a career .871 OPS. He controls the strike zone well enough to project as an average hitter and is increasingly tapping into his above-average power. He hit 20 home runs for the first time in 2016 and Seattle rewarded him with his first major league callup in September. He struggles to make contact against lefthanders but is still able to get on base against them with his advanced, patient approach, making him more than just a platoon option. He is a well below-average defender and runner due to his hefty 6-foot frame, but the Mariners believe he can play a suitable first base with the offense he provides. With the probable free agent departures of Adam Lind and Dae-Ho Lee, Vogelbach will contend for a platoon share of the Mariners' first-base job in 2017.
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  Ranked Chicago Cubs #25 prospect in 2016
  Vogelbach and fellow 250-pounder Hudson Boyd were teammates at Bishop Verot High in Fort Myers, Fla., in 2011, both going in the first 68 draft picks. The Twins already have released Boyd, but the Cubs showed more faith in Vogelbach despite his 2015 injury troubles, which included a hamstring injury in the first half that interrupted a very strong start at Double-A Tennessee. A pulled oblique muscle in the second half shelved him for another month, but Vogelbach showed enough for the Cubs to protect him on the 40-man roster in November, even though he's blocked in the majors by Anthony Rizzo. Vogelbach controls the strike zone and has plenty of strength in his compact, thick body, which he's worked hard to maintain but which has limited athleticism. A below-average defender and runner, Vogelbach isn't a strong candidate to move to the outfield and struggles with lefthanders as well. He's a good teammate who gives the Cubs an asset as a potential trade piece (particularly with an American League club) and as a solid piece of a Triple-A Iowa lineup in 2016.
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  Ranked Chicago Cubs #25 prospect in 2015
  Vogelbach, who signed for $1.6 million out of the 2011 draft, grinded through a full season in the high Class A Florida State League in 2014 and led Daytona in home runs, doubles, RBIs and walks. He offers plus power, and he makes good contact for a slugger, has good bat control and identifies pitches well. He improved defensively, making seven errors (two in the playoffs) after racking up 11 in 2013, but remains a poor defender at first base. His lack of athleticism means his bat has to carry him, and so far it has been merely good, not great. He struggles against lefthanders (.212/.298/.340 last season) and his poor speed leaves him prone to hitting into double plays. Vogelbach moves up to Double-A Tennessee in 2015, but he fits better long-term for an American League club as a DH.
• 
  Ranked Chicago Cubs #9 prospect in 2014
  Vogelbach teamed with fellow meaty prospect Hudson Boyd in high school and faced Boyd (now with the Twins) in the low Class A Midwest League in 2013, twice hitting home runs against him. Since signing for $1.6 million in August 2011, Vogelbach has done what he was paid to do: hit. His polish helped him join Daytona late in the season as the DH for its playoff run. Thick and strong, Vogelbach cherishes the one-on-one competition with pitchers and comes out on top more often than not. He trusts his approach, works counts and has the strength to punish pitches he's looking for. He's consistent and doesn't give away at-bats. His strength and short swing give him plus power from left-center to the right-field pole. Until he changes his shape, however, he's going to contend with questions about his future role. He's a poor defender at first with minimal range, though his speed is merely below-average. He sought out his high school track coach to help him with running technique. Vogelbach's future may come down to his weight, and Cubs officials contend he is motivated to prove doubters wrong. If he can keep it under control, he can hit enough to overcome his defensive shortcomings. He'll go through a full high Class A Florida State League season, where the heat and humidity could help him.
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  Ranked Chicago Cubs #7 prospect in 2013
  The Cubs spent a franchise-record $12 million on the 2011 draft, highlighted by a pair of high schoolers with light-tower power in Javier Baez and Vogelbach. He barely played that summer after signing late for $1.6 million, but he made up for lost time by hitting .322/.410/.641 with 17 homers in 61 games last year. He has more usable power than Baez or Jorge Soler, which is saying a lot. He has plenty of bat speed and strength, but Vogelbach does more than just grip it and rip it. He earns high marks for his advanced approach and feel for hitting. He controls the strike zone, takes his walks and uses the entire field with an effortless swing. He can get pull-conscious at times but generally hits from gap to gap. He will need to keep producing at the plate because he can't do anything else. He has improved his conditioning since ballooning to 280 pounds in 2010, but he'll always carry a lot of weight. He's a liability on the basepaths and adequate at best as a first baseman. A lot of teams see him purely as a DH, which wouldn't do a National League club any good. Vogelbach's build and background as a Florida prep product are similar to Billy Butler and Prince Fielder, and he too has the offensive upside to become an all-star one day. Vogelbach and Soler should put on some unreal shows in batting practice at Kane County this year.
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  Ranked Chicago Cubs #10 prospect in 2012
  Bryce Harper blasted a 502-foot homer at the 2009 Power Showcase, a high school homer run derby. Vogelbach surpassed that by launching a 508-foot shot while winning the 2010 event, power that earned him $1.6 million as a second-round choice a year later. He and Twins sandwich pick Hudson Boyd led Bishop Verot High (Fort Myers, Fla.) to the Florida state 3-A championship last spring. Vogelbach's plus-plus raw power is all the more impressive because it comes to all fields and he generates it with a very loose, effortless swing. His rhythm, patience and pitch recognition give him the chance to hit for average as well. Vogelbach's bat will have to carry him because he lacks athleticism and speed. He has gotten in better shape since carrying 280 pounds on the showcase circuit in 2010, but he may never be more than an average defender and is a well below-average runner. He takes pride in his defense and is working to improve his footwork around the bag. The Cubs would love to see Vogelbach drop to 240 pounds before he reports to spring training. A potential middle-of-the-order threat, he has enough polish at the plate to make the jump to low Class A in 2012.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Midwest League #17 prospect in 2013
  Few hitters in the MWL are more polished than Vogelbach and he also has some of the best raw power in the league. So why is he near the back of this list? It all comes down to a lack of athleticism and concerns about the rest of his game. ?He?s really a softball first baseman? is how one scout described him. Vogelbach is a bottom-of-the-scale runner, and despite plenty of work he remains nearly as poor as a defensive first baseman. Barring the DH coming to the National League, multiple evaluators questioned whether Vogelbach could ever play for the Cubs. However, Vogelbach will keep getting chances to improve because he can hit. At the plate, he has an advanced approach that leads to plenty of opposite-field line drives. Unlike many young lefthanded hitters, he puts together competitive at-bats against southpaws as well.
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  Ranked Northwest League #2 prospect in 2012
  Signed for $1.6 million as a 2011 second-round pick, Vogelbach batted .322/.410/.641 with 17 homers between the Rookie-level Arizona League and the NWL in his first full pro season. His power earned him that big bonus, but he also has pure hitting ability. "He has a real feel to hit," Vancouver manager Clayton McCullough said. "He has a plan when he goes up there to hit. He has a very advanced approach. He's as good of a hitter as anybody in this league." Vogelbach will need to continue to mash because he doesn't have much in the way of other skills. He's a baseclogger who lacks athleticism and will have to work hard to even be an adequate defender at first base.
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  Ranked Arizona Complex League #14 prospect in 2012
  Vogelach played briefly in the AZL after signing for $1.6 million as a second-round pick in 2011. He returned to post a 1.078 OPS in the first month of this season before moving up to short-season Boise, where he was equally productive. There aren't many big leaguers with 6-foot, 250-pound builds and his value is tied mostly to his bat, but it has the potential to be a very special bat. Vogelbach combines raw strength, quick hands and good knowledge of the strike zone. He has a tremendous feel for hitting and plus power to all fields. He's a well below-average runner and most scouts question whether he'll ever be good enough to play a major league-caliber first base, though he does work hard on his defense.

• December, 2016 Scouting Report
  Background: The Cubs drafted Vogelbach 68th overall in 2011 after he showed prodigious power as a prep. The Mariners acquired him and righthander Paul Blackburn from Chicago in exchange for lefthander Mike Montgomery and righty Jordan Pries in July 2016. Scouting Report: Vogelbach has battled injuries but produced in the minors when healthy, posting a career .871 OPS. He controls the strike zone well enough to project as an average hitter and is increasingly tapping into his above-average power. He hit 20 home runs for the first time in 2016 and Seattle rewarded him with his first major league callup in September. He struggles to make contact against lefthanders but is still able to get on base against them with his advanced, patient approach, making him more than just a platoon option. He is a well below-average defender and runner due to his hefty 6-foot frame, but the Mariners believe he can play a suitable first base with the offense he provides.
  
  The Future: With the probable free agent departures of Adam Lind and Dae-Ho Lee, Vogelbach will contend for a platoon share of the Mariners' first-base job in 2017.
• December, 2012 Scouting Report
  Background: The Cubs spent $12 million on the 2011 draft, highlighted by a pair of high schoolers with light-tower power in Javier Baez and Vogelbach. Vogelbach barely played after signing late for $1.6 million, but he made up for lost time by hitting .322/.410/.641 with 17 homers in 61 games last year. Scouting Report: Vogelbach has more usable power than Baez or Jorge Soler, which is saying a lot. He has plenty of bat speed and strength, but Vogelbach does more than just grip it and rip it. He earns high marks for his advanced approach and feel for hitting. He controls the strike zone, takes walks and uses the entire field with an effortless swing. He can get pull-conscious at times but generally hits from gap to gap. Vogelbach will need to keep producing at the plate because he can't do anything else. He has improved his conditioning since ballooning to 280 pounds in 2010, but he'll always carry a lot of weight. He's a liability on the basepaths and adequate at best as a first baseman. A lot of teams see him as a DH, which wouldn't do a National League club any good. The Future: Vogelbach's build and background as a Florida prep product are similar to those of Billy Butler and Prince Fielder, as is his offensive upside. Vogelbach and Soler should put on shows in batting practice at Kane County this year.
• December, 2011 Scouting Report
  Background: Bryce Harper added to his legend when he blasted a 502-foot homer at the 2009 Power Showcase, a high school homer run derby. Vogelbach surpassed that by launching a 508-foot shot while winning the 2010 event, showcasing the power that earned him $1.6 million as a second-round choice a year later. He and Twins sandwich pick Hudson Boyd led Bishop Verot High (Fort Myers, Fla.) to the Florida state 3-A championship last spring. Scouting Report: Vogelbach's plus-plus raw power is all the more impressive because it comes to all fields and he generates it with a very loose, effortless swing. His rhythm, patience and pitch recognition give him the chance to hit for average as well. Vogelbach's bat will have to carry him because he lacks athleticism and speed. He has gotten in better shape since carrying 280 pounds on the showcase circuit in 2010, but he may never be more than an average defender and won't be a factor on the bases. He takes pride in his defense and is working to improve his footwork around the bag. The Future: The Cubs would love to see Vogelbach drop to 240 pounds before he reports to spring training. A potential middle-of-the-order threat, he has enough polish at the plate to make the jump to low Class A in 2012.