| AB | 54 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .259 |
| OBP | .385 |
| SLG | .352 |
| HR | 0 |
- Full name Ian Edward Happ
- Born 08/12/1994 in Pittsburgh, PA
- Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 205 / Bats: S / Throws: R
- School Cincinnati
- Debut 05/13/2017
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Drafted in the 1st round (9th overall) by the Chicago Cubs in 2015 (signed for $3,000,000).
View Draft Report
From the day he stepped on campus, Happ has been the best hitter in the Bearcats' lineup and he's been one of the best players in the Cape Cod League each of the past two summers. But this year, Happ has had to carry the Bearcats lineup'there have been days when he's the only player in the lineup who isn't a freshman. Happ has played right field and center field primarily this season, but he's played second base on occasion, played third base in the past and has even played shortstop briefly. His eventual landing spot defensively will cause a lot of debate in draft meetings. Teams that believe that Happ can develop as an offensive second baseman will likely value him higher than teams who are convinced he'll stay in the outfield. At second base, Happ is not particularly fluid, and he'd need to put in the work as a pro to stick in the dirt. As an outfielder, Happ likely will end up in left field because of his fringe-average arm. Most scouts believe he lacks the range to handle center field as a pro. At the plate, Happ has fewer questions. A switch-hitter, he shows excellent bat speed from both batters' boxes. He projects as a plus hitter with average power, and he's an above-average runner, though he needs refinement on the bases.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Happ prepped at Pittsburgh's Mt. Lebanon High, which also produced big leaguers Don Kelly and Josh Wilson. His college career at Cincinnati featured a star turn in the Cape Cod League in 2014 and he won the American Athletic Conference player of the year award in 2015. He signed for $3 million as the ninth overall pick in 2015 and finished his first full season in Double-A. He ended his 2016 with a 4-for-4, two-homer day--one from each side of the plate--in the Arizona Fall League championship game. Happ combines power and speed offensively. He's an above-average runner and solid basestealer who draws walks and could fit at the top of a lineup. He has present strength and plus bat speed with above-average power from both sides of the plate that plays more with line drives to the gaps for now. Happ goes deep in counts, but doesn't shorten up with two strikes and has a track record of striking out a lot. The Cubs gave him plenty of reps at second base, where scouts see stiff actions, rigid hands and below-average overall defense. His solid-average arm plays in all three outfield spots, which he also played in 2016. Happ hasn't mastered a position yet, mostly because he's not truly average at one. His versatility could help him break into a Cubs roster brimming with young regulars. He should hit enough to earn an everyday lineup spot eventually, just as similarly defensive-challenged players Matt Carpenter and Daniel Murphy did before him. -
Happ wasn't highly recruited to Cincinnati but dominated college from Day One, earning first-team All-Freshman honors and raking for two summers in the Cape Cod League. He ranked inside the top 10 in NCAA Division I in on-base (.492) and slugging (.672) percentage in 2015, when the Cubs popped him ninth overall and signed him for $3 million on the recommendation of area scout Daniel Carte, who dug deep in researching Happ's makeup. Happ has strength, bat speed and a sound swing from both sides of the plate, to go with selectivity and controlled aggressiveness. His ferocious swing leads to some swing-and-miss, but he drives balls all over the field and has the above-average speed to leg out hits and challenge outfielders. Happ moved all over the field in college defensively, and the Cubs left him in the outfield in his debut. He focused solely on playing second base in instructional league and impressed club officials with his athleticism, making throws from all angles and improving his footwork. He has the arm strength to be an asset defensively there. The Cubs say they will give Happ a long look at second base, but his bat may push him to the majors before his glove catches up. He may wind up a multi-positional utility player in the Ben Zobrist mold.
Draft Prospects
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From the day he stepped on campus, Happ has been the best hitter in the Bearcats' lineup and he's been one of the best players in the Cape Cod League each of the past two summers. But this year, Happ has had to carry the Bearcats lineup'there have been days when he's the only player in the lineup who isn't a freshman. Happ has played right field and center field primarily this season, but he's played second base on occasion, played third base in the past and has even played shortstop briefly. His eventual landing spot defensively will cause a lot of debate in draft meetings. Teams that believe that Happ can develop as an offensive second baseman will likely value him higher than teams who are convinced he'll stay in the outfield. At second base, Happ is not particularly fluid, and he'd need to put in the work as a pro to stick in the dirt. As an outfielder, Happ likely will end up in left field because of his fringe-average arm. Most scouts believe he lacks the range to handle center field as a pro. At the plate, Happ has fewer questions. A switch-hitter, he shows excellent bat speed from both batters' boxes. He projects as a plus hitter with average power, and he's an above-average runner, though he needs refinement on the bases.
Minor League Top Prospects
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Happ continued to show the strong hitting ability he had in college. He even earned a promotion to Double-A Tennessee, where he hit eight home runs in 248 at-bats. Happ saw time in left field in addition to second base and has the arm strength to try third. He's not adept or polished at second, though, committing seven errors in 50 games. He is universally regarded as a strong worker. "He has tremendous plate discipline. He's going to hit and hit for power," Potomac manager Tripp Keister said. -
The honor roll of players the Cubs have run through Tennessee the last three seasons includes Javier Baez in 2013, Kris Bryant and Addison Russell in 2014 and Kyle Schwarber and Willson Contreras in 2015. Chicago continued that trend when it assigned Happ, the ninth pick in the 2015 draft, to the SL on June 23 after he recorded an .885 OPS at high Class A Myrtle Beach. While the switch-hitting Happ produced respectable results in the SL, he did not excel. Some evaluators expect that to change. "He has the best hands in the league as far as bat speed and getting the bat out front,"" Montgomery manager Brady Williams said. While Happ is a more dynamic batter from the left side, he has a discerning eye at the plate and the potential to develop into a plus hitter with near-average power. He will need to make more contact to reach that ceiling, but his swing works from both sides of the plate. He runs the bases well with above-average speed. Happ played mostly outfield in college, but he is determined to play second base, much like bat-first prospects such as Jason Kipnis or Daniel Murphy before him. Evaluators see Happ as a fringy defender at the keystone with an average arm but stiff actions, particularly on the double play. -
The switch-hitting Happ had pretty much a full season of productivity in the AFL championship game alone. He went 4-for-4 with two homers (one from each side of the plate), a double and single, and made a leaping catch of a hard line drive to left field while filling in at the position for a couple of injured teammates from the Mesa squad. During the rest of the AFL season Happ hit .236/.375/.403 with a pair of homers and drew 15 walks in just under 100 plate appearances. With good bat speed, a solid stroke and average power, Happ should be a good hitter from both sides of the plate. He's no more than an adequate defender at second base and has the athleticism to handle the outfield. -
One of the best college hitters available in the 2015 draft, Happ was solid if not stellar in his MWL stint following his arrival from short-season Eugene in late July. The switch-hitting Happ showed some power (17 extra-base hits in 38 games) and posted a solid on-base percentage thanks to walking in 10 percent of his plate appearances. He has a sweet swing from either batter's box and should be a plus hitter with potentially average power. Once he gets on base, he's an above-average runner. The biggest question for Happ is where he ends up playing defensively. He played a lot of center field in South Bend, but at the position he's stretched defensively and fits better in left field because of his jumps, routes and a below-average arm. The Cubs sent Happ to instructional league to have him work at second base, a spot he played sporadically in college. He has looked stiff at the keystone in the past and will require a lot of work if he's going to stick in the dirt. -
The Cubs had such success drafting a polished college bat in the first round in 2014 (Kyle Schwarber) that they did it again in 2015. So far, so good, though Happ probably will not find himself at Wrigley Field next season. Happ's best position--like Schwarber--is the batter's box. The Cubs played him in center field exclusively at Eugene, and he moved around the outfield following a promotion to low Class A South Bend on July 25. He will head back to his primary college position of second base for instructional league. He has a fringe-average arm and needs significant footwork improvement to stick in the dirt. His bat will play, though. Happ has excellent bat speed from both sides of the plate and projects as a plus hitter with average power. He has above-average speed underway and stole 10 bases without being caught. "When guys can come to the plate and make 95-96 (mph) look slow, you know he's going to be a hitter," one NWL manager said.
Top 100 Rankings
Scouting Reports
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Background: Happ prepped at Pittsburgh's Mt. Lebanon High, which also produced big leaguers Don Kelly and Josh Wilson. His college career at Cincinnati featured a star turn in the Cape Cod League in 2014 and the American Athletic Conference player of the year award in 2015. He signed for $3 million as the ninth overall pick in 2015 and finished his first full season in Double-A. He ended his 2016 with a 4-for-4, two-homer day in the Arizona Fall League championship. Scouting Report: Happ combines power and speed offensively. He's an above-average runner and solid basestealer who draws walks and could fit at the top of a lineup. He has present strength and plus bat speed with above-average power from both sides of the plate that plays more with line drives to the gaps for now. Happ goes deep in counts, doesn't shorten up with two strikes and has a track record of striking out a lot. The Cubs gave him plenty of reps at second base, where scouts see stiff actions, rigid hands and below-average overall defense. His solid-average arm plays in all three outfield spots, which he also played in 2016.
The Future: Happ hasn't mastered a position yet, mostly because he's not truly average at one. He should hit enough to earn an everyday lineup spot eventually. -
The switch-hitting Happ had pretty much a full season of productivity in the AFL championship game alone. He went 4-for-4 with two homers (one from each side of the plate), a double and single, and made a leaping catch of a hard line drive to left field while filling in at the position for a couple of injured teammates from the Mesa squad. During the rest of the AFL season Happ hit .236/.375/.403 with a pair of homers and drew 15 walks in just under 100 plate appearances. With good bat speed, a solid stroke and average power, Happ should be a good hitter from both sides of the plate. He's no more than an adequate defender at second base and has the athleticism to handle the outfield.
