Dustin Ackley

Dustin Ackley

Class in 2009: Junior
Age on Draft Day 09: 21 years and 3-4 months
Positions: First-baseman and Outfielder
Jersey Number: 13
Bats: Left / Throws: Right
6-foot-1, 182
From: Walnut Cove, N.C -High School(s): South Stokes (fr.-jr.), North Forsyth (sr.)

Scouting Report: (video clip at bottom of post)
Strengths: He is a phenomenal pure hitter. Few players can match the quickness of his wrists.
He also has above-average speed and knows how to use it. Can steal some bases and is almost impossible to turn a double play on at the college level.
Excels at hitting line drives up the middle and to the gaps, and his speed allows him to get an infield single or two at the college level if the fielder hesitates or bobbles.
Rarely over-matched at the plate, even when a tough opposing pitcher is shutting down his teammates Ackley makes hard contact. Calm, fearless approach at the plate.
Aggressive enough to jump on first pitch if it is fat but will hold off otherwise. Can work count and draw walks well. Makes very good contact, doesn't try to do too much and doesn't seem to struggle with LHPs. Has a very focus, flat, calm business-like mentality.

Weaknesses: His problem is that he doesn't have the raw power or strength expected of a first-round 1b/OF and his ordinary, narrow frame does not project to add power (but then again I said the same about Sean Doolittle this time last year) which could leave him as a bit of a 'tweener. Though he has played mostly 1b in his first two years in college, and played it well, his speed plays well in LF, when he plays there. He probably is not a major-league centerfielder defensively, where his #2 hitter offensive game profiles best, but with UNC possibly losing all starting OFs he might get a chance to show scouts if he can play a good CF in 2009. His arm is below-average.

UPDATE: Absolutely scorched the ball in Omaha. Lined almost every pitch he got right back up the middle. His stock is only going up.

Comparisons
Physical: I've heard a less-toned Steve Finley, which is about right.
Playing Style: Mark Grace?

Draft forecast:
If he keeps hitting like this his batspeed, wrists and footspeed will put him in the middle or front of Round One despite his lack of first-base power.

Notes:
Father, John Ackley, was a minor league catcher for the Red Sox.
Claims to model his game after Pete Rose, which you can actually kind of see in his play.

Statistics:
#13 Dustin Ackley    AVG  GP-GS    AB   R  H   2B  3B  HR  RBI TB   OB% SLG%  BB HBP SO GDP SF SH SB-ATT  PO  A  E FLD%
Freshman (2007)...  .402  73-73   296  70 119  20   3  10  74  175 .448 .591  30  1  21  2  8  1  11-14  538  37 6 .990
Sophomore(2008)...  .417  68-68   278  82 116  21   4   7  51  166 .503 .597  53  1  27  1  6  1  19-25  488  22 1 .998

Accolades:
 * National Freshman of the year in 2007.  Also won First-Team All-ACC 1b in 2007 over Yonder Alonso.

 * Led all of NCAA in total hits as a freshman and a sophomore.

 *  Second-Team All-ACC in 2008 and a Baseball America Third-Team All-American.

 * Lead team in hitting both years, as a freshman his batting average was highest on team by over 60 points.

 * Batting averaged ranked 17th in NCAA as a sophomore and 30th in NCAA as a freshman.

 * Ranked 2nd in ACC in Batting Average both years. 

 * Top 30 in NCAA in On-Base Percentage as a freshman and a sophomore.

A clip from freshman year showing him knocking one out of the park despite his bat dying on him.  Later in the video they a show a single or two of his.