Now Playing Power Forward for the San Diego Padres, Kyle Blanks…

On Friday, the San Diego Padres called up 1B/OF Kyle Blanks to the big club. Blanks is a big-time prospect for the San Diego Padres—literally. At 6′6″, and 285 lbs, Blanks could probably play center or power forward on most NBA teams.

Blanks looks like a cross between Bartolo Colon and Andre the Giant. I would pay big money to see him play left field in the outfit that Andre the Giant wore when he turned bad. You know, the black trunks with the single strap across his chest—or as me and my friends refer to it, “The Roussimoff Strap." It would be classic.

But in all seriousness, Blanks is a masher, and has the potential to be a very good player. He should add much needed pop to a relatively weak Padres’ lineup. In his major league debut on Saturday night, Blanks batted fifth and went 1-for-3 with a single.

My concern with Blanks is going to be his defense. Normally a first baseman, Blanks was converted into a left fielder because Adrian Gonzalez will be occupying first base for the Padres for the foreseeable future. I am not sure how a guy 6′6″ and 285 lbs is going to play left field in the extremely spacious Petco Park.

Here are some other facts about Kyle Blanks…

Age: 22

College: Yavapai College. Yavapai College is in Arizona for those of you, like me, who have never heard of the school.

Drafted: 42nd round of the 2004 Draft

Minor League Stats

2005 Rookie Ball: .299 with seven HR’s, 30 RBI and a .420 OBP in 48 games

2006 Single A: .292 with 10 HR’s, 52 RBI and a .382 OBP in 86 games

2007 Single A+: .301 with 24 HR’s, 100 RBI and a .380 OBP in 119 games

2008 Double A: .325 with 20 HR’s, 107 RBI and a .404 OBP in 132 games

2009 Triple A: .283 with 12 HR’s, 38 RBI and a .393 OBP in 66 games

Keith Law Ranking and Analysis

Ranking: No. 54 out of 100 best prospects in baseball

Analysis: “Blanks is a big human being—he’s listed at 6'6", 270 pounds, and it wouldn’t shock me to hear either figure was low. The size means two things: he has a huge strike zone, and he has raw power. Blanks has defied the odds on a guy his size by making contact and hitting for average, reducing his strikeout rate and raising his batting average two straight years despite moving up a level each year; he has good hand-eye coordination and his swing is less long than you’d expect from a 6'6" hitter.

He has a simple approach at the plate, but because he doesn’t stride into the ball, he doesn’t make maximum use of his bulk, and has less raw power than a hitter his size should have.

In the field, he’s limited to first base but should be no worse than average there; he moves around well and it’s obviously hard for anyone this side of Chuck Knoblauch to throw one over his head. His home run output hasn’t been bad—San Antonio’s a tough place to hit—but it should be better; if the Padres can get him to use his whole body better, he’ll have a chance to be a star, but it’ll probably be somewhere else with Adrian Gonzalez standing in front of him.”

I would also like to take this time to wish all the fathers out there a happy Father’s Day. Or, in the words of the immortal Ralph Kiner… “On Father’s Day, we again wish you all a happy birthday.”