Prospect Countdown: #30 Justin Trapp

30. Justin Trapp Second Baseman

Paden Bennett (27): I am a fan of Justin Trapp as I ranked him 27th in my rankings.  I like his ability to have good plate appearances and draw walks.  We don't have enough guys like that in this organization so when I see a young kid that is showing the ability to take a walk that ups their stock for me.  Trapp has a "very unique set of skills, skills that make him a nightmare for people like you" (Taken reference).  But really, he does have an intriguing set of skills, he has good speed and good pop and a good eye.  Those three factors right there make me feel like Trapp could turn out to be a very good player one day.   

Joe Cox (NR): To be fair, I had very little clue who Justin Trapp was before this write up.  The most analysis I could find was from Royal Revival’s review on November 17^th, 2011.   I learned that Trapp is a young athletic middle infielder with some power potential.  The 34^th round pick from the 2009 amateur draft had a very solid year for Kane County last season smacking 12 home runs and compiling 24 stolen bases over 469 with a solid .788 OPS.  He played 94 games at second base and made 22 errors at the position, which obviously needs to be cut down.  Trapp has some interesting skills that he needs to continue to improve on as he slowly makes his way up Kansas City’s farm system, hopefully as a second baseman.

Damion Mandalas (28): I think Trapp is a decent prospect that could offer some upside as a late bloomer. While there is no tool that stands out, he seems to be pretty solid across the board. He showed decent pop in 2012, hitting 12 home runs and an ISO of .158. He also showed good speed, stealing 12 bases and a decent eye at the plate walking in 8.7% of his plate appearances. Trapp is a good athlete, having originally been signed to play quarterback at Coastal Carolina. Hopefully, his athleticism can continue to allow him to develop and he can turn himself into a solid second base prospect. He should open the season in Wilmington.

Dan Ware (NR):  Trapp was drafted out of Fairfield Central High School in South Carolina in the 34th round of the 2009 draft.  A former recruit by Coastal Carolina to play quarterback, he is a 2B who has great athleticism and potentially some pop in the bat, which was shown last season as Trapp composed a decent .272/.352/.430 line with 12 dingers and 50 ribbies.  Early in April of 2011, Trapp was suspended for 50 games for violating MILB Drug Prevention and Treatment program, but since then has had a clean slate.  It wouldn't surprise me if Trapp started off the 2013 campaign in Lexington considering the poor display he put on at 2B last season.  Look for Justin to play out next season between Lexington and Wilmington.

Total Points: 7