The Cleveland Indians surprised most experts when they took Tyler Naquin at No. 15 in the 2012 draft. Here's how it happened.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Tyler Naquin could swing a broom stick at a rock and hit a line drive.
That isn't why the Cleveland Indians made him their first-round pick in 2012. But the story stuck with Tribe scouting director Brad Grant when he was deciding who to pick in the first round of the 2012 draft.
The Indians had the No. 15 selection, so they had no chance at prime prospects Carlos Correa, Byron Buxton and Mike Zunino -- the first three selections in the draft.
Naquin was 21 years old. He had just finished his junior year at Texas A&M, leading the Big 12 with a .380 batting average.
"He was just a pure hitter," said Grant. "But some people in the (baseball) industry thought he was a 'Tweener.' They didn't think he'd hit for a enough power to play a corner outfield position.
"They wondered if he'd be good enough (defensively) to play center. I think that's why a lot of people had him rated lower than we did."
Tribe fans know Grant did indeed draft Naquin in 2012. They also know that the rookie is one of the biggest surprises of this surprising season for the first-place Indians, batting .314 (.969 OPS) with 10 HR and 23 RBI heading into Tuesday night's game in Kansas City.
But it was a gutsy pick by Grant and his staff. Not because Naquin was viewed as a high-risk prospect. Just the opposite. He seems solid. Very, very sold.
Baseball America rated him the 25th-best prospect, calling him the draft's "best pure hitter."
MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo put a No. 30 ranking on Naquin.
ESPN's Keith Law had Naquin at No. 42.
As Baseball America wrote: "Naquin has as good a pure bat and outfield arm as any college player this year. From what scouts tell me, center field might be a stretch and he's never going to have a ton of power. Could wind up as a 'tweener.'"
That was the general scouting report on Naquin. Very few people seemed to think there would be anything special about him as a Major Leaguer.
THE BAT, THE BOTTOM LINE
Tyler Naquin could always hit.
In 2011, his father (Ken Naquin) told Brent Zweeneman of the Houston Chronicle: "Tyler would go down to Spring Creek with these sawed off broom sticks and hit rocks all the time."
His father also said the family had sweet gum trees in their backyard and "I'd pitch those sweet gum balls to him."
Scouts love stories like that. They echo back to a time where a scout found Bob Feller pitching in his barn to his father during the winter.
But there's far more to Naquin than being perhaps one of the all-time greats hitting sweet gum balls.
"I never saw him hit a sweet gum ball, but I'd tell you this -- Tyler could flat-out hit," said Kyle Van Hook, the scout who signed him.
It was during Naquin's junior year at Klein Collins High (Spring, Texas) that Van Hook first scouted him.
"He played center back then," said the scout. "Klein Collins plays at the top level of high school baseball in Texas. And Tyler was one of the best high school players in the Houston area."
Naquin batted .442, .441 and .439 in his last three years of high school.
He was a 33rd-round pick by the Baltimore Orioles, but decided to go to Texas A&M instead. The 6-foot-2 Naquin was very skinny in high school.
In his last two seasons at Texas A&M, he batted .380 and .381. But he had only 5 HR in 515 at bats in those final two seasons.
"We thought his power would eventually come," said Tribe general manager Mike Chernoff. "He had outstanding bat-to-ball skills. He was such a consistent hitter. He had a great throwing arm, and was incredibly driven."
THE SCOUTING, THE ARM
Naquin played right field for Texas A&M. The Aggies had a quicker player named Krey Brasten in center.
"But we thought Tyler could play center," said Grant. "He was scouted by Kyle Van Hook, who saw Tyler player center in high school. He said Tyler could do it."
Van Hook said over and over, the Indians asked him about Naquin's future as a center field.
"I was convinced he could be at least average," said the scout. "His arm was special."
Grant remembered his first scouting trip to College Station, Texas, to see Naquin. It was a rainy day, so there was no formal batting practice.
"I found him in the batting cages," said Grant. "He was hitting off a tee, then he was hitting some soft-toss (drills). He had the kind of serious pre-game hitting routine you found in big leaguers. He knew exactly what he wanted to do to prepare for a game."
Early in that game, Grant saw a ball hit deep to right field for a single.
"Tyler ran it down near the wall and threw a rocket to third base," said Grant. "That arm just jumped out at you."
The Indians started with the obvious. The bat was real.
"We rated him the best college hitter in the draft," said Grant.
But would he hit for power? If not, could he play well enough to handle center field?
The arm would help. If he had to play right field, it would make him very good at that position.
MAKING THE CALL
Grant thought back to the 2009 draft. He had his eye on Jason Kipnis, who batted .384 at Arizona. He was an outfielder, the PAC 10 Player of the Year.
But some scouts thought Kipnis would not hit for enough power to play a corner outfield spot. They doubted he could play center, or convert to the infield.
So they passed on perhaps the best pure college hitter in that 2009 draft. The Indians grabbed him in the second round -- the 63rd pick.
"Sometimes, you just take the guy because you know he can hit," said Grant. "We felt that way about Tyler, too."
Van Hook's job was to check out Naquin's work ethic and character.
"He had no problems off the field," said the scout. "He's a tremendous worker, going back to high school."
Van Hook said Naquin lives about 45 minutes away from Texas A&M. He often works out at the school in the off-season.
"He's there 12 hours some days," said Van Hook. "His coaches have always loved him."
Did the Indians know he'd have 10 home runs by the middle of July?
No way. Not after he came into the season with only 21 HR in 1,296 career minor league at bats.
But as Chernoff said, "He had the kind of swing that can develop and produce power. It takes time."
Michael Brantley is an example. A lefty hitter with a smooth swing like Naquin, Brantley never hit more than 10 HR in a season until he was 27 years old.
Naquin turned 25 on April 24. He spent most of the off-season at the Tribe's training facility in Goodyear, Ariz. working on his strength.
He has had some defensive problems in center field, but the Indians believe he'll improve. If not, the way he swings the bat -- the Tribe will find somewhere for him to play.
"Tyler believes he can hit anyone," said Van Hook. "He has that kind of arrogance you find in really good hitters, and he backs up with work ethic. That's why I was always sure that no matter where he'd play -- he'd hit."