Scouting Grades - Definitions

Hitting/Running: Avery continues to put up mediocre numbers but he did show some promise by walking more and striking out less often despite a jump to AAA and the big leagues. He continues to struggle against left-handed pitching and at this point it's become fairly obvious that he's going to be platoon player at best. He alos continues to struggle with good offspeed pitches but did show the ability to hit the other way more in 2012. In addition, he showed better pitch selection and worked pitchers much better seeing 4.12 pitches per plate appearance in AAA and 3.94 in Baltimore. He was an effective base stealer and steal possesses top of the scale raw speed but still occasional makes base running errors.

Defense/Intangibles: Avery is a good defensive left fielder though his below average arm is just adequate there. He showed good range in left and can play center field though his routes and jumps have never been particularly good there and his arm is well below average for center.

Conclusion: Avery is starting to look more and more like he can have a career as a 4th or 5th outfielder but his inability to hit left-handers and avoid major slumps may limit his overall effectiveness. His ability to play some center helps his value but it's doubtful he will become anything more than back up outfielder on a good team.