Brett Bateman – Pic via University of Minnesota Athletics

Here’s what I wanted to write originally about Brett Bateman.

“The outfielder from Minnesota gets on base at a high clip. He uses the whole field and his speed to set the tables for others to drive him in. He can play all three outfield spots as well as steal a lot of bases.”

That’s pretty much all you need to know.

But there’s more to Bateman than that above that statement that could be written about his skills, Let’s break them down in a little deeper dive on just how those skills were developed at the University of Minnesota over the last three seasons.

Basic Info

Age – 21
Height – 5 foot 10
Weight – 180 pounds
Bats – Left
Throws – Left
From – Saint Paul, Minnesota
Eighth round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft

Bateman is one of the picks that might surprise some people once he begins playing. A lot of it has to do with his current skill set and a lot of it has to do with his wealth of experience the past three years. He did not sit idle during the summer between every season as he was out trying to get better and gain experience.

Bateman’s freshman year saw him only playing in 26 games. He hit .250 with a .354 on base percentage and stole just four bases. After that campaign, he hooked up with Willmar in the Northwoods League, but only played four games hitting .353.

He returned to Minnesota, where he moved into the starting lineup playing 52 games his sophomore year. He hit .312 with a .386 on base percentage. Because of the increased action, he also stole 21 bases. Like the summer before, he returned to Willmar to play for the summer. He got in 50 more games after his sophomore year and he was fantastic! He hit .330 with a .414 on base percentage and swiped 26 bags. Combined, he got in just 106 games, We’re looking at 47 stolen bases and an average in the .320s. That’ll do for a lead off hitter.

Batemans junior year was another good one. He hit .355 with a .451 on base percentage. He did not steal as much as previous years, but he did take the 17 of them. And rather than rest on his laurel as an All-Big Ten selection, Bateman switched it up before the draft this year, and went to play in the Cape like so many other young possible draft picks. In 13 games against elite competition he hit .500 with a .519 on base percentage.

Joe Doyle of Future Star Series said this of Bateman’s skills:

Bateman is coming off a fantastic season with the Golden Gophers where he hit .355/.451/.407 and walked 11 more times than he struck out. Bateman’s biggest tools are his approach at the plate and his instincts on the base paths and in the outfield. He’s a plus runner with a willingness to turn on the jets to put himself in scoring position. Bateman doesn’t possess much bat speed and will probably never be a guy who hits for much power at the next. He’s a singles hitter who will expunge value from his legs at the next level. He could go on day three.

The more I learned about Bateman, the more I’m excited to watch him play as he seems like a kid that I would’ve enjoyed playing with in my youth. He is somebody who gets on base and can wreak havoc. But he’s out there setting the table for others to drive him in. The fact that he is left-handed is a bonus and the fact that he can play multiple spots in the outfield also bodes well for his career.

Other Draft Pick Profiles

2023
RDPickPosPlayerSchoolBonus
113SSMatt ShawMaryland
268SPJaxon WigginsArkansas
381SS Josh RiveraFlorida
4113SPWill SandersSouth Carolina
5149CMichael CaricoDavidson
6176OFAlfonsin RosarioP27
7206SSYahil MelendezB You Academy (PR)
8236OFBrett BatemanMinnesota
92661BJonathon LongLong Beach State
10296SPLuis Martinez-GomezTemple College
11326OFZyhir HopeColonial Forge HS
123562B/OFCarter TriceNC State
13386SPSam ArmstrongOld Dominion
14416RPGrayson MooreVanderbilt
15446SPTy JohnsonBall State
16476RPDaniel BrownCampbell
17506SPEthan FlanaganUCLA
185363BBrian KalmerGonzaga
19566SPNick DeanMaryland
205963BDrew BowserStanford