2012 Mets Draft Scouting Report: 1B Jayce Boyd

It's tough to be as productive in your college career as Jayce Boyd has been at Florida State and still be thought of as a disappointment. As a freshman, he hit .326, .335 as a sophomore, and .395 this season. However, Boyd's power potential is so tantalizing that teams have been waiting for Boyd to finally start hitting a few out of the park. Because of this, a talented player fell to the sixth round.

Boyd chas played both third and first for Florida State, but he just doesn't have the agility to play the hot corner. He might be able to survive in the outfield, but at first he profiles as a plus defender. He has a strong arm, great hands, plenty of range, and good footwork around the bag, enough defensive tools that it doesn't matter much that he isn't left-handed. Mike Martin, FSU's coach, calls him the best defensive first baseman he's ever coached, and he's been there since 1980. I'd certainly hesitate before making him a liability at another position when he can excel at first.

At the plate, there are more questions. Boyd has consistently hit for high averages, and true to form he has a simple stroke at the plate. His approach at the plate draws high marks from observers and he's done a great job cutting down his strikeout rate as he's progressed. The big question is power. He has natural strength and long limbs, so scouts have been expecting power from him since high school. He does load his hands to help him drive the bat through the strike zone, generating gap power, but he does a poor job of getting the rest of his body working in concert with his swing. I really can't say I expect him to hit more than 15 home runs in a full season, and that's probably not going to cut it for a first baseman. And while you could overhaul his swing, that may (and probably will) hurt his contact ability.

People love comparisons, and mine for Boyd is a right-handed J.T. Snow: good defensive first basemen who can hit for some average and moderate power. Boyd might not be as good a defender and might hit for higher batting averages, but that seems about right to my eyes. Of course, there's a great chance that his lack of power gets him stuck in the minors or in a bench role instead.