Jay Bruce (65)

Batting: 60	Speed: 45	Arm: 65
Power: 70	Defense: 65

Stance: When stationary, Bruce has an upright stance with a slight knee bend and hands held closely to his helmet while left elbow is parallel to ground pointing straight back. As pitch is delivered, Bruce goes into a leg kick followed by his hands and hips coming through the zone. He has a very fluid and powerful swing that leads into a good follow through motion.

Approach: Bruce is a classic power hitter in the sense that he hits a lot of home runs but also strikes out way more than a coach would want. That being said, what separates Bruce from other power hitters is his ability to get on base, hit for decent average and also take a walk. While his on-base percentage and walk numbers would rank league average at best, they are well above average for a 30 home run hitter. In 2013, he hit .262 with runners in scoring position, which was identical to his overall batting average for the year meaning he did crack under pressure and approached each at bat in a similar manner.

Hitting Ability:  As with many pure power hitters, Bruce has struggled to hit for average with his career mark at .257,which is  the one thing keeping him from elite status in the league. That being said, Bruce is an ideal number 3/4/5 hitter with superior power, decent on base skills and an ability to hit for average.

Power: Bruce possesses elite power as shown by his three consecutive 30+ home run seasons, all before his 27th birthday. His career slugging percentage of .482 would definitely put him in the upper echelon of all major league hitters over the time he has been in the league. There is no park in baseball that can tame this big time power.

Running: Not a burner on the base paths, Bruce has averaged 6-8 stolen bases per season since entering the league which is actually not bad from the number 1 power guy in your line-up. His speed grades out as average at best as it is does not limit his abilities on either offense or defense by being able to get to balls and not get caught on the base paths.

Fielding: Bruce is a very solid defender regardless of what defensive measurement you decide to use.  Using traditional stats, his .991 fielding percentage and 13 outfield assists in 2013 made him the second best defensive right fielder in the National League in both of those categories placing him as the runner up for the Gold Glove at the position. Additionally, even the advanced stats show that Bruce is a superior defender as evidenced by his 10.2 UZR and his 18 total runs saved.

Physical Description: An imposing figure at the plate, Bruce possesses ideal size for a prototypical power hitter. At 6’3 and 215 pounds he has a big, muscular frame with good weight distribution. He has the type of frame that makes it very easy to pack on pounds therefore, Bruce should pay close attention to condition as he ages, especially if he wants to stick in the outfield.

Projection: As the former top prospect in all of baseball, Bruce has had to deal with ridiculous expectations since day 1 and has responded well. While he will never be considered a superstar, Bruce will be in the All-Star discussion every year and be a very solid middle of the order bat for years to come. It can be expected that he will continue to hit 30 home runs with around 100 rbi on an annual basis for the next few years as he enters the prime of his career.