Prospect Profile: Mychal Givens

A few things you might not have known about Orioles shortstop prospect Mychal Givens:

• Was born on May 13, 1990, in Tampa, Florida. At the start of this season, he'll be just 20 years old.
• He hits and bats right-handed, and is listed at 6'1", 195 lbs.
• Graduated in 2009 from Plant High, in Tampa, where he both pitched and played shortstop. 
• As a pitcher, he reportedly sat in the low-mid 90's, and topped out as high as 98 mph.
• Most scouts believed that ultimately, his athletic ability made him a much less-risky professional prospect as a shortstop.
• Givens was an All-State performer his junior and senior years in high school.
• As a junior, he received the 2008 Jackie Robinson Award, which is given annually to the "top rising senior in the county". He was also named the MVP of the Under Armour All-American Game, which was held at Wrigley Field. 
• He led Plant to the Class 5A state semifinals as a senior. In addition to playing shortstop, he went 8-4 record with a 1.71 ERA as a pitcher.
• Was a 5-star college baseball recruit coming out (ranked #2 overall by Rivals), and actually committed to play baseball at Oklahoma State University.
• Was selected by the Orioles in the 2nd round of the 2009 draft; the Orioles officially drafted him as a shortstop.
• There was some thought that he slipped in the draft and could have gone in the 1st round, but according to Joe Jordan, the Orioles director of amateur scouting: "I just think it was one of those things where there was some inventory with high school shortstops.''
• He almost didn't get a deal done before MLB's signing period expired; negotiations between the team and the player went well into the 11th hour. 
• The team ultimately convinced Givens to play professionally by offering him a signing bonus of $800,000.
• He didn't sign in time to play in '09, and got sidetracked for a time in 2010 because of a thumb injury. 
• Mychal split time across four levels in 2010 (the highest being A+ ball in Frederick), and performed well: .286/.402/.452 in 102 plate appearances.
• In addition to shortstop, the Orioles also played Given at second base in 2010. According to John Stockstill: "We like his versatility... We knew he had soft hands and a strong arm. The fact that he can go to Delmarva and hold his own at that young age and play different positions is a good sign.."
• In 2009, Baseball America ranked Givens as the ninth best prospect in the Baltimore Orioles minor league system. In 2010, he was upgraded to 7th on that list; he was also ranked #4 by John Sickels of Minor League Ball, and 8th by FanGraphs.

The pre-draft scouting report on Givens (2009), from MLB.com:

• Hitting Ability - Givens isn't a raw hitter, like some athletic high schoolers are, but there is some risk in his bat.
• Power - He's got some strength for future power, but doesn't currently have a power stroke. He hits off his front foot.
• Running Speed - He's not a burner, but he does have plus speed.
• Base Running - He appears to have a good idea of what he's doing on the basepaths.
• Arm Strength - Also a talented pitching prospect, he has at least plus arm strength.
• Fielding - He shows the ability to be a good defender at shortstop.
• Range - He's got very good actions and can go left and right very well.
• Physical Description - Givens has a rangy, athletic frame that should allow him to add strength as he matures
• Medical Update - Healthy.
• Strengths - His athleticism, with plus speed and good overall defensive actions.
• Weaknesses - Will he hit enough? There's talent there, but there's a question over whether the bat will carry to the next level.
• Summary - Givens is one of the better all-around athletes in the Draft class who will get looks both at shortstop and on the mound on Draft day. He's a good defender with a plus arm who uses his athleticism well. A plus runner, he's got the kind of frame that should allow him to get stronger ... which could lead to more power. The key to unlocking that will be a better overall hitting approach. There is some risk with his bat, but if a team feels he'll hit, he'll go early.

The Scouting Notes on Givens, from FanGraphs (2010):

".. A talented ’09 draft pick, injuries prevented Givens from fully showcasing his skills in 2010, as he appeared in just 23 games. Givens has a very wide stance and an awkward toe tap during his swing. That could be robbing him of power, because it seems to interrupt his forward movement – and could also impact his ability to make consistent contact. He also needs to level out his swing – although it has improved since his amateur days – and keep the barrel through the strike zone for a longer period of time. Givens also carries his hands very low and close to his body, which makes me think he could be beaten by good fastballs up and over the plate."

The following is a clip from last September (2010), in which he's interviewed on MASN: