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I'm bigger on Ackley than I was on Tulo or Alex Gordon - and I was BIG on Alex Gordon. Funnily enough both guys have run into injury issues.
But then maybe I'm just tired to death of hitters with no patience, no strike-zone control, no desire to put pressure on a pitcher, no idea of an approach at the plate...
Ackley will be a 40 doubles a year guy in the pros on a regular basis. What's his potential HR power like? Hard to say. He doesn't try to hit them. All of the HRs he hits are balls that would have been HRs or doubles off the wall in the pros or in college. He just crushes the ball where that ball is meant to go and doesn't try to swing for the fences with rainbow flies that in the pros are lazy outs. But after his arm recovery his HR power doubled - I take that as a very good sign.
He's John Olerud with wheels. Being patient and waiting for his pitch is not a problem for him. Nothing's a problem for him. He should have been drafted as a teen and be killing it in the bigs already.
He's trapped in college and bored at the plate, but it doesn't affect his output or his concentration. Blew out his elbow? No problem coach, I can hit .400 with a recovering arm, just move me to 1B so I don't have to throw this year. Next year when I can throw again, put me wherever you want.
And he's skinny, a rail. Get Edgar in here to show him the way around the weight room, let him flesh out a little, and those doubles will clear the wall in the bigs just fine.
If he really can play 2nd - and at this point I don't think there's anything he CAN'T do...Think of asking Cal Ripken to play CF or 1B or MIF and you'd be pretty sure he can do all of that without an issue. Ackley's that way. "Just tell me what to do, Coach, and I'll go be great at it."
He's never gonna be a 40 HR masher. Or 30, probably. For a #2 pick you'd probably like one if he's your 1B. But Ackley was a 1B due to injury and necessity of playing the players on the NC roster. He can play all the OF positions and probably several of the IF ones too. I'd take 40 2b and 20 HRs every year from my .300/.400/.500 hitter and call it a good draft pick no matter the position. Wouldn't you?
I wanted to see power after his arm healed. He showed it. That was my only question. Sign the kid up and figure out where he's gonna play for you. As as middle IF he'd be a ridiculous bargain, but even in the OF or at 1B...the bat should play anywhere. You'd like to keep the corners available for bigger HR threats...but how long did Ole play a major role at 1B with adequate-but-not-great HR power?
And Ackley can run the bases too. Bring him on, at whatever position.
~G