Position: CF
Born: 12/9/1991
Ht: 6’1″ Wt: 215 lb B-T: R-R
Acquired: Drafted 19th round in the 2013 draft out of Louisville
Career Stats
FutureSox Prospect Rankings
- #22 – 2014 Preseason
- #22 – 2014 Midseason
- #24 – 2015 Preseason
- #22 – 2015 Midseason
- #8 – 2016 Preseason
- #10 – 2016 Midseason
- #16 – 2017 Preseason
FutureSox Media
- Baseball Down Under by Adam Engel, March 2015
- VIDEO: Full at-bat (open side), June 2015
- Interview, July 2015
- AFL update: Engel named Fall Star, Nov. 2015
- Video interview (Soxfest), Jan. 2016
- Adam Engel – Are we ready to call him a legitimate starting outfield prospect?, Feb. 2016
- Interview with video, July 2016
- In-person report, May 2017
- Interview, May 2017
- VIDEO: Full AB, May 2017
- VIDEO: BP session, May 2017
- All FutureSox articles tagged Adam Engel
Accolades
- Carolina League All-Star, 2015 Postseason
- Arizona Fall League Rising Star, 2015
- Arizona Fall League MVP, 2015
Scouting Report
Engel is a speedster that signed for over-slot money in the 19th round in 2013. His $100,000 bonus isn’t big money, but it’s notable for a 19th rounder and closer to 10th or 11th round level. After a strong showing in Great Falls his draft year, Engel posted less than stellar numbers at both levels of A ball in 2014, striking out 23.6% of the time but stealing a lot of bases (37/49 SB/ATT) and hitting 11 home runs. In 2015 he posted a .251/.335/.369 line with a whopping 65 steals in 76 attempts, and lowered his whiff rate a bit to 21.7%. The numbers did improve notably late in the year, which may have hinted at what was next.
Engel did so well in the Arizona Fall League that year (.403/.523/.642, 10 SB in 19 games) that he won the league’s MVP award. Engel opened 2016 with Double-A Birmingham, but struggled mightily and seemed to be hesitant to swing the bat (.170/.314/.310, 19 BB, 28 K in 124 PA). He was demoted back to Winston-Salem, did well there, came back up to Double-A and did much better (.255/.352/.412 in 74 games) before being promoted to Triple-A on July 18. In Charlotte he struggled to a .242/.298/.369 line and struck out 50 times in 161 PA. In 2017, after posting an oddly stilted .218/.312/.461 line in 46 games, he was promoted to the White Sox where he surpassed rookie eligibility.
Engel has true plus-plus speed, a strong arm and elite athleticism. Defensively, he’s a true center fielder who tracks well, has the speed to cover a lot of ground and a very good arm. The question is, can he hit and/or get on base enough to make his speed provide value? He shows some patience at the plate, so it’s really about the hit tool. His bat speed sometimes seems slow for someone with his strength, and his swing gets long at times, but when he’s more compact he can make loud contact. Consistency has been a battle for Engel.