Marcus Lemon – Texas Rangers SS

H/W: 5-11 175 lb. B/T: L/R DOB: 6/3/88

The son of long time Detroit Tiger OF Chet Lemon had a fine season at High-A Bakersfield hitting .295 with 8 HR 47 RBI 12 SB and 80 runs scored. Lemon is a good all around athlete with a quick left handed swing that generates good extra base pop for a player of his stature. Last season Lemon smacked 30 doubles which may indicate that a slight uptick of power could develop, perhaps to double digits. Marcus made significant strides in improving his plate discipline, working pitchers for a respectible 46 BB/69 K's. Lemon has above average speed, but he doesn't use it as well as he should on the basepaths. Over the past two seasons, Lemon has been successful on just 24 of 46 SB attempts. Defensively, Lemon is a substandard SS, committing 43 errors last season, but those that have watched him play 2B think that he can become a solid defender there. The one area of Lemon's game that outshines the other is his remarkable makeup and maturity. Lemon is an intelligent player who works to improve upon his shortcomings.

2009 Projection: Marcus will be challenged to continue his fine progression at AA Frisco. The numbers that Lemon put up at Bakersfield could have been artificially swollen by the friendly skies of the California League. Monitor his ability to maintain his solid plate discipline and power numbers. If he can do so, his chances of evolving into a major league starter will increase. At this point in time, it appears that Lemon is best suited as a solid MLB utility players - especially given the fact that he is playing in a system that boasts some talent at the middle infield positions.

Key Marcus Lemon Baseball Cards: