Matthew Sweeney – L.A. Angels 3B

H/W: 6-3 215 lb. B/T: L/R DOB: 4/4/88

The Angels' former 8th round selection missed all of the 2008 season with an ankle injury after a largely successful 2007 at Low-A Cedar Rapids where he hit .260 with 18 HR 72 RBI and 29 doubles. Matthew Sweeney has as much power potential as anyone in the Angels' system not named Brandon Wood. His smooth left-handed swing generates easy power to all fields and has the potential to hit for a high average as well. He has natural loft to his swing and seems to make solid contact with balls in the strike zone. One area of his offensive game that will continually need work is his ability to effectively work deep into counts. He walked just 38 times versus 88 strikeouts in 2007 and should prove to be a more dangerous hitter if he can boost his walk totals by 25-30. Defensively, he is somewhat heavy footed, but has soft hands and good first step range to both his left and right. His arm is plenty strong to handle any throws from the hot corner, though his 28 errors in '07 indicate that he still needs to control it and make more strides toward consistently making the routine plays.

2009 Projection: Sweeney has gotten off to an excellent start at High-A Rancho Cucamonga, hitting .375 with 3 HR 11 RBI and 7 doubles in his first 11 games. The biggest thing to watch out of Matthew is his ability to play the '09 season in good health. He looks like he is completely healthy, but ankle injuries, like so many other maladies, tend to become chronic problems that have detrimental effects on promising careers. Also keep tabs on his defensive performance. If he continues to post sub-.900 fielding percentages, there is a distinct chance that he could shift to the other infield corner or to a corner outfield spot a la Ryan Braun. Over a full season, Sweeney is a 25-30 HR hitter and a potential middle of the lineup hitter at the major league level. The Angels have Brandon Wood ahead of Sweeney on the organization's 3B depth chart, but lots can happen within the next couple of seasons. Sweeney's bat should place him somewhere.

Key Matthew Sweeney Baseball Cards: