Let’s continue our Looking Ahead series, previewing some potential future BlueClaws players. This time, a first-baseman who really impressed during his rookie year.

Jonathan Singleton, drafted in the 8th round from Long Beach, California, hit .290-2-12 with the GCL Phillies last year. But just looking at his stat line, one of the most impressive elements was an 13/18 K/BB ratio. Normally, you will see players have more strikeouts than walks, and that is especially true of a younger player just moving into professional baseball. That patience that he showed at the plate was especially impressive.

His father, Herb, played QB at Oregon, and son Jonathan was ranked as the 7th best prospect in the Gulf Coast League last year, where GCL Phillies manager Roly de Armas said he was the best high school hitter that he’s had.

Here is a Q&A from Singleon, draft time last year. My favorite part is the quote under his hat: “Good, better, best; never let it rest until the good is better and the better is best.”…He had committed to Long Beach State…His high school coach at Millikan in Long Beach said “I think he looks like Ryan Howard reincarnated. He obviously doesn’t put up the same numbers as Howard yet, but they have the same build.”

The Phillies have sent a number of second-year pros, drafted out of high school, to Lakewood, including Zach Collier, Anthony Gose, Trevor May (though he was not on the Opening Day roster), and Kyle Drabek to name a few. So it’s not unreasonable to think that he might be here in April.

UPDATE: Found this video from ESPN (HT Phillies Nation), where Singleton says that if he wasn’t playing baseball, he would be a middle linebacker (plus a lot more good stuff).

(photo: BaseballBeginnings.com)

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