Brett Bateman is a throwback to how the game was played in the 1960s and 1970s. He gets on base however he can and he plays all out in the field. For a guy who has only been in the system for less than two years, he’s going to be on the precipice of Iowa later this summer, especially if he gets off to a good start.
Basic Information
Age – 23
Bats – Left
Throws – Left
Height – 5-foot-10
Weight – 170
8th round pick in the 2023 Draft
University of Minnesota
Here is what MLB Pipeline said about Bateman this winter.
Bateman is a study in extremes from the left side of the plate. He almost never chases pitches or swings and misses, especially in the zone, but he also rarely hits balls hard or in the air. Just 5-foot-10 and 170 pounds, he builds his offensive game around shooting grounders into gaps in the defense and getting on base at the expense of any power. He slugged just .324 last year, with one homer and 16 extra-base hits in 107 games.
So, yeah, glad we got that lack of power thing out of the way first.
But there is more to playing baseball that hitting dingers and Bateman has shown that in his two years in Myrtle Beach and South Bend. And he will definitely being bringing that game to Knoxville.
Bateman’s career began in 2023 shortly after signing. He played a whopping three games in Mesa before heading east to Myrtle Beach where he .298 with a .431 OBP. It was safe to say at that point that he would not be going back to South Carolina in 2024.
At South Bend, Bateman easily earned a promotion to Tennessee by June 1. It would not come until August 6 for whatever reason. He had a .465 OBP in April and a .415 OBP in May. Who does that and does not get promoted. So, Bateman did the only thing he could and that was just play. He hit .301 with a .391 OBP in June and still no promotion. After getting on the struggle bus for a week in July, he got promoted the first week of August.
He did get a cup of coffee at Tennessee and a taste of playoff baseball but I am more excited to see how he does against advanced competition this summer. He will have his challenges playing at the toughest level of the minors. Playing an extra two months in South Bend probably taught Bateman to just put your head and keep doing your thing and that’s exactly what he should be doing in 2025.
Written by Examining Cubs
Full article can be found at: https://examiningcubs.wordpress.com/2025/03/27/a-prospect-profile-brett-bateman-can-only-be-brett-bateman/