Tyson Gillies was the Seattle Mariners 25 round selection in the 2006 draft. Despite the low pick, he was rated the 15th best player in the Mariner's system by baseball America. At age four, Gillies was diagnosed with a hearing impairment that has left him with 30 percent hearing in one ear and 60 percent in the other. Thanks to the use of hearing aids and an ability to read lips Gilles has little trouble overcoming his impairment.
He began pro career with the Peoria Mariners in 2007. He recorded a single in his first career at-bat, June 23 against the Arizona League Angels. He recorded three stolen bases on August 6 against the Arizona League Royals. He was transferred to the Short-Season Everett AquaSox on August 31, recording five hits in eight at-bats. He participated in the Mariners 2007 Arizona Fall League.
Gillies began the 2008 season with the Class-A Advanced High Desert Mavericks. He appeared in 11 games before being transferred to Everett on June 9. He was named Everett's Player of the Year by the Seattle Mariners. He hit .200 in first 11 games, but rebounded to hit .328 in July and .351 in August and finished fifth in the Northwest League with a .313 average. He set season-high with 4 hits on July 17 against the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes. Gillies recorded a career-high 17-game hit streak, fourth longest in the league, batting .397 from August 7 to 25.
In 2009 Gillies excelled past expectations with High Desert batting .342 with nine home runs, 42 RBIs and swiping 44 bases. He made the 2009 All-Star Futures Game in St. Louis, Missouri playing for the World Team. Gilles won the California League batting title at the end of the '09 season. He was one of the main catalysts in the Mavs' second half title push, the title the eventually won.
Scouting Report:
Making contact, hitting for average, on base skills
Gillies’ contact rates were a big concern when he started his pro career and still are, but his strikeout rates have declined each year, alleviating some of the concern. If he can continue to improve his selectiveness his short swing and average batspeed should produce enough contact.
Gillies’ footspeed will help him keep his batting average steady. He hits or bunts the ball on the ground more often than not and if the infield can’t get the ball to first base in less than four seconds he’s probably going to get a hit out of it. In the Futures Game he almost beat out a routine play to second base and following a drag bunt he crossed first base before any fielder was able to reach the ball. As he encounters better and more experienced fielders this method of getting base hits will become less reliable, but as long as he can beat out throws on a semi-consistent basis he will always have a way to find hits even if he’s not swinging the bat well. This will help him maintain a respectable batting average, but until he learns to square the ball up more he probably won’t hit for particularly high averages.
His walk rates have been very solid the last two seasons, but as he moves up and faces better competition he’s going to be forced to swing the bat. Still, he should at least walk at an average rate at higher levels.
Hitting for power
Gillies hasn’t shown power to date, but some of that can be chalked up to unwillingness rather than inability. He takes advantage of his speed by bunting and slapping the ball around in most at bats. The ball is ending up on the ground slightly less this season, but hitting for power still isn’t really part of his gameplan right now. His physical tools suggest that there is at least average power to be developed, but he’ll have to consciously work on that part of his game if he wants to hit for power.
Speed and baserunning
Gillies was ranked as the system’s fastest baserunner by Baseball America heading into the 2009 season, and I doubt there will be many people arguing that point. He undoubtedly possesses plus-plus footspeed and is a stolen base threat, registering 23 swipes through 77 games so far. His success rate needs to get a bit better, but his jumps should improve with experience. Some scouting reports give Gillies’ raw speed an unheard of 80 grade on the 20-80 scale.
Fielding range
Gillies hasn’t yet learned to maximize his range in the outfield. He doesn’t always get the best jumps and route running isn’t yet a strength. This is where his partial deafness makes things difficult for scouts. He’s unable to fully use the sound off the bat to help gauge how well a ball is hit, leaving some question as to how much he can improve these areas of his game. Fortunately, his blistering speed erases many of his mistakes and allows him to grade out with above average range despite the inefficiencies.
Arm strength
Gillies might have the best arm on the farm heading into the season if it wasn’t for Carlos Triunfel, but he was ranked as the system’s best outfield arm by Baseball America coming into the year. He’s got a rocket.
Conclusion
What you have to like about Gillies from a player development standpoint is that he’s virtually a lock to fill a 25-man roster spot someday. He can run, play defense and throw, making him a fourth outfielder at very least. His contact rates and power will determine if he gets the chance to play everyday, and while he’s got a long way to go he’s been showing steady improvement and time is on his side as he’s just 20 years old.
Pro Ball NW
| 2007 | Azl Mariners | Ariz | 18 | SEA | Rk | of | | 35 | 86 | 20 | 19 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 23 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .221 | .337 | .302 | 639 |
| | Everett | Nwst | 18 | SEA | A- | of | | 4 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .625 | .625 | .625 | 1250 |
| 2008 | Everett | Nwst | 19 | SEA | A- | of | | 61 | 192 | 36 | 60 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 22 | 22 | 7 | 35 | 46 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | .313 | .439 | .427 | 866 |
| | High Desert | Calif | 19 | SEA | A+ | of | | 11 | 30 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .233 | .281 | .300 | 581 |
| 2009 | High Desert | Calif | 20 | SEA | A+ | | | 124 | 498 | 104 | 170 | 17 | 14 | 9 | 42 | 44 | 19 | 60 | 81 | 18 | 5 | 16 | 1 | 6 | .341 | .430 | .486 | 916 |
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| Minor League Totals | 235 | 814 | 167 | 261 | 26 | 22 | 11 | 73 | 78 | 33 | 102 | 157 | 38 | 5 | 20 | 3 | 7 | .321 | .419 | .447 | 866 |