Friend of the blog, Mike Newman of Scouting the Sally and FanGraphs, has a scouting report up for the Atlanta Braves projected starting shortstop in 2012, rookie Tyler Pastornicky. We haven't discussed Tyler that much on this blog, though he's been discussed at length around the Choposphere for months. As the Braves keep reiterating, they are comfortable starting the season with Pastronicky as the everyday shortstop. Here is some of what Mike has to say about him:

When reflecting on Tyler Pastornicky, the phrase, "jack of all trades, master of none" comes to mind as a fitting description. Quite often, this type of skill set leads to a long career in the major leagues, but not necessarily as a starter which is the sentiment amongst contacts in the industry. However, I saw a shortstop who projects as a capable second division starter, but not a player good enough to truly stake claim to the title, "shortstop of the future" for the Braves, or any organization for that matter. [...] In struggling to find a strong comp, I keep coming back to Pastornicky scouting similarly to Cincinnati Reds shortstop Zack Cozart with a bit less pop and better speed. However, Cozart was 23 in double-A in 2009 when Pastornicky pushed through the same league at 21 which points to the potential for a higher ceiling in the end. With a 4.2 WAR Fans projection for Cozart though the combination of solid, but unspectacular offensive numbers and above average defense, the formula for Pastornicky to replicate and make doubters look silly is laid out in plain sight.

For a guy like Pastornicky there are going to be a very wide range of reviews about him. Some insisting that he can handle the everyday job, others seeing him as not ready. I'm stuck between those two camps, but I lean heavily towards the latter. I like Pastornicky's contact ability, his speed, and what I view as a good and evolving approach at the plate. What I can't get past is that he's simply not ready for the everyday role in the Majors, not yet. Yes, he did well for a month and a half at triple-A, but I don't see that spurt of production translating into replacement level production in the Majors -- even for a defense-first shortstop.

The Braves will likely not put a lot of pressure on Pastornicky, sticking him in the eighth spot in the lineup and asking him to just play good defense while learning in the Majors. The Braves might be getting a little cocky here, thinking the recent success of all their other young rookies means that another rookie can make a similarly successful transition to an everyday role in the Majors. But Pastornicky is not Heyward or Freeman.

His development track needs to be longer, with a full year of triple-A as he works on and refines his approach. He needs to get more consistent defensively to handle the rigors of full time Major League shortstop duty -- that being one of the hardest positions to break into the Majors on an everyday basis. Pastornicky is good, and he would be a good backup now if we needed him to be, but he's not an everyday Major League shortstop just yet.

This situation reminds me somewhat of the Braves decision in 2009 to hand the everyday center field job to then 22-year old Jordan Schafer. He had less experience at the upper levels of the minors than Pastornicky, but he was equally unprepared for the everyday starting role he was thrust into. Yes, the wrist injury he suffered early in the season likely caused some of his numbers to look worse than they would have, but it was pretty clear he was not ready for consistent Major League pitching.

I'll get plenty of folks who disagree with me here, but I've never been that high on Pastornicky, and I don't see much more than a solid utility guy with speed right now. He could be good enough for the Braves until Andrelton Simmons is ready, likely in 2013 (oh yes, I'm much higher on him). After all the Braves did allow Nate McLouth to stay in the lineup everyday while hitting below replacement for almost two years. My prediction is that Pastornicky will be less than what the Braves want at shortstop next year, and a mid-season trade for a veteran starting shortstop will be made. Don't misunderstand me, I'll be rooting for Pastornicky to succeed (and for my prediction to be wrong), but at this point I don't see that happening.

As Newman says above, the formula is there for Pastornicky to make the doubters look silly. I'm one of the doubters, and I do hope I end up looking silly (you are welcome to throw this back in my face), but I just don't think Pastornicky is ready for the Majors. And the Braves will regret handing another everyday job to a player who is not ready.