MCB Top 30: #30 Mike Hollimon

Proper Name: Michael T. Hollimon
Born: June 14, 1982 in Dallas
High School: Jesuit College Prep School
College: Oral Roberts
Ht.: 6-1 Wt.: 185
Bats: B Throws: R

Coming out of high school in 2001, Mike Hollimon was considered one of the best prep hitters in the country. Coming out of Dallas, Texas, many teams considered him first round type material. The switch hitting infielder had displayed a good balance of defensive presence, power and patience. But with a hefty price tag of seven figures on the table, Hollimon fell to the 32nd round of the draft to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Needless to say, Hollimon packed his bags for Austin, to play for The Texas Longhorns, one of the best college programs in the country at the time. As a freshman, he hit .262 and compiled a solid .375 obp, but eventually lost his starting spot to Brandon Fahey (now with the Orioles). Hollimon would never be able to capitalize on his solid freshman campaign at Texas. As a sophomore and junior, the infielder was not able to find a rhythm. He hit .236 and .225 those two seasons. Hollimon believed that he was too focused on results. He continue to work hard, but couldn’t crack the starting lineup for the Longhorns. So finally, after a rough two years, Hollimon made the decision to transfer. He headed to Tulsa, Oklahoma to play for coach Rob Walton and Oral Roberts University.

His senior year put him back on the map, as he hit .304 with 14 homers and 55 RBIs in the leadoff spot. He also tallied 26 stolen bases. It was then that Hollimon knew that he had restored his passion for the game. It was also noticed by Tigers amatuer scout Steve Taylor, who watched Hollimon throughout his whole senior season. The Tigers drafted Hollimon in the sixteenth round of the 2005 draft.

‘Hitting’ it off well

Little did the Tigers know how much punch the bat of Mike Hollimon brought to the table at the start of 2005. In 72 games at short season Oneonta, batting .275/.391/.557, adding 13 homers and 50 walks, alongside 36 extra base hits. All offensive numbers that ranked second in the New York-Penn League.

From there, Hollimon went to play for the West Michigan Whitecaps of the Midwest League, where he helped lead them to a League title, and added 15 homers, 13 triples and 54 RBIs. The Tigers then made the decision to move him to second base and have him start the season at AA Erie.

It was with the Seawolves where Hollimon really excelled, hitting .282/.371/.478 with 14 homers and 76 RBIs. It was a season to remember for Hollimon and company, as Erie went 81-53. The Seawolves included a cast of Jeff Larish, Jair Jurrjens, Clete Thomas, Eddie Bonine, Cameron Maybin, Matt Joyce, and Wilkin Ramirez. Hollimon would get a late call to AAA Toledo, and start off his 2008 one step away from the big leagues.

Hollimon’s first season at the AAA level didn’t go as well as planned. He battled shoulder problems all season, putting together a lowly .211/.306/.420 campaign. Though the struggles continued, Hollimon made his major league debut on June 9th, 2008. He hit .261/.280/.565 in 11 games for the Tigers last season.

Scouting Report

Throughout his professional career, Hollimon has shown that he is a patient hitter who knows how to pick the better pitches, and when to take a walk when needed. His power as a middle infielder is a plus, and he knows how to stretch the bases to make singles into doubles and doubles into triples. Hollimon is a plus defender, and has just enough speed to play anywhere on the field (beyond catcher and pitcher). The Tigers have played him in the outfield, third base, second base and shortstop.

Though there is a lot of positive, there is still a lot of unknown that surrounds Hollimon. One thing that he needs to work on is lowering his strikeout rate. Since 2006, Hollimon has struck out 100 or more times  three seasons. The move to second base seems appropriate, because many scouts believe he doesn’t have the arm to play shortstop and third base regularly. Hollimon’s career is also in jeopardy because of  shoulder surgery that took place at the end of the season to repair a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder. It seems like Hollimon will miss most of the 2009 season.

Predictions:

It is hard to say where Hollimon will end up when it is all said and done, but his power is something that will truly attract in the future. It seems likely that he will remain at second base, considering the depth the Tigers have at the shortstop position. If trends continue, and the Tigers cut payroll for the 2010 season, by not resigning Placido Polanco, Mike Hollimon could be in the mix alongside fellow prospect Scott Sizemore to replace the 2006 ALCS MVP. Either way, if he can figure things out at the plate after surgery, he could be a bonus part of this Tigers squad off the bench, or in the starting lineup in the future.