DaShawn Keirsey Stats & Scouting Report

AB	385
AVG	.294
OBP	.368
SLG	.486
HR	14

Full name DaShawn Robert Keirsey Jr.
Born 05/13/1997 in San Diego, CA
Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 195 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Utah
Drafted in the 4th round (124th overall) by the Minnesota Twins in 2018 (signed for $600,000).

View Draft Report

Keirsey's career-best campaign this spring is impressive enough in its own right, as the junior center fielder hit .392/.440/.636 through his first 36 games--a slugging percentage nearly .200 points better than his previous high. His performance looks even more impressive when remembering the gruesome injury he suffered last May, when Keirsey dislocated and fractured his left hip after colliding into the center field wall while tracking a deep home run. While the injury prevented Keirsey from playing in the Cape Cod League last summer, it's seemingly done nothing to slow him down this spring. Scouts have been impressed with his athleticism, plus raw power, a strong throwing arm and running ability. The power is the obvious improvement in Keirsey's game, although most of that is driven by all of the doubles he's collected (18) rather than the home runs (3) he has hit through May 10. While scouts grade Keirsey as an above-average or plus runner, teams will worry that his hip injury will cause that grade to depreciate quicker than usual, and a related, recurring injury is also a concern. Outside of durability questions, Keirsey has a solid package of tools and a bat that can project as average--both of which could override worries about the medical.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

BA Grade: 40/Medium

Track Record: A promising wide receiver in high school, Keirsey Jr. quickly realized that his size/speed combination may fit better in baseball. He had an excellent career at Utah, and his speed and defense has been apparent from his first day as a pro, but he’s had to work hard to get to a point where he can hit enough to be a potential big leaguer.

Scouting Report: Keirsey seems to believe that any ball hit in the air in the stadium is catchable. He often proves that true, but it also means that sometimes he’s found outfield walls getting in the way. He missed time in college when he fractured and dislocated a hip in a particularly ferocious wall collision that saw him wheeled off the field on a stretcher. Keirsey is a plus-plus defender in center field with a fringe-average arm who could fit as a backup thanks to the expanded 26-man rosters. He also has plus-plus speed and is a threat to steal anytime he’s standing on first base. As a hitter, Keirsey has made significant improvements, but there’s not a lot of fluidity to his swing and scouts are skeptical as to whether he can consistently hit premium velocity. His 15 home runs in 2023 more than doubled his career totals dating back to 2018, but he’s projected as a below-average hitter with well below-average power.

The Future: Keirsey will turn 27 early in the 2024 season, and he went unpicked in the Rule 5 draft, so this late-bloomer still has skeptics to win over. But with Michael A. Taylor gone and Andrew Stevenson headed to Japan, Keirsey’s exceptional defense and speed could help the Twins in a backup or up-and-down role.

Scouting Grades Hit: 40 | Power: 30 | Run: 70 | Field: 70 | Arm: 45

Draft Prospects

Keirsey's career-best campaign this spring is impressive enough in its own right, as the junior center fielder hit .392/.440/.636 through his first 36 games--a slugging percentage nearly .200 points better than his previous high. His performance looks even more impressive when remembering the gruesome injury he suffered last May, when Keirsey dislocated and fractured his left hip after colliding into the center field wall while tracking a deep home run. While the injury prevented Keirsey from playing in the Cape Cod League last summer, it's seemingly done nothing to slow him down this spring. Scouts have been impressed with his athleticism, plus raw power, a strong throwing arm and running ability. The power is the obvious improvement in Keirsey's game, although most of that is driven by all of the doubles he's collected (18) rather than the home runs (3) he has hit through May 10. While scouts grade Keirsey as an above-average or plus runner, teams will worry that his hip injury will cause that grade to depreciate quicker than usual, and a related, recurring injury is also a concern. Outside of durability questions, Keirsey has a solid package of tools and a bat that can project as average--both of which could override worries about the medical.