C.J. Chatham

Position: SS
Level: Class A
Affiliate: Greenville Drive
League: South Atlantic League
Born: 12/22/1994 (Age: 29)
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 185
B/T: Right / Right
Acquired: 2nd Rd., 2015 MLB First-Year Player Draft (BOS)

Prospect Spotlight

Boston took Chatham with the 51st-overall pick in 2016 out of Florida Atlantic University. He battled a hamate injury during the spring of his draft year, then was limited to just seven games in 2017 because of hamstring issues. I saw him in Greensboro in May, and he was moved up to High A Salem right after that series. His polish and baseball instincts were admittedly too advanced for the South Atlantic League, but given his injury history, it isn’t a great sign that Chatham has only played the field four times in 2018—all coming in the first week of April. He has been DH’ing with Greenville and Salem the last few weeks.

Taller than most shortstops at 6’4’’, Chatham carries his frame like former big league utilityman Don Kelly (INF/OF, PIT/DET/MIA, 2007-16) and he also has a similar ceiling: a hard-nosed utility player with a decent bat, able to play all around the diamond in a reserve or spot-starting capacity. Chatham’s lean frame isn’t very bulky, but very long arms and a quick bat give him surprising average raw power in BP—albeit with an effortful uppercut that sells out for lift. He projects to hit more doubles than dingers at the big league level, and there’s some ability to put the bat on the ball despite an unconventional setup and swing.

I haven’t gotten a look at Chatham on defense in a game situation as a pro, though I did see an infield/outfield and some pre-game work at shortstop. He’s agile on his feet for a big man, with enough arm for the left side of the infield. The instincts show up in the field, and he has the type of athleticism and body type to try first base and the outfield corners on top of the SS/3B/2B versatility he already brings.