Carlos Quentin

From BR Bullpen

Carlos Jose Quentin

Bats Right, Throws Right
Height 6' 1", Weight 225 lb.
School Stanford University
High School University City High School (San Diego)
Debut July 20, 2006
Born August 28, 1982 in Bellflower, CA USA

1 Biographical Information
2 Notable Achievements
3 Related Sites

[edit] Biographical Information

[edit] College Career

Outfielder Carlos Quentin was a star for three years in college. In 2001, he played regularly as a freshman for the #2 team in the country (according to Baseball America). He hit .345/.408/.530 that year and followed up with a .303/.398/.539 sophomore season. He made the Pac-10 Conference All-Conference team and was named the Conference's newcomer of the year. Quentin was the MVP of the finals in the 2002 Haarlem Baseball Week, going 3 for 5 with a double and RBI to lead team USA to a victory. He slipped in the 2002 World University Championship, batting .227/.370/.409 for team USA as they won a Silver Medal. In 2003, he batted .396/.494/.630 and was third in the Pac-10 in average. He again made the All-Conference team and Stanford was again ranked second nationally.

He was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first round of the 2003 amateur draft, the 29th overall pick. He was their second first-round selection, following Conor Jackson. He signed for $1.1 million but did not play that year due to an arm injury.

[edit] Minor Leagues

In 2004, Quentin hit .310/.428/.562 with 64 runs in 65 games for the Lancaster Jethawks and moved up to the El Paso Diablos along with Jackson and Jamie D'Antona - the three had been called the "Three Amigos" for Lancaster. With El Paso, he put up a .357/.443/.533 line, showing he had missed nothing due to the injury. His .435 OBP was fifth in the minor leagues and he was hit by 43 pitches, the most in the minors. He led the California League by getting plunked 27 times and was one behind the co-leaders in the Texas League. BA named him the #4 prospect in the California League, the #7 prospect in the TL and the #8 OF prospect in all of baseball. He was considered the Diamondbacks' top prospect.

Carlos spent all of 2005 in AAA, batting .301/.422/.520 for the Tucson Sidewinders. He hit 21 homers, scored 98 runs, drove in 89, stole 9 bases in 10 tries and was hit by 29 pitches. He hit .294 against righties and .317 versus lefties, a good split. In the outfield, he fielded .996 with only one error and 11 assists. Mike Kinkade was hit 30 times, edging Quentin for the minor-league lead. He led the Pacific Coast League in times plunked and was named the #7 prospect in the PCL.

[edit] Arizona Diamondbacks

Quentin began 2006 back in Tucson. Hitting .289/.424/.487, he was promoted to Arizona in July and homered in his first major league game. He finished the season with a .253/.342/.530 line in 57 games for the 2006 Diamondbacks. Amazingly, despite only 85 games in the minors, he was second in all of minor league baseball in times hit by pitch (31), leading the PCL. Baseball America rated him the #10 prospect in the Pacific Coast League, between Jason Hirsh and Félix Pie.

Surprisingly, Quentin failed to claim a regular job in 2007, because his hitting was not up to what was expected. In 81 games, he put up a line of .214/.298/.349, for a 63 OPS+. He played mainly in right field, but toward the end of the year began giving way to another phenom, Justin Upton, who made him expendable. He was sent back to Tucson for 33 games, in which he hit .348 and slugged .574, showing that his bat was still alive, even though he had trouble with major league pitching. As a result of his poor performance in the National League, he was left off the D-Backs' postseason roster.

[edit] Chicago White Sox

In December 2007, Quentin was dealt to the Chicago White Sox for Christopher Carter. As a starter, he finally emerged in 2008, and at the end of May, was second in the American League in home runs and RBI. He had his first career walk-off home run on May 25, in a 3-2 victory against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He also hit a two-run home run earlier in that game. Quentin was hit by pitches in five straight games in August 2008, the first player since 1920 to accomplish that kind of a streak.

Quentin was leading the 2008 AL in homers in early September when he hit his right hand on his bat, which he was holding in his left hand. The move broke his right wrist and came in frustration after fouling off a Cliff Lee pitch. Quentin required surgery, significantly hurting the ChiSox's pennant hopes.

Sources: 2004-2007 Baseball Almanacs, Thebaseballcube.com for college stats, Minorleaguebaseball.com for 2006 stats