Xavier Paul

From BR Bullpen

Xavier Brooks Paul Jr.

Bats Left, Throws Right
Height 6' 0", Weight 200 lb.
High School: Slidell High School
Debut May 7, 2009

Born February 25, 1985 in Slidell, LA USA

[edit] Biographical Information

Xavier Paul was the youngest player in the 2008 Los Angeles Dodgers spring training camp. In the first game of spring training, Paul drew attention with a good running catch in the outfield and with a sac bunt. In 2007, he played center field at the AA level, and he made his major league debut for the Dodgers in 2009.

Paul was a top prospect for years. In 2000, he was 4 for 9 and pitched 3 innings (0.00 ERA, 4 BB, 3 K) for Team USA in the Pan American Youth Championships; he was second on the US in average and one of three hurlers with a virgin ERA. In the 2001 World Youth Championship, he was 1 for 4 with 2 runs as a backup outfielder behind Lastings Milledge, Mike Rodgers and Daniel Perales.

Paul attended Slidell High School and was a Baseball America second-team high school All-American in 2003. He had hit .391 that year with 31 runs and 9 home runs in 69 AB, while stealing 18 bases. Picked in the fourth round of the 2003 amateur draft by the Dodgers, he started with the Ogden Raptors and led the team in a number of categories, being chosen as the Dodgers' minor league player of the month in August. He hit .307/.384/.489 with 60 runs, 15 doubles, 6 triples and 7 home runs in 69 games. He tied for the Pioneer League lead in triples. Baseball America named him as the #5 prospect in the league.

In 2004, Paul played for the Columbus Catfish, batting .265/.342/.407; one of his teammates that year was his brother Matt Paul. Xavier was the team's youngest starting position player. Xavier was the Dodgers minor league player of the month in April.

Paul was again briefly a teammate of his brother's in 2005, now with the Vero Beach Dodgers. Xavier hit .247/.328/.392, struggling significantly against left-handers (.134 average). He had 8 assists in 56 games and Baseball America rated him as having the best oufield arm in the Dodgers chain.

In 2006, Paul returned to Vero Beach to bat .285/.343/.430. He stole 22 bases but was caught 15 times. He struck out 114 times while drawing only 38 walks in 120 games. Two positives were his first double-digit home run season (13) and a .259 average against southpaws, a vast improvement. He tied Hernan Iribarren for the most times caught stealing in the Florida State League. Paul batted .213/.304/.315 for the 2006 North Shore Honu.

Paul spent 2007 with the Jacksonville Suns, the team's second-youngest regular after Blake Dewitt joined the club. He hit .291/.366/.429 with 11 home runs and 17 steals in 26 tries.