ProspectNation 2011: #25 Kelly Dugan- OF

Kelly Dugan was taken with the 75th overall pick in the 2009 amateur draft by the Phillies out of Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, CA. A switch hitting outfielder, Dugan was committed to Pepperdine prior to the draft that year, but surprisingly signed quickly with the Phillies.

Dugan (6’3″, 195 pounds) projects as a power hitter, despite showing minimal power in limited playing time thus far in his minor league career. Since signing with the Phillies, he has just 1 homerun in 73 games played.

This past year, Dugan suffered a freak injury, when he was hit in the leg with a batted ball during batting practice in June, shortly after making his season debut with short-season Williamsport. His shin became infected and he developed a staph infection that required draining. Dugan was put on antibiotics and it was August before he healed and returned to action.

In his injury shortened season, Dugan posted a .366 average with a .981 OPS in 28 games with Williamsport and the Gulf Coast League Phillies. While those stats were surely the product of a small sample size, they are a step upward from his 2009 production, when he debuted, fresh out of high school, in the GCL and batted .233 with a .597 OPS in 45 games.

Local fans can expect to see Dugan in a Lakewood BlueClaws uniform in 2011. It will be interesting to see how the now 20-year-old Dugan can adapt to, and progress in, what should be his first full season of professional baseball.

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Jay Floyd is PhilliesNation’s minor league writer. You can read more from Jay by visiting his site, PhoulBallz.com.