YOUNG, DELMON  
 
Image of    Nickname:   N/A Position:   RF
Home: Camarillo, California Team:   TWINS
Height: 6' 3" Bats:   R
Weight: 205 Throws:   R
DOB: 9/14/1985 Agent: Arn Tellem
Birth City: Montgomery, Alabama Draft: Devil Rays #1 - 2003 - Out of Camarillo H.S. (Calif.)
Uniform #: 21  
 
YR LEA TEAM SAL(K) G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO OBP SLG AVG
2004 SAL CHARLESTON, SC   131 513 95 164 26 5 25 115 21   53 120     .320
2005 SL MONTGOMERY   84 330 59 111 13 4 20 71 25   25 66     .336
2005 IL DURHAM   52 228 33 65 13 3 6 28 7   4 33     .285
2006 IL DURHAM   86 342 50 108 22 4 8 59 22 4 15 65   .474 .316
2006 AL DEVIL RAYS $327.00 30 126 16 40 9 1 3 10 2 2 1 24 .336 .476 .317
2007 AL DEVIL RAYS $1,340.00 162 645 65 186 38 0 13 93 10 3 26 127 .316 .408 .288
2008 AL TWINS $1,440.00 152 575 80 167 28 4 10 69 14 5 35 105 .336 .405 .290
2009 AL TWINS $1,152.00 108 395 50 112 16 2 12 60 2 5 12 92 .308 .425 .284
2010 AL TWINS $2,600.00 127 473 65 143 37 1 16 93 4 3 19 62 .331 .486 .302
PERSONAL:

  • Delmon is the younger brother of Dmitri Young. Delmon was just five years old when Dmitri was drafted out of Rio Mesa High in Oxnard, California in 1991 as the Cardinals first round pick (the 4th pick overall in the draft). Delmon was too young to understand the significance of the day.

  • Delmon's older brother, Dmitri, recalls when his little brother was just a toddler: "At three, he was at the batting cage and he used to show up kids 10-12 years old,'' Dmitri said.

    And later, "What year was it? 2001, I don't know what grade he was in, a sophomore, perhaps,'' Dmitri Young said. "Then- Reds manager Bob Boone let him hit in our hitting group at Dodger Stadium. This was when the fans were out. He hit three out.''

  • A lot of the credit for Young’s advanced approach should go to his father. Larry Young flew F-14s in the Navy when Delmon and older brother Dmitri were growing up. He likened the mental approach to the game to landing planes on aircraft carriers.

    “It’s the same intense focus,” Larry Young says. “I tried to instill that no matter what you’re doing, you need to have that focus, that same drive, that certain discipline you need. And if you take that same approach, that deep mental focus can become second nature if you work hard enough at it.”

    Delmon has had his solid mental approach since he was 12 or 13 years old. That is part of what made him head and shoulders above other players back then. and what makes his ability and performance so great today. He has the desire, focus and approach. (Chris Kline-Baseball America-Sept. 12, 2005)

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  • Larry Young had his sons work hard at athletics. His workouts were legendary. He would force his boys to take 200, 300, sometimes 500 swings every day, barking instructions and insults like a military sergeant until they got it right.

    Camp Larry, the boys called it. Delmon, who is 12 years younger, made a goal of outperforming Dmitri every step of the way.

    • In 2003, at Camarillo High School in California, Young completed the regular season with marks of .544-7-28 after missing five games with a sprained ankle.
  • He committed to the University of Arizona as a high school senior in 2003.

  • Young has a good feel for the game. Part of it is from his discussions with his older brother, when he was a star in the majors. "With Dmitri, we mostly talk about staying focused," Delmon said. "If it's too hot, if you're hurt, but not injured, or if you're tired, you still have to give it your all. You have the rest of the day to recover. Just suck it up for those three hours."

  • Young has an attitude that helps him succeed. He works hard and will reap prosperity.

    "It's all about having fun," Delmon said. "If you're not having fun, you might as well quit. Baseball is just fun, period."

    But Young comes across as aloof and stand-offish. Watch for maturity to make that attitude disappear. After all, he also has the intangibles, including things you just can't teach. He also appears humble, with a calm demeanor. And he is coachable.

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  • Delmon was the #1 pick in the 2003 draft, by the Devil Rays. After holding out all summer, Young finally signed with the Rays on September 9, 2003. He received a 5-year deal worth $6.25 million. That included a signing bonus of $3.7 million. Rich Aude is the scout who signed him for the D'Rays.

  • In the Arizona Fall League in 2003, Young hit .417 in 15 games.

  • Before 2004 spring training, Baseball America rated Young as the 2nd-best prospect in the Devil Rays organization. Before 2005, the magazine moved him up to the #1 prospect in Tampa Bay's system. And that is where Baseball America rated Delmon in January 2006 -- the top prospect in the D'Rays' organization. And he was also the best prospect in all of Minor League Baseball. 

    In the winter before 2007 spring training, the magazine again rated Young #1 prospect in the D'Rays' organization.

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  • Delmon showed up at 2004 spring camp with a Hummer brother Dmitri bought him. "It was a graduation and draft gift," Delmon Young said.

  • In 2004, Young was named the Rays minor league player of the year after a solid debut at Class A Charleston (S.C.), leading the South Atlantic League with 116 RBIs and 165 hits in 131 games while ranking in the top 10 in average (.322, fifth), homers (25, sixth), runs (95, third), total bases (276, third), slugging percentage (.538, fourth), and on-base percentage (.388, ninth).

  • Delmon has learned to handle the big demand he is under for autographs. "You've got to establish the boundaries early, so it doesn't get out of control," he said. "I sign for a couple minutes when I come out, then a couple more after BP and then after the game. But people have to understand the demand."

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  • Though there are no real questions about his makeup, he crossed the line twice in 2005. He drew a three-game suspension after chest-bumping Southern League umpire Jeff Latter in late April 2005.

  • In 2005, Young's 176 hits between Durham and Double-A Montgomery were the fourth most in the minors. He finished four home runs short of a 30-30 season.

    He was named Baseball America's Minor League Player of the Year for 2005.

  • On April 26, 2006, Young flipped a bat at an umpire after being ejected from Triple-A Durham's game at Pawtucket, R.I.  He was suspended by the International League for 50 games.

    		•  After being called out on strikes on a 1-and-2 pitch in the first inning, Young lingered in the batter's box for an unusually long time and was ejected. He then flipped his bat underhanded toward the umpire and struck him above the waist.

    A replacement umpire, Richard Cacciatore, was working the game because of the minor league umpire strike.

    Randy Mobley, President of the International League, said that the suspension, retroactive to April 27, is the longest known penalty in the 123-year history of the International League, according to the information uncovered during the investigation. The reprimand also includes a minimum of 50 hours of community service. Young earns $500,000, making the suspension cost him approximately $145,000 in salary. Mobley said he looked at precedents established in baseball, and in other sports.

     
    Immediately after Young threw the bat, he retreated to the clubhouse and phoned Devil Rays general manager Andrew Friedman to tell him what happened, and Mobley told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney that Young's cooperation with his investigation "could not have been better.... He knew right from the start that he had messed up big-time, and his attitude continued to be that all along."

    Young was very interested in including the community service aspect of his penalty all along, Mobley said. In his investigation, Mobley said he could not determine, with absolute certainty, that Young had intended to hit the umpire when he threw the bat.

    		"If I had, I would have suspended him for the entire season," Mobley told Olney. "He explained to me that it was his intent to throw his bat and throw his helmet back toward to the plate to show his disgust with the call, as we've seen in other situations, and there was a miscalculation. My goal was to arrive at something fair and just, and I feel comfortable that we've done that."

    Delmon finished his suspension on June 19 and resumed his playing career.

  • Young says he made a conscious decision to change his attitude the day after the 2007 season, when he got home from Tampa.

    "It was time to clean it up and grow up," he said, as sweat dripped off his 6-3, 215-pound frame from a recent workout. "You get four years from 18-21 -- you know, college time -- where you can get in a little bit of trouble. But after that you've got to wake up and join the real world."

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  • During the winter before 2008 spring training, Delmon made the 45-minute drive from his parents' home in Camarillo, California to the Peak Performance Project (P3) in Santa Barbara. There, Marcus Elliott, a graduate of Harvard Medical School, trains baseball players to focus on the explosive movements unique to their sport, emphasizing leg drive, hip explosion, and shoulder strength.

    Young began working out with the likes of Milwaukee's Ryan Braun and Cleveland's Casey Blake.

  • On May 15, 2009, Delmon left the Twins to got to California and be with his mom, who was seriously ill with cancer.

    And on May 19, 2009, Bonnie Young died after a 3 1/2 month battle with pancreatic cancer.

    TRANSACTION REPORT

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  • June 2003: The Devil Rays chose Young with their first-round pick, out of Camarillo High School in California. 

  • November 28, 2007: The Twins acquired Young and Jason Pridie and infielder Brendan Harris from the Tampa Bay Rays for infielder Jason Bartlett and pitchers Matt Garza and Eduardo Morlan.

  • February 12, 2009: Delmon and the Twins agreed on a $1,152,000, one-year contract. Young gets a raise from the $700,000 he made last season, but his salary is technically being cut the maximum allowable 20 percent when the final prorated share of his initial $3.7 million signing bonus ($770,000) is factored in.

    Since Tampa Bay gave him a $5.8 million, five-year deal after selecting him with the first overall pick in the 2003 draft, the $1,152,000 figure was the least Young could have made in 2009 despite not being eligible for arbitration.

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  • January 19, 2010: Young and the Twins avoided arbitration, agreeing to a $2.6 million contract for 2010.

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    BATTING:

    • Young's tremendous righthanded power doesn't come from incredible bat speed. Rather, he is so strong that he drives balls far over the fence, even having excellent power to the opposite field. And he has a swing path that keeps the bat head in the strike zone a long time. A polished hitter, he tries to drive every pitch back up the middle, which allows him to use the entire field from gap to gap.

    • His presence is so intimidating at the plate that thoughts of Albert Belle come to mind. Delmon picks out a pitch he can blast out of any part of the ballpark. He doesn't try to pull every ball because his opposite-field power is so tremendous. He just does not have to pull balls to slam them out of the park, so strong is he.

      Young leans over his front foot before each pitch. Then, instead of hitching his hands toward his belt, he shifts his weight and moves his hands straight back before uncoiling his swing.
  • Delmon has the same attitude whether he hits a grand slam home run or strikes out. But make no mistake, this guy is a game-breaker, a real difference-maker. His instincts are superior.

  • Young punishes fastballs, hitting them out of any part of the park. But also is able to wait on an offspeed pitch and drill the ball to the opposite field. He knows situations. He knows when to go the other way and when to move a guy over.

    Mostly, Delmon lines his shots in the middle of the field: gap-to-gap.

  • Delmon spends a lot of time studying the swing mechanics of major league hitters like Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez and Larry Walker.

    "I try to take things from all of them and put them into my swing," Young said. "Change a little here and a little there. They are all balanced and I have a leg kick like them. I look at when they get ready and how they attack the ball."

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  • Young adjusts to the way pitchers throw to him. He stays back well on breaking pitches, slashing those that hang into the left-center field gap.

    He can break down a pitcher's pitch sequences. Delmon has a nearly-photographic memory that enables him to recall how any pitcher he has faced worked on him.

    And Delmon has good strike zone knowledge and a real knack for detecting pitching patterns and adjusting accordingly. Plus, his hand/eye coordination is superb. When he learns to get himself into better hitter's counts, his home runs will come more frequently.

  • August 29, 2006: In Major League debut Young went 2-for-3, his first hit a home run. Delmon became the second No. 1 overall pick (joining Bob Horner) to homer in his first big league game.

    But it was what happened on the first pitch he saw that may have been the most defining moment. When Young, the top pick of the 2003 draft, stepped up in the second inning to a chorus of boos from the Chicago fans, Freddy Garcia's first pitch struck him in the back.

    Young barely flinched, didn't say anything, and simply jogged to first base. All things considered, Rays manager Joe Maddon said Young handled it all well.

    "I thought he handled everything really well today with everybody," Maddon said. "He put his bat down and ran to first base after he got hit, he struck out and he hit a home run. I was very pleased with him today." But Maddon intimated that it was a purpose pitch and said his concern was that it would become a regular thing.

    "I want the word out that that's the last time that should happen," he said. "It's over for him. It was obvious what they did. Nobody else needs to discipline us. We'll take care of that ourselves."

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  • In 2006, Delmon became the first player to stroke eight hits in his first three games since Hall of Famer Willie McCovey in 1959.

  • Delmon swings at the first pitch too often. In 2007, he swung at the first offering 52.4 percent of the time—the most in the Major Leagues. He doesn't take enough pitches overall, a paltry 37.8 percent. He swung at more pitches (1,484) than any other player in baseball. His lack of selectivity results in swinging early instead of waiting for a pitch he can drive.

    But instead of pleading for more patience, as Young's former team did in Tampa Bay, the Twins have asked him to stay aggressive.

    "All the on-base percentage [stats] and all those things—he's dangerous when he lets that thing fly and gets fastballs," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "We're going to want him to swing this year more than taking a lot of pitches and watching them go by.

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    "And I think he'll be more than willing to let them fly." (3/02/08)

    BREAKDOWN VS. RIGHTIES AND LEFTIES

  • In 2007, the righty hitting Young hit .299 hit 2 home runs with 164 at-bats vs. lefthanded pitchers. And .285 with 11 home runs in 481 at-bats against rigthanders.

    In 2008, Delmon hit .300 with 4 homers in 170 at-bats against lefties. And .286 with 6 home runs in 405 at-bats vs. righthanded pitching.

    In 2009, Young nailed lefty pitchers for a .310 average with 7 home runs in 129 at-bats, while hitting .271 with 5 homers in 266 at-bats off righthanders.

  • As of the start of the 2010 season, Young had a career Major League batting average of .290 with 38 homers and 232 RBI in 1,741 at-bats.
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    FIELDING:

    • Young is a good outfielder with an above average arm that fits well in right field. It is a cannon, but he could stand to be more accurate with his throws.

    • Delmon could stand to improve his routes to fly balls. But he is probably average, at least. And he is getting better because of more experience.

    • Overall, he is a pretty good right fielder.

    • September 1, 2006: Making his home debut after being called up from the minors, Young gunned down Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki trying to go from first to third on a single to right. There were admirers from both teams of Delmon's 9-5 putout.

      "The throw was so accurate it was sick," said Rays coach Joe Maddon.

    		Seattle third-base coach Carlos Garcia saw the throw coming, and echoed Maddon's sentiments.

    "The one thing I know is that kid has a cannon," he said.

     
     
    RUNNING:

    • Young has average speed, at best. It is the only average tool he has. Everything else grades way above average.

    • While Delmon's speed is average now, his body will probably become more and more like Dmitri's, the older he gets.

    • Young is becoming a very good baserunner. He knows when he can steal a base.

    • In 2006, Delmon had a very high succeess rate, 22 for 26 stealing bases.
     
    CAREER INJURY REPORT:

    • None.
     
     
    Last Updated 9/4/2010. All contents © 2000 by Player Profiles. All rights reserved.