Ian Stewart (baseball)
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Ian Stewart (b. April 5, 1985, Long Beach, California) is a minor-league baseball player currently in the Colorado Rockies organization. He has been a third baseman and designated hitter during his minor league career.
[edit] Baseball career
Drafted in the 2003 first round out of La Quinta High School in Westminster, California, Stewart showed great promise in short-season rookie-league ball at Casper, Wyoming in the Pioneer League. His .401 on-base percentage and .558 slugging average appeared to justify his first-round selection. In 2004 Stewart continued to progress in low-A ball at Asheville, North Carolina in the South Atlantic League with a .398 OBP and .594 SLG. Baseball America ranked him as the fourth best prospect in baseball behind Delmon Young, Felix Hernandez and Joe Mauer.
Stewart's career has not continued at the same quick pace since then. In 2005 he began play in high-A ball at Modesto, California in the California League. He got off to a very slow start, hitting for a low average with little power. He went to extended spring training and came back to play with Modesto in June, 2005. Up until June 20th, Stewart was hitting under .230 with few homers. His supposedly improving defense, which had impressed former Rockies, Marlins, and Braves player Walt Weiss, also suffered. However, Stewart rebounded later in the season and finished with a respectable .353 OBP and .497 SLG, although he showed a worrisome tendency to strike out.
Stewart played in the Arizona Fall League (AFL) after the conclusion of the 2005 minor league season. Here, Stewart got off to a good start with impressive power. Unfortunately, he suffered a wrist injury while sliding into second base. The MRI showed limited damage, but any wrist injury is troublesome for a power hitter. He was shut down for the rest of the AFL.
Stewart was invited to the Colorado Rockies 2006 spring training. He began well, hitting six home runs and batting over .400 in the first few games. Stewart re-established himself as a power-hitting prospect, and the Rockies sent him to Tulsa, Oklahoma in the AA Texas League. Here Stewart began the season well, but fell into a slump that sent his average to .235 in mid-May before being sidelined with another injury. The injury was not serious, and Stewart only missed ten games or so. When he returned, Stewart improved noticeably and finished the season with a .351 OBP and .452 SLG.
Stewart's power potential makes him a possibility for the Rockies' third base position. However, his performance at higher levels in the minors has tailed off from his impressive 2003-4 seasons.
