30)
Player: Matt Wallner | Position(s): OF | |||
School (ST): Southern Miss | Grade: Junior | |||
Bats: Left | Throws: Right | Height: 6’5” | Weight: 220 lbs. | |
Quick Report: Wallner has a mid-90s fastball and solid slider, but his future is as a position player. He was the 2017 Freshman of the Year, plays center field for Southern Miss, but is a right fielder at the next level. He has plenty of arm and a ton of power from the left side. He strikes out far too often and his hands are a little busy, but mild adjustments and he may turn out to be the guy with the most game power in this draft class. | ||||
29)
Player: Maurice Hampton | Position(s): OF | |||
School (ST): Memphis University HS (TN) | Grade: High School | |||
Bats: Right | Throws: Right | Height: 6’ | Weight: 195 lbs. | |
Quick Report: A five-star recruit in both baseball and football, an All-American corner, Hampton is committed to LSU and has a ton of upside. He is still raw but has all the tools and ability to stick in center and potentially become a solid defender. He possesses great strength allowing him to really drive the ball. The bat is smooth, but the leg kick leaves some inconsistencies in his hand placement, seeing him get under the ball a bit too often. | ||||
28)
Player: Jack Leiter | Position(s): RHP | |||
School (ST): Delbarton (NJ) | Grade: High School | |||
Bats: Right | Throws: Right | Height: 6’1” | Weight: 195 lbs. | |
Quick Report: Both his dad and uncle pitched for double digit seasons in the big leagues, Jack is committed to Vanderbilt and could be a tough sign. He does not have prototypical size for a right-handed starter, but he has all the other attributes. He has a fastball that sits in the upper 80s to low-90s with some run and has shown feel for a slider and change. His best pitch though is his curve that is just a ridiculous 12-6 that might be the best breaking ball in the class. | ||||
27)
Player: Kyle Stowers | Position(s): OF | |||
School (ST): Stanford | Grade: Junior | |||
Bats: Left | Throws: Left | Height: 6’3” | Weight: 200 lbs. | |
Quick Report: Stanford hitters have long come with a stigma they are more contact bats and don’t really hit much for power, that is not the case for Stowers. He strikes out more than you would like and has real power both raw and game. He hit 10 home runs in 2018 but really broke out on the Cape where he hit six in just 138 ABs. He is athletic enough to play both corner outfield spots although there has been some talk of a future move to first base. | ||||
26)
Player: Will Wilson | Position(s): SS | |||
School (ST): NC State | Grade: Junior | |||
Bats: Right | Throws: Right | Height: 5’11” | Weight: 175 lbs. | |
Quick Report: Currently a shortstop, Wilson will likely be a second baseman at the next level due to his lack of range. He is good bat-to-ball and has as much power as any middle infielder in the class. He was one of four players to hit 10 home runs in ACC play last year, the other three were all drafted in the top three rounds last season. Wilson is aggressive at the plate and can be baited into swinging at pitches out of the zone but more than makes up for it with the power. | ||||
25)
Player: J.J. Bleday | Position(s): OF | |||
School (ST): Vanderbilt | Grade: Junior | |||
Bats: Left | Throws: Left | Height: 6’3” | Weight: 205 lbs. | |
Quick Report: Bleday might be the best pure hitter in college this season, showing an excellent ability to hit hard line drives to all fields. His power is still in progress as he is more of a gap hitter than home run hitter, but there is pop in the bat. He won’t win many foot races, but he shows good instincts in the outfield to be at least an average defender with enough arm strength to play well in right. | ||||
24)
Player: Logan Davidson | Position(s): SS | |||
School (ST): Clemson | Grade: Junior | |||
Bats: Switch | Throws: Right | Height: 6’3” | Weight: 185 lbs. | |
Quick Report: A player with real question marks, Davidson could be an early first rounder or slip significantly depending on his approach this Spring. So far, through two seasons at Clemson, he has been a fantastic offensive player. That said, the long swing leads to more strikeouts than you want and back-to-back rough seasons on the Cape have left plenty of questions about how he will transition to wood bats full time. He has all the defensive skills to be a solid shortstop, but he will never be a plus defender at the position. | ||||
23)
Player: Michael Toglia | Position(s): 1B/OF | |||
School (ST): UCLA | Grade: Junior | |||
Bats: Switch | Throws: Right | Height: 6’5” | Weight: 210 lbs. | |
Quick Report: A switch hitter with raw power, Toglia has a nice stroke that should see his contact numbers improve in time. There is plenty of question as to where he will play defensively, but in a good way. He is a truly elite defender at first base showing good hands and can really pick it to go along with length, but he is also athletic and has enough arm to play either corner outfield spot. He is still somewhat raw as he came from the Northwest and is a young college junior, so there is plenty of upside to Toglia’s game. | ||||
22)
Player: Matthew Thompson | Position(s): RHP | |||
School (ST): Cypress Ranch (TX) | Grade: High School | |||
Bats: Right | Throws: Right | Height: 6’2” | Weight: 184 lbs. | |
Quick Report: Coming out of a high 3/4 arm slot, Thompson gets a good, heavy downhill plane on his fastball that regularly gets into the mid-90s. He repeats his delivery well, although he does fall of to the first base side a bit much causing him to fly open some. He has shown a breaking ball that has flashed plus and some feel for a change. He has somewhat of a slight frame, but I don’t see a lot of projection in it. That said, the athleticism in his delivery should allow him to stick as a starter long term. | ||||
21)
Player: Rece Hinds | Position(s): 3B | |||
School (ST): IMG Academy (FL) | Grade: High School | |||
Bats: Right | Throws: Right | Height: 6-4” | Weight: 210 lbs. | |
Quick Report: The highest power grade in this year’s class just might belong to Rece Hinds, who can absolutely crush the ball. As with most power guys, there is a lot of swing and miss, but when he makes contact it is hard contact. He plays some short currently but is a pure third baseman in the future. His arm is one of the better ones among the prep 3B class. | ||||
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