Top 10 High School Position Players in the 2019 MLB Draft
The 2019 MLB Draft is quickly approaching and Off the Bench is proud to present a series of Top 10s, running through the various groups that MLB clubs will be picking from. We ran our Top 10 College hitters in the MLB Draft earlier in the week. Today, it’s the High School Position Players.
#1 BOBBY WITT JR., SS, HS- TEXAS
Bobby Witt Jr. is the son of former major leaguer Bobby Witt. He is the top ranked high school player in this years draft and He has some of the best tools in the entire draft class. He has performed well at plenty of elite high school events, he won the High School Home Run Derby at the All-Star Game and was named the MVP of several events such as the Under Armour All-America Game and Team USA in the Pan American Championships.
Size: 6’0″, 180. Hits: R. Throws: R
Hitting: Last Summer Bobby Witt Jr. displayed his plus raw power but was too aggressive at times and displayed some swing and miss. As a result, some scouts question his overall hit tool. He projects to be an above average hitter with solid to plus power and he is a plus runner on the basepaths. Scouts see him as a future 20-20 player. He has a good feel for the strike zone and has displayed more of an all fields approach this spring.
Fielding: Witt projects as a plus defender as he shows great hands, quick feet, and a plus arm and he makes nice strong accurate throws with good range.
2019 and beyond: Bobby Witt Jr. is an excellent upcoming talent one that could possibly start his career off as a top 100 prospect due to his plus defensive ability, plus speed and potential to be a 20-20 player with an above average hit tool. He has been praised for his strong makeup and great work ethic which should help him reach his potential of someday being a franchise caliber talent.
#2 C.J. ABRAMS, SS, HS- GEORGIA
The top high school player out of Georgia, C.J. Abrams is best known for his speed. He is an 80 grade runner who has other plus tools as well and is considered one of the best prospects in this years draft class. He made the Under Armour All-America team last summer and he also played for Team USA.
Size: 6’1″, 178. Hits: L. Throws: R
Hitting: C.J. Abrams projects to have average power although he could someday have above average power thanks to his bat speed, quick hands, impressive hand-eye coordination, and ability to barrel balls up. His calling card will always be that speed; he’s a threat to steal bases and score plenty of runs.
Fielding: Abrams is currently a shortstop, but he has the ability to play centerfield. He has quick feet, plus range, and his arm is above average. Whether or not he sticks at shortstop, he should be an above average defender.
2019 and beyond: Abrams looks to be a future lead off hitter and he should continue to develop into a plus fielder. He has a good contact rate and has shown the ability to develop more power which might help him to become a future 20-30 threat. He is raw; he’s in high school after all, but he displays every tool and all five are at least average or better.
#3 RILEY GREENE, OF, HS- FLORIDA
Riley Greene is the top high school player out of Florida and he is considered to have the best hit tool among all high school hitters. Last summer he helped lead Team USA in RBI’s.
Size: 6’1″, 191. Hits: L. Throws: L
Hitting: Riley Greene has a nice smooth swing from the left side and a good approach at the plate. He is currently more of a line drive hitter but over this past summer he was able to display above average raw power in BP, especially to his pull side. Some teams feel he could be a 70 grade hitter in the future, a rare grade for high school hitters but it is a testament to how confident they are in his hitting ability. Greene projects to have plus power someday. He is a below average runner.
Fielding: Greene looks to be an average fielder with a fringe-average arm which makes him a likely candidate to play left field in the future.
2019 and beyond: Whichever team decides to draft Riley Greene will be looking to get a future middle of the order hitter, one who could end up being the top hitter in this years draft class if he is able to reach his potential. He is not a great fielder so everything comes down to his offensive ability. Betting on 18 year olds to eventually hit at the Major League level can be tricky, but he should probably go somewhere among the top 10 picks on draft day and he might be able to move more quickly than most high school players thanks to his advanced hitting ability.
#4 CORBIN CARROLL, OF, HS- WASHINGTON
While Corbin Carroll might not be that big (5’10”) the rest of his game is. Over this past summer he helped establish himself as one of the best hitters in this years draft. This past summer he played for both Team USA and was an Under Armour All-American. He also won the MVP award as a Perfect Game All-American.
Size: 5’10”, 170. Hits: L. Throws: L
Hitting: Corbin Carroll is a plus hitter with good knowledge of the strike zone and he has shown the willingness to draw walks where he uses his plus speed to wreak havoc on the basepaths. He hits the ball to all fields and he has an excellent approach at the plate. He is one of the more polished bats coming out of high school. Even though he is a bit undersized, he still projects to have at least average power and he projects to have 70 grade speed. He has drawn comparisons to both Jacoby Ellsbury and Andrew Benintendi as guys who were similar out of high school who grew into their power.
Fielding: Corbin is a plus defender in centerfield where he uses his plus speed to track down balls and he gets good reads and good jumps on the ball and he excels at route running. Scouting Directors voted Corbin Carroll as the best prep defender in the pre-season. He might not have a better than a fringe-average arm but it could improve as he gets stronger.
2019 and beyond: There is a lot to like when it comes to Corbin Carroll as he is a pretty polished hitter with double plus speed and the ability to play a great centerfield as well as project for average or better power as he gets stronger. He should be pretty safe go in the Top 15 picks and might move faster than other high school hitters coming out of this years draft class. In my opinion he has one of the best floors pick among high school position players in this class as most of his tools are at least average or better and he won’t need as much work to develop them as most of the tools are present with a chance to improve as he matures.
#5 BRETT BATY, 3B, HS- TEXAS
Brett Baty is one of the top prep bats in this years class and he is very similar to Josh Jung of Texas Tech but younger. Baty is one of the older high school hitters in this class as he turns 20 at the time of the draft.
Size: 6’3″, 210. Hits: L. Throws: R
Hitting: Brett Baty projects to have above average to plus power thanks to his size, strength, bat speed, and loft in his swing. He could possibly hit 25 or more homeruns someday. He has some of the best raw power in this year’s draft class as it gets 70 grades from some scouts. He should be able to turn that power into in game power as he matures as he projects to be an above average hitter. He might be a smarter and better hitter than one might think for a power hitter. He repeatedly makes hard contact and doesn’t get fooled by breaking balls, and he hasn’t shown the high strikeout numbers that often accompanies homeruns. He is a below average runner.
Fielding: Baty is a fringe-average fielder who will have to work hard to stay at third, but he has the plus arm to do it He has improved his defense alot this year and has a chance to stay there, but first base figures to be his future, where his power profile would still play.
2019 and beyond: Baty is an above average hitter who should become a middle of the line up run producer and he could also hit 25 or more homeruns in the future. He will need to work hard to improve his defense if his future is at third base. Even though he is an older high school player, his bat will probably prove to be too good to pass up and he will more than likely be a first round pick.
#6 GUNNAR HENDERSON, SS, HS- ALABAMA
Gunnar Henderson is the top player coming out of Alabama and he was an Under Armour All-American last summer. He is committed to Auburn.
Size: 6’3″, 195. Hits: L. Throws: R
Hitting: Gunnar Henderson projects to be an above average hitter with solid power who could develop plus power down the road. He currently has power to the gaps. He should have above average speed.
Fielding: Scouts are split on where Henderson will play as some believe he has the arm and athleticism to play shortstop while others think he might move to third base down the road.
2019 and beyond: Gunnar Henderson shows the ability to be an above average hitter with above average to plus power and should hit enough to profile whether he plays shortstop or third base in the future. He has a good shot to go Day 1.
#7 TYLER CALLIHAN, 3B, HS- FLORIDA
Tyler Callihan played for Team USA last summer and he was an Under Armour All-American. He is committed to play at South Carolina.
Size: 5’11”, 211.Hits: L. Throws: R
Hitting: Callihan projects to be an above average to plus hitter who does a good job of barreling balls and he should develop into having above average power. He is a below average runner. He has shown good in game power when facing 90 mph or faster velocity a testament to his excellent bat speed.
Fielding: Callihan has an above average arm that profiles well at third base but scouts question his range. He has tried playing all over the field, playing catcher and shortstop for his high school team. If a team really wanted, they could try having him catch, but he is probably more likely to be either a corner infielder or corner outfielder.
2019 and beyond: Although Tyler Callihan does not have a defensive home at the moment he is one of the better hitters in this years draft class and he should develop plus power as he matures. He has a good shot to go Day 1.
#8 MAURICE HAMPTON, OF, HS- TENNESSEE
Maurice Hampton is one of only four players to be named an Under Armour All-American in both baseball and football. He is a four star cornerback and is committed to playing both Baseball and Football at LSU.
Size: 6’0″, 195. Hits: R. Throws: R
Hitting: As a two sport athlete, Maurice Hampton is a very raw talent, who has plenty of upside, but is currently very much a work in progress. He projects to be an above average hitter with above average power. He is also a plus to double plus runner.
Fielding: Due to his plus to double plus speed he projects as an above average to plus defender but he will need to work on his routes and his reads.
2019 and beyond: A very gifted athlete who could very well be the best athlete in the draft class, he is raw and will need a lot of work to reach his potential. He has the potential to be an above average hitter with the power to hit 25 or more homeruns a year and steal plenty of bases thanks to his plus to double plus speed. He can play all 3 outfield positions but will need to improve his routes and his reads. If a team loves the potential that Hampton shows, there is a good chance he could get drafted on Day 1.
#9 KEONI CAVACO, 3B, HS- CALIFORNIA
Cavaco was more of a surprise than almost any player that has a chance to go early in the draft. He is committed to play for San Diego State.
Size: 6’0″, 185. Hits: R. Throws: R
Hitting: Keoni projects to have 70 grade power but he has swing and miss issues and will need to make better contact in order to make the most of his raw power. He is a plus runner.
Fielding: Cavaco has the chance to be a plus defender at third base thanks to his plus arm, good hands, nice footwork, and good instincts.
2019 and beyond: Keoni Cavaco has plenty of tools and should be a plus defender with plenty of raw power. He will need to improve his hitting ability and improve his ability to make contact so he can get the most out of his power. He is also an above average runner. Although he might not have the track record, he still has plenty of upside which might be enough for teams to take him on Day 1.
#10 RECE HINDS, 3B, HS- FLORIDA
Rece Hinds has some of the best raw power in this years draft class. He was an Under Armour All-American this past summer and he also participated in the High School Home Run Derby during All-Star Weekend. He is committed to LSU.
Size: 6’4″, 210. Hits: R. Throws: R
Hitting: Rece Hinds has tremendous raw power and it projects to be plus power in the future but he will need to make better contact to reach his potential of hitting 30 or more home runs a year. Some Scouts feel his raw power is so good that it could receive 80 grades but they question his pitch recognition and feel that his swing has a bit too much swing and miss.
Fielding: Teams that will be considering Rece Hinds like his plus arm and feel he has a decent chance to stick at third base, but he will need to work on his footwork and is better at reactionary plays than taking the time to set and throw. He will need to improve the accuracy on his throws. If he cannot stick at third base he could become a corner outfielder.
2019 and beyond: Rece Hinds is an impressive athlete who could become a great power hitter one day but he has a lot of work to do in order to reach his potential. He has a good chance to possibly get drafted on day 1 if a team falls in love with his power potential.
-Jim Weisser
