Draft Preview: High School Outfielders

   We’re coming down the stretch to the wonderful, ever expanding three-day event  that is the MLB First-Year Player Draft, also affectionately known to all as the Rule 4 Draft. With that, let’s have a gander today at high school outfielders. Plenty of talent to go around, here. Remember, a lot can change between now and June 9. Here’s a look:

Donovan Tate – Cartersville (Ga.) HS

   Possibly the premier athlete in the draft crop, Tate is enticing. While his athletic ability is ahead of his baseball skills, Tate’s plenty good enough to be rightly considered in the top three picks. Tate could last much longer, however, as he is a Scott Boras client with a scholarship to North Carolina … for baseball AND football. His dad is former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Lars Tate. If Tate sticks with baseball, he could blossom into a superstar. Until then, his bat can use some work, as he strikes out a bit more often than scouts would like and he could stand to be more patient at the plate.

   Tate (6-foot-3, 200 pounds) has outstanding bat speed and potential to hit for power from the right side. He has shown the ability to adjust at the plate. If the bat comes around as projected, Tate could be a prize. He plays Gold Glove-caliber defense in center field, features an above average arm and is a plus-plus runner. His 6.34 60-yard dash time is impressive. He has been clocked throwing at 95 m.p.h.

   Tate figures to be a difficult sign. A team will have to go well over slot to get him, but he figures to gain little (depending upon the economy in three years) by going to college as he is worthy of a top-3 selection now.

Everett Williams – McCallum HS, Austin, Texas

   Williams (5-10, 200) is a premier athlete and features a better present bat than does Tate. Williams reportedly has hit a ball 500 feet. Left-handed, Williams is strong and has a quick bat that gives him power to all fields. While not a star with the glove in center, Williams has the tools to remain there and the bat to move to a corner, likely left as his arm is described as fringe-average. Williams signed at Texas and will need plenty of coin to give up that scholarship to his hometown school. Williams’ cousin, Cedric Allen, was a Reds farmhand from 1994 through 1996. Two of Williams’ aunts are in the softball hall of fame and his dad played for the Houston Oilers. 

   Williams has excellent character. The biggest knock on him is that he doesn’t always play as hard as scouts would like.

Reymond Fuentes – Callego HS, Manati, P.R.

   At 6-foot, 160, Fuentes needs to put on weight, but he has exciting tools. Fuentes is strong for his size. A left-handed hitter, Fuentes has 6.3-second speed and knows how to use it. Fuentes recognizes his strengths and plays to them. Fuentes has center field range, but a below average arm. He figures to be an outstanding leadoff hitter. A cousin of Carlos Beltran, Fuentes has rapidly climbed draft boards thanks to a series of impressive workouts of late.

Randal Grichuk – Lamar Consolidated HS, Rosenburg, Texas

   An intriguing power hitter, Grichuk can mash. His quick hands and strong wrists have led to some massive home runs and plenty of them. If he learns to hit for more than pull power – and scouts think he will – Grichuck (6-foot, 195) could be an above average all-around hitter with tremendous power. Defensively, Grichuk fits in left field as a pro, thanks to below average speed and a fringe-average arm. An Arizona signee, Grichuk, a star in the 2004 Little League World Series, isn’t expected to be a particularly difficult sign in the first three rounds.

Todd Glaesmann – Midway HS, Waco, Texas

   A potential five-tool player, Glaesmann has come on strong this spring. Thumb surgery set him back last fall, but he shows no signs of it being a problem. A line-drive hitter and bit of a projection pick, Glaesmann’s 6-4, 205-pound frame has scouts thinking he will develop more power. Glaesmann has speed and arm strength, but as he matures he could be a better fit in right field than in center. He also has played a little first base and some third. Athletic, Glaesmann is patient at the plate, although his swing sometimes gets long. A Texas A&M signee, Glaesmann has been compared to Drew Stubbs.

Levon Washington – Buchholz HS Gainesville, Fla.

   Washington is recovering from rotator cuff surgery that significantly sapped his arm strength. In fact, he is said to possess the weakest arm of any of the top outfield prospects available, a shame since he threw 92 m.p.h. pre-injury. Washington, though, can hit and run. His 6.2 time in the 60 is spectacular. Washington, a lefty, features bat speed, but not much power. His defense needs work, as he relies on his speed to make up for errors in judging the ball off the bat. Washington (5-10, 170) has signed with Florida. His baseball development was set back a bit by spending three years on Guam, where his dad was stationed with the military.

Mike Trout – Milville (NJ) HS

   How much a team believes in Trout’s bat will determine where he is selected. An East Carolina signee, Trout’s value greatly has risen the last few weeks. Poor weather made seeing him difficult early in the season. When he did get on the field, scouts saw a player who hits hard line drives to all fields. Trout has struggled against breaking stuff in the past, but improved this spring. Trout’s 6.5 time in the 60 draws attention and combines with a strong arm to convince scouts he can remain in center field. Trout’s strength generates excellent bat speed, although his swing sometimes gets long. Trout is a scout’s favorite for his makeup and grit. He draws comparisons to Aaron Rowand.

Brian Goodwin – Rocky Mount (N.C.) HS

   What to make of Goodwin is the question scouts face. Very athletic, Goodwin took a step back this spring. He then signed on with Scott Boras, making buying out his commitment to North Carolina likely a lot steeper. Goodwin (a very solid 6-foot, 185) has above average speed and all his tools project as above average, although he lacks present power scouts would like to see. A left-handed hitter, if Goodwin isn’t picked in the first two rounds, he could fall completely out of the draft.

Jake Marisnick – Poly HS, Riverside, Calif.

   Marisnick is toolsy and projectable. Standing 6-4, 200 pounds, he is regarded by many as the best athlete among baseball players in Southern California. An Oregon recruit, Marisnick runs a 6.7 60 and has a 36-inch vertical leap. Marisnick plays center, but more likely will be a right fielder as a pro, thanks in part to a tremendous arm, and because he likely will fill out and lose some speed. Marisnick’s hitting mechanics need work, leaving his bat as a bit of question.

Slade Heathcott – Texas HS, Texarkana, Texas

   A high-round prospect as an outfielder and as a left-handed pitcher, Heathcott (6-1, 195) is an LSU signee and a throw-back player in the Ryan Freel mold. Off-season surgery to repair a torn ACL set Heathcott back, then he injured a shoulder, relegating him to DH. Heathcott is a five-tool player when healthy. His bat and speed rate as plus. His range is at least average, while his arm is above average. As a pitcher, he throws 88-92 and has touched 94. His curve is promising, but there is a lot of effort in his delivery. Heathcott hits to all fields. Reportedly, character issues are a concern to scouts.

   Others to watch: Jacob Stewart, Rocky Mountain (Col.) HS; Billy Hamilton, Taylorsville (Miss.) HS; Kyrell Hudson, Evergreen HS, Vancouver, Wash.; Trayce Thompson, Santa Margarita (Calif.) HS; Ruben Sierra, Jr., San Juan (P.R.) Educational School; Reggie Williams, Jr., Brooks-DeBartelo Collegiate HS, Tampa, Fla.; Cohl Walla, Lake Travis HS, Austin, Texas.