The MLB draft is coming up, and starts next week on Tuesday night, June 9. Besides having the #1 pick, the Nats also have the #10 pick. With Mike Rizzo in charge (maybe), the man who was a big part of putting together a solid Arizona farm system, there is hope that they will do something good with this pick. Over the course of this week, I’ll profile several players that are potential picks for the Nats at #10.
Mike Trout
Another high school player that the Nats are looking at is prep star Mike Trout. He’s a speedy center fielder and ranks #22 on the BA/Jim Callis ranking. He’s only slightly lower at #25 for Keith Law.
Trout seems to be one of those players that scouts love but can’t necessarily tell you why. He’s a hard worker and put in max effort all the time, and people can see that. His bat is good but not great – he can hit the ball well with line drives everywhere, the real power hasn’t developed yet but strong hands and a decent swing that shows potential. He also has just begun to switch hit, and has done a decent job of it.
Being a high school kid, he is of course committed to going to a college, ECU. But there is an assumption that he’ll sign if he gets picked in the first round, especially if he goes top 10. The Nats have to be a little worried though, because if someone decides to go to college after all, they don’t get compensation for this pick. It’s already compensation, you can’t carry over twice. So maybe high school players aren’t on their radar as much. If they do take him, he’ll be in the minors a while. Between his age, his still undeveloped hitting, his not playing against even great high school competition, and his attempt to start switch hitting, he’s looking at 3 or 4 years in the minors at least.
Preview Index:
Kyle Gibson – 6/1
Chad Jenkins – 6/2
Alex White – 6/2
Brett Jackson – 6/3
Rich Poythress – 6/3
Wil Myers – 6/4
Mike Trout – 6/4
*Credit is due to Jim Callis and Keith Law among others, as I am not a scout and am simply trying to summarize their opinions in a way that gives Nats fans an idea of these players without running afoul of any copyright stuff.