DRAFT SCOUTING REPORTS
Baseball America has ranked draft prospects since 1981, when Mike Moore, Joe Carter, Kevin McReynolds and Ron Darling paced the class. Those players’ big league careers ended decades ago, but our dedication to gathering and presenting scouting industry insight has never waned in what is now our 39th year on the beat.
On June 3, MLB Network will televise the first two rounds of the draft, totaling 78 picks. Our aim with this presentation of scouting reports for the top 70 draft prospects is to get you up to speed on as many of those day one selections as possible.
If we omit a player in print, then you can be sure we detail him on the BA500 draft ranking at BaseballAmerica.com.
This year’s draft reports were written by Carlos Collazo, J.J. Cooper, Kyle Glaser, Teddy Cahill, Justin Coleman and Bill Mitchell.
1. ADLEY RUTSCHMAN, C | OREGON STATE
Rutschman entered the 2019 draft season as the consensus top player, and the Beavers’ backstop has done nothing but cement himself in that spot over the past year. This season, he’s tapped into more of his plus raw power while also significantly boosting his walk rate. Rutschman has plus power from both sides of the plate, with his righthanded stroke just a bit shorter than his swing from the left side. Defensively, Rutschman has all the tools to be a plus defender at the position. He has a strong arm, impressive receiving and blocking ability and excellent footwork on throws to second base, with a quick exchange from his glove to his release. Most scouts believe Rutschman has a chance to be an all-star-level player in the majors. Rutschman has all the intangibles teams like to see from their backstops. He is the best catching prospect since Buster Posey in 2008 and Matt Wieters in 2007.
2. BOBBY WITT JR., SS | COLLEYVILLE (TEXAS) HERITAGE HS
Witt Jr. has been famous for years, and not just because he’s the son of Bobby Witt, the No. 3 overall pick in the 1985 draft and a 16-year major league righthander. After raising questions about his hitting ability last summer, Witt is using the entire field more and staying more balanced at the plate this spring. He has plus power that projects for 20-plus home runs in the big leagues. At shortstop, Witt is the top defender in the class and a future plus defender with elite hands, quick feet and a plus arm. He shows the ability to throw from multiple arm slots and make plays going to both his right and left with excellent throwing accuracy. He’s a plus runner. Witt is seen as both a high-floor player as well as someone with one of the highest ceilings in the class. If he is even a .230 hitter, he should have a lengthy career because of his defensive ability at shortstop, speed and power. If he hits, he could become a franchise-caliber player.
3. ANDREW VAUGHN, 1B | CALIFORNIA
Vaughn has arguably the best combination of hit and power tools of any prospect in the 2019 draft class with an idyllic righthanded swing with the requisite bat speed and strength needed to allow scouts to peg him as a plus-plus hitter with 80-grade raw power. Vaughn has no issues going deep to the right-center field gap or turning on pitches inside. In addition to his feel for the barrel and ability to hit with authority, Vaughn has an uncanny understanding of the strike zone. Vaughn’s advanced feel to hit, power and plate discipline portends him becoming an impact hitter in the big leagues. Teams might be critical of Vaughn’s defense because he is undersized for the position, but he moves well and has solid hands. While he’s unlikely to ever be a Gold Glover, he should be more than capable of handling the position.
4. CJ ABRAMS, SS | BLESSED TRINITY HS, ROSWELL, GA.
Scouts have long been enamored with Abrams’ elite athleticism, running ability and batto-ball skills. An 80-grade runner on the 20-80 scouting scale, Abrams has impressive instincts and routinely gets solid jumps on the basepaths. He pairs that speed with a line drive-oriented swing from the left side, and he has tremendous barrel awareness. He rarely swings and misses, which leads scouts to think Abrams could become a plus hitter. He has below-average raw power, but he has improved his strength enough to the point that it would be fair to project average power. Abrams is an excellent center fielder, but he also has a chance to stick at shortstop, where he has quick footwork, plus range, solid glovework and adequate arm strength. He’ll need to improve his throwing accuracy. Abrams brings tremendous upside as a potential table-setter at the top of the lineup with plus defensive potential at multiple premium positions.
5. RILEY GREENE, OF | HAGERTY HS, OVIEDO, FLA.
Greene has hit top-level pitching so consistently that some teams have pegged him as a future 70-grade hitter, which is rare for prep bats. Greene has a slightly wide stance and a small hitch in his swing, but he has plenty of bat speed—more than enough to prevent it from being a potential red flag. He has a patient approach, and while there is some swing-and-miss in his game, Greene does a good job of working the count until he gets a pitch he can drive. Greene currently has solid power, but that should turn into plus power in the future. Greene is a below-average runner and will quickly move to a corner outfield position in pro ball. Greene gets solid jumps on fly balls. He should be able to play either left or right field, thanks to his average arm strength. A team drafting Greene is taking him for his bat, which should allow him to become a middle-of-the-order threat. Greene is committed to Florida.
6. JJ BLEDAY, OF | VANDERBILT
With a balanced stance, smooth swing, solid bat speed and a refined approach with more walks than strikeouts in his college career, Bleday had the look of a high-floor hitter with a plus hit tool. However, there were initially some questions surrounding his ability to consistently impact the baseball. Bleday has answered those questions this spring, as he has regularly tapped into the plus raw power that he’d previously been unable to reach during games, ranking among the Division I home run leaders. Defensively, Bleday is a below-average runner who profiles best as a corner outfielder—where his newfound power should allow him to succeed. His power boost has raised his profile in a manner reminiscent of Florida third baseman Jonathan India’s jump into the top 10 picks last season.
7. HUNTER BISHOP, OF | ARIZONA STATE
The younger brother of Mariners prospect Braden Bishop, Hunter has vaulted himself into high first-round consideration. Bishop has tweaked his approach at the plate and quieted his mechanics in the lefthanded batter’s box. The move has helped him significantly cut his strikeout rate and consistently tap into his plus-plus raw power. Bishop has a high-hand setup
