1 HARRY FORD C
Hit: 55 Power: 50 Speed: 60 Fielding: 45 Arm: 60 BA Grade: 55 Risk: High
Born: February 21, 2003. B-T: R-R. HT: 5-10. WT: 200.
Drafted: HS—Kennesaw, GA, 2021 (1st round).
Signed by: John Wiedenbauer.
TRACK RECORD: Ford emerged as the top high school catcher in the 2021 draft class and became known as a “unicorn” due to his plus speed. The Mariners drafted him 12th overall after he wowed team officials, including general manager Jerry Dipoto, during a private batting practice, and they signed him for $4,366,400 to forgo a Georgia Tech commitment. Ford started his first full season slowly at Low-A Modesto as he battled shoulder tightness and a sprained ankle, but he took off once he got healthy. He hit .300 with a .942 OPS from June 1 through the end of the season and finished fourth in the league overall with a .425 on-base percentage. He capped his season by hitting .455 with three home runs for Great Britain, where his parents were born, in the World Baseball Classic qualifier to help the nation qualify for its first WBC.
Ford is a rare athlete on the baseball diamond. He is built like a wrestler with a short, strong, compact frame but has the speed and explosiveness of a relay runner, posting plus run times and flying around the bases once he gets underway. Ford’s strength and twitchiness serve him well in the batter’s box, where he makes frequent contact with a simple, direct swing from the right side. He has a natural feel for driving balls the other way to right-center field and has the hand-eye coordination, barrel feel and patient approach to be an above-average hitter. He works counts and draws walks with his advanced pitch recognition and strike-zone discipline, helping him post a high OBP even when he’s slumping. Ford will swing and miss against pitches up in the zone, but when he connects, he has the natural strength to drive balls over the fence from left-center to right-center. He crushes lefthanders in particular and has a chance to reach average power at maturity. Ford’s athleticism allows him to make standout plays behind the plate, including chasing popups far down the lines and making quick throws off balls in the
