Following Baseball Prospectus' top prospect lists, the 'Before They Were Pros' series provides reports on the top prospects in baseball from their time in high school at PG events.
As part of Perfect Game's partnership with Baseball Prospectus, David Rawnsley, Todd Gold and Patrick Ebert will be conducting a “Before They Were Pros” series, providing scouting reports on some of the top prospects in baseball from when they were in high school attending PG events. This six-part series (one for each division in MLB) will appear once Baseball Prospectus has provided their own detailed scouting reports of the top prospects, team-by-team, as part of their own series.
We continue with a look at the American League East. Be sure to read Baseball Prospectus' features on each of the five teams:
Red Sox | Rays | Blue Jays | Yankees | Orioles
And here are links to the other 'Before They Were Pros' series already conducted:
NL East | NL Central
Boston Red Sox
Rafael Devers – 3B
There
was already a serious buzz in the international scouting community
when Devers came to the PG World Showcase in early January, 2013,
with the thought being that the Dominican native might be the premium
player in the 2013 international class that would become eligible to
sign that July 2.
Devers
was a couple months past his 16th birthday when he arrived in Fort
Myers, Fla., meaning he would likely have been a sophomore in high
school if he had been raised in the United States. He had a strong
6-foot, 185-pound build that was well filled out in the hips and
thighs. Although he ran a respectable 7.00 and threw 88 mph across
the infield in drills, it was obvious that Devers wasn't your typical
tooled-up Dominican prospect. The buzz from the scouts was directed
at Devers' lefthanded bat and the rest of the tools just had to be
playable to support the buzz.
Devers
batting practice was what you might expect from a 16-year old with
all those eyes on him. He had a big coil and uppercut in his approach
and spent the entire session trying to pull and lift the ball with
only moderate success. The scouting notes in the PG database from BP
specifically include the phrase "probably not his game swing."
Things
changed entirely once live pitching took the mound. It was
immediately obvious that Devers saw the ball exceptionally well for
any age of young hitter, and not only had the ability to recognize
what pitches he could drive to what part of the ball park, he had the
ability to take close pitches and to foul off pitches he needed to in
order to stay alive in counts. His swing was fluid and loose with
plus raw bat speed and he hit the ball to left-center field as hard
as he pulled it.
Devers
had one very notable at-bat against Dustin Hagy, a 6-foot-6
righthander who was later a 31st round pick of the Orioles. Hagy was
throwing 89-92 mph with a pretty nasty 77 mph curveball and it was
pretty evident that he knew who was in the batter's box by the way he
ratcheted up his stuff and focus with Devers in the box. The at-bat
went at least a dozen pitches, with the 16-year old continually
fouling off pitches in every quadrant of the plate with Hagy not
backing down a bit. The battle ended with Devers lining a hit to
left-center field and scouts throughout the stands muttered a
collective "wow" at the quality of performance of both
players.
Devers
went on to sign with the Red Sox for a $1.5 million signing bonus,
one of the top bonuses given in the 2013 class. His exceptional
season between the Dominican Summer League and the Gulf Coast League
in his first season (.322-7-57, 35 walks in 70 games) certainly seems
to support the initial impressions of his offensive potential. – David Rawnsley
Matt Barnes – RHP
Although
he was built super lean and lanky, the potential for growth and
strength gains were obvious for the 6-foot-4, 180-pound Barnes in
high school. He competed in a handful of Perfect Game tournament
events and one showcase, the 2007 Northeast Top Prospect Showcase,
where he earned a PG grade of 9 and garnered this report:
He
pitches from a 3/4 arm slot with long and loose arm action. Barnes
has good arm speed and a live arm. He has good mechanics with some
effort in his delivery. Matthew has an 88 mph fastball with arm side
run and good command. He has a sharp 11-5 curveball at 71 mph and a
solid changeup at 75 mph. Barnes has a projectable body and arm and
the ball comes out easy.
While
the projectability and likelihood for increased fastball velocity
were evident, it's nearly impossible to project a near 10 mph
increase in his three years in college. But that's exactly what
happened with Barnes, who attended UConn, playing alongside current
Astros slugger George Springer, while dialing his fastball up to 97
mph by his junior year.
The
velocity came largely thanks to the loose arm and arm speed that were
noted in his showcase report above. Still projectable at 205-pounds
it was easy to envision Barnes maintaining that newfound velocity
deep into games.
His
curveball also gained more power in college, now thrown in the mid-
to upper-70s, to go along with his changeup while picking up and
developing a slider to give him a solid four-pitch repertoire. Here
is a snippet of Barnes' pre-draft report in 2011:
Along
with a significant increase in velocity, his feel for pitching has
also improved by leaps and bounds. He produces a good downhill angle
on his fastball … His hard, sharp 75-78 mph curve is his best
off-speed pitch, though he still has a tendency to cut it off instead
of snapping it off out front. His 79-80 mph slider continues to
evolve, but often is flat with a slurvy-shaped rotation. He can
produce the same arm speed on his changeup as his fastball, and
locates it well to both sides of the plate with late sink. Though
Barnes uses minimal effort in his delivery, he still struggles at
times with his mechanics, particularly in identifying a consistent
release point, which mildly impacts his command.
At
the time Barnes was expected to go off the board among the top eight
to 15 overall picks, therefore it was a mild surprise that he fell to
the Red Sox with the 19th overall pick. That was the first of four first round picks for the
Red Sox that year, a draft haul that included Blake Swihart, Henry
Owens, Jackie Bradley, Jr. and Mookie Betts. – Patrick Ebert
Brian Johnson – LHP
Selected
by the Dodgers in the 27th round out of high school in 2009, Johnson opted to honor his
commitment to play for the Florida Gators on a talent-laden squad. He
served a crucial two-way role while in college, serving as one of the
team's top starters while also batting in the middle of the Gators'
lineup as the team's cleanup hitter, usually behind his battery mate
and Golden Spikes winner Mike Zunino, the No. 3 overall pick in the
2012 draft.
Here's
the report written about him leading up to the 2012 draft in which he
was ranked the 37th overall prospect:
Johnson
has legitimate pro potential as both a hitter and pitcher, and brings
to mind former two-way college stars and high-round picks such as Joe
Savery (Rice) and Sean Doolittle (Virginia). Though he hasn’t been
quite as consistent across the board this spring as he was in 2011
(5-1, 3.88 with 11 BB/39 SO in 48 IP; .315-4-23 as a hitter),
Johnson’s stuff has been solid. His fastball normally has been in
the 89-91 mph range, but will top out at 93, and he complements it
with a big-breaking curve that he commands with maturity.
Prior
to his time spent at Florida Johnson was a well-known prospect from
Cocoa Beach, Fla. He finished his high school career as the 119th high school prospect in the class of 2009, and although he didn't
participate at any PG showcase events, he did appear in numerous
tournaments, including two trips to the WWBA World Championship in
Jupiter. His peak velocity at those events was 90 mph, routinely
sitting in the mid- to upper-80s with a sharp curveball.
Johnson's
velocity of course took a step up while in college, frequently
sitting in the low-90s while peaking at 94 mph. His curveball
continued to be his second best offering, a perfect complement to his
fastball and overall command.
Although
most lefties that have the ability to throw in the 90s are developed
on the mound, Johnson could have been drafted early as a power
hitting first base prospect, as noted in his report above. His
6-foot-4, 220-pound stature gave him intriguing power potential, and
he routinely exhibited one of the more polished approaches at the
plate in the college game and a smooth lefthanded swing with a
natural uppercut path. However, his profile as a big, strong and durable lefthander with the ability to eat up innings was too good to pass up. – Patrick Ebert
Tampa Bay Rays
Justin O'Conner – C
It
hasn't been particularly surprising that Justin O'Conner has emerged
as one of the best defensive catchers in minor league baseball,
except when you consider that he never caught until his senior year
in high school. But then conversions from the middle infield to
behind the plate are not unprecedented or even uncommon. Buster Posey
played shortstop and pitched in high school, the same positions that
O'Conner excelled at as a PG All-American prior to converting
full-time during his senior season at Cowen High School in Muncie,
Indiana.
What
was obvious was that O'Conner had the athletic ability to play just
about any position on the field defensively, highlighted by a
throwing arm that was one of the best to come along in many, many
years. Here are his defensive notes from the 2009 PG National
Showcase, before he'd started catching:
++
arm, extra step, overmatched the 1B/almost broke his wrist,
everything works cleanly … Very, very good defensive actions. 70/80
arm, 60 agility, very quick hands (65-70). Tools to become premium
MIF at the major league level. Made plays in the games. Has short
release and is effectively one of the best HS infield throwers I've
ever seen. Defensive ability will give teams plenty of patience with
the bat. Can play anywhere on field and be above-average.
O'Conner
threw an absurd 95 mph across the infield in drills at the National
and was also 91-93 off the mound. It wasn't effortless velocity but
it wasn't contrived showcase velocity either. He had a top of the
scale hose to go with 6.7 speed and overall athleticism.
O'Conner's
bat, as mentioned in the defensive notes, wasn't a polished tool,
although he had lots of raw bat speed and plenty of power. In fact,
he won the Rawlings Home Run Challenge at the PG National Showcase,
held that year in the Metrodome in Minneapolis. O'Conner also hit
.460-8-40 as a high school senior. But most of the concern in scout's
minds were about how his offense would develop and it was evident
even then that O'Conner's aggressive nature would lead to
walk/strikeout issues against high level pitching.
There
was a somewhat painful example of O'Conner's aggressive offensive
approach that many scouts probably remember to this day. The
righthanded hitter was at the plate at the 2009 Area Code Games
facing a lefthanded pitcher with a big breaking curveball. O'Conner
took his usual big swing at a breaking ball, came up empty and was
left completely open to the pitch hitting him square where all
player's fear to be hit. It may have been a fitting introduction to
one of the unfortunate but regular pains of playing catcher.
However, the
Rays believed in O'Conner enough to take him with the 31st overall
pick in the 2010 draft, a selection they received for having not
signed LeVon Washington the previous year, and signed him to a
$1,025,000 bonus. – David Rawnsley
Nathan Karns – RHP
A
well-known commodity coming out of high school, Karns was ranked 43rd in Perfect Game's final ranking of the high school class of 2006.
After the Arlington, Texas native was drafted by the Astros in the
10th round of the draft that year, Karns decided to take his talents to
North Carolina State.
Karns,
who defined Texas heat with his strong 6-foot-4, 225-pound frame and
heavy low-90s fastballs, attended a trio of Perfect Game showcases
while in high school. His peak velocity of 92 mph came at the 2005
National Showcase held at Turner Field, and here is his report from
that event:
He
has a long arm action in back that works smoothly and smooth
mechanics with a medium effort release way out front. Karns does a
good job staying balanced over the rubber and letting his strong
lower half drive him to the plate. His fastball topped out at 92 mph
with some sinking and running action. Karns breaking ball is a
mid-70s slurve that has a late bite with good 2-plane action. He also
threw a couple of 76 mph changeups. With his frame, present velocity
and fast arm, Karns is one of the top pitching prospects in the
country and one of the true power pitchers who might end up throwing
in the mid to upper 90s before everything is said and done.
After
going 3-2 as a freshman with a 2.67 ERA in nine appearances, eight of
which were starts, Karns opted to transfer to a school much closer to
home at Texas Tech, but in the two years that followed he never
enjoyed the same success. Although he did strike out 105 in 104 1/3
combined innings during his sophomore and junior years, he also
allowed 116 hits and 69 walks, leading to a 6.90 cumulative ERA for
the Red Raiders.
At
the time there was some belief that Karns may be better suited to a
short relief role where he wouldn't have to worry about pacing
himself, not to mention his swing-and-miss one-two punch, as his
heavy fastball now peaked in the mid-90s to go along with his hard
biting breaking ball. Still recognizing his strong, sturdy build and
powerful right arm, the Nationals took Karns in the 12th round of the 2009 draft. – Patrick Ebert
Taylor Guerrieri – RHP
Guerrieri
was a late comer to the top prospect ranks even though he threw at a
number of WWBA events prior to his senior year for the Diamond Devils
team out of South Carolina. That changed one day in early July, 2010,
at the 17u WWBA National Championship with Guerrieri pitching for the
Diamond Devils in a pool play game on East Cobb Field 1.
Guerrieri
topped out at 94 mph that day, eclipsing his previous high at a
Perfect Game event by five miles per hour. His curveball was his best
pitch, showing big power up to 81 mph with sharp biting action and
lots of 11-to-5 depth. One of the more interesting parts of
Guerrieri's performance that day was that he seemed to be able to
reach back for his best stuff just about any time he wanted it, often
pitching in the upper-80s until there was a threat, then dialing up
the 93-94s with the big hammer. He was still touching 94 mph when he
came out after six innings.
The
rest of the summer was much of the same, including strong
performances at the 18u WWBA National Championship and at the East
Coast Pro Showcase.
The
aspect of Guerrieri's talent from a scouting standpoint that really
stood out was how well he synchronized his upper and lower halves
when throwing. His arm came through at exactly the right time to
maximize his leverage on release, making it look like he was throwing
with no effort whatsoever. When you see someone with the ability to
keep their lower half and upper half and arm all in sync and look so
easy you can't help but think "why doesn't every pitcher just do
that." Of course, it's one of the hardest things to do and
repeat in the game of baseball.
Guerrieri
was even better in the spring prior to the draft, pitching in the
93-96 range and touching as high as 98 mph regularly. His curveball
was more consistent as well and he was even able to mix in some
surprisingly good changeups, giving scouts the opportunity to project
him with three potential plus pitches. There is a note in Perfect
Game's draft report on Guerrieri that says while fellow class of 2011
righthander Dylan Bundy was considered one of the best high school
pitchers to come along in many years, there were a number of scouts
who liked Guerrieri better.
The
2011 draft class was absolutely loaded, which was one reason that
Guerrieri slid to the 24th overall pick, where he signed for a $1.6
million bonus. The other was a number of youthful off-the-field
incidents that Guerrieri had reportedly been involved in that made
some teams have second thoughts. – David Rawnsley
Justin Williams – OF
It
is very rare for an athlete to pick up the game of baseball as a
teenager and manage to make up for lost time quickly enough to
develop into a legitimate prospect. It takes a special athlete to be
able to develop the requisite muscle memory in relatively limited
reps. Pitchers are more able to do so, but the odds are skewed very
heavily against a position player.
Justin
Williams didn't allow that to deter him though. He was a nationally
ranked wide receiver prospect before giving up football after his
junior season at Terrabonne High School in Houma, La. The physically
imposing outfielder put on jaw-dropping power displays during batting
practice, highlighted by blasting a shot into the upper deck of the
Metrodome during the 2012 PG National Showcase, and he also claimed
the Rawlings Home Run Challenge as part of the 2012 PG All-American
Classic.
Understandably,
Williams was raw as a pure hitter during his high school days. And
while he made tremendous strides and developed at a very rapid rate,
he was still behind many of his prospect peers in the 2013 class. As
a result, his raw power didn't translate to game swings. But given
his background that shouldn't have come as a surprise.
David
Rawnsley touched on this topic in his Draft Focus article on Williams
during the spring of 2013:
How
to hit for power is often the last skill that hitters learn. If you
watch Williams hit in games and don't see it, don't be disappointed.
It's there. Be patient. Appreciate what you are seeing now.
The
Diamondbacks were patient, and they waited until the second round of
the draft that year before snagging him with the 52nd overall pick. They were able to cash him in as a valuable trade chip
this offseason after he continued his rapid development trajectory in
the low levels of the minors. And if that development continues, he
will be very valuable player in the modern game in which power is
scarce. – Todd Gold
Toronto Blue Jays
While no new reports are provided for the Toronto Blue Jays top prospects this year, here is a link to last year's 'Before They Were Pros' feature on the American League East where you can read prospect reports on Blue Jays top prospects Aaron Sanchez and Daniel Norris, as well as others: 2013-14 AL East
New York Yankees
Ian Clarkin – LHP
Clarkin,
a product of San Diego and a participant of the 2012 Perfect Game
All-American Classic, was well known to scouts from an early age.
While he was always on the radar as a prominent prospect, there was a
wide range of opinions on his future potential.
The
single most important factor in evaluating a teenage pitching
prospect is the arm action. Everything else about a pitcher can be
changed and improved, but arm action is not only the most important
indicator of future potential, it is also the most difficult to
change. Ian Clarkin's arm action was what the scouts that liked him
liked the most.
He
had good velocity on his fastball for his age, though he wasn't elite
in terms of peak fastball velocity. He steadily marched from the
mid-80s to the low-90s during his high school career, which put him
near the top of the class's lefthanders. But an indicator that scouts
often look to in order to predict fastball velocity increases is
curveball spin. And Clarkin's curveball didn't quite meet the quality
of his fastball and changeup during his underclass years, causing
some to doubt his projection.
It
is uncommon for a prominent pitching prospect to make a dramatic
improvement in their breaking ball from their junior to senior year.
Typically the pitchers who feature a plus curveball have shown the
ability to spin the ball well from an early age. But Clarkin made a
dramatic improvement between his junior and senior years, answering
his biggest question mark and put himself into the conversation as a
first rounder. During his the spring of his senior year at Madison
High School in San Diego his curveball showed sharpness and depth in
the upper-70s and was arguably his best pitch.
All
of this of course led to him being drafted in the first round by the
Yankees, the third of three first round picks they made that year, as the 33rd overall selection. – Todd Gold
Rob Refsnyder – 2B/OF
Refsnyder's
bat has carried him for quite a few years. Ranked the 293rd high school prospect in the class of 2009, his other tools didn't
quite stack up with his bat, making him somewhat of a fringe player
when it came to finding a set position for him to play. His fastest
time in the 60-yard dash was 7.09 seconds and his best throw from
across the infield was clocked at 85 mph.
Here
is his report from the 2007 Sunshine West Showcase:
Refsnyder
has a lean and athletic frame with lively actions … has nice
footwork in the middle of the diamond moving very well allowing him
to make all the plays. He also has very soft and sure hands …
Refsnyder uses a simple swing with a line drive swing plane to make
consistent contact. He stays balanced throughout his swing, and he
keeps his hands inside the ball. Refsnyder tracks pitches well and
keeps his hands back that allows him to stay on the breaking ball
well.
Refsnyder
ended up at the University of Arizona and continued to show well at
the plate. He used a big junior season to help propel the Wildcats to
a College World Series championship in 2012 and was named a College
All-American because of it. The summer before he was listed as the
39th prospect that played on the Cape, and leading up to the 2012 draft
was ranked as Perfect Game's 177th best draft-eligible prospect.
Here
is his pre-draft report:
The
6-foot-1, 205-pound Refsnyder is the type of ball player that scouts
may need to see over the course of several games to truly appreciate
his array of skills. He lacks flair in his approach to the game and
none of his tools jump out as a matter of routine, but Refsnyder is a
solid all-around talent who has juice in his bat (.320-6-55 in 2011,
.375-4-39 in 2012 through games of mid-April) … More than anything,
scouts would like to see more speed and/or power out of Refsnyder,
but his running times are often compromised by his penchant for
getting bad jumps out of the batter’s box and his power by his team
playing in huge new home ball park.
The
overall report on Refsnyder remained the same, labelled as somewhat
of an outfield 'tweener for not having the ideal power production of
a corner outfielder and lacking the straight-line speed to play
center. That said, he routinely quieted those concerns by hitting at
every level he had played at prior to being drafted in the fifth
round by the Yankees in the 2012 draft. – Patrick Ebert
Baltimore Orioles
Hunter Harvey – RHP
Harvey
is the son of two-time All-Star righthanded pitcher Bryan Harvey, but
the Harvey family baseball background goes far deeper than just
father and son. Bryan Harvey's late father, Stan, is regarded as one
of the greatest hitters in softball history and was inducted into the
ASA Hall of Fame in 1996. Harvey himself only played one year at
UNC-Wilmington before returning home to work and play locally before
being signed as an undrafted free agent and moving on to an unlikely
MLB career. Hunter's brother, Kris, also played professionally for
eight years, the first three years as an outfielder before switching
to the mound and reaching AA.
Perhaps
because of the family's baseball background, Hunter Harvey
essentially disregarded the standard summer/fall circuit, playing for
his local American Legion team and very rarely traveled outside of
North Carolina. Those connections made his name well circulated in
the scouting community but mostly just as word of mouth that Bryan
Harvey had a son who was very talented.
The
only national level event Harvey ever threw at was the 2012 East
Coast Professional Showcase. He had a very long and loose build at
6-foot-3, 175-pounds and a smooth delivery with a slight pause and
gather at the top. His arm was fast and fluid and it was immediately
obvious that he was a high ceiling talent. Harvey's fastball worked
between 90 and 94 mph in that outing with steep downhill angle from a
high three-quarters arm slot. Harvey also threw a 75 mph curveball
that had hard, tight spin and a respectable upper-70s changeup.
Harvey
was even better as a high school senior, going 8-0, 0.38 with 116
strikeouts and only 17 walks. He regularly topped out at 96-97 mph
and also showed the Harvey Family athleticism while playing
shortstop. In a move that was unconventional – rare but totally in
keeping with the Harvey's approach to the entire process with Hunter
– he didn't commit to any college and clearly told everyone from
teams to the media that he was going to sign and start his
professional career immediately.
The
Orioles selected him with the 22nd overall pick, just about where he
was projected to be picked, and signed him for a $1,947,000 signing
bonus. – David Rawnsley
Chance Sisco – C
A
talented and versatile overall athlete, Sisco was ranked the 141st prospect in the high school class of 2013, and the 179th overall draft prospect. However, formerly a third baseman, Sisco's
stock was on the rise as the 2013 draft approached as he took to
catching fairly quickly, leading to him being taken in the second
round of the draft that year.
Here's
his pre-draft report:
Another
talented lefthanded hitter with a commitment to Oregon, Sisco doesn't
have quite the same offensive impact that Francis Christy (No. 38)
does, but he is a better bet to stick behind the plate. He's somewhat
new to catching and his footwork is still improving, but he has good
catch-and-throw tools and the athleticism to eventually become a
quality defensive catcher. He's also a talented defender at third,
and his left-handed bat is plenty interesting in it's own right. He's
been a bit under the radar for most of his career, though that has
begun to change over the past six months.
At
6-foot-1 and 180-pounds, Sisco wan't overly physical, and no one tool
stand out, but the sum of his parts created a well-rounded player. He
positioned himself well, both behind the plate and at third base, and
his arm played anywhere on the field.
Offensively
hitting lefthanded worked in his favor, with a fluid swing and good extension. Sisco routinely showed the ability to stay
inside the ball well while covering the plate, and his loose, strong
wrists allowed him to hit the ball hard to the gaps with budding
over-the-fence power. He made the most of his time spent at the one
Perfect Game event he attended, the 2012 WWBA World Championship,
where he was named to the All-Tournament team by going 6-for-10 with
three doubles, a triple and a home run as a member of the powerful
Midland Redskins squad. – Patrick Ebert
Christian Walker – 1B
During
his high school career Walker attended 13 Perfect Game events,
including numerous showcases that help show the progression he made
from his very first event as a 13-year old in 2004 to his final event
in the fall of 2008.
At
the time Walker played third base and also spent time behind the
plate, showing good speed (6.86 60-yard dash at the 2008 National
Showcase) and overall athleticism for his 6-foot, 210-pound stature,
but it was his bat that stood out the most.
After
being drafted in the 49th round out of high school by the Dodgers, Walker attended the
University of South Carolina, where he played in three consecutive
College World Series championships. The Gamecocks won the first of
those two in 2010 and 2011, with Walker being named to the College
World Series All-Tournament Team all three years. He did so in 2011
while playing with a broken hamate bone in his left wrist, which
caused him to miss the always important summer travel season the year
prior to him being eligible for the draft out of college.
He
hit .336 with with 45 doubles and 30 home runs in those three years
with the Gamecocks, proving time and time again that he was an
offensive force to be reckoned with. During the 2011 College World
Series, the first time the event was held at TD Ameritrade Park,
Walker was the only player in attendance that had no problem
consistently driving the ball to the park's deep and spacious
outfield gaps.
After
being ranked 88th in Perfect Game's high school class of 2009 rankings, he was ranked
the 200th overall prospect leading up to the 2012 draft. Here's his pre-draft
report:
The
6-foot-1, 220-pound Walker has been a powerful presence in the middle
of the order on consecutive national-championship teams. While he has
very good plate discipline, sometimes he can be patient to a fault.
As a first baseman, Walker is going to have to continue to hit at the
next level to move up the ladder, and most of his power at this point
of his career is to the alleys.
Had
Walker been 2-3 inches taller and hit lefthanded his draft stock may
have been viewed significantly different, although the Orioles still
liked his bat enough to take him in the fourth round, the 132nd overall pick, of the 2012 draft. – Patrick Ebert
Josh Hart – OF
The
prodigious East Cobb program has been a national powerhouse on the
travel ball circuit dating back to the late twentieth century. They
have a rich tradition of winning, and Josh Hart enjoyed a healthy
share of success as their leadoff hitter throughout his prep days.
His
game was centered around speed and center field defense. And while he
wasn't quite a plus runner, his awareness of how to utilize that
above average speed allowed it to play up. While he wasn't an elite
hitter, he combined good contact skills with a good approach that
allowed him to utilize his speed well.
David
Rawnsley commented about these attributes as part of Hart's Draft
Focus article prior to the 2013 MLB Draft:
He’s
a speed player without blazing speed. He ran a 6.49 at the 2012
Perfect Game National, but that might have been an outlier for him.
He ran 6.70 at the 2012 East Coast Pro and is usually around 4.15
down to first base from the left side. He’s probably a 55 runner on
the pro scale, with scouts that like him giving him a 60 and those
who don’t a 50 … But Hart plays so much faster than his stop
watch times that it makes those numbers irrelevant.
As
a result of his skill-set there was a wide range of opinions on Hart
amongst evaluators. Those that didn't think his speed-oriented game
would have the same level of impact at the highest level had only
lukewarm interest. But given the number of games that scouts saw him
play during his East Cobb career and at talent rich Parkview High
School in suburban Atlanta, there were many who appreciated the
nuanced ability he displayed in every phase of the game. He was an
exceptional basestealer who read pitcher's moves very well for his
age and wreaked havoc on the bases as a result.
Hart
also made good decision on the bases and showed steady development
both at the plate and in center field. It all added up for some
evaluators and as a result he was expected to be a top 50 pick in the
2013 draft, which he was. – Todd Gold