Middle Infield Draft Prospects

Many players drafted at SS eventually move off the position, usually to 2^nd. Especially in high school, many teams stick their best player or athlete at SS although in a professional sense, they’re not likely to play there. Here are some prospects likely to be available in the supplemental round.

Brandon Martin, SS, Corona Santiago HS, CA

Martin has been linked to the Yankees already by Frankie Piliere. I wrote about him earlier, but here’s his report again. Martin has been a much discussed middle infield prospect this year because he’s showing some pop with his bat that have some scouts excited. Primarily a glove first SS, Martin has good range, an above average arm and good hands. He displays some ability to get on base and can hit for average. Scouts who have seen him this year see a little more pop than they initially expected. He’s got average speed but nothing to get very excited about. At 5’11”, 170 pop may not translate into power, although he does everything else very well. Oregon State commitment.

Tyler Greene, SS, Boca Raton HS, FL

Greene’s abilities probably sound familiar to Yankees fans familiar with their draft strategy lately. Greene has a bunch of tools, raw power, good size, plenty of speed and a good arm. Although he’s been a little hit and miss this spring, his overall profile is very intriguing. Already an above-average runner, Greene has a plus arm and a powerful RH swing. With plenty of size to grow into (6’3”, 175) he may wind up moving to 3B or the OF. He has good arm strength but his throws aren’t always accurate. He has plenty to work on but the foundations are there for an exciting player. Committed to UGA.

Trevor Story, SS, Irving HS, TX

Story is one of the better defensive shortstops in the class, prep or college. With plenty of athleticism, range and a plus arm, Story should be a very good defender in the pros. His bat has more mixed reviews. He’s got a few flaws in his swing, most notably dropping his back shoulder to uppercut the ball. His bat speed has been up and down all year and can get a little wild with his swing. He has good size though (6’0”, 175) and shows some pop in his bat. If his swing can be ironed out, there’s a very good SS prospect here. Committed to LSU.

Phillip Evans, SS/2B Carlsbad HS, CA

Evans is a solid 5’10” 180 who is a good athlete but not likely to stick at SS. His senior year has been a mixed bag for Evans as he’s showed less speed and power in his bat than in the past. Although his arm is good and he has good hands, his range will be why he’s viewed as a 2B prospect. With a good repeatable swing, he should be an above average to maybe plus hitter from the right side. He has average speed but has consistently been slower than scouts have expected this spring. With a good work ethic and attitude, his ceiling is more as a solid everyday player than star. San Diego State commitment.

Tyler Gibson, SS, Macon HS, GA

Gibson figures to move off SS eventually but it shouldn’t be much of a problem for him. With a smooth LH swing with good leverage and speed, Gibson has raw plus power at the plate. Already 6’2”, 190, Gibson could wind up at 3B or the OF. With good speed, Gibson should be able to handle the OF. His arm is strong and he’s a good athlete. Gibson will play SS at Georgia Tech if he doesn’t get the money he wants. His bat will probably be intriguing enough to get him selected in the early portion of the draft.

Joe Panik, SS/2B, St. Johns University

The local boy from Yonkers, Panik is an all bat guy who figures to wind up at 2B. At 6’2”, 195, Panik has a short compact stroke from the left side that generates good contact and power to the gaps. He also has advanced strike zone awareness and plate discipline. His arm is the weak point as a fielder but he is a hard worker and athletic to make plenty of plays.

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