The 2021 Reserve Draft is just 6 weeks behind us and with two classes of prospects available, the number of prospects on the market might be as thin as it has ever been in RDBL History. Diving into the 2021 MLB Draft, each of the expected top five picks are already on RDBL rosters but the next in line, Brady House, could be the one to watch.
Of course, with 10 months to go, many names will emerge over the course of the Minor League, College and High School season but here are a few names that could be in contention for the top overall pick in the 2022 RDBL Reserve Draft.
3B Brady House, High School
House entered the summer as the top-ranked high school prospect and did nothing to lose that status. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound shortstop has an exciting combination of high-level track record and a gaudy toolset to go along with it. The offensive tools are the loudest with House. He has terrific bat speed and natural strength, to go along with an advanced approach that allows him to track velocity and offspeed stuff with consistency. Scouts with history on House believe he has the ability to develop into a plus hitter, and his raw power should develop into 70-grade juice as he continues to develop. He’s already a physical and imposing hitter now, with plenty of impact to all fields and plus raw power, but there’s more to be had in the future. Defensively, House has easy plus arm strength—he can reach 96 mph on the mound—that could be an asset on the infield, where he has a good chance to stick. He doesn’t look like a typical pro shortstop, but evaluators have been impressed with his hands, reactions, internal clock and body control. Some believe he would be a better fit at third base, where he has all the tools to turn into an above-average defender. House is committed to Tennessee but is a top-of-the-first round talent and is unlikely to get to campus.
LHP Kyle Harrison, Giants
Few prospects are seeing their value rise as much as Harrison who slid into the Baseball America Top 100 List on Tuesday. The Giants paid nearly double-slot to sign Harrison in the third round of the 2020 draft out of De La Salle High School. He’s quickly rewarded their investment by upping his fastball velocity and showing a very sharp breaking ball during minor league spring training. In a system stacked with young, high-end position prospects, Harrison has already ascended to the organization’s best pitching prospect and a big year in San Jose could have him on the fast track to San Francisco and a solid bet to be one of the first names off the board next March in the RDBL.
OF Pete Crow-Armstrong, Mets
At points during his amateur career, Crow-Armstrong’s name was mentioned as a possible candidate at No. 1 overall. An inconsistent stint on the showcase circuit muted those hopes, but the Mets still pounced on the chance to grab him with their first-round selection. At his best, Crow-Armstrong shows elite speed and defense and enough hit ability to profile near the top or bottom of a lineup.
OF Sam Frelick, Boston College
Frelick is a high-level performer who should do everything on the field outside of hitting for big-time power. That’s more acceptable when you can patrol center field and defend at a high level, control the strike zone, hit for average and steal bags and Frelick does each of these things. Scouts have compared Frelick to Andrew Benintendi, who also was drafted No. 7 overall, and the industry seems to think Frelick will be one of the first three college bats off the board and solidly inside the top 10 at this point.
RHP Gunnar Hoglund, Ole Miss
It was announced on Tuesday that Hoglund will undergo Tommy John surgery but that has done little to stop MLB clubs from making a premium pitching prospect an early MLB Draft selection. The ace for the Rebels, Hoglund pitched 62 2/3 innings this spring over 11 starts, tallying 96 strikeouts and 17 walks with a 2.87 ERA. He will likely land in the teens on Draft Day and could be a potential San Francisco Giants target at 14.
Comments