MLB Draft: Scouting Reports For New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres Top Picks

The MLB First Year Player Draft was first conducted in 1965. Historically, the draft has been the primary means for stocking baseball clubs with organizational players.

In the past, the draft usually consisted of 40 rounds. This year, due to cost cutting caused by the coronavirus, major league organizations selected only 160 players in five rounds.

Given the reduced number of drafted players, it is likely those choosing to sign a contract will eventually be playing at the major league level. In recent years, only one in five drafted players made it to the big leagues.

Players selected out of high school may choose to attend college rather than sign a professional contract. The collegiate crop of players is more likely to sign.

With high school and college baseball programs canceled in Match due to COVID-19, scouts had to rely on previous scouting reports and video reviews to evaluate players. 

The Padres, Yankees, and Dodgers were among the teams that made interesting first round selections.

Pick #8- San Diego Padres

Robert Hassell III-OF-Independence High School (Tenn.) 6-2, 195 pounds, age 18

Many scouts felt Robert Hassell III was the top high school hitting prospect in the draft. Others felt it was Zac Veen. Veen was chosen right after Hassell.

While his power may not be as developed as other prospects, he has shown an ability to drive the ball to all fields. His power is raw now, but he projects to gain strength.

Using a sweet left-handed swing that is a little flat, Hassell showed plenty of potential in events that included the Prospect Development Pipeline team. In addition, Hassell hit .514 for USA Baseball’s 18-Under National Team, winning the World Baseball and Softball International Player of the Year Award. He also won the Gatorade Player of the Year Award twice in Tennessee.

Hassell has quick hands at the plate and finishes his swing with solid extension. If he tries to hit home runs by adding too much loft at this point, it may impact his overall success as a quality hitter. Increased loft can wait for more body strength.

A two-way player, in his junior year at Independence High, Hassell hit 14 homers and hit .423. He also stole 22 bases. As a left-handed pitcher, Hassell threw to a 1.07 ERA in 59 innings. He stuck out 113.

When he wasn’t pitching, Hassell played center field in high school. However, his arm strength is solid enough for him to play right field for the Padres. He has enough speed to track down balls wherever he plays.

Watching video of Hassell, one can easily see advanced hitting mechanics with an ability to find the barrel of the bat. He may try too hard to hit the ball out of the park, but that is a natural tendency with young players. His eye-hand coordination is advanced and it leads to good contact. Hopefully, he will add strength and depth to his lean frame.

Using a widely spread stance, his swing is so good now it would be wise to leave him alone and let natural growth to his body take care of increased loft and power.

Shoehei Ohtani, Brendan McKay and Michael Lorenzen have shown that a two-way player can succeed in the big leagues. Hassell could join that group as an outfielder and pitcher. But the Padres chose him for his bat. GRADE: 55

#28- New York Yankees

Austin Wells-C- University of Arizona-6-2, 220 pounds, age 20

Austin Wells is a left-handed hitting catcher the Yankees also drafted in the 35th round of the 2018 draft out of Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas. He didn’t sign then, choosing to attend the University of Arizona. Now the club finally got their man.

Wells is a good athlete. He has played first base, left field, right field and catcher. The Yankees selected him as a catcher.

In his first year at Arizona, Wells hit a lofty .353 in 277 plate appearances. He hit five homers and drove in 60 runs. He walked 46 times, which is admirable for a young hitter. He struck out just 43 times on his way to a .462 on-base percentage. After that season he hit well again in the summer Cape Cod League.

At the time his 2020 season was canceled, Wells was hitting .375 in 74 plate appearances. He had an on-base percentage of .527. Hitting as well as he did in the competitive Pac 12 and in the Cape Cod League illustrates the type of quality hitting projection that followed Wells to the draft.

There is no question Wells can hit, and he is clearly an offense-first player. Having a left-handed hitting catcher will be a true asset for the Yankees, especially with that short right-field porch at Yankee Stadium. That said, Wells has shown the ability to hit the ball to all parts of the field, another plus for his offensive game.

Wells needs work on his defense behind the plate. His arm strength is not what one would like to see from a catcher. That could be the result of his arm injuries in high school. Runners will likely take advantage of Wells. He has issues with agility and footwork, as his transfer and release (POP) time to second base aren’t stellar.

Wells’ blocking skills appear to this scout to be similar to those of Gary Sanchez when Sanchez was younger. They need work. His receiving and framing are below average as well.

In essence, the Yankees selected an outstanding left-handed hitter with solid upside and emerging power. They also drafted a “work in progress” behind the plate. They could try to move him to first base or they could use Wells as a designated hitter. Frankly, they may be wise to try to improve his defense as a catcher. GRADE: 50

#29- Los Angeles Dodgers

Bobby Miller-RHP-Louisville-6-5, 220 pounds, age 21

Baseball executives have always thought a team can’t have enough pitching. 

The Los Angeles Dodgers have historically valued and developed quality pitching. In this draft, they chose pitchers with four of their six picks. Right-hander Bobby Miller was the first of the new arms added.

Pitching downhill from a huge 6-5 frame, Miller throws very credible two-seam and four-seam fastballs. His fastballs sit in the mid to high 90’s with outstanding movement and life. He can add velocity when needed, but he works best at 95-96. Once a hitter has seen the fastballs, he gets a taste of the high 80’s slider. It is that fastball/slider combination that will carry Miller as far as he goes. He has an average changeup in the mid-80’s that needs refinement. That could be his very sold third pitch. He has been working on refining his two-seam fastball.

Due to limited opportunities in a starting rotation, there are scouts that see Miller as a reliever. His role remains to be seen, as the Dodgers are among the best in baseball at developing pitchers to their greatest strengths.

Miller’s release isn’t the smoothest. His mechanics have a great deal to do with his height and the moving parts. It is tough to repeat a smooth delivery with his long arms and legs. 

Command and control may vary and be inconsistent in such a large-framed pitcher, so finishing his pitches without falling off dramatically to either side is paramount to improving his command. He expends a great deal of energy and effort in his delivery, and that adds a bit of stress to commanding his arsenal.

Miller compiled 170 innings at Louisville. He struck out 175 on his way to a 3.28 ERA.

Before his 2020 season was canceled, Miller threw 23.1 innings and finished with a record of 2-0. He yielded 15 hits and nine walks, leading to a 1.03 WHIP. 

Miller’s delivery will be a challenge for the outstanding Dodgers pitching coaches. Clayton Kershaw is 6-4. Walker Buehler is 6-2. Both of them dealt with high walk rates initially. 

Kershaw walked an average of 4.3 hitters per nine innings in his first 107.2 innings with the big league club. He averaged only 2.1 walks per nine innings last year.  

Buehler walked an average of 7.7 hitters in the first 9 big league innings. Now he averages 1.8 walks per nine innings.

Bobby Miller will continue to develop his outstanding fastball/slider combination while refining the remainder of his repertoire. He will smooth out his delivery and the Dodgers will have another very good prospect to add to their already solid pitching depth. GRADE: 55

Scout Grades:

50- Average major league quality player, subject to platoon

55- Better than average major league player

60- All Star quality player, with several solid tools, impact performer