2B Nick Madrigal (Oregon State): 5'7", 160 lbs, born 3/15/1997
Overview
Hit: 70. Power: 40. Run: 60. Throw: 50. Field: 60.
Last year, it was 5'9" San Diego high schooler Nick Allen who had everyone's attention as a standout defensive shortstop with some feel to hit. This year, it's another West Coast Nick who is making a lot of noise for a little guy. Nick Madrigal, who is listed at 5'7" and 160 pounds, has earned comparisons to Jose Altuve for his size and position, but unlike the tank-like Altuve, Madrigal has a skinny build. That said, he hits. As a sophomore, Madrigal slashed .380/.449/.532 with a 16/27 strikeout to walk ratio (5.7% to 9.6%), and as a junior this year, he is up to .449/.488/.590 with a 2/6 strikeout to walk ratio (2.3% to 7%), as of May 9th. That's a lot of production for a little guy, and as a second baseman, it's a lot of value on both sides of the ball. With the success of guys like Dustin Pedroia and Jose Altuve, Madrigal has a good chance to go in the top five picks.
Strengths
Madrigal's bat to ball skills and feel for the barrel are unrivaled by perhaps anyone in amateur baseball. As of May 9th, he has struck out just twice in 86 plate appearances, but he's not just making weak contact. Because he has such a good feel for the barrel, he is able to make up for his small stature and spray line drives all over the park with regularity. With the quantity of balls he squares up, he does run into a few and can actually hit home runs on occasion, at least with the metal bats; he hit four in 60 games in 2017 and has two so far in 18 games in 2018. Mechanically, he has made strides this year (literally) by gaining more ground with his swing while maintaining that stiff front leg, which helped him put up better power numbers in the small sample size before he broke his wrist. Defensively, he is a well above average second baseman, and some scouts feel he may be able to handle shortstop if he can make his average arm strength play up there.
Weaknesses
Obviously, Madrigal will never be a power hitter. He gets the most out of his frame, but even if he barrels up every baseball, at 160 pounds, he won't be hitting more than ten home runs per season. Additionally, because he makes contact so easily, he hasn't walked much this year, with that walk rate dropping from 9.6% in 2017 to 7% in 2018, something he'll need to improve on based on his on-base oriented profile. Lastly, his power hasn't resurfaced since returning from his broken wrist, but that's natural for wrist injuries and it should return as the season progresses.
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