SS/RHP Colt Keith, Biloxi HS [MS]
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DoB: 8/14/2001. B/T: L/R
Commitment: Arizona State.
Keith is part of a relatively strong class of high school two-way players, though I personally prefer his bat over his arm by a wide margin. I actually didn't like him much as a prospect when I originally researched him as a pitcher, originally ranking him outside the top 100, but when I came back to study him as a hitter, I liked his offensive profile more and more. Mississippi's top high school prospect (at least in my opinion, ahead of power hitters Blaze Jordan and Slade Wilks) has the scouting industry generally split on where he'll play in the future, probably leaning a bit towards hitting, where his upside is especially exciting.
As I said previously, I prefer Keith as a hitter. His swing can get a bit choppy and he doesn't always get a ton of extension, but his quick hands and the natural leverage he creates with his 6'3" frame helps him produce good raw power anyways. He has a good enough approach at the plate to make the most out of that power as well, not showing as much swing and miss as some of the other power bats in this class. With some mechanical changes, I think he could take off at the plate. He also provides value defensively, his speed and arm strength giving him a chance to stick at shortstop, though he would also be a good third baseman if he were to move over there.
On the mound, he's a bit more of a projection arm. He sits in the low 90's with his fastball and adds a nice two-plane curveball with good shape, though he needs to add power to the pitch and develop a changeup. There is some crossfire in his delivery which, combined with good extension, can make his pitches play up. The strike throwing ability is there, though he's not a true command artist. If he can sharpen up that curveball and add a changeup, he'll be a legitimate starting pitching prospect, but in my opinion he has more work to do on the mound to get to where he is as a hitter.
Keith is relatively old for his class, turning 19 in August, though ditching the mound or the bat could help him improve quickly with the other. I see a 20-25 home run bat, perhaps up to 30, that will post decent on-base percentages in addition to a few stolen bases and positive defensive value. He could go to Arizona State and sort himself out, as he still does need a fair amount of refinement in his offensive game, and return for the 2023 draft a first round pick. In 2020, if he's signable, he projects somewhere in the second or third round, though I'd put his talent more cleanly in the second.
Hitting over the summer
Pitching over the summer
Some summer batting practice
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