C Kevin Parada, Loyola HS [CA]
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DoB: 8/3/2001. B/T: R/R
Commitment: Georgia Tech
When the season shut down in March, Parada had some of the most helium of any high school hitter. While he isn't quite challenging Tyler Soderstrom for the top high school catcher in the class, he has hit well enough to separate himself from a really strong pack of prep catchers and is almost definitely in the top three along with defensive whiz Drew Romo. The shortened season hurts him, as prep catchers are always a very risky demographic and continuing to hit would have helped him prove his bat, but there is buzz in the industry that he hit just enough to make scouts comfortable somewhere in the middle of day one if he's signable.
Parada is a very advanced all-around hitter, one who combines advanced strike zone management and plate coverage with a strong frame that's easy to project power onto. He uses a simple, balanced swing to drive the ball with force to all fields consistently against advanced pitching, and he came out of the gate especially hot as the spring season got started in Los Angeles. He isn't going to hit the towering home runs you might get from some of the other prep hitters in this class, but his feel for the barrel is more than strong enough to combine with his 6' frame to produce above average power. His defense is a bit behind his offense, as he's far from a lock to stay behind the plate. There's a chance, as he has some arm strength and has shown the ability to get the job done at the high school level, but his overall defensive game will need a lot of refinement in order to be serviceable at the next level.
Prep catching is extremely high-risk, and Parada may be forced from the position before he reaches the majors. But it's the bat scouts are buying here, and it should play no matter what his defensive home is, whether that's behind the plate or a corner outfield spot. He is relatively old for the class with an August birthday, something teams have been taking into account more and more as of late, though the bat is advanced enough that it shouldn't be an issue. The projection here is that of a 15-25 home run bat with good on-base percentages, which would be fantastic if he can stick behind the plate and still very productive from left or right field. His commitment to Georgia Tech is reportedly a strong one, which makes it very hard to project his likely draft position. He hit so well this spring that that may not be an issue, and on talent alone he fits firmly in the second round, perhaps even earlier if a team really believes in his defense.
Summer game footage
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