SS Bobby Witt Jr., Colleyville Heritage HS, TX
6' 180 lbs, R/R, born 6/14/2000
By most accounts, Bobby Witt Jr. is the best high school prospect in the country, showing high upside on both sides of the ball with a broad toolset and great track record. His strengths, which are numerous, are very clear, while his weaknesses, which are few but certainly present, are also very clear. Witt is a power hitting shortstop with the ability to stay there, showcasing great power on the showcase circuit from a big, long swing. Despite the swing being long, he does a good job of getting the bat through the zone and he should have no trouble getting to his power in pro ball. However, because of the long swing, Witt does have a tendency to strike out a fair amount, leading to slight concerns about just how effective his in-game power will be against advanced pitching.
Witt currently plays shortstop and while he likely won't win Gold Gloves out there, he is athletic enough to stick there long term and contribute positive defensive value. Long term shortstops are not easy to find, and ones that can hit are even scarcer. That makes Witt extremely valuable as a player, giving the team that drafts him a truly dynamic asset. It also buys his hit tool some slack, because even in a worst-case scenario where he really struggles with strikeouts long term, his raw power combined with his defense will still make him a valuable player. Now, one last thing to note is Witt's age, as he turns 19 shortly after the draft, making him one of the older high school players available. Still, it will be very surprising if he ends up falling out of the top five or six picks unless signability plays a big role. He is committed to Oklahoma.
Ultimate projection: impact bat that will also provide good defense at shortstop, ceiling of a true middle of the order bat and a realistic middle ground as a productive power hitter with middling OBP's
Likely draft range: picks two through four overall
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