CF Pete Crow-Armstrong, Harvard-Westlake HS [CA]
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DoB: 3/25/2002. B/T: L/L
Commitment: Vanderbilt
North Hollywood's prestigious Harvard-Westlake School once touted Lucas Giolito, Max Fried, and Jack Flaherty in the rotation at the same time, and this year it boasted two potential day one draftees in its lineup in Pete Crow-Armstrong and Drew Bowser. Crow-Armstrong is one of the most famous names in the 2020 high school class, as he's been on scouts' radars for a long time and was an early candidate to go first overall. His star faded a bit with a so-so run through the summer showcase circuit, but he was starting to heat up again with a strong start to the 2020 season.
Crow-Armstrong has a very athletic 6'1" frame and has shown great feel for the barrel, spraying line drives all over the place against high level competition for years now. Though he doesn't hit for a ton of power at present, there is reason to believe he could get to at least average power in time. In addition to his aforementioned athletic frame and ability to find the barrel, Crow-Armstrong has a loose, fluid swing with plenty of leverage and loft, so all he really has to do is get bigger. How much he bulks up will determine that eventual power output.
Where Crow-Armstrong really shines in terms of now-ability is in the field. He's a gifted center fielder who will stick there and could eventually win Gold Gloves, with good speed, great instincts that give him plenty of range, and a strong arm. Combine that with his bat, which is very much trending back in the right direction, and you could have an all-around impact player. Even if his bat does take some time to develop, the glove certainly buys it that time. With the way he was hitting as the spring began, he has increased his chance to reach his ceiling as a 20-25 home run guy with high on-base percentages and good defense. A more realistic projection might have him more in the teens for his home run totals with more doubles and triples power, but that's still an impact player. Of course, as a high school hitter without a ton of present power, there is considerable risk here, but he's pushed himself firmly back into the middle of the first round conversation. Unless signability ends up being an issue with his Vanderbilt commitment, there's little chance Crow-Armstrong falls out of the first round.
Summer showcase footage
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