Friday, May 15, 2020

2020 Draft Profile: Casey Schmitt

3B/RHP Casey Schmitt
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DoB: 3/1/1999.  B/T: R/R.
2020 Stats (hitting): 0 HR, .323/.386/.452, 1 SB, 13/7 K/BB in 16 games
2020 Stats (pitching): 0-1, 3.75 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 10/5 K/BB in 12 IP

There are quite a few notable two way players at the high school level, including Masyn Winn, Colt Keith, Cade Horton, and Nolan McLean, but Schmitt looks like the clear top two-way college prospect this year. A third baseman and closer at San Diego State, he has slashed .317/.408/.450 since the start of the 2019 season and holds a 2.48 ERA with 23 saves over three years on the mound. Schmitt also homered eight times over 44 games in the elite Cape Cod League and put up a 1.93 ERA over 28 innings, earning the league's playoffs MVP. All of that said, most scouts prefer him as a hitter, where his upside is much higher.

At the plate, Schmitt employs a simple, line drive swing, and that combines well with innate hand-eye coordination and feel for the barrel to produce very consistent hard contact all over the field. Listed at 6'2", he possesses above average raw power as well, though he hasn't been consistent in tapping it. He topped out at five home runs in 56 games as a sophomore and did not hit one out in his 16 games in 2020, though he was returning from knee surgery and still hit .323 with six extra base hits. On the Cape, things were different as he blasted eight home runs in 44 games, one shy of Cape leaders T.J. Collett (Kentucky) and Niko Kavadas (Notre Dame). That showing was a huge boost for his stock, and if he can put that pure hitting ability together with his power, he could be a very dangerous hitter. Defensively, he's a very good third baseman who will be able to provide value there and effectively handle the defensive shifts that have become common in today's game.

On the mound, Schmitt profiles as a reliever. He sits in the low 90's with his fastball and adds in a very good splitter that functions as his out pitch, and there is enough deception in his delivery to make both pitches play up. His command isn't pinpoint, but it's enough to be effective in a relief role. Everything played really well on the Cape, where in addition to his 1.93 ERA, he struck out 34 over 28 innings and often went multiple innings at a time.

Because Schmitt's profiles as a potential starting third baseman versus a middle reliever on the mound, he's most likely to get picked up as a hitter and it's unlikely that a team will try to send him out as a two-way guy. If he finds a way to put it all together at the plate, which is very possible once he gives up pitching and focuses on hitting full time, he could be a 20-25 home run bat with good on-base percentages and good defense, high upside for a college hitter outside of the top 50 picks. If the bat does falter, he could always fall back on pitching as well. His overall profile likely puts him somewhere in the second to third round range.

2019 game action (hitting)
Pitching on the Cape

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