The first round of the MLB draft will be held on June 4th. For the teams that have an early pick on day one, it is essential for them to get a player who can help them. While drafting a player is not an exact science, teams do their best to ensure they are getting a talented player who can move quickly up the system and help them reach the ultimate goal. College players tend to be more refined and closer to being major league ready. High school players can be taught by the organization’s own coaches but require longer time in the minors. Depending on a team’s needs and evaluation of talent, the draft picks tend to vary in age and maturity level.
Joey Bart 2018 MLB Draft Profile
Joey Bart is a catcher at Georgia Tech who has learned from the best. Danny Hall has coached Georgia Tech baseball for years. Jason Varitek and Matt Wieters have come out of their system under Hall. Joey Bart is a 6’3 225 lbs. catcher who is nimble for his size. The expectation is that he goes in the top 10 of the draft on June 4th. Let’s take a look at his tools and what he brings to the table.
Strengths
At 6’3 and 225 lbs. Joey Bart is a large man. He is nimble behind the plate. He has quickness for a big man and has shown that he has an above-average throwing arm. He has started to call his own game 95% of the time according to Georgia Tech manager Danny Hall. He has also shown power to all fields as evidenced by his current slash line of .368/.451/.651. In 2017 he had a BB/K ratio of 16/50. This year he has improved upon that with a 41/52 ratio. The bottom line is he is a complete player right now, and should be a top 10 draft pick in a few weeks.
Weaknesses
There aren’t many weaknesses in Bart’s game. He has a tendency to over-swing which leads to strikeouts. Other than that there is a question of his overall ability to stick at catcher. His bat plays and many teams may look at him as a position player to get his bat in the regular day lineup. The defense has improved and should only get better. The pitch-calling and arm will keep him behind the plate for a few years but teams may look to move him to third or first.
Overall
Whatever team gets Bart will be getting a kid that knows his craft and is willing to work hard. He is already calling his own games at the college level under the tutelage of a catching guru. Bart should be drafted in the top 10 and will give a team a top-notch starting catcher and leader for years to come.
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