With the 2018 MLB Draft quickly approaching, many teams are gearing up to select the player they hope can prosper into a star, and get them a World Series title. Teams can find anything from rare gems in the later rounds to busts in the first round. In this Last Word On Baseball Draft Profile, we take an in-depth look at shortstop Brice Turang.
Brice Turang 2018 MLB Draft Profile
Turang comes out of the draft from Santiago High School in Corona, California. He at one time was considered one of the best prospects in the entire 2018 draft class. But combining lackluster performances in his summer showcases along with a very high level of expectations heaped upon him, he has slipped on some draft boards and mock drafts. But, Turang is still ranked as the 22nd best prospect by MLB Pipeline. Turang is also committed to Louisiana State University to exclusively play baseball for the Tigers. This could come up depending on where Turang gets drafted six days from now. He also has some good accolades as he is a member of the 2018 Rawlings-Perfect Game 1st Team All American and is the son of former MLB player Brian Turang.
Strengths
According to a scouting report done by MLB Pipeline, Turang’s biggest strength is his running ability and speed. He can use this to not only run bases but make some brilliant plays in the field at shortstop. This strength pairs perfectly with his fielding, which is quite good for a high school shortstop. His hitting ability is also something that is very refined for his age.
Weaknesses
As good as Turang’s hitting might be, his power could use quite a bit of work. His swing is more focused on the contact side of things than this power. With his power comes questions about his arm strength in the field. With Turang’s lean frame, some scouts feel that he can’t quite muster the arm strength that is required to be an everyday shortstop in MLB. As previously stated, depending on where he is selected, Turang could decide to not sign with a team and proceed to play at LSU.
Final Thoughts
Turang is a prospect who may be more MLB ready than many scouts give him credit for. He was, after all, one of the best prospects of the draft at one time as reported by most scouts. With his bat presence and his always improving fielding, there is no reason that Turang won’t be a first-round pick as Monday rapidly approaches.
In his latest mock draft, MLB Pipeline’s Jonathan Mayo predicts that Turang will be selected by the Los Angeles Angels with the 17th overall pick. His colleague Jim Callis has Turang being selected by the New York Yankees with the 23rd overall pick in his latest mock draft. For the Angels, they currently have an extremely hot Andrelton Simmons starting at shortstop, with prospect Kevin Maitan on the rise. For the Yankees, Didi Gregorius is clearly the future of that position for years to come. But Turang no doubt is a first-round talent.
