The MLB draft is an exciting time of year in the baseball world, both for players and teams alike. Players will be waiting with anticipation to hear their name called, while teams will draft prospects that they hope will translate into future stars. One of those prospects with the potential to become a star is first baseman Logan Wyatt.
Logan Wyatt 2019 MLB Draft Profile
Wyatt is a junior first baseman for the Louisville Cardinals and is ranked as the 49th best prospect according to MLB.com. After his sophomore season in 2018, Wyatt was named to the 2018 All-ACC First Team, 2018 Collegiate Baseball Newspaper All-America Third Team, and 2018 NCAA All-Lubbock Regional Team. He comes into the draft with a solid frame, being listed at 6-foot-4 and weighing in at 230 lbs.
Strengths
One of the most notable strengths Wyatt brings to the field is his excellent plate vision. As a result, Wyatt ranked third in the NCAA with 63 walks in 64 games in 2018. Wyatt is keeping up those eye-catching numbers in 2019, ranking third once again in the NCAA with 55 walks in 48 games.
In the video below, you can see Wyatt’s approach at the plate, as well as his excellent vision and patience.
Another dynamic attribute that will intrigue scouts is Wyatt’s ability to make contact. With many young players in this age of baseball swinging for the fences every at bat, a player that puts the ball in play like Wyatt will draw a lot of interest from teams around the league. In his sophomore season, Wyatt showed great discipline only striking out 37 times in 230 at-bats. The high contact rate has continued in 2019 with Wyatt only going down on strikes 32 times in 166 at-bats.
Wyatt is also considered to be a solid defensive first baseman. So far in the 2019 campaign, Wyatt has been sturdy, only committing three errors in 48 games. Some scouts describe the junior as having “soft hands” and a “decent arm.” Therefore, some scouts believe Wyatt could eventually become a left-fielder after being drafted. However, without a great deal of speed, it appears Wyatt will more than likely remain at first.
Weaknesses
One main area of weakness in Wyatt’s game is his lack of power. He has a grand total of just 13 career home runs. With first base being a position you expect power from, many wonders if Wyatt can produce enough pop given his position. However, there is a chance that Wyatt could develop his power swing once he gets into professional training, considering his stout frame and his young age of 21.
MLB Comparison
A good comparison for Logan Wyatt is fellow first baseman Joey Votto. Wyatt’s approach at the plate is very similar to Votto’s. Votto is a contact-first hitter that sacrifices power in order to draw walks and limit strikeouts — much like Wyatt attempts to do at the plate.
It is impossible to know if Wyatt will end up being a Votto caliber player, but if he continues his plate discipline and develops some power, this will be an excellent pick for the organization that drafts him.
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