Ed Howard is considered by many scouts as the best shortstop in the 2020 MLB Draft class. He is currently listed as the 15th-best prospect on MLB.com’s 2020 Prospect Rankings, and will likely be the first high school infielder chosen in the draft. If Howard is drafted in the first round, he’ll become the first Illinois high school position player to do so since Jayson Werth (22nd overall) was drafted in 1997.
Howard, out of Mount Carmel High School, is committed to the University of Oklahoma, but is expected to sign a contract if his name gets called in the first round. It’s hard to imagine that he would turn down a multimillion-dollar signing bonus and the start of his professional career.
At just the young age of 18, Howard comes into the draft with quite the résumé. He proved at a young age that he wasn’t afraid of the national spotlight, as he started for the Jackie Robinson West team that went to the finals of the 2014 Little League World Series. He’s also showcased his talents at several events since then, including the Perfect Game All-American Classic, the Perfect Game National Showcase, and the Under Armor All-American Game.
Strengths
The trait that stands out the most with Howard is his defensive ability. He has the look of a natural shortstop, and he demonstrates this by making difficult plays look easy. He does an excellent job using his reliable hands and strong, accurate arm. At the Perfect Game National Showcase, Howard’s infield throwing velocity clocked in at 88 mph, which placed him in the 91.75 percentile. Combine that arm strength with his athleticism, and he has the ability to make throws from complicated angles all over the middle of the diamond. His high baseball IQ also helps him slow down the game and make the right decisions.
While defense is Howard’s strong suit, he isn’t too shabby at the plate. Batting from the right side, he features an open stance with excellent bat speed and does a good job of making consistent contact. This is validated by his .417 average in the 2019 high school season. At the Perfect Game National Showcase, he posted an exit velocity of 95 mph — exceeding the class average of 83 mph. In that same event, Howard displayed his swift swing with a max barrel speed of 80.354 mph. That barrel speed ranked him in the 98.23 percentile and was much higher than the class average of 66.75 mph.
Speed is also another asset to Howard’s game. Although he isn’t considered to be a “burner” on the basepaths, he still possesses solid speed. As a result, he received a grade of 55 on MLB.com’s scouting report. Also, he clocked a time of 6.76 seconds in the 60-yard dash at the Perfect Game National Showcase. This time placed him in the 89.83 percentile and was much better than the class average of 7.26 seconds.
Weaknesses
Let’s be honest, there aren’t many glaring shortcomings in Howard’s game. However, one current weakness that you could point out is his lack of power. But this shouldn’t be a long-term concern, considering that he is only 18 years old. He should develop more power as he continues to fill out his athletic body and gets into professional training. If he continues to refine his approach and gets stronger, he has the potential to hit 20-25 homeruns on a consistent basis.
MLB Comp
A good comparison for Howard is Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson. Both players have similar frames, with Anderson listed at 6’1″ 185 lbs, and Howard listed as 6’2″ 185 lbs. Another similarity is their batting stances and lightning-quick bat speed. In the field, Howard edges Anderson, but both players have impressive range and can provide some spectacular defensive plays.
They have also developed a very close friendship — one that Howard appreciates. “I’ve got a lot closer to him the last few months,” Howard said. “We talked a lot, and we realized how much we have in common. I appreciate him staying in touch. He’s a big-league shortstop, and he doesn’t have to reach out to me.”
Time will tell if Howard can become the face of a franchise like Anderson, but whichever team that drafts him will be getting a potential star with plenty of upside.
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