The 2018-2019 Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year, shortstop Colt Keith is seen as one of the best prospects in the entire state. Keith is currently ranked as the 88th-best prospect according to MLB.com. The Arizona State commit transferred to Biloxi High School his junior year and quickly established himself as a player to watch.
The pitcher/infielder has seen his stock soar and, had it not been for the coronavirus outbreak, would have potentially been a first round pick in this year’s draft. Also, despite being seen as primarily an infielder, Keith is no slouch as a pitcher. He throws a 90-plus MPH fastball and a nasty 72 MPH curveball and throws both for strikes.
Strengths
Keith stands at six-foot-three inches tall and weighs 195 pounds. His frame is solid and he uses his stature and athleticism to make all of the plays at the shortstop position. His defense and arm strength make him one of the best defensive prospects in the entire draft. He shows a ton of accuracy with his throws to first base, and he uses his long frame to stride forward with his throws. His ability to use his entire body on defense shows a maturity uncommonly seen for a player of Keith’s age.
Also, the left-handed swinging two-way player shows a very adept bat. He utilizes a high leg kick and quick hands. His linear swing allows him to swing through the ball and he generates a lot of pop. And, Keith shows excellent bat control which leads to a smooth, even stroke through the strike zone.
Weaknesses
Despite being an excellent hitter, Colt Keith has an aggressive approach that can lead to him being a bit pull-happy. Keith swings with a go-for-broke attitude and this can potentially be exploited by smarter pitchers. Because of his aggressiveness, his batting mechanics and fundamentals can be thrown off making him look sloppy against better pitching.
Also, scouts are somewhat divided as to where exactly Colt Keith will play. The thought is that Keith wants to play every day. It’s possible that Keith could see a position change from shortstop to third in order for him to see regular playing time while some scouts believe that he may not remain an infielder at all. Other scouts see Keith as a pitching prospect only. This belief could lead to him falling on draft day if certain teams see his value only on the mound.
MLB Comp
According to Colt Keith himself, the player he most models his game after is Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor. Keith is very similar to the Indians switch-hitter. Both players hit for very high average as well as display excellent defensive skills. Also, both display an eerily similar swing from the left side of the plate. Each player swings level and through the ball allowing their hips to generate their power.
In the field, both Lindor and Keith use an overhead throwing motion. This gives them the benefit of accuracy as well as generating power with their throws to first base. Should Colt Keith continue to develop and improve, he should find himself playing on the same field as his idol Lindor some time in the future.
Main Photo: Embed from Getty Images
