The first round of the MLB draft will be held on June 4. For the teams that have an early pick on day one, it is essential for them to get a player who can help the team quickly. 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.
Trevor Larnach 2018 MLB Draft Profile
Trevor Larnach is a 21-year old outfielder at Oregon State University. He is 6’4 and 210 lbs. and is attending the same school as major league standouts Jacoby Ellsbury and Michael Conforto. Previously drafted in the 40th round by the San Diego Padres in 2015, he chose to honor his commitment to the Beavers. Larnach has shown that he can take over a team. When fellow first-round prospect Nick Madrigal broke his wrist in February, Larnach stepped up and helped the team stay on track to a 47-10-1 record. He has shown leadership and poise at the college level playing for a top program.
Strengths
Trevor Larnach is a hitting machine. His swing is smooth and loose and he doesn’t need to exert much effort to drive the ball. He barrels the ball well and can easily hit the ball hard to the opposite field. He also has improved his power this season hitting 17 home runs in only 208 at-bats. His slash line of .322/.444/.630 to go along with 40 walks in 56 games shows what a polished hitter he is. He has been compared to Christian Yelich and while he may not have the speed or defensive prowess, he does have a plus arm in the outfield.
Weaknesses
The big downside of Larnach is that he isn’t very fast. This hampers his defensive ability in the outfield. While he does have a plus arm, he will probably be better suited for left field. He also still strikes out at a 25% clip. Although that isn’t horrible, he also hasn’t faced top professional pitchers. He will need to keep the strikeouts at bay as he progresses to maintain the .300 batting average.
Overview
Larnach can hit. His defense is probably the only thing that may keep him out of the top 15. Fangraphs has him at #21 in their recent Mock Draft. MLB Pipeline has him at #26 and SB Nation has him going to the Kansas City Royals at #18. The rankings are fairly consistent as are the scouts takes on Larnach. He is a wonderful hitter that should thrive at the upper levels. His speed and defense held him back from being a truly top-notch talent. The thing about Larnach that intrigues many teams is that he is so advanced at the plate, he may be major league ready within two years.
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