Some draft prospects are not hard to project. They have great talent as seen through their tools, and they appear polished enough make for a wise selection. Others draw interest more for their projected abilities. These prospects are known more as projects. AJ Vukovich is a prospect that falls into the latter category.
The right-handed hitting third baseman has great size, standing at six-feet, five-inches tall, weighing 210 pounds. He comes out of East Troy High School in Wisconsin with a commitment to the University of Louisville.
He did not impress on the showcase circuit. His performance disappointed at the Area Code Games in August, and he hit .167 for Team USA at the 18U World Cup. Despite the struggles, he was picked to play in the Perfect Game All-America classic. MLB.com ranks Vukovich as the 86th-best prospect in the draft.
Strengths
Vukovich draws attention from scouts because of his ability to hit for power. He receives a 55/80 grade in that category, and he has the second-best power in the draft among prep players. The only prospect better than him is Blaze Jordan, whom he took second to in the High School Home Run Derby at the All-Star Game in Cleveland last July.
His long arms, projectable strength, and bat speed give him well-above average raw power, and he has natural lift in his swing. Scouts feel he can develop into a foul-pole-to-foul-pole hitter although he is a little pull happy at the moment.
Arm strength is a big plus for Vukovich. Scouts grade it a 55/80 as a third basemen, and he has been a pitcher throughout his high school career, as well. His arm is the best facet of his defensive game.
Given his size, it is easy to tell the he has athleticism. In fact, Vukovich is so athletic, that he doubles as a second-team All-State selection for the basketball team. This athleticism helps him move well for his size, opening up options to play other positions on the diamond.
Weaknesses
As mentioned, AJ Vukovich is a project at this point in time. Therefore, there are a few weaknesses to his game that are worth addressing. First, his bat is all power. His hit tool grades at 40/80, so his pure hitting skills are far inferior to his power skills.
He struggles to make consistent contact at the plate. Although his leg kick helps him generate power, it could lead to more swings and misses as he faces more quality pitching at the next level.
While he moves well for his size, Vukovich is not fleet of foot. Because of this lack of speed, he does not possess the quickness necessary for third base. Even though the arm strength for third base is there, the lack of speed makes scouts skeptical about his future at the position. First base or corner outfield can be landing spots for him in the future.
His overall grade right now is 45/80 so the ceiling is not as high on Vukovich as other prospects.
MLB Comp
Because of his size and power capabilities, AJ Vukovich compares with Joey Gallo of the Texas Rangers. Gallo is the same height as Vukovich, just 25 pounds heavier. Gallo has 110 home runs in 416 games, but is a career .212 hitter, illustrating that his power is also much better than his pure hitting ability.
Gallo records a lot of swings and misses, similar to what scouts think can happen to Vukovich. He strikes out 38% of the time at this point in his career. The final comparison comes from the fact that Gallo debuted as a third baseman, but has since played a lot of first base and left field, similar to the positions that scouts think are landing spots for Vukovich.
Right now, Vukovich is a project, but there is room to grow and develop him into a contributing MLB player, especially with the power that he has.
Main Photo: Embed from Getty Images
