A legitimate two-way prospect, Owen Murphy has been moving up the draft rankings. Currently ranked as the number 48 prospect, he has some excellent numbers as both a hitter and a pitcher. He will undoubtedly hear his name called at some point between July 17 and 19 when the MLB 2022 draft takes place. While Murphy is seen as a round 3-5 hitter, he could go as early as round 2 for his pitching.
Murphy, who played football and baseball in high school, was Gatorade’s 2022 Illinois state player of the year, posting a 0.12 ERA with 137 strikeouts in 58 1/3 innings. This was while also batting .548 with 18 homers. He has been a dominating player throughout his high school career at Riverside Brookfield (Illinois).
In his junior campaign, the 6-foot-1 standout batted .453 with 34 hits and nine home runs. Furthermore, he went 6-1 on the mound, with a 0.33 ERA and 97 strikeouts. Playing with USA Baseball last year helped him hone his talents.
Strengths
Murphy’s fastball velocity increased over the summer of 2021, hitting the radar gun around 93-95 MPH. Scouts watching him have mentioned it is an effective pitch due to its rising action around the strike zone. He also has a mid-80s MPH slider. He has been working on a changeup as well. Murphy also plays shortstop. As an infielder, he is solid defensively, possessing athleticism, a strong arm, and quick feet.
Offensively, he hit 18 home runs and drove in 75 runs in 143 at-bats. He struck out just six times to finish with a 1.288 slugging percentage. Murphy can hit for power and average and hits the ball all over.
Weaknesses
Murphy has committed to pitch and be a position player at Norte Dame. He has mentioned that he hopes to be a two-way player as long as he can. The issue teams have to consider is whether to invest in Murphy as a two-way player. Yes, lately MLB has seen Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani and a few minor league players participate as two-way players. The question is whether a team drafts and has him concentrate on pitching only, or do they draft him as a hitter and position player.
If Murphy wants to be an MLB pitcher, he needs to continue working on all of his pitches to develop an effective arsenal. He needs to increase the speed of his fastball. If he decides to be a position player his bat speed needs to improve.
MLB Player Comparison
As a position player, Murphy has characteristics similar to those of Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Cavan Biggio. Like Murphy, Biggio played both baseball and football in high school. Also interesting is that Biggio was drafted but decided to attend Norte Dame before joining MLB.
Murphy is a pitcher similar to Lance Mcullers Jr. of the Houston Astros. Both were Gatorade National Baseball Player of the Year. Both have a fastball in the 93-95 MPH range and their sliders are similar.
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