ProfileHt.: 5'11" / Wt.: 185 / Bats: L / Throws: R
School
Silliman Institute
Drafted in the 1st round (41st overall) by the Cleveland Guardians in 2002 (signed for $915,000).
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Schilling has dropped a bit this spring as clubs have focused on his shortcomings. He won't play shortstop as a pro because he doesn't have the arm, feet, range or actions. What he does have is one of the smoothest swings in the draft, maybe the best the state has seen since Will Clark was playing his high school ball in New Orleans. A Louisiana State recruit, Schilling reminds area scouts of former Tigers second basemen Todd Walker and Mike Fontenot, and is considered a better hitter than those two first-round picks were at the same stage. He doesn't get out of the batter's box quickly but is a decent runner once he gets going. Schilling will be an offensive player at either second base or left field. He still could go late in the first round, with the Athletics, Braves and Indians showing the most interest.
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Matt Whitney and Schilling were considered two of the most advanced high school hitters in the 2002 draft, and the Indians landed both of them as supplemental first-round picks. Schilling is an aggressive hitter who scouts said had one of the sweetest swings to come out of Louisiana since Will Clark. Schilling hyperextended his elbow swinging the bat at Burlington, which hampered him offensively. He has gap power and uses the whole field well. He sometimes tries to do too much, but once he learned to relax in instructional league, the hits started to come. Schilling is only adequate defensively. He needs to work on his footwork around second base, and his agility and quickness bear watching because there's a chance he could outgrow second base. If that happens, he still has enough bat to play elsewhere. Schilling again will form a double-play combination with Chris de la Cruz in 2003, this time in low Class A.
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