Cade Doughty

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Toronto Blue Jays #7 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
  
  Track Record: Doughty was one of the top prospects in the 2019 high school class but fell to the Tigers in the 39th round because of his strong commitment to Louisiana State. His father Richard and older brother Braden both played baseball at LSU, and Doughty joined the family legacy by spending three seasons as a starter in the middle of LSU's lineup. He hit .301 with 30 home runs, 124 RBIs and .921 OPS in a decorated college career and was drafted 78th overall in the second round by the Blue Jays in 2022, signing for slot value at $833,600. Doughty played primarily second base in college and split his time between second and third base in his pro debut.
  
  Scouting Report: Doughty is an adept contact hitter who has progressively seen his power grow. He has above-average contact skills from the right side and gets the most out of his average raw power by aggressively attacking pitches throughout his at-bats. Those aggressive tendencies can get him in trouble. He's prone to expanding the strike zone, but his power production keeps increasing. He hit six homers in 26 games for Low-A Dunedin in his pro debut despite modest exit velocities and launch angle data. Doughty is a fringe-average defender at second base with an average arm. He's a fringy runner who isn't a threat to steal bases. Doughty's tools are all roughly average, but he is a savvy player with a high baseball IQ that helps everything play up. He takes advantage of defensive mishaps with smart baserunning and plays hard in all facets.
  
  The Future: Doughty's contact skills and feel for the game give him a chance to play above his tools and become a solid, if unspectacular, everyday second baseman in the major leagues. He'll see High-A Vancouver during his first full season in 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 50. Power: 50. Run: 45. Field: 45. Arm: 50

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #56 prospect in 2022 draft
  School: Louisiana State Committed/Drafted: Tigers ’19 (39)
  Age At Draft: 21.3
  BA Grade: 50/High
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 50 | Run: 50 | Field: 45 | Arm: 55
  Doughty has been a pillar for LSU baseball since arriving on campus in the fall of 2019. Following the shortened Covid spring in 2020, Doughty’s second year in the purple and gold was an impressive one. He hit .308 with 13 doubles and 11 home runs. The 2022 campaign began where 2021 ended. With Doughty adding strength to his frame, the 6-foot-1 195-pound righthanded hitter has worked himself into a solid-average raw power grade, driving balls into gaps with higher exit velocities than seen before, adding additional power to an already-potent LSU lineup. Doughty stands in with a slight crouch and the barrel rested on his shoulder. Prior to the release of the pitch, he likes to sink in to his lower half before letting his hands work. Doughty doesn’t possess the lightning-quick bat speed seen in other high-round prospects, but more times than not, his timing is right, and his barrel stays in the zone with slight lift and proper extension. He has expanded the zone a bit more in 2022, as the punchouts increased from a year ago, with 49 in 238 at-bats. Seeing a heavy dose of plus sliders with high-velocity fastballs that the SEC has to offer, Doughty has proven in his time at Baton Rouge he can perform against the country’s top arms. When his plate discipline is on point, he is in the discussion of the upper-tier bats in this year’s class. On the defensive side, the Tigers have used Doughty primarily at second base with a start at third on occasion. His range isn’t quite there for shortstop, but his solid-average arm is more than capable to handle third. There is room for improvement on the dirt—Doughty has a .931 fielding percentage—but his athleticism and baseball IQ are enough to be hopeful that Doughty will be able to stay on the infield moving forward. An average runner, Doughty won’t collect a high number of stolen bases but will capitalize on defensive mishaps as he has throughout his career at LSU. Doughty is a gritty, high-makeup player on and off the field. He suffered a dislocated shoulder diving after a grounder in late May, but made it back for regionals. Look for Doughty to come off the board quickly in July due to the resume he’s produced in college baseball’s toughest conference.
• Ranked #79 prospect in 2019 draft
  Doughty is a well-rounded player, but his lack of present power will make it tough for teams to decide whether they want to buy him out of his commitment to Louisiana State. The Tigers have a history of taking well-rounded players like Doughty, developing them, and watching them turn into even better draft picks after a few years in college. Doughty will likely end up at second or third base in pro ball, but he shows excellent instincts and good hands to go with a plus arm and average range. He's an average runner and is capable of playing almost anywhere other than shortstop, catcher or center field. At the plate, Doughty shows above-average hand-eye coordination that leads scouts to believe he could end up as an above-average or even plus hitter. The questions revolve around whether he'll develop above-average power. Right now, he has below-average power. Some evaluators see him developing significantly more power as he gets older and stronger thanks to his hitting ability, while others see it as more likely that he'll never develop more than average pop.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
  
  Track Record: Doughty was one of the top prospects in the 2019 high school class but fell to the Tigers in the 39th round because of his strong commitment to Louisiana State. His father Richard and older brother Braden both played baseball at LSU, and Doughty joined the family legacy by spending three seasons as a starter in the middle of LSU's lineup. He hit .301 with 30 home runs, 124 RBIs and .921 OPS in a decorated college career and was drafted 78th overall in the second round by the Blue Jays in 2022, signing for slot value at $833,600. Doughty played primarily second base in college and split his time between second and third base in his pro debut.
  
  Scouting Report: Doughty is an adept contact hitter who has progressively seen his power grow. He has above-average contact skills from the right side and gets the most out of his average raw power by aggressively attacking pitches throughout his at-bats. Those aggressive tendencies can get him in trouble. He's prone to expanding the strike zone, but his power production keeps increasing. He hit six homers in 26 games for Low-A Dunedin in his pro debut despite modest exit velocities and launch angle data. Doughty is a fringe-average defender at second base with an average arm. He's a fringy runner who isn't a threat to steal bases. Doughty's tools are all roughly average, but he is a savvy player with a high baseball IQ that helps everything play up. He takes advantage of defensive mishaps with smart baserunning and plays hard in all facets.
  
  The Future: Doughty's contact skills and feel for the game give him a chance to play above his tools and become a solid, if unspectacular, everyday second baseman in the major leagues. He'll see High-A Vancouver during his first full season in 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 50. Power: 50. Run: 45. Field: 45. Arm: 50
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
  
  Track Record: Doughty was one of the top prospects in the 2019 high school class but fell to the Tigers in the 39th round because of his strong commitment to Louisiana State. His father Richard and older brother Braden both played baseball at LSU, and Doughty joined the family legacy by spending three seasons as a starter in the middle of LSU's lineup. He hit .301 with 30 home runs, 124 RBIs and .921 OPS in a decorated college career and was drafted 78th overall in the second round by the Blue Jays in 2022, signing for slot value at $833,600. Doughty played primarily second base in college and split his time between second and third base in his pro debut.
  
  Scouting Report: Doughty is an adept contact hitter who has progressively seen his power grow. He has above-average contact skills from the right side and gets the most out of his average raw power by aggressively attacking pitches throughout his at-bats. Those aggressive tendencies can get him in trouble. He's prone to expanding the strike zone, but his power production keeps increasing. He hit six homers in 26 games for Low-A Dunedin in his pro debut despite modest exit velocities and launch angle data. Doughty is a fringe-average defender at second base with an average arm. He's a fringy runner who isn't a threat to steal bases. Doughty's tools are all roughly average, but he is a savvy player with a high baseball IQ that helps everything play up. He takes advantage of defensive mishaps with smart baserunning and plays hard in all facets.
  
  The Future: Doughty's contact skills and feel for the game give him a chance to play above his tools and become a solid, if unspectacular, everyday second baseman in the major leagues. He'll see High-A Vancouver during his first full season in 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 50. Power: 50. Run: 45. Field: 45. Arm: 50
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 50/High
  
  August Update: Doughty has been a pillar for LSU baseball since arriving on campus in the fall of 2019. Following the shortened Covid spring in 2020, Doughty&#39s second year in the purple and gold was an impressive one. He hit .308 with 13 doubles and 11 home runs. The 2022 campaign began where 2021 ended. With Doughty adding strength to his frame, the 6-foot-1 195-pound righthanded hitter has worked himself into a solid-average raw power grade, driving balls into gaps with higher exit velocities than seen before, adding additional power to an already-potent LSU lineup. Doughty stands in with a slight crouch and the barrel rested on his shoulder. Prior to the release of the pitch, he likes to sink in to his lower half before letting his hands work. Doughty doesn&#39t possess the lightning-quick bat speed seen in other high-round prospects, but more times than not, his timing is right, and his barrel stays in the zone with slight lift and proper extension. He has expanded the zone a bit more in 2022, as the punchouts increased from a year ago, with 49 in 238 at-bats. Seeing a heavy dose of plus sliders with high-velocity fastballs that the SEC has to offer, Doughty has proven in his time at Baton Rouge he can perform against the country&#39s top arms. When his plate discipline is on point, he is in the discussion of the upper-tier bats in this year&#39s class. On the defensive side, the Tigers have used Doughty primarily at second base with a start at third on occasion. His range isn&#39t quite there for shortstop, but his solid-average arm is more than capable to handle third. There is room for improvement on the dirt—Doughty has a .931 fielding percentage—but his athleticism and baseball IQ are enough to be hopeful that Doughty will be able to stay on the infield moving forward. An average runner, Doughty won&#39t collect a high number of stolen bases but will capitalize on defensive mishaps as he has throughout his career at LSU. Doughty is a gritty, high-makeup player on and off the field. He suffered a dislocated shoulder diving after a grounder in late May, but made it back for regionals.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 55. Power: 50. Run: 50. Field: 45. Arm: 55.
• December, 2018 Scouting Report
  Doughty is a well-rounded player, but his lack of present power will make it tough for teams to decide whether they want to buy him out of his commitment to Louisiana State. The Tigers have a history of taking well-rounded players like Doughty, developing them, and watching them turn into even better draft picks after a few years in college. Doughty will likely end up at second or third base in pro ball, but he shows excellent instincts and good hands to go with a plus arm and average range. He's an average runner and is capable of playing almost anywhere other than shortstop, catcher or center field. At the plate, Doughty shows above-average hand-eye coordination that leads scouts to believe he could end up as an above-average or even plus hitter. The questions revolve around whether he'll develop above-average power. Right now, he has below-average power. Some evaluators see him developing significantly more power as he gets older and stronger thanks to his hitting ability, while others see it as more likely that he'll never develop more than average pop.