Christian Encarnacion-Strand

Wherever Encarnacion-Strand has played, he’s hit. He hit .430/.505/.907 in a coronavirus-shortened 2020 season at Yavapai (Ariz.) JC and .402/.473/.828 as a freshman in 2019, with 33 home runs for Yavapai in just 81 games over two seasons. When that wasn’t enough to get him drafted, he headed to Oklahoma State, where he immediately became the team’s best hitter. He was among the top five in the Big 12 Conference in batting average (.362), home runs (15) and slugging percentage (.665). Encarnacion-Strand loves to drive balls low in the zone, with pull power as he uses his impressive strength in his swing. Velocity doesn’t really bother him, as he has enough bat speed to catch up to quality fastballs. He’s reasonably proficient at staying in the strike zone as well and does a solid job of recognizing spin. He has the ability to be an average hitter with above-average power in pro ball, and he’s an average runner. Where he’s going to fit defensively is a little more of a question. Encarnacion-Strand has an above-average and accurate arm. His arm, solid hands and a good ability to come in on the ball make him a playable, fringe-average defender at third, but his side-to-side range is limited and does not fit all that well for teams that like to play their third baseman as a pseudo-shortstop on shifts.