Zac Veen

Veen started to raise eyebrows as a Florida high school junior when he went on a home run binge, including a homer off the top prep pitcher in the 2019 draft class, Matt Allan. While Veen didn’t attend USA Baseball’s PDP League, he was quick to impress evaluators with his exceptionally smooth and loose lefthanded swing and elite frame. Veen has one of the best batting eyes of the prep class and brings a patient approach to the table. He frequently gets into deep counts and waits for a specific pitch to hit. His swing has natural leverage and good loft that should allow him to continue tapping into his ever-increasing raw power, which is at least plus now and could eventually reach double-plus. Veen has some swing-and-miss tendencies and critics wonder about his ability to handle velocity or adjust to offspeed pitches away, but most scouts believe he’ll be an above-average or better hitter thanks to his batting eye, the looseness of his operation and the way his hands work during his swing. Veen plays center field for his high school team but he’ll be stretched there as a pro, especially as he adds weight. He’s a fine runner now who could eventually become fringe-average or below and will fit best in a corner, where he should have more than enough power to profile. He’s a solid defender with good arm strength. Veen has some of the highest upside in the class thanks to his power potential, swing and projectable 6-foot-5, 200 pound frame. After entering the season toward the back of the first round, the Florida commit is now one of the favorites to be the first high school player selected in a class that’s heavy on college players at the top.