C.J. Kayfus

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #108 prospect in 2023 draft
  School: Miami Source: 4YR
  
  Commit/Drafted: Florida (S)
  Age At Draft: 21.7
  BA Grade:40/High
  Tools:Hit: 55. Power: 40. Run: 45. Field: 45. Arm: 50.
  
  Kayfus was an odd profile out of a high school as an undersized first baseman who lacked physicality and the power necessary to profile at a position on the bottom of the defensive spectrum. While he’s now a bit taller and around 20 pounds heavier, Kayfus is largely the same sort of prospect at Miami, though he has three seasons of solid offensive production to bolster his reputation as a solid pure hitter. At 6-foot, 192 pounds, Kayfus is a contact hitter with solid bat-to-ball skills and a savvy batting eye. He made contact at a strong 81% clip in 2023 and paired a 15.2% strikeout rate with a 15.9% walk rate, and does a nice job using the entire field. He makes solid contact, but does not have the sort of raw power or elevated impact in games that bodes well for profiling at first base in pro ball. That was also the case for Kayfus during the 2022 summer with a wood bat in the Cape Cod League. Because of his hit-over-power offensive profile, there’s a chance teams sign him and try and see how he looks defensively in a corner outfield position, where the offensive bar will be a bit lower. He’s a fine defender at first, and has limited exposure in the outfield corners, but has the speed and athleticism to potentially be a fringy outfield defender with more experience.
• Ranked #344 prospect in 2020 draft
  Kayfus has an odd profile as an undersized high school first baseman listed at 5-foot-11, 165 pounds with limited power. That combination is typically a non-starter for MLB clubs, but his standout hitting ability has kept scouting departments interested. Perhaps he’s not toolsy or physical enough to factor into 2020’s five-round draft—particularly as a perceived tough sign out of Miami—but teams expect him to make it to campus in Coral Gables and produce with the bat. There’s a chance he could play a corner outfield position at the next level, which could help his profile, but at the end of the day the bat is Kayfus’ calling card.