- Full name Charlie Bates
- Born 10/05/2005 in Palo Alto, CA
- Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 175 / Bats: L / Throws: R
Top Rankings
Draft Prospects
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School: Stanford
Age At Draft: 21.8
Bates was one of the more prominent freshman position players to make it to campus. While his season was limited to 25 games due to an injury, he managed to post a respectable .270/.320/.416 slash line with eight extra-base hits. Bates has impressive hand-eye coordination and a present feel for the barrel, which translates to above-average contact skills. He grew into some more impact last spring, and while his power may be more extra-base oriented than over-the-fence, it could end up being solid-average. Bates has been used primarily as a center fielder this spring—his speed and athleticism translated well at the position—but in 2026 he figures to slide back up to shortstop, where his smooth actions and soft hands give him a chance to stick at the position long term. -
School: Palo Alto (Calif.) HS Commit/Drafted: Stanford
Age At Draft: 18.8
BA Grade: 50/Extreme
Tools: Hit: 55. Power: 50. Run: 55. Field: 55. Arm: 45.
Bates is a 6-foot-1, 185-pound lefthanded-hitting shortstop whose impressive hand-eye coordination and bat control has made him one of the more impressive contact hitters in the 2024 draft. The Northern California prep does a great job manipulating his barrel against lefties and righties and against both velocity and secondary stuff, with a track record of performance against some of the best pitchers in the country. While Bates has traditionally been a gap-power hitter, scouts were impressed with the strength he added this spring, particularly to his lower half. He has begun showing more impressive raw power in batting practice that should start translating to games in the near future. Bates has a chance for an above-average hit tool and solid-average game power. He is also an above-average runner and instinctive defender who has a chance to stick at shortstop, thanks to his smooth actions, footwork, body control and soft hands. If he has to move off the position, it will be because his arm is a tick light and he might not have elite quick-twitch mobility. If he moves, he should fit at either second base or third base as a strong defender. Like all Stanford commits, Bates could be a tough sign. Palo Alto High, his alma mater, is directly across the street from Stanford’s campus.
Top 100 Rankings
Scouting Reports
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School: Palo Alto (Calif.) HS Committed: Stanford
Age At Draft: 18.8
Bates has a compact lefthanded swing with good hand-eye coordination and excellent bat control, making him one of the more difficult hitters in the class to induce swing-and-miss against. His ability to manipulate the barrel is evident whether he’s facing righties or lefties, fastballs or breaking balls, with a track record of barreling some of the best pitchers in the country. What was once mostly gap power has started to tick up for Bates, who can drive the ball out to his pull side and has the strength projection in his frame for more to come, though it’s still his hitting ability that stands out the most. A plus runner and instinctive defender with smooth actions at shortstop, Bates has good rhythm and footwork, moving around gracefully with good body control and soft hands to stay in the middle infield. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound shortstop is committed to Stanford and like all Stanford commits is expected to be a tough sign despite his potential first-round talent.
