Walker Jenkins

School: South Brunswick HS, Southport, N.C. Source: HS

Commit/Drafted: North Carolina
Age At Draft: 18.4
BA Grade:60/High
Tools:Hit: 60. Power: 65. Run: 55. Field: 55. Arm: 60.

Jenkins entered the 2023 draft cycle as one of the most exciting players in the nation after proving his hitting chops as an underclassman and earning a spot on USA Baseball’s 18U National Team in 2021. He didn’t get to showcase his talents throughout the entire 2022 summer after a hamate injury, but scouts still viewed him as one of the top high school prospects in the nation given his lefthanded swing and power potential. Jenkins has an ideal slugger’s frame at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds with plenty of strength and a picturesque lefthanded swing. Jenkins stands in the box with great posture, balance and rhythm and gets on plane easily and consistently with plus bat speed and excellent timing. It’s an uphill path that’s leveraged for power, and his pure bat-to-ball skills and zone recognition should allow him to be both a plus hitter and potential 30-home run masher who hits in the middle of a lineup and can use the entire field with authority. Jenkins has a ready-made right field profile with plus arm strength, but he has impressed scouts with both his improved running ability and defensive play in center field this spring. He’s turned in plus run times and covers plenty of ground in the outfield with graceful, loping strides and also has solid instincts and route-running ability. He now has a chance to at least begin his pro career in center field, though he’s still more likely an above-average right fielder in the long run. Jenkins has earned comparisons to former Pirates first-rounder Austin Meadows, but there are North Carolina area scouts who say they’ve not seen a player like Jenkins since 1999 No.1 overall pick Josh Hamilton. Jenkins is committed to North Carolina, but he’s the top high school player in the class and should go off the board within the first five picks.