Austin Shields

Shields is this year's top prospect from the Great Lakes Canadians, a rising travel program whose alumni list includes 2015 third-round pick Miles Gordon and 2015 11th-round pick Nicholos Hamilton. Shields has been on scouts' radars for a couple years because of his 6-foot-6 frame and promising arm strength. This spring, Shields took a jump in velocity, peaking at 94 mph and sitting at 88-92. His best secondary pitch is his slider, which sits in the low 80s and flashes solid-average potential but lacks the consistency to earn an average grade from scouts. Shields will need to work on his delivery to improve his command, which is below-average right now. His stride length varies and his head moves as his arm comes through its three-quarter slot. Shields has some promising ingredients with physicality and two pitches, but he is likely to be a long-term project for the team that takes him. He is committed to British Columbia.