Chase Vallot

Vallot is from a small town of fewer than 10,000 people, but he has always performed on big stages. He has some of the better raw power in the high school class, above-average or better, and won the home run derby at Perfect Game National at the Metrodome last June before falling to Jacob Gatewood in the finals of the Under Armour home run derby in Wrigley Field in August. Vallot struggled against velocity on the showcase circuit, showing swing-and-miss tendencies and a proclivity for chasing out of the zone against secondary stuff. But he has a quick, easy swing with natural leverage that produces hard contact and has drawn rave reviews this spring. His righthanded bat is his carrying tool, despite playing a defensive-oriented position. He has plus arm strength, although the arm doesn't consistently play at that level in game action. Vallot struggled to receive on the showcase circuit, especially out of the strike zone and can have what one scout called an "ejecto mitt" . His footwork and blocking skills will also require improvement at the professional level. Although scouts are not confident he can stay behind the plate, they believe his bat has a chance to play wherever he lands on the defensive spectrum, including left field or first base, where he saw time on the showcase circuit. He is a below-average runner capable of posting well below-average times to first. His package as an offensive-minded backstop that could move to first base has drawn comparisons to Mike Napoli. Scouts say the Mississippi State commit is a baseball rat with a strong work ethic, which he demonstrated over the offseason by shedding 15-20 pounds from the summer. The thickly-built 5-foot-11 Vallot weighed 221 pounds at East Coast Pro but has played around 205 this spring. Monitoring his body composition will be key at the next level. Vallot is one of the youngest position players in the class and won't be 18 until nearly the end of the minor league season.