2019 High School Preseason All-Americans — College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects

Image credit: C.J. Abrams (Photo by Bill Mitchell)

Shortstops Bobby Witt Jr. and C.J. Abrams—the two top-ranked prep players in the 2019 draft class—headline the 2019 Baseball America High School Preseason All-America teams.

The two middle infielders, ranked No. 2 and No. 3 respectively on the Top 200 Draft Prospects list, are just two of the six unanimous first-team selections. Also joining Witt and Abrams with that distinction are outfielders Riley Greene and Corbin Carroll, as well as righthanders Daniel Espino and Brennan Malone.

Baseball America annually polls major league scouting departments to determine the first, second and third teams, asking scouting directors to make their selections based on performance, talent and future professional potential. Because of this, the Preseason All-America teams have become a strong predictor of the first round of the draft, particularly among first-team members.

When looking at the last 10 years of Preseason All-Americans, more than half (53.3 percent) of the first-team members went on to become first-round picks. Perhaps counter-intuitively, this predictiveness was stronger among pitcher (58.9 percent) than hitters (46.5 percent), though the number of spots on the team helps explain this. Each year, there are five or six pitchers selected to the first team, compared to eight or nine hitters—the utility position has been used previously.

In nine of the last 10 years, the first high school hitter selected in the draft has been a first-team Preseason All-American, with the only exception coming in 2011, when outfielder Bubba Starling (Royals) was selected as the first high school hitter with the No. 5 overall pick.

The first pitcher off the board on draft night has been a first-team Preseason All-American in seven of the last 10 years, with lefthander Ryan Weathers (2018, Padres), righthander Dylan Bundy (2011, Orioles) and righthander Matt Hobgood (2009, Orioles) being the only exceptions.

When breaking down into specific position groups, catchers are the least likely position players to become first-round picks, with only two instances of first-team catchers later being selected in the first round. In 2012, Stryker Trahan was taken by the D-backs with the 26th overall pick, and in 2014, the Mariners drafted Alex Jackson with the No. 6 overall pick—although it’s worth pointing out that the Mariners drafted Jackson as an outfielder.

Fifty percent of first-team middle infielders and outfielders have gone on to become first-round picks, including players like Manny Machado, Carlos Correa, Byron Buxton, Clint Frazier, Austin Meadows, Brendan Rodgers, Royce Lewis and Jo Adell.

The most successful position group in terms of getting selected in the first round, however, is corner infield. The players selected to the first team at both third and first base are routinely among the best hitters in the class in any given year, and teams are happy to buy their bats in the first round despite potential defense or profile questions.

Sixty percent of first-team corner infielders in the last 10 years have gone on to become first-round picks, with notable players including Christian Yelich, Travis Demeritte, Dominic Smith, Michael Chavis, Josh Naylor and Alex Kiriloff.

*denotes unanimous selection

#denotes member of the 2020 class

FIRST TEAM

First Team	Ht.	Wt.	B	T	Commit
C: Ethan Hearn, Mobile (Ala.) Christian HS	6-0	195	L	R	Mississippi State
MIF: *Bobby Witt Jr., Colleyville (Texas) Heritage HS	6-1	183	R	R	Oklahoma
MIF: *C.J. Abrams, Blessed Trinity HS, Roswell, Ga.	6-2	185	L	R	Alabama
CIF: Brett Baty, Lake Travis HS, Austin	6-3	218	L	R	Texas
CIF: Rece Hinds, IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla.	6-4	210	R	R	Louisiana State
OF: *Corbin Carroll, Lakeside HS, Seattle	5-10	160	L	L	UCLA
OF: *Riley Greene, Hagerty HS, Oviedo, Fla.	6-2	197	L	L	Florida
OF: Jerrion Ealy, Jackson (Miss.) Prep HS	5-10	192	R	R	Mississippi
SP: *Daniel Espino, Georgia Premier Academy, Statesboro, Ga.	6-3	196	R	R	Louisiana State
SP: *Brennan Malone, IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla.	6-4	210	R	R	North Carolina
SP: Matthew Allan, Seminole (Fla.) HS	6-3	210	R	R	Florida
SP: Jack Leiter, Delbarton HS, Morristown, N.J.	6-0	191	R	R	Vanderbilt
SP: Matthew Thompson, Cypress Ranch HS, Houston	6-2	184	R	R	Texas A&M

Ethan Hearn, C, Mobile (Ala.) Christian HS

A muscular, lefthanded-hitting catcher, Hearn is praised for his work ethic and toughness, not to mention his big arm strength and big raw power. He will need to continue polishing the finer aspects of his game, like receiving and mobility behind the plate. Hearn has flashed 1.87-second pop times on throws to second base in the past, but overall he is an offensive-oriented catcher.

Brett Baty, CIF, Lake Travis HS, Austin

Baty might have the most usable power in the 2019 prep class. The physical, 6-foot-3, 218-pound lefthanded hitter wows scouts routinely with eye-popping batting practice displays and has a solid feel for the strike zone as well. He’s come a long way in improving his body, but he will need to further refine his all-around defensive work at third base.

Bobby Witt Jr., MIF, Colleyville (Texas) Heritage HS

The top-ranked prep player in the class, Witt Jr. has all the tools scouts could ask for. He has plus speed, is the best defensive shortstop in the class, has plus arm strength and plus raw power that plays in games against top-flight competition. No player in the 2019 draft class has a ceiling as high as Bobby Witt Jr.

Rece Hinds, CIF, IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla.

No one in the draft class—college or high school—has more raw power than Hinds. Many scouts grade it as an 80, and his swing looks excellent in batting practice. But Hinds has struggled plenty with strikeouts and pitch recognition in games. He also has a plus arm, but he has work to do if he wants to stick at the hot corner.

C.J. Abrams, MIF, Blessed Trinity HS, Roswell, Ga.

A top-of-the-scale runner, Abrams’ speed and athleticism are his carrying tools, though he has an exceptional feel for making contact from the left side as well. Scouts are mixed on whether he fits best at shortstop or center field in pro ball, and they want to see him make more impact offensively and add strength to a slight frame.

Corbin Carroll, OF, Lakeside HS, Seattle

Just 5-foot-10 and 160 pounds, Carroll isn’t imposing by any means, but he does plenty for scouts on the field. He’s a 70-grade runner, an instinctive defender in center field and has the most polished hit tool in the class outside of Riley Greene. It’s also tough to find a player with a better feel for the strike zone or a more patient approach than Carroll.

Riley Greene, OF, Hagerty HS, Oviedo, Fla.

Greene is the best pure hitter in the class. He uses a sweet lefthanded swing to routinely find the barrel and spray hard contact all over the diamond, regardless of what event he’s at or which pitcher is on the mound. He has solid power to go along with his hit tool, but his running, fielding and throwing are all below-average and could stand to improve.

Jerrion Ealy, OF, Jackson (Miss.) Prep HS

The top athlete in the high school class, Ealy is committed to Mississippi for both baseball and football. He is a five-star running back on the gridiron, and on the baseball field, Ealy offers plus speed, a twitchy bat form the right side with plus raw power and one of the strongest outfield arms you’ll see in this year’s crop of defenders. The upside here is huge.

Daniel Espino, RHP, Georgia Premier Academy, Statesboro, Ga.

Espino has the loudest pure stuff of any pitcher in the high school class, starting first and foremost with an 80-grade fastball that routinely sits in the upper 90s with excellent late life. He has solid feel to land the pitch for strikes, a future plus breaking ball and terrific lower-half mechanics.

Brennan Malone, RHP, IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla.

Malone’s fastball trails only Espino in the 2019 high school class. He regularly works in the mid- to upper 90s. The North Carolina commit has plenty of upside with a projectable, 6-foot-4, 210-pound frame, a clean arm action and an abundance of athleticism. His breaking ball has plus potential as well.

Matthew Allan, RHP, Seminole (Fla.) HS

Allan has a traditional power profile with two plus pitches in a mid-90s fastball and a big, 12-to-6 curveball. He has plenty of strength in a 6-foot-3, 210-pound frame, a clean arm action and a solid changeup. All of those attributes give him plenty of starter traits and will allow him to fly off draft boards if he can develop more consistency with his strike-throwing ability this spring.

Jack Leiter, RHP, Delbarton HS, Morristown, N.J.

The son of 19-year big leaguer Al Leiter might be the best pure pitcher in the 2019 class. He has excellent command of an arsenal that includes a fastball trending in the right direction, a high-spin, 12-to-6 curveball and a changeup that is well ahead of most amateurs to this point. Others have bigger stuff, but few have the all-around profile Leiter boasts.

Matthew Thompson, RHP, Cypress Ranch HS, Houston

Thompson is a lean, 6-foot-2, 184-pound righthander who is uber athletic and oozing projection. He has a deceptive, high-three-quarter arm slot and a pair of power offerings. The first is a fastball that routinely sits in the low 90s, and the second is a plus, late-breaking slider in the low 80s that generates plenty of whiffs and confuses batters.

SECOND TEAM

Second Team	Ht.	Wt.	B	T	Commit
C: Jonathan French, Parkview HS, Lilburn, Ga.	5-11	213	R	R	Clemson
MIF: Brooks Lee, San Luis Obispo (Calif.) HS	6-1	180	B	R	Cal Poly
MIF: Anthony Volpe, Delbarton HS, Morristown, N.J.	5-10	182	R	R	Vanderbilt
CIF: Tyler Callihan, Providence HS, Jacksonville	6-1	200	L	R	South Carolina
CIF: Gunnar Henderson, Morgan Academy, Selma, Ala.	6-3	194	L	R	Auburn
OF: Maurice Hampton, Memphis University HS	6-0	210	R	R	Louisiana State
OF: Sammy Siani, Penn Charter HS, Philadelphia	5-11	175	L	L	Duke
OF: #Pete Crow-Armstrong, Harvard-Westlake HS, Studio City, Calif.	6-1	175	L	L	Vanderbilt
SP: Hunter Barco, Bolles HS, Jacksonville	6-4	212	L	L	Florida
SP: Riley Cornelio, Pine Creek HS, Colorado Springs	6-3	189	R	R	Texas Christian
SP: Spencer Jones, La Costa Canyon HS, Carlsbad, Calif.	6-7	212	L	L	Vanderbilt
SP: Kendall Williams, IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla.	6-6	190	R	R	Vanderbilt
SP: J.J. Goss, Cypress Ranch HS, Houston	6-3	185	R	R	Texas A&M

THIRD TEAM

Third Team	Ht.	Wt.	B	T	Commit
C: #Drew Romo, The Woodlands (Texas) HS	6-1	205	L	R	Louisiana State
MIF: Nasim Nunez, Collins Hill HS, Suwanee, Ga.	5-9	160	B	R	Clemson
MIF: Matthew Lugo, Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy, Florida, P.R.	6-1	185	R	R	Miami
CIF: Garrett Frechette, Orange (Calif.) Lutheran HS	6-3	195	L	L	San Diego State
CIF: Joseph Naranjo, Ayala HS, Chino Hills, Calif.	6-0	175	L	L	Cal State Fullerton
OF: #Austin Hendrick, West Allegheny HS, Imperial, Pa.	6-1	205	L	L	Mississippi State
OF: Glenallen Hill Jr., Santa Cruz (Calif.) HS	5-9	169	B	R	Arizona State
OF: Jason Hodges, Marist HS, Chicago	6-3	212	R	R	Arkansas
SP: Quinn Priester, Cary-Grove HS, Cary, Ill.	6-3	190	R	R	Texas Christian
SP: Jack Kochanwicz, Harriton HS, Rosemont, Pa.	6-6	210	L	R	Virginia
SP: Will Rigney, Midway HS, Waco, Texas	6-5	205	R	R	Baylor
SP: Hayden Mullins, Hendersonville (Tenn.) HS	6-1	180	L	L	Auburn
SP: Joseph Charles, TNXL Academy, Altamonte Springs, Fla.	6-2	193	R	R	North Carolina