Could Alex Lodise’s Career Year Make The Florida State Shortstop A First-Round MLB Draft Pick?

Track Record

Lodise began his college career at North Florida, where as a freshman in 2023, he was the team’s everyday shortstop. He enjoyed an outstanding season to the tune of a .306/.369/.607 slash line with 14 doubles, 16 home runs and 63 RBIs across 55 games. Lodise was a first team all-Atlantic Sun Conference selection en route to setting new North Florida freshman records for home runs, RBIs and runs scored. Additionally, his eight home runs and 39 RBIs in conference play were tops among all ASUN freshmen. Following his standout campaign, Lodise entered the transfer portal and committed to Florida State.

Lodise again won the starting shortstop job with the Seminoles in 2024 and enjoyed a strong season, though his production took a step back. He hit .281/.363/.470 with 14 doubles, nine home runs and 44 RBIs in 62 games. Following the spring season, Lodise had a productive 15-game stint in the Cape Cod League in which he hit .295/.339/.410 with five extra-base hits and four RBIs.

Heading into this spring, it was expected that Lodise would be one of FSU’s key pieces and anchor the left side of the infield. However, nobody anticipated this level of production. Through 36 games, Lodise is hitting .434/.485/.796 with 12 doubles, 13 home runs and 47 RBIs, and he’s on pace to set new career-highs in every major statistical category. His .434 average ranks eighth nationally, while his 13 long balls are tied for the fifth-highest total in the country.

Scouting Alex Lodise

At 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, Lodise has a lean, athletic frame with present strength. In the box, he features a simple setup and has a slightly-crouched stance with a somewhat wide base and ear-high handset. He has a minimal load that includes a slight barrel tip, and his hands drift a bit. Lodise’s leg lift leads into a small stride, and he has present bat speed. He moves well in the box, and he does a nice job of getting into his back hip and utilizing his lower-half.

The most appealing part of Lodise’s offensive profile is his power. This season, he’s shown the ability to drive the baseball with authority to all fields, though his highest quality of contact has come to the pull side. Lodise’s power grades out as above-average to the pull side. That projects to be where most of his home run power will come from in pro ball, but he figures to continue to be able to drive extra-base hits into either gap.

Since last season, Lodise has made some slight tweaks to his operation that have paid dividends. His front side is less open, he sits a bit deeper in his base and he’s raised his handset. With Lodise’s raised handset, he now holds the bat horizontal above his back shoulder, and his small barrel tip helps him get more into his lower half, which he’s also done a far better job of utilizing. Unsurprisingly, lifting the baseball more has also led to a more impressive power output, and Lodise’s fly ball+line drive percentage has increased from 51% to 59% since last spring.

A power-over-hit profile, Lodise’s hit tool could use a coat or two of polish. He has an ultra-aggressive approach and is currently chasing at a 35% overall clip. There’s some fastball whiff and chase particularly up and/or out, while picking up spin out of the hand has also been a bugaboo at times. Lodise is particularly susceptible to breaking balls down and away, and he has the tendency to both miss and expand the strike zone. His bat-to-ball skills are average—if not a tick below—and he’s currently running a rather modest overall in-zone contact rate of 83%. If Lodise can shore up his swing decisions and do a better job picking up shapes out of the hand, it will go a long way towards maximizing his offensive upside.

Lodise is a great athlete on the dirt, and he has the defensive skill set to stick at the position long term. His actions aren’t necessarily silky smooth or “suave,” but he has impressive lateral range to go along with a comfortably-plus arm. Lodise last month made one of the best plays I’ve seen an infielder make this season, as he ranged deep into the hole, made a nice backhanded play and perfectly executed Derek Jeter’s trademark jump throw. He’s gotten more comfortable attacking the baseball and has shown the ability to throw from multiple arm angles.

In What Round Will He Be Drafted?

As the season continues to progress, it’s become clear just how wide open this year’s draft is. Lodise has been one of the biggest ascenders in the class, and his up-the-middle profile will be enticing. At this point he fits inside the first three rounds, though he has a chance to be a top 50 overall pick—or better—when all is said and done.