Draft Report: Nolan Jones

Nolan Jones is one of the most exciting prospects in this high school class. He’s a lefthanded-hitting shortstop with outstanding raw power, arm strength and quickness. Jones was a regular on the high school showcase circuit this past summer, playing at Perfect Game National, East Coast Pro, the Area Code Games, the Perfect Game All-American Classic and also showing well at the WWBA Championships in Jupiter in October.

But before all of that, Jones was the standard two-sport, Northeastern athlete. Equipped with a 6-foot-5 frame and quick feet, the Pennsylvania native also played hockey growing up. Sports were a way for Nolan and his older brother Peyton to bond. They grew close playing baseball and hockey together, and Peyton is also a prospect; he’s playing junior hockey for the United States Hockey League’s Lincoln (Pa.) Stars and has committed to play at Penn State. Peyton Jones, a goaltender, could see himself selected in the NHL draft at the end of June.

Nolan, however, is likely to hear his name called earlier in June at the MLB draft. He played hockey until his junior year, but he’s focused on baseball over the past two years, and his hard work began to pay off this summer.

Jones’ first exposure to next-level evaluators came following his sophomore year, when he attended All-Star Baseball Academy’s Top 100 showcase. Soon after that, he committed to Virginia, where he could earn immediate playing time, should he choose not to sign a pro contract.

About a year later, Jones found himself at PG National, where his slender, lanky frame immediately caught the attention of pro scouts. Jones showed off above-average arm strength and bat speed in pregame workouts. In batting practice, Jones showed the ability to drive the ball with backspin to both gaps. Mechanically, he loaded his hips by pulling his front leg back before stepping forward, and he started with his back elbow high and barred his lead arm. His quick-twitch ability was on display, but there was work to be done mechanically.

In game action, Jones swung and missed several times at PG National, and seemed to have issues getting to pitches low in the zone, an issue caused by his limited exposure to high-level pitching, the in-and-out nature of his bat path, and his long, wiry arms. Jones did, however, take several competitive at-bats, working long counts and walks, and also blooping a fastball from Riley Pint to deep left-center field. It wasn’t an explosive showing, but Jones had put himself on the pro radar as a hitter.

Jones also showed off his athleticism on the mound at PG National, throwing a 1-2-3 inning. His fastball worked at 86-90 mph and he showed the ability to locate his stuff down in the zone. Jones also flashed a sharp 11-to-5 curveball, and his delivery had tempo and balance. His arm speed was clear, and scouts noticed.

“I think I have the arm strength to be a pitcher,” Jones said, while admitting that he sees himself as a position player first. He also said that he expects to close one game per week during his high school season, so scouts will get more looks at Jones on the mound. “If it does happen that I can’t hit at the next level, pitching is a fallback.”

About a month after PG National, Jones threw on a Yankees uniform, playing for the Northeast Yankees as they played a tuneup series leading to the Area Code Games. On a mid-July afternoon in Orleans, Mass., Jones showed off explosive raw power in batting practice, driving home runs to the opposite field and pulling line drives with authority. Growing up as a power hitter, Jones developed feel for using the opposite field.

“When I was younger I was a big power hitter, and so I was always pitched to on the outer half,” Jones said. “With the changes in velocity, I’ve still been able to go to the other way.”

In his first two plate appearances, Jones faced Vanderbilt lefthander John Kilichowski, who was making his debut for the Orleans Firebirds. Kilichowski is a solid prospect in his own right, armed with a low 90s fastball, a swing-and-miss changeup, and two usable breaking pitches. Kilichowski had significant pro interest as a draft-eligible sophomore but made it clear that he would be difficult to sign as an underclassmen.

Kilichowski struck out Jones in the first battle. With a 1-1 count, Kilichowski shoved a slider through the bottom of the strike zone for a swing-and-miss, then doubled down, and punched out Jones with a deeper breaking ball.

But Jones got another chance. In another 1-2 count, Jones got a pitch down and away. He took an off-balance hack and poked a blooper to left-center field for a base hit and an RBI. It wasn’t explosive, but he was showing that he could make adjustments.

Two weeks later, Jones was donning a Cubs uniform, playing at East Coast Pro, an event that rivals the Area Code Games in importance, and gives players a glimpse at the lifestyle of professional baseball. In batting practice, Jones showed significantly improved timing. There was much more separation between his lower half and upper half, and his leg kick began his forward momentum.

“Everything changed for me at the East Coast Pro,” he said. “I had a wide stance. I shortened up. I added a little bit of a leg kick.”

Jones’ transformation wouldn’t come overnight, but he continued to make progress at East Coast Pro, working more walks and once pulling a ball of the right field wall. He also showed playable game speed, reaching first base in as little as 4.25 seconds, making him nearly an average runner.

Following East Coast Pro, Jones put together a solid week at the Area Code Games in Long Beach, Calif. His best game of the week—and maybe of the summer—came on Aug. 8, when he went 3-for-3 against the Reds. He had two singles, then hit a frozen rope to left center field for a triple. According to TrackMan Live technology, his triple traveled 362 feet before hitting the ground, and came off his bat with an exit velocity of 104 mph.

But Jones wasn’t done. Less than a week later, Jones played in the Perfect Game All-American Classic in San Diego. There he faced two SoCal pitchers, Kevin Gowdy—a UCLA commit with command of three pitches—and Nick Lodolo—a lanky, projectable southpaw bound for Texas Christian.

Against Gowdy, Jones took a huge rip at a quality 0-1 changeup down and away, swinging and missing. On 0-2, Gowdy served up a sharp breaking ball down and inside, and Jones tracked it into his barrel, but flew out to left center. Against the lefthanded Lodolo, Jones saw an upper 80s fastball down the pipe and turned it into a line drive to—you guessed it—left center field. Jones dove into third base headfirst with his second SoCal triple of the week.

Here’s where things get interesting.

Prior to the All-American Classic, Jones had never set foot in the weight room. He was always busy playing sports, and so he hit the gym as he prepared for the WWBA Championships. At the official weigh-in at the Area Code Games, Jones checked in at 6-foot-4 1/2 inches and 194 pounds. Since then, Jones has been focused on powerlifting—designed to increase the rate of force development and to create more explosiveness on the diamond. He’s gained about 35 pounds of muscle, and his progress was on display in Jupiter.

Suiting up for Team Elite Prime, Jones went 5-for-15 in Jupiter, hitting four singles and a home run. But he also drove the ball a long way more consistently, even when he made outs. Jones’s frame alone lead to questions about where he would end up fitting defensively, and his added muscle leads to more doubt in the scouting community about his ability to stick at shortstop.

“He’s got a plus arm and has shown good actions at short,” one American League scouting director said. “But when you look at shortstops in the big leagues, how many of these guys are 6-5 power types?”

While the tall, powerful shortstop is a demographic that seems to be on the rise—Carlos Correa and Manny Machado come to mind—Jones’s wide shoulders and hips fit the classic third base profile.

Jones believes he can buck the trend.

“I’m a shortstop. I think I have the speed and hands and quickness to stay at shortstop,” he said, while also recognizing that how his body develops will have a significant impact on his ability to stick at shortstop.

“You put him at shortstop until he proves he can’t do it,” said one Northeast area scout. “And worst case you have an above-average defender at third. He’s going to be a good defender.”

Nolan Jones is headed in the right direction. He’ll have to continue to make adjustments as he’s exposed to higher-level pitching, but his ceiling is among the best in this year’s high school draft class, and he’s shown the ability to make adjustments and the work ethic necessary to improve. Many scouts are all in.

Jones could have a difficult decision to make. He and his parents value academics and education, and Jones would not be the first player to turn down a significant bonus to attend Virginia. Lefthander Nathan Kirby and righthander Connor Jones are two recent Virginia prospects that made the decision to go to school despite significant pro interest.

Jones doesn’t have to make any decisions today. One decision that he’s made is that to focus on becoming the best player he can be. Jones is in the weight room day in and day out, and he hits in the cage behind his house whenever he can.

The sky is the limit, and Jones is reaching for the stars.