Summary:
Corey Oswalt is a tall and skinny 200 lb 3rd baseman in high school who bats right handed. He can hit well and also has a powerful, but raw arm at 3rd base, often making throws reminiscent of Chris Johnson. He does have a bit of work to do in terms of defense and perhaps his bat as well, making his ranking in this year's draft justifiable beyond the first 150-200 picks or so.
At the plate he's got a wide open stance with good bat speed. He's a pull hitter for now and generates good lift. He has shown his ability in HS to hit, with 4 homers, 2 triples, 14 doubles and a .449 batting average in 120 plate appearances this year. He has 12 walks and 15 strikeouts. In his junior season he also hit well. He projects to develop more power down the line.
Floor:
I'm having a hard time thinking of a floor for him, but he could be Chris Johnson at 3rd base with wild throws and questionable defense and Clint Barmes at the plate. Maybe a bit of Matt Downs. There's also the chance he never makes it to the majors as with pretty much every player that gets drafted. His floor is pretty low since his defense isn't a sure thing and his bat will need a little work as well.
Ceiling:
If he puts everything together he could be a really good player. I'm having a hard time imagining comparisons for him, but if he becomes a pretty good player, that's gotta be good, right?
Projected Draft Round:
Matt McDonnell has him at #45 to the A's.
Baseball America has him ranked #311
ESPN does not have him listed in the top 100 HS athletes.
Jonathan Mayo does not have him listed in the top 100.
Will he sign?
This is contingent on how much he wants to go to college. He has a chance of improving his stock if he does and getting a college degree he could fall back on. Several scouting reports mention how good of a student he is. He has a verbal commitment to Oregon that seems pretty strong.
Bibliography (after the jump)
Commentary
Outstanding physical build, large frame, lots of room to get stronger. Spread stance hitting, one piece swing with extension, generates very good bat speed, has lift and looks to pull, sees the ball and handles the barrel well, plus power potential. 7.24 runner, very good raw arm strength, easy gliding actions to the ball, quick clean exchange, will have to work on lower half flexibility. Classic power third base tools. Good student, verbal commitment to Oregon. Named to the Perfect Game All-American team.
Bigger frame, some present strength, very good actions, athletic, good arm strength, ball carries, flashy actions, upright stance, aggressive hack, good bat speed, lots of line drives, ball jumps, has juice, power potential, top level prospect, very good student.
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