2013 MLB Draft Profile: Adam Frazier, SS, Mississippi State

Summary

Adam Frazier isn't the most exciting prospect – he doesn't have a high Major League ceiling – and he's unanimously unranked on every expert's Draft Board. But he's the exactly the type of player Jeff Luhnow has had the propensity to draft over the years – a highly-productive college player, who gets overlooked on draft night, because he doesn't have "standout" tools or high-level upside.

The junior shortstop for the Mississippi State Bulldogs stands 5'11", 170 pounds. He possesses a compact, quick swing from the left side of the plate, which produces modest gap-to-gap power. Although he's yet to homer in his collegiate career (you read that right), he still has a decent amount of pop. In 27 games this season, he's slugging .542, which is no small feat, considering his lack of home runs.

Frazier's biggest assest is his ability to get on base. He finished with an OBP of .482 in 2012, along with a .462 this season. Between this year and last year combined, he's drawn 61 walks, to only 36 strikeouts.

On defense, Frazier is solid, yet unspectacular. His lack of arm strength almost guarantees a move to second base in the future. He's a slightly above average runner, who can overachieve on the basepaths with smart base-running.

At the time of this profile, he's batting .402/.462/.542 on the season, with seven doubles, four triples and six steals (caught once). His numbers are slightly inflated because Mississippi State plays in what is considered a hitter's park, but he also gets bonus points for playing in a tough Conference.

Major League Floor

An underwhelming bench player, who struggles to stick on any one roster.

Major League Ceiling

I think Jamey Carroll is a good comparison for Frazier – a utility player who you can plug into your lineup and trust he's not going to hurt you. Another decent comparison – for the nostalgic Astros fans out there – is Eric Bruntlett.

Projected Draft Round

Rankings: Keith Law (UR), Baseball America (UR), MLB.com (UR), Minor League Ball (UR), Draft Insider (UR). Mock Drafts: Draft Insider (N/A), Minor League Ball (N/A). -- Frazier could go anywhere from rounds 5-15, depending on how much/little teams want to spend on that specific draft slot.

Will He Sign?

As long as he's drafted he's drafted within the first 10 rounds.

Bibliography

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Baseball America

... the most accomplished hitter in the lineup is Frazier, who really makes the Bulldogs go thanks to his superb plate discipline (50-24 BB-K last year) and ability to spray the ball around the field as the situation dictates ... Frazier is a slightly above-average runner with abundant baserunning savvy ... Frazier has fluid actions, sure hands and an accurate arm at short.

Below is my personal Big Board, based on the prospects I've researched thus far:

1. Jon Gray, SP, Oklahoma
2. Clint Frazier, OF, HS
3. Austin Meadows, OF, HS
4. Phillip Ervin, OF, Samford*
5. Alex Balog, RHP, San Francisco*
6. Trevor Williams, RHP, Arizona State*
7. Cord Sandberg, OF, HS*
8. JP Crawford, SS, HS*
9. Billy McKinney, OF, HS*
10. Rowdy Tellez, 1B, HS*
11. KJ Woods, OF, HS
12. Justin Williams, OF, HS*
13. Dylan Covey, RHP, San Diego*
14. Ian McKinney, LHP, HS
15. Jordan Sheffield, RHP, HS*
16. Mason Smith, OF, HS
17. Andrew Church, RHP, HS
18. Tom Windle, LHP, Minnesota*
19. Adam Frazier, SS, Mississippi State*
20. Connor Heady, SS, HS
21. Tyler O'Neil, C/SS, HS
22. Ryon Healy, 1B, Oregon*
23. Cavan Biggio, 3B, HS*
24. Casey Meisner, RHP, HS*
25. Akeem Bostick, RHP, HS
26. Cory Thompson, SS/RHP, HS
27. Thomas Hatch, RHP, HS
28. Josh Greene, OF, HS
29. AJ Boguki, RHP, HS
30. Iolana Akau, C, HS
31. Errol Robinso, SS, HS