Cobb Hightower Stats & Scouting Report

Full name Cobb Hightower
Born 03/20/2005 in Statesville, NC
Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 180 / Bats: R / Throws: R
Drafted in the 3rd round (88th overall) by the San Diego Padres in 2024 (signed for $852,300).

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Hightower is a 6-foot, 180-pound shortstop who was a pop-up player late in the season in North Carolina. He’s an athletic middle infielder who might not have a plus tool at the moment, but he has solid bat speed from the right side with some solid raw power in the tank as well. He could provide utility value around the infield if he doesn’t develop into a regular everyday shortstop. Hightower is committed to North Carolina and on the older end for the class.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

BA Grade/Risk: 50/Very High.

Track Record: Hightower was a pop-up player who gained serious momentum in the spring leading up to the 2024 draft. He hit .462 with 10 doubles, two triples and nine home runs in his senior season at East Rowan High and led his team to a North Carolina 3A state championship. The Padres drafted Hightower in the third round and signed him for a full-slot bonus of $852,300.

Scouting Report: Hightower has a hitterish look in the box with quick hands, plenty of bat speed and an advanced feel for the barrel. He has a medium handset, a slight barrel tip and his hands don’t drift at all. There’s an appealing, compact explosiveness to Hightower’s operation and he is an athletic mover in the box. His lower half is engaged and in sync, and he consistently gets off quick, tight turns. His bat speed combined with his barrel control bodes well as it pertains to his ability to hit for game power. Hightower has an enticing hit-plus-power blend at the plate. Defensively he projects to stick somewhere on the dirt. He figures to get the chance to develop as a shortstop, but an eventual move to second base might make the most sense.

The Future: Hightower lit up the Arizona bridge league—unofficial games featuring recent draftees and other young players not ready for full-season ball—after the draft and was one of the top performers on the circuit. Scouts are bullish on Hightower’s offensive ability, and he will have a bat-first profile no matter where he ends up defensively. Hightower could begin 2025 at Low-A Lake Elsinore and be a reasonably quick mover, depending on how his bat holds up. San Diego may have drafted another gem in Hightower, who has a chance to be in the big leagues as early as 2028.

Scouting Grades Hit: 55 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Fielding: 50 | Arm: 50

Draft Prospects

Hightower is a 6-foot, 180-pound shortstop who was a pop-up player late in the season in North Carolina. He’s an athletic middle infielder who might not have a plus tool at the moment, but he has solid bat speed from the right side with some solid raw power in the tank as well. He could provide utility value around the infield if he doesn’t develop into a regular everyday shortstop. Hightower is committed to North Carolina and on the older end for the class.