Drafted in the 5th round (142nd overall) by the Oakland Athletics in 2016 (signed for $275,000).
View Draft Report
Coming off of an outstanding sophomore season in which he hit .312/.442/.525 as Kentucky's everyday second baseman, Shelby seemed primed to be a key middle-of-the-order bat for the Wildcats. Instead his batting average plummeted thanks to a pull-heavy, power-oriented approach that has provided power but little else. In reality, Shelby's excellent sophomore season and his junior struggles have a lot to do with a plummeting batting average on balls in play (which dropped from .377 as a sophomore to .250 as a junior). Shelby is very pitchable as he does not use the opposite field and he'll swing himself out of his shoes with massive rips that don't allow him to work deep into counts. Defensively, Shelby has had an erratic transition to third base. He has a plus arm but it lacks accuracyhe's committed eight throwing errors. His hands and range are fringe-average as well. Some scouts believe he'll end up moving to the outfield as a pro, but he could also slide back to second base as an offensive second baseman with modest range.
Top Rankings
Draft Prospects
Coming off of an outstanding sophomore season in which he hit .312/.442/.525 as Kentucky's everyday second baseman, Shelby seemed primed to be a key middle-of-the-order bat for the Wildcats. Instead his batting average plummeted thanks to a pull-heavy, power-oriented approach that has provided power but little else. In reality, Shelby's excellent sophomore season and his junior struggles have a lot to do with a plummeting batting average on balls in play (which dropped from .377 as a sophomore to .250 as a junior). Shelby is very pitchable as he does not use the opposite field and he'll swing himself out of his shoes with massive rips that don't allow him to work deep into counts. Defensively, Shelby has had an erratic transition to third base. He has a plus arm but it lacks accuracyhe's committed eight throwing errors. His hands and range are fringe-average as well. Some scouts believe he'll end up moving to the outfield as a pro, but he could also slide back to second base as an offensive second baseman with modest range.
Download our app
Read the newest magazine issue right on your phone