Zach Watson Stats & Scouting Report

AB	1157
AVG	.232
OBP	.282
SLG	.411
HR	45

Full name Zachary Layne Watson
Born 06/25/1997 in West Monroe, LA
Profile Ht.: 5'10" / Wt.: 160 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Louisiana State
Drafted in the 3rd round (79th overall) by the Baltimore Orioles in 2019 (signed for $780,400).

View Draft Report

As a draft-eligible sophomore in 2018, no team came close to matching Watson’s asking price and he fell to the Red Sox’s final pick in the 40th round. This year, Watson is likely to hear his name called in the third or fourth round because of his wide array of tools. He’s a plus defender in center field (some scouts grade him as a 70 defender) with an average arm. He’s also a 70 runner who was 10-for-10 on stolen base attempts as of mid-May. He’s been one of the focal points of LSU’s offense for the past three seasons, hitting better than .300 in each of his three years in Baton Rouge while living up to the billing as the next in a long list of successful LSU center fielders. Watson also has some limitations, however, including an arm bar in his swing that makes him vulnerable to committing to his swing early. He can turn around a fastball and posts excellent exit velocities when he squares a ball up, but he struggles to recognize and hit breaking balls and he currently hits a lot of ground balls, which explains his relatively modest power numbers. He’s likely a fringe-average hitter at best, which limits his likely ceiling, but as a center fielder who can run, Watson provides value at a premium defensive position.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

TRACK RECORD: A Freshman All-American and three-year starter at Louisiana State, Watson was a popular draft-eligible sophomore in 2018, but he stayed an extra year and signed for slot at $780,400 as the first pick of the 2019 draft's second day. He jumped from short-season Aberdeen to low Class A Delmarva after a few weeks, but a mid-August wrist injury ended his season early.

SCOUTING REPORT: The game's current emphasis on power hasn't left much room for players like Watson, who despite some pop this summer projects to be a contact hitter who can run his way to extra bases. The Orioles were sold on an ability to play at least above-average defense in center field thanks to a quick first step and his reads off the bat. As a high-effort player who can cause havoc atop the lineup with at least plus speed, the production will be a result of his motor as much as his tools.

THE FUTURE: Watson's defense and speed give him an easy bench outfielder floor, but if his bat comes around, he will provide a fringe everyday package. A return to Delmarva will allow for a chance to begin that process in 2020.

Draft Prospects

As a draft-eligible sophomore in 2018, no team came close to matching Watson's asking price and he fell to the Red Sox's final pick in the 40th round. This year, Watson is likely to hear his name called in the third or fourth round because of his wide array of tools. He's a plus defender in center field (some scouts grade him as a 70 defender) with an average arm. He's also a 70 runner who was 10-for-10 on stolen base attempts as of mid-May. He's been one of the focal points of LSU's offense for the past three seasons, hitting better than .300 in each of his three years in Baton Rouge while living up to the billing as the next in a long list of successful LSU center fielders. Watson also has some limitations, however, including an arm bar in his swing that makes him vulnerable to committing to his swing early. He can turn around a fastball and posts excellent exit velocities when he squares a ball up, but he struggles to recognize and hit breaking balls and he currently hits a lot of ground balls, which explains his relatively modest power numbers. He's likely a fringe-average hitter at best, which limits his likely ceiling, but as a center fielder who can run, Watson provides value at a premium defensive position.
LSU has a history of producing speedy center fielders who turn into useful pro players. There was Mike Mahtook, Jacoby Jones (although he mainly played in the infield at LSU) and, most recently, Andrew Stevenson. Jake Fraley, the Rays' 2016 supplemental second rounder, is also trying to join that group. Watson is the next in the lineage, as he''s a catalyst for the Tigers offense and an above-average defender in center field. Watson is a 70 runner on the 20-to-80 scouting scale, as he turns in 4.1 second times to first base as a righthanded hitter. He's not just a slap hitter, as he has the bat speed and strong hands to drive the ball. He'll post impressive 105-plus mph exit velocities when he connects, but his line drive stroke isn't presently geared to lift the ball for home runs. As a hitter, Watson has a significant arm bar in his swing. He has to show he can better adjust to breaking balls. Long-term, he's projected as having a fringe-average hit tool, but with the chance to have above-average power as he matures. Watson's profile as a righthanded-hitting outfielder is a little limiting if he can't be an everyday big leaguer, but he does enough things well enough to be a solid second to third-round pick. He's a draft-eligible sophomore with plenty of leverage, so a team picking him will know they will likely need to pay handsomely to convince him to turn pro.

Scouting Reports

TRACK RECORD: A Freshman All-American and three-year starter at Louisiana State, Watson was a popular draft-eligible sophomore in 2018, but he stayed an extra year and signed for slot at $780,400 as the first pick of the 2019 draft’s second day. He jumped from short-season Aberdeen to low Class A Delmarva after a few weeks, but a mid-August wrist injury ended his season early.

SCOUTING REPORT: The game’s current emphasis on power hasn’t left much room for players like Watson, who despite some pop this summer projects to be a contact hitter who can run his way to extra bases. The Orioles were sold on an ability to play at least above-average defense in center field thanks to a quick first step and his reads off the bat. As a high-effort player who can cause havoc atop the lineup with at least plus speed, the production will be a result of his motor as much as his tools.

THE FUTURE: Watson’s defense and speed give him an easy bench outfielder floor, but if his bat comes around, he will provide a fringe everyday package. A return to Delmarva will allow for a chance to begin that process in 2020.
TRACK RECORD: A Freshman All-American and three-year starter at Louisiana State, Watson was a popular draft-eligible sophomore in 2018, but he stayed an extra year and signed for slot at $780,400 as the first pick of the 2019 draft's second day. He jumped from short-season Aberdeen to low Class A Delmarva after a few weeks, but a mid-August wrist injury ended his season early.

SCOUTING REPORT: The game's current emphasis on power hasn't left much room for players like Watson, who despite some pop this summer projects to be a contact hitter who can run his way to extra bases. The Orioles were sold on an ability to play at least above-average defense in center field thanks to a quick first step and his reads off the bat. As a high-effort player who can cause havoc atop the lineup with at least plus speed, the production will be a result of his motor as much as his tools.

THE FUTURE: Watson's defense and speed give him an easy bench outfielder floor, but if his bat comes around, he will provide a fringe everyday package. A return to Delmarva will allow for a chance to begin that process in 2020.
As a draft-eligible sophomore in 2018, no team came close to matching Watson's asking price and he fell to the Red Sox's final pick in the 40th round. This year, Watson is likely to hear his name called in the third or fourth round because of his wide array of tools. He's a plus defender in center field (some scouts grade him as a 70 defender) with an average arm. He's also a 70 runner who was 10-for-10 on stolen base attempts as of mid-May. He's been one of the focal points of LSU's offense for the past three seasons, hitting better than .300 in each of his three years in Baton Rouge while living up to the billing as the next in a long list of successful LSU center fielders. Watson also has some limitations, however, including an arm bar in his swing that makes him vulnerable to committing to his swing early. He can turn around a fastball and posts excellent exit velocities when he squares a ball up, but he struggles to recognize and hit breaking balls and he currently hits a lot of ground balls, which explains his relatively modest power numbers. He's likely a fringe-average hitter at best, which limits his likely ceiling, but as a center fielder who can run, Watson provides value at a premium defensive position.