Thomas Milone
| AB | 2673 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .248 |
| OBP | .325 |
| SLG | .364 |
| HR | 36 |
- Full name Thomas A. Milone
- Born 01/26/1995 in Monroe, CT
- Profile Ht.: 5'11" / Wt.: 190 / Bats: L / Throws: L
- School Masuk
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Drafted in the 3rd round (97th overall) by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2013 (signed for $528,100).
View Draft Report
Teams willing to exercise patience might roll the dice on Milone, a toolsy but raw outfielder. He has a football background so he's physical at 6 feet, 185 pounds, but his limited playing experience on the diamond shows up in games. He runs well and can stick in center field if his instincts improve. His arm is below-average, but it's adequate for the position and it plays up because he is quick and accurate with his throws. His swing has improved since last summer, but still needs some adjustments as he has an arm bar and can struggle to drive the ball, sometimes looking like just another kid in a high school lineup. Because he's a project whose development would involve considerable risk, teams might not be willing to buy him out of a commitment to Connecticut.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Milone's athleticism was simply too much for the Rays to pass up in 2013, when they made the Connecticut prep a third-round pick, signing him away from a UConn commitment for $528,100. A raw talent on the diamond, he was a touted football player in high school and his cold-weather climate prevented him from playing much baseball as an amateur. Even so, Milone reached full-season ball in his second full year as a pro. Some evaluators see him as a double-plus defender in center field. He has extremely quick feet and has made progress with his reads off the bat, and he led the low Class A Midwest League in putouts (329) at Bowling Green in 2015. He has a thick, muscly physique and endured the grind of a full pro season. Offensively, Milone is still far away. He shows flashes of bat speed but remains prone to quality offspeed pitching, and he is still catching up to the speed of the pro game. Milone is a plus runner who needs to polish his basestealing skills. He should head to high Class A Charlotte in 2016. -
The Rays have a history of drafting athletic high school players with raw skills, and Milone is the latest after Tampa Bay took him 97th overall in June and signed him for $528,100. He played more football than baseball growing up, but he batted .471 during his senior season and stole 28 bases in 29 attempts to earn Connecticut state player of the year honors. He also became the highest-drafted player from a Connecticut public school since the Braves took Charlie Morton 95th overall in 2002. He had up-and-down results in his professional debut before putting together an impressive showing during instructional league. Milone has above-average strength with strong hands, and he is working on making his swing smoother and more consistent. He has plus speed with good aggressiveness and instincts on the bases. His speed plays well in center field, but he needs to improve his routes and get better reads off the bat. His arm strength is fringe-average, but he has good accuracy on his throws. The Rays knew Milone would require development time, but he has already made strides during his short time in the organization. He appears destined for short-season ball in 2014.
Draft Prospects
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Teams willing to exercise patience might roll the dice on Milone, a toolsy but raw outfielder. He has a football background so he's physical at 6 feet, 185 pounds, but his limited playing experience on the diamond shows up in games. He runs well and can stick in center field if his instincts improve. His arm is below-average, but it's adequate for the position and it plays up because he is quick and accurate with his throws. His swing has improved since last summer, but still needs some adjustments as he has an arm bar and can struggle to drive the ball, sometimes looking like just another kid in a high school lineup. Because he's a project whose development would involve considerable risk, teams might not be willing to buy him out of a commitment to Connecticut.
