Kevin Merrell
| AB | 1167 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .26 |
| OBP | .313 |
| SLG | .357 |
| HR | 14 |
- Full name Kevin Custer Merrell
- Born 12/14/1995 in Odessa, FL
- Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 180 / Bats: L / Throws: R
- School South Florida
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Drafted in the CB-A round (33rd overall) by the Oakland Athletics in 2017 (signed for $1,800,000).
View Draft Report
In a light college position player class, Merrell has been one of the few players to move in the right direction this spring. His best attribute is his elite speed; Merrell is an 80 runner underway and has turned in run times as low as 3.9 seconds from home to first base. He's a lefthanded hitter and has made positive transformations with his swing, ditching a deeper load to make his swing more compact. Merrell's approach of putting the ball in play has paid off; he was batting .392 with a week left in the regular season. Defensively, Merrell lacks flashy hands and body control at shortstop, but he's a quality athlete and some evaluators would like to give him a chance to stay there at the next level. His pure arm strength is near average, but he has a quick release and some scouts think he may have some more untapped arm strength in the tank. If he doesn't develop into a regular at shortstop, Merrell could move straight to center field, or he could be developed into a super utility player. His top-of-the-scale speed and excellent performance could lead to him being selected on the first day of the draft.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Track Record: Merrell's 80-grade speed has played as advertised in pro ball, but he didn't get to show it off as much as he would have liked at high Class A Stockton in 2018. That's because he missed most of the second half with a second-degree sprain of his left elbow and then had a concussion scare while rehabbing in Arizona. Merrell didn't hit much when healthy. He dealt with nagging injuries and batted just .267 with 13 extra-base hits and five steals in 62 games in the California League.
Scouting Report: Merrell hit .384 as a South Florida junior and then .320 in his pro debut at short-season Vermont, and scouts who like him give him a future average hit tool and below-average power. Reaching his ceiling will require Merrell to improve his plate discipline and his bat path so that he can hit to the middle of the field rather than pulling everything. He tends to put a lot of topspin on the ball because of his hand position at contact, hampering his ability to drive the ball. Merrell collects his share of infield hits, though his basestealing aggressiveness and technique need work. He played left field and second base in college but has made strides at shortstop in pro ball to project as average. He has improved his footwork and aggressiveness to the ball, while his arm grades as above-average.
The Future: Merrell is something of a throwback player, and if he hits he could develop into a big league table-setter, perhaps in a multi-positional role that would include center field and middle infield. -
Merrell hit .384 with 19 stolen bases as a junior at South Florida in 2017 and earned second-team All-America honors. The Athletics selected him with the 33rd overall pick and signed him for a below-slot $1.8 million. Shoulder and foot injuries limited him to 31 games with Vermont in the New York-Penn League after signing, but he did manage to hit .320 and steal 10 bases. Merrell is probably the fastest player in the organization not named Jorge Mateo. His plus-plus speed gives him the range to play shortstop, but his arm is considered only average. With Oakland's surplus of shortstops, Merrell could move to second base, which he played for most of his first two college seasons, or even center field at some point. His speed and lefthanded stroke draw comparisons to the Yankees' Brett Gardner. Gardner has averaged 24 steals per season in his 10-year big-league career, and Merrell could be similarly productive on the basepaths. He figures to begin 2018 at low Class A Beloit.
Draft Prospects
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In a light college position player class, Merrell has been one of the few players to move in the right direction this spring. His best attribute is his elite speed; Merrell is an 80 runner underway and has turned in run times as low as 3.9 seconds from home to first base. He's a lefthanded hitter and has made positive transformations with his swing, ditching a deeper load to make his swing more compact. Merrell's approach of putting the ball in play has paid off; he was batting .392 with a week left in the regular season. Defensively, Merrell lacks flashy hands and body control at shortstop, but he's a quality athlete and some evaluators would like to give him a chance to stay there at the next level. His pure arm strength is near average, but he has a quick release and some scouts think he may have some more untapped arm strength in the tank. If he doesn't develop into a regular at shortstop, Merrell could move straight to center field, or he could be developed into a super utility player. His top-of-the-scale speed and excellent performance could lead to him being selected on the first day of the draft.
