Drafted in the 5th round (160th overall) by the Detroit Tigers in 2014 (signed for $293,900).
View Draft Report
The nephew of Todd Zeile, who starred at UCLA and spent 15 years in the big leagues, Shane arrived in Westwood as an infielder, and he spent his freshman year at first, second and third base. The Bruins decided to convert him to catcher, but he missed the entire fall with a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder, so he did not start learning his new position until January. He took to it quickly and wound up catching 57 games for a national championship team as a sophomore. His offensive numbers jumped as a junior, and he has been one of UCLA's few bright spots in an injury-marred season, hitting .335/.410/.437. He's a line-drive hitter with a chance for a solid-average bat if he can tweak his narrow set-up. He offers occasional power to the pull side, but he won't provide more than below-average pop. He is a good athlete with slightly below-average speed. Zeile still needs refinement behind the plate, where his receiving is a bit loud and his footwork needs polishing, but scouts rave about his blocking ability, and his arm is above-average. Zeile is a confident, high-energy player who can rub opponents the wrong way, but he's a gamer and a hard worker.
Top Rankings
Draft Prospects
The nephew of Todd Zeile, who starred at UCLA and spent 15 years in the big leagues, Shane arrived in Westwood as an infielder, and he spent his freshman year at first, second and third base. The Bruins decided to convert him to catcher, but he missed the entire fall with a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder, so he did not start learning his new position until January. He took to it quickly and wound up catching 57 games for a national championship team as a sophomore. His offensive numbers jumped as a junior, and he has been one of UCLA's few bright spots in an injury-marred season, hitting .335/.410/.437. He's a line-drive hitter with a chance for a solid-average bat if he can tweak his narrow set-up. He offers occasional power to the pull side, but he won't provide more than below-average pop. He is a good athlete with slightly below-average speed. Zeile still needs refinement behind the plate, where his receiving is a bit loud and his footwork needs polishing, but scouts rave about his blocking ability, and his arm is above-average. Zeile is a confident, high-energy player who can rub opponents the wrong way, but he's a gamer and a hard worker.
Download our app
Read the newest magazine issue right on your phone