Will Holland

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Minnesota Twins #30 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: Coming off of a .341/.431/.432 summer in the Cape Cod League, Holland was seen as a potential second-round pick coming into his junior year at Auburn. But his draft stock plummeted as he struggled mightily at the plate. After hitting .313/.406/.530 as a sophomore, Holland slid to .246/.376/.401 as a junior. His draft slide ended when the Twins selected him in the fifth round. His pro debut did little to quell concerns: Holland hit .192/.299/.376 with 44 strikeouts in 125 at-bats at Rookie-level Elizabethton.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Holland hit with an extremely wide base in 2018. He narrowed it in 2019. Whether tied to that or not, he failed to connect with hittable pitches. For all his issues, he has fast hands and plenty of bat speed. His hitting issues carried over to his pro debut–he never had a day in his pro debut where his batting average crested .200. The Twins' player development program will have plenty of work to get Holland to make more consistent solid contact, but the pieces are there for him to be an everyday big leaguer, if and it's a big if, he can hit. Holland is a rangy shortstop who has the athleticism, above-average arm and hands needed to stick at the position.
  
  THE FUTURE: After his rough pro debut, Holland should start the 2020 season at low Class A Cedar Rapids looking to put 2019 far, far behind him.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #72 prospect in 2019 draft
  Holland broke out as a sophomore in 2018, hitting .313/.406/.530 with 12 home runs while playing a flashy shortstop to garner second-team all-SEC honors. He entered 2019 among the top tier of college shortstops after a strong showing in the Cape Cod League, where he hit .341/.431/.432. Yet Holland's prospect status has fallen throughout the spring, as he has struggled immensely with the bat during his junior season. An aggressive hitter, Holland has always been prone to high strikeout rates, but the fact that it came with high averages and extra-base power somewhat negated those concerns. Through his first 45 games this season, Holland has been one of Auburn's worst hitters, batting just .228/.375/.364 with 46 strikeouts and 27 walks. Holland could need some mechanical tweaks at the next level, as some have questioned his wide, spread-out stance, and he also must improve his pitch selection. Defensively, Holland has the range, arm strength and athleticism for shortstop, and he has the ability to make highlight-reel plays look relatively routine from time to time. However, he still needs to refine some of the finer details of the position and improve his overall consistency in order to stick at the position long term. Holland's spring season has clouded his draft stock, but his toolset, defensive potential and previous track record shouldn't let him drop much further than the third round.

• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Coming off of a .341/.431/.432 summer in the Cape Cod League, Holland was seen as a potential second-round pick coming into his junior year at Auburn. But his draft stock plummeted as he struggled mightily at the plate. After hitting .313/.406/.530 as a sophomore, Holland slid to .246/.376/.401 as a junior. His draft slide ended when the Twins selected him in the fifth round. His pro debut did little to quell concerns: Holland hit .192/.299/.376 with 44 strikeouts in 125 at-bats at Rookie-level Elizabethton.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Holland hit with an extremely wide base in 2018. He narrowed it in 2019. Whether tied to that or not, he failed to connect with hittable pitches. For all his issues, he has fast hands and plenty of bat speed. His hitting issues carried over to his pro debut–he never had a day in his pro debut where his batting average crested .200. The Twins' player development program will have plenty of work to get Holland to make more consistent solid contact, but the pieces are there for him to be an everyday big leaguer, if and it's a big if, he can hit. Holland is a rangy shortstop who has the athleticism, above-average arm and hands needed to stick at the position.
  
  THE FUTURE: After his rough pro debut, Holland should start the 2020 season at low Class A Cedar Rapids looking to put 2019 far, far behind him.
• December, 2018 Scouting Report
  Holland broke out as a sophomore in 2018, hitting .313/.406/.530 with 12 home runs while playing a flashy shortstop to garner second-team all-SEC honors. He entered 2019 among the top tier of college shortstops after a strong showing in the Cape Cod League, where he hit .341/.431/.432. Yet Holland's prospect status has fallen throughout the spring, as he has struggled immensely with the bat during his junior season. An aggressive hitter, Holland has always been prone to high strikeout rates, but the fact that it came with high averages and extra-base power somewhat negated those concerns. Through his first 45 games this season, Holland has been one of Auburn's worst hitters, batting just .228/.375/.364 with 46 strikeouts and 27 walks. Holland could need some mechanical tweaks at the next level, as some have questioned his wide, spread-out stance, and he also must improve his pitch selection. Defensively, Holland has the range, arm strength and athleticism for shortstop, and he has the ability to make highlight-reel plays look relatively routine from time to time. However, he still needs to refine some of the finer details of the position and improve his overall consistency in order to stick at the position long term. Holland's spring season has clouded his draft stock, but his toolset, defensive potential and previous track record shouldn't let him drop much further than the third round.