Zach Daniels

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Houston Astros #22 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: The Astros drafted Daniels in the fourth round in 2020 after a loud 17-game showing prior to college baseball’s shutdown. He had struggled the previous summer in the Cape Cod League and during his first two seasons at Tennessee, when he hit .176 and struck out 69 times in 64 games. The Astros saw enough in that small sample to give Daniels $400,000, but his first professional season matched the results of his early college days. He hit .224/.342/.358 with 129 strikeouts in 85 games across both Class A levels.
  
  Scouting Report: Daniels has some of the loudest and most tantalizing tools in the Astros farm system. He is a plus-plus runner with plus raw power and enough quick twitch ability to put on an amazing batting practice show. But games demonstrate his lack of feel for hitting and a grooved swing that generates too many swings and misses inside the strike zone, preventing him from making much offensive impact. He has an average arm and speed that profiles well in center field. Daniels is the most athletic player in the Astros’ system, which affords him a better chance to make adjustments.
  
  The Future: Daniels must continue to make adjustments in games to realize the potential the Astros have for him. He will likely open 2022 back in High-A.
• 
  Ranked Houston Astros #18 prospect in 2021
  TRACK RECORD: Daniels showed exciting tools but piled up strikeouts his first two seasons at Tennessee, hitting .161/.339/.344 as a freshman, then .200/.262/.417 as a sophomore and his struggles continued that summer in the Cape Cod League. He began 2020 like he was on the verge of a breakthrough, batting .357/.478/.750 through 17 games until the coronavirus pandemic shut the season down before Southeastern Conference play. The Astros bought into his improvement and drafted him in the fourth round, signing him for $400,000 before he went to instructional league.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Daniels has the loudest combination of tools and athleticism in the Astros' system. He's a power sprinter with plus-plus speed, running the 60-yard dash under 6.4 seconds. He's an explosive, quick-twitch athlete with the strength and bat speed to drive the ball with plus raw power in batting practice, but whether it will click in games is a question mark. His swing isn't long, but there is extra noise in his trigger and his swing path doesn't keep his barrel in the zone for long, leading to lots of swings and misses. Daniels has the speed to play center field and an average arm, but he moved around all three outfield spots at Tennessee and spent most of his junior year at DH.
  
  THE FUTURE: Daniels' glimmer of offensive performance gives hope he may be starting to turn the corner, with athleticism that should help him make adjustments. He's likely to open 2021 in low Class A.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #366 prospect in 2020 draft
  A toolsy outfielder with plus-plus raw power and plus running ability, Daniels was off to a hot start in the shortened 2020 season, hitting .357/.478/.750 with four home runs and eight doubles. If he continued hitting at that level over the course of the season, he would have undoubtedly raised his draft stock significantly, because scouts were concerned about his feel for hitting entering the season. Even with his gaudy 17-game start to 2020 included, Daniels is a .225/.357/.474 hitter in his Tennessee career, with a 37 percent strikeout rate. Daniels also struggled last summer in the Cape Cod League for Orleans, where he hit .169/.217/.247 in 35 games, with 37 strikeouts to just five walks. Defensively, Daniels has shown an ability to play all three outfield spots with average arm strength, though he spent a decent amount of time this spring as the team’s designated hitter. Scouts had Daniels evaluated as an early day three prospect in a typical draft year somewhere in the 11-15 round range, or a few rounds higher if the team was optimistic about his hitting progress.

• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: The Astros drafted Daniels in the fourth round in 2020 after a loud 17-game showing prior to college baseball’s shutdown. He had struggled the previous summer in the Cape Cod League and during his first two seasons at Tennessee, when he hit .176 and struck out 69 times in 64 games. The Astros saw enough in that small sample to give Daniels $400,000, but his first professional season matched the results of his early college days. He hit .224/.342/.358 with 129 strikeouts in 85 games across both Class A levels.
  
  Scouting Report: Daniels has some of the loudest and most tantalizing tools in the Astros farm system. He is a plus-plus runner with plus raw power and enough quick twitch ability to put on an amazing batting practice show. But games demonstrate his lack of feel for hitting and a grooved swing that generates too many swings and misses inside the strike zone, preventing him from making much offensive impact. He has an average arm and speed that profiles well in center field. Daniels is the most athletic player in the Astros’ system, which affords him a better chance to make adjustments.
  
  The Future: Daniels must continue to make adjustments in games to realize the potential the Astros have for him. He will likely open 2022 back in High-A.
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Daniels showed exciting tools but piled up strikeouts his first two seasons at Tennessee, hitting .161/.339/.344 as a freshman, then .200/.262/.417 as a sophomore and his struggles continued that summer in the Cape Cod League. He began 2020 like he was on the verge of a breakthrough, batting .357/.478/.750 through 17 games until the coronavirus pandemic shut the season down before Southeastern Conference play. The Astros bought into his improvement and drafted him in the fourth round, signing him for $400,000 before he went to instructional league.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Daniels has the loudest combination of tools and athleticism in the Astros' system. He's a power sprinter with plus-plus speed, running the 60-yard dash under 6.4 seconds. He's an explosive, quick-twitch athlete with the strength and bat speed to drive the ball with plus raw power in batting practice, but whether it will click in games is a question mark. His swing isn't long, but there is extra noise in his trigger and his swing path doesn't keep his barrel in the zone for long, leading to lots of swings and misses. Daniels has the speed to play center field and an average arm, but he moved around all three outfield spots at Tennessee and spent most of his junior year at DH.
  
  THE FUTURE: Daniels' glimmer of offensive performance gives hope he may be starting to turn the corner, with athleticism that should help him make adjustments. He's likely to open 2021 in low Class A.
• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Daniels showed exciting tools but piled up strikeouts his first two seasons at Tennessee, hitting .161/.339/.344 as a freshman, then .200/.262/.417 as a sophomore and his struggles continued that summer in the Cape Cod League. He began 2020 like he was on the verge of a breakthrough, batting .357/.478/.750 through 17 games until the coronavirus pandemic shut the season down before Southeastern Conference play. The Astros bought into his improvement and drafted him in the fourth round, signing him for $400,000 before he went to instructional league.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Daniels has the loudest combination of tools and athleticism in the Astros' system. He's a power sprinter with plus-plus speed, running the 60-yard dash under 6.4 seconds. He's an explosive, quick-twitch athlete with the strength and bat speed to drive the ball with plus raw power in batting practice, but whether it will click in games is a question mark. His swing isn't long, but there is extra noise in his trigger and his swing path doesn't keep his barrel in the zone for long, leading to lots of swings and misses. Daniels has the speed to play center field and an average arm, but he moved around all three outfield spots at Tennessee and spent most of his junior year at DH.
  
  THE FUTURE: Daniels' glimmer of offensive performance gives hope he may be starting to turn the corner, with athleticism that should help him make adjustments. He's likely to open 2021 in low Class A.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Daniels showed exciting tools but piled up strikeouts his first two seasons at Tennessee, hitting .161/.339/.344 as a freshman, then .200/.262/.417 as a sophomore and his struggles continued that summer in the Cape Cod League. He began 2020 like he was on the verge of a breakthrough, batting .357/.478/.750 through 17 games until the coronavirus pandemic shut the season down before Southeastern Conference play. The Astros bought into his improvement and drafted him in the fourth round, signing him for $400,000 before he went to instructional league.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Daniels has the loudest combination of tools and athleticism in the Astros' system. He's a power sprinter with plus-plus speed, running the 60-yard dash under 6.4 seconds. He's an explosive, quick-twitch athlete with the strength and bat speed to drive the ball with plus raw power in batting practice, but whether it will click in games is a question mark. His swing isn't long, but there is extra noise in his trigger and his swing path doesn't keep his barrel in the zone for long, leading to lots of swings and misses. Daniels has the speed to play center field and an average arm, but he moved around all three outfield spots at Tennessee and spent most of his junior year at DH.
  
  THE FUTURE: Daniels' glimmer of offensive performance gives hope he may be starting to turn the corner, with athleticism that should help him make adjustments. He's likely to open 2021 in low Class A.
• December, 2019 Scouting Report
  A toolsy outfielder with plus-plus raw power and plus running ability, Daniels was off to a hot start in the shortened 2020 season, hitting .357/.478/.750 with four home runs and eight doubles. If he continued hitting at that level over the course of the season, he would have undoubtedly raised his draft stock significantly, because scouts were concerned about his feel for hitting entering the season. Even with his gaudy 17-game start to 2020 included, Daniels is a .225/.357/.474 hitter in his Tennessee career, with a 37 percent strikeout rate. Daniels also struggled last summer in the Cape Cod League for Orleans, where he hit .169/.217/.247 in 35 games, with 37 strikeouts to just five walks. Defensively, Daniels has shown an ability to play all three outfield spots with average arm strength, though he spent a decent amount of time this spring as the team’s designated hitter. Scouts had Daniels evaluated as an early day three prospect in a typical draft year somewhere in the 11-15 round range, or a few rounds higher if the team was optimistic about his hitting progress.