Max Schrock Stats & Scouting Report

AB	168
AVG	.256
OBP	.292
SLG	.393
HR	4

Full name Max William Schrock
Born 10/12/1994 in Bremerton, WA
Profile Ht.: 5'9" / Wt.: 185 / Bats: L / Throws: R
School South Carolina
Debut 08/15/2020
Drafted in the 13th round (404th overall) by the Washington Nationals in 2015 (signed for $500,000).

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In three years with the Gamecocks, Schrock has posted an impressive .302/.392/.460 triple-slash line, showing improved plate discipline from year to year. Schrock's carrying tool his powerful lefthanded bat. He has powerful hands with above-average bat speed and a short, line drive-oriented stroke. Schrock shows average raw power. He has an idea for what he's able to drive, and he's able to poke away junk on the corners, making him a difficult out, even for quality pitchers. Schrock's defensive future is uncertain. Scouts doubt is ability to stick at second base due to his below average body control and foot speed. He does have a quick first step, but lacks ideal range for the position. Schrock also has a below-average arm, which leads scouts to project him as a left fielder. He is a fringy runner. Schrock's track record of performance in the SEC will earn him a chance to prove himself at the next level, though he will have to find a defensive home and hit his way up the ladder.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Track Record: Schrock was drafted by the Nationals and traded to the A's before coming to St. Louis in the Stephen Piscotty deal prior to 2018. The 2016 minor league hits leader, Schrock suffered an oblique injury on the first day of camp and appeared in only two spring training games, then reported to Triple-A Memphis and batted a career-worst .249.

Scouting Report: The 5-foot-8 Schrock long played above his tools with a short stroke, good hand-eye coordination and an ability to battle and spoil pitches. Against Triple-A pitching, Schrock's pitch selection regressed and he started pressing. While he rarely struck out, he also rarely walked and mostly hit the ball weakly on the ground. When right, he hammered strikes gap-to-gap, but those instances became fewer and fewer as he expanded for the zone. Defensively, Schrock is average at second base and playable at third with an average arm. He's an average runner who ticks up underway.

The Future: Schrock has yet to prove he can hit upper-level pitching. He'll try again at Triple-A in 2019.
Schrock has been traded twice in three pro seasons, first from the Nationals to the Athletics for Marc Rzepczynski in August 2016, then from Oakland to the Cardinals (along with shortstop Yairo Munoz) for Stephen Piscotty in December 2017. Schrock enjoyed another excellent offensive season at Double-A Midland in 2017. The lefthanded-batting Schrock hit .321, just shy of his minor league career average of .324, while showing no platoon split in 2017. In 2016, he amassed a minor league-high 177 hits. He knows how to make contact consistently; he struck out a mere 42 times in 457 plate appearances in 2017. He's a solid-average runner, but after stealing a combined 22 bases for four teams in 2016, his stolen base production dwindled to four in 2017. The knock on Schrock had been his fringe-average defense at second base. He worked diligently on improving his glove at Midland, and definitely made strides in terms of fielding percentage. Still, if he's going to reach the majors, it'll be because of his offense. Having spent a season-plus at Double-A, Schrock figures to begin 2018 at Triple-A Memphis.
A highly-touted recruit, Schrock struggled with injuries at South Carolina but still had a .392 career on-base percentage when the Nationals drafted him in the 13th round in 2015. The Athletics acquired Schrock in July 2016 for lefthanded reliever Marc Rzepczynski. In many ways, Schrock is similar to Joey Wendle, another bat-first A's second baseman who worked his way to the majors in 2016. Schrock has a simple swing, with good bat speed and a feel for the strike zone. His pro and amateur track records are short on strikeouts and he uses the whole field with some power, with double-digit home runs not out of the question. Schrock led the minors with 177 hits in 2016, and used his average speed and sharp instincts to steal 22 bases as well. He continued to perform in the Arizona Fall League, hitting .278 with five doubles in 13 games. An offense-first player, Schrock is adequate at second base with a below-average arm, but his hands are solid and he turns the pivot well on double plays. He should start 2017 back at Double-A Midland, where he finished the year, and could hit his way to Oakland soon.

Draft Prospects

In three years with the Gamecocks, Schrock has posted an impressive .302/.392/.460 triple-slash line, showing improved plate discipline from year to year. Schrock's carrying tool his powerful lefthanded bat. He has powerful hands with above-average bat speed and a short, line drive-oriented stroke. Schrock shows average raw power. He has an idea for what he's able to drive, and he's able to poke away junk on the corners, making him a difficult out, even for quality pitchers. Schrock's defensive future is uncertain. Scouts doubt is ability to stick at second base due to his below average body control and foot speed. He does have a quick first step, but lacks ideal range for the position. Schrock also has a below-average arm, which leads scouts to project him as a left fielder. He is a fringy runner. Schrock's track record of performance in the SEC will earn him a chance to prove himself at the next level, though he will have to find a defensive home and hit his way up the ladder.
Though he grew up just minutes from North Carolina's campus and cheered for the Tar Heels, Schrock committed to South Carolina to venture out a little. He projects as an offensive-minded second baseman, though his defense isn't a weakness and he may be able to handle shortstop in college. He runs average, but could slow down as he gets stronger. He is just 5-foot-8, 175 pounds, but can handle the bat and flashes some pop. He has a quick bat and was one of just a couple players to hit a home run at the East Coast Pro Showcase last summer.

Minor League Top Prospects

The Nationals turned a 13th-round pick into a piece for their big league bullpen when they traded Schrock to the Athletics for lefthander Marc Rzepczynski, but now Oakland has an overachiever in its system who reached Double-A after the trade and could hit his way to the big leagues. "He swung the bat very well and is a solid defender at second," Carolina manager Rocket Wheeler said. "He was raking in this league." In his first full season, Schrock had similar success at the other levels, batting a combined .331/.373/.449 at his four stops in the minors. He struck out just seven percent of the time. "He's got a simple swing and he hits," Potomac manager Tripp Keister said. "He hit from the day he got here until the day he left. His defense is better than I was expecting. He really works hard at it, turns the double play very well and has good hands. He goes the other way and has some power."
Schrock quickly proved that he was a bargain as a 13th-round pick out of South Carolina in 2015 who signed for an over-slot $500,000. One of the most advanced hitters in the SAL, he earned MVP honors at the all-star game before a promotion to high Class A. He eventually made it to Double-A after a trade to the Athletics. Schrock's ability to put the barrel on the ball is his best attribute. He has modest home-run power to his the pull side, but with a simple swing and approach he's best at using the whole field to spray line drives. Schrock has worked hard to become a fringe-average defender at second base. His arm is fringy but he showed improved foot speed and better angles and range as the season progressed. He turns the double play well.