Top Washington 2019 MLB Draft Prospects

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State List Talent Ranking: ????????
(Stars are listed on a 1 to 5 scale relative to what the state typically produces, with 1 being the weakest)

1. Corbin Carroll, OF, Lakeside HS, Seattle (BA RANK: 12)
Source: HS • Ht: 5-10 • Wt: 170 • B-T: L-L • Commitment/Drafted: UCLA

Carroll wowed scouts all summer by dominating at the plate in almost every high-profile event he attended. The 5-foot-10, 170-pound outfielder plays above his size in every facet of the game. He has a polished hit tool and a terrific feel for the strike zone with a patient approach in the batter’s box. Carroll has no problem spitting on pitches just outside the zone and taking a walk, and then he can wreck havoc with his plus speed and advanced feel for running the bases. While Carroll is short, he isn’t small, with a solid frame and improved strength to the point where he could project for at least average power. Carroll’s speed plays in the outfield as well, where he is one of the best defensive center fielders in the class. Scouting directors voted Carroll as best prep defender in the class during the preseason thanks to excellent jumps and efficient route running. Some teams question his arm strength, and it was previously fringe-average, though reports on his throwing this spring have continued to improve as he’s gotten stronger. There are very few holes to speak of in Carroll’s game, although his size and some of the comparisons he’s gotten to Phillies prospect Mickey Moniak, who has struggled since being the No. 1 overall pick in 2016, might give some teams pause. Still, Carroll has shown more impact ability than Moniak did at the same age. He is also praised for his excellent makeup, high baseball IQ and impressive work ethic. Carroll’s all-around package and polish could allow him to become the highest-drafted Washington high schooler this century, passing Reese McGuire (2013) and Travis Snider (2006), who were both selected with the 14th overall pick. Carroll is committed to UCLA.

2. Joshua Mears, OF, Federal Way (Wash.) HS (BA RANK: 93)
Source: HS • Ht: 6-3 • Wt: 235 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Purdue

Mears is a 6-foot-3, 235-pound outfielder who is committed to Purdue. He has plenty of natural strength and scouts believe he could still add more weight, which he’ll need to carefully maintain. Mears is lively in the batter’s box, showing quick hands and plus bat speed. He creates natural loft with his swing and has plus raw power, though he will need to continue refining his approach to get to it regularly. He has performed well with the bat this spring in front of plenty of higher-level evaluators. Despite a lack of pure instinct and only an average run tool, Mears is athletic and evaluators think he will be fine in the outfield, though he’ll definitely be in a corner.

3. Nick Kahle, C, Washington (BA RANK: 131)
Source: 4YR • Ht: 5-10 • Wt: 195 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Never Drafted

Kahle is a short, 5-foot-10, 195-pound catcher who has shown excellent feel to hit in a career-best junior season. Through his first 50 games, Kahle was hitting .337/.511/.528 with terrific plate discipline. His 59 walks through that stretch were good enough for the sixth-best walk total in the country among Division I hitters, and his 1.18 walks per game trailed only Oregon State catcher Adley Rutschman. Scouts praise his approach and note that he rarely chases balls out of the zone. He swings with a short, direct path to the plate that generates some loft, but he has mostly doubles power right now. Kahle is known as a smart player who works well with pitchers. There are mixed reviews about his defense behind the plate. Some scouts see him as a polished receiver with good blocking ability and solid arm strength, while others think his arm is below-average and wonder how well his frame will hold up in the future.

4. Josh Burgmann, RHP, Washington (BA RANK: 145)
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-0 • Wt: 205 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Cardinals ’16 (30)

Burgmann was drafted by the Cardinals in the 30th round of the 2016 draft out of high school, but he instead made it to campus at Washington. In his freshman season, Burgmann appeared in just eight games and tossed 13.2 innings before he had to be shut down with a partially torn UCL and underwent Tommy John surgery. During his redshirt freshman season in 2018, Burgmann worked mostly as a reliever and posted a 3.19 ERA. He struggled to locate his secondary offerings, however, and he struck out just 6.10 batters per nine innings while walking 3.77 per nine. He added a slider to his repertoire at that point and during his first full season as a starter in 2019, he finally started to put everything together. Through his first 14 starts and 79 innings, Burgmann posted a 3.99 ERA, but the major improvement was the fact that he was striking out a career-best 11.5 batters per nine while walking just 2.5 per nine. Scouts praise his strike-throwing ability—he almost throws too many, as Burgmann doesn’t like to waste pitches and will frequently give hitters too many hittable offerings inside the zone. His fastball sits in the low 90s but touches 95 mph, and both his slider and curveball are above-average offerings. He also has a solid fourth-pitch changeup. Listed at 6 feet, 205 pounds, Burgmann has a strong, stocky build without much room for further projection, but he has a solid trio of pitches and good strike-throwing to match.

5. Carter Young, SS, Selah (Wash.) HS (BA RANK: 178)
Source: HS • Ht: 6-0 • Wt: 177 • B-T: B-R • Commitment/Drafted: Vanderbilt

Young made a name for himself after performing well with the 2017 USA Baseball 18U national team as an underclassman, manning second base and showing a solid bat at the plate. Coming into the 2019 draft cycle with high expectations, Young struggled over the summer with the bat and his stock fell accordingly. A 6-foot, 177-pound shortstop, Young doesn’t have a plus tool but he is solid across the board. He’s an average runner with an above-average arm. While scouts might have been willing to put an average hit tool on him a year ago, that grade has backed up after Young showed inconsistent contact this spring and swung and missed more frequently than he has in the past. Young has quick hands and a short, simple bat path, but he has limited raw power. He is most polished on the defensive side, where he has terrific actions and could play either middle infield spot. He probably fits best at second base long term, where he has excellent footwork turning the double play, a quick exchange and the ability to make accurate throws while off-balance and without his feet set. A Vanderbilt commit, Young could be a tough sign unless he’s drafted in the first few rounds, and his performance last summer likely doesn’t warrant that draft capital for most teams right now. He could significantly boost his stock if he gets to college and hits like he has in the past, however.

6. Casey Legumina, RHP, Gonzaga (BA RANK: 206)
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-2 • Wt: 195 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Indians ’18 (35)

Legumina is a 6-foot-2, 195-pound righthander who was drafted in the 25th round by the Blue Jays in 2016 and then selected in the 35th round by the Indians in 2018. This season hasn’t gone as planned for Legumina, who moved from the bullpen to the Bulldogs’ starting rotation and pitched just 24 innings before suffering a forearm strain. The righthander has a sound delivery and good arm speed, dialing his fastball up to 96 mph before being sidelined by the arm injury.

7. Brock Jones, LHP, W.F. West HS, Chehalis, Wash. (BA RANK: 259)
Source: HS • Ht: 6-1 • Wt: 175 • B-T: L-L • Commitment/Drafted: Washington

A 6-foot-1, 175-pound athletic lefthander who throws from a three-quarter slot, Jones has a fast arm and threw in the 86-91 mph range last summer at the Area Code Games. While his fastball will need to improve to get to an average pitch in the future, Jones shows the makings of a plus curveball, which he throws with a knuckle-curve grip in the mid-70s with impressive shape and spin. Jones has also thrown a changeup in the low to mid-80s. He is committed to Washington.

8. Henry Gargus, 1B, Davis HS, Yakima, Wash. (BA RANK: 293)
Source: HS • Ht: 6-0 • Wt: 211 • B-T: B-L • Commitment/Drafted: Stanford

A 6-foot, 211-pound first baseman, Gargus has a muscular frame and showed huge raw power throughout the summer. He homered with ease from both sides of the plate at multiple events during batting practices, but scouts have yet to see that power show up in games. Gargus expands the strike zone and swings over breaking pitches at times and can lunge frequently. He’ll need to refine his approach and get more comfortable against secondary offerings to take advantage of his obvious plus power. Defensively, Gargus is likely limited to first base or a corner outfield spot, but he moves better than expected considering his frame and has run plus 60-yard dash times. Gargus will be a tough sign considering his commitment to Stanford.

9. Nate Weeldreyer, RHP, Auburn (Wash.) Mountainview HS (BA RANK: 365)
Source: HS • Ht: 6-1 • Wt: 197 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Purdue

Weeldreyer is a 6-foot-1, 197-pound prep righthander who is committed to Purdue, Weeldreye has a solid frame and throws from a three-quarter slot, but scouts do have concerns about the length in the back of his arm stroke and his athleticism. He’s pitched well this spring and goes right after hitters with a fastball that’s gotten up to 92 and a fringe-average, in-between breaking ball that could become an above-average pitch in the future.

10. Chris Micheles, LHP, Washington
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-1 • Wt: 175 • B-T: L-L • Commitment/Drafted: Never Drafted

 

11. Owen Cobb, SS, Garfield HS, Seattle
Source: HS • Ht: 6-1 • Wt: 178 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Stanford

 

12. Ben Steck, C, Jackson HS, Mill Creek, Wash.
Source: HS • Ht: 6-2 • Wt: 210 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Oregon State

 

13. Jadon Bugni, C, Ellensburg (Wash.) HS
Source: HS • Ht: 6-2 • Wt: 185 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Washington State

 

14. Jay Dunbar, RHP, Ballard HS, Seattle
Source: HS • Ht: 6-1 • Wt: 190 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: UC Santa Barbara

 

15. Grant Heiser, C, Camas (Wash.) HS
Source: HS • Ht: 6-0 • Wt: 185 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: –