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Jonathan India
COL 3B
Notes:
School: Florida
Ht: 6-0 | Wt: 185 | B-T: R-R | Committed/Drafted: Brewers '15 (26)
Scouting Report: Scouts have admired the way India plays the game and his overall package of tools since he was a standout shortstop at American Heritage School in Delray Beach, Fla. India was ranked as the No. 82 player in the 2015 class, but after the Brewers drafted him in the 26th round he made his way to Gainesville. India was solid, but unspectacular, in his first two season with the Gators, missing some time with injury during his sophomore campaign in which he hit 274/.354/.429 with 23 strikeouts and 42 walks. He’s improved his draft stock substantially this spring, hitting .420/.551/.840 with 13 home runs and more walks (34) than strikeouts (30) through his first 40 games. He is among the nation’s top-10 hitters in each triple-slash category and scouts have been extremely happy to see his raw power translate more into games this year. His ultimate role will depend on his defensive position. He played a decent amount of innings at shortstop early this year, but most of his time with Florida has been at third base, where he has solid hands and an average arm. He’s likely a third baseman or a second baseman at the next level, with the flexibility to move to shortstop in a pinch or for a team that doesn’t prioritize shortstop defense. If third base is the destination, he has more than enough bat to profile there, especially if this year’s power display is here to stay.
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Brice Turang
HS SS
Notes:
School: Santiago HS, Corona, Calif.
Ht: 6-1 | Wt: 165 | B-T: L-R | Committed/Drafted: Louisiana State
Scouting Report: Turang is one of the most famous prep players in the 2018 class and entered the draft cycle as the top high school player in the nation. A four-year varsity starter at Santiago (Corona, Calif.) High, Turang also played for USA Baseball’s 18U National Team in 2016 and 2017, more than holding his own playing on the 2016 club that featured 2017 No. 1 and No. 2 overall picks Royce Lewis and Hunter Greene, respectively. In fact, you wouldn’t have to search far to find a scout who said Turang was the best player on the team, despite the fact that Turang never played in the international tournament in Mexico after getting hit in the face by a pitch. Because of his exposure and history as a talented player at such a young age, teams have been somewhat disappointed with Turang since last summer. He’s never struggled, but he’s also never wowed scouts in the same way that he did as an underclassman. Even with that said, Turang was still voted a first-team Preseason All-American, the best pure hitter in the class, the best defensive infielder in the class with the second-best arm, and the No. 3 athlete in Baseball America’s preseason survey to major league scouting directors. Turang is among the more polished prep players with an advanced left-handed hit tool and rarely swings and misses with a patient approach that allows him to hit the ball where it’s pitched. Turang’s loudest tool is his speed, which is at least plus and likely plus-plus, allowing him to wreak havoc on the bases and also cover a large swath of ground defensively. He can make throws from multiple angles, on the run, up the middle and in the hole, and also has the sure hands and footwork that should allow him to stay at the position at the next level. At just 6-foot-1, 165 pounds, the biggest knock on Turang is his size. Some teams are worried about the impact he’ll make at the next level and don’t anticipate him having much more than fringe-average raw power. While Turang might not be filling up a scout card with 6- and 7-grade tools, he does everything well, has a long track record of succeeding against elite competition and plays a premium position as a lefthanded hitter.
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Ethan Hankins
HS RHP
Notes:
School: Forsyth Central HS, Cumming, Ga.
Ht: 6-6 | Wt: 215 | B-T: R-R | Committed/Drafted: Vanderbilt
Scouting Report: Perhaps the most perplexing player in the 2018 draft class, Hankins entered the year with a real shot to become the first prep righthander ever selected with the No. 1 overall pick. The lanky and athletic 6-foot-6 Vanderbilt commit wowed scouts over the summer, when he regularly used a 70-grade fastball in the low to mid-90s that got up to 97-98 mph at its best with elite life and advanced command for his age. Before Hankins began his senior season with Forsyth Central High (Cumming, Ga.), many evaluators expected Hankins to throw into the triple digits. A shoulder injury interrupted his season, however, and while he made his way back to the mound the stuff was not the same. During the showcase circuit with USA Baseball’s 18U National Team, Hankins struck out 27 international batters and walked three in 12 innings. In general, Hankins’ velocity has been down this spring, although he has still reached 96 mph and scouts have still seen some of the plus fastball life that made the pitch such a weapon in the past. Prior to the season, scouting directors voted Hankins as having the best fastball and best fastball movement in BA’s Preseason All-America poll, where he also was named a unanimous first-team pitcher. Hankins has exceptional athleticism and body control, allowing him to spot his fastball and secondary offerings more effectively than a typical prep pitcher at his height and with his velocity. His mid-70s curveball has been inconsistent, likely a fringe offering at its best, though he occasionally snapped off a few plus offerings, with a low-80s changeup that’s in the same boat. Hankins has tinkered with a slider in the past and multiple evaluators believe that will be the breaking ball he ends up developing in the future thanks to his arm slot. But for now, teams are still evaluating and projecting his curveball as well. Hankins’ medical will be crucial in determining his eventual landing spot in the draft, though when he first went down in February, some decision-makers thought he would still go in the top of the first round even if he never came back to throw another pitch. He has returned to the mound, however, and while the stuff hasn’t come all the way back, he’s at least showing teams he can throw regularly. When healthy, Hankins has the potential to be a true frontline starter and would rank as the top high school pitcher in the 2018 class, but his spring has created more questions than answers.