Hearing about the broken hamate makes me a little more optimistic about his offensive production in college
They just said this guy the Mets picked is “Freddie Freeman with power”. Since when does Fred not have power?
I'm not pretending it's the 80s, but it's still a desirable skill. Good teams are going to run all over you in the postseason if you have a catcher that can't throw anybody out.
I’m not so sure. He will beat Contreras to the bigs by a couple of seasons and is likely to hit no worse than .240-.260 with 15-18 homers with plus-plus defense and arm. That style catcher always plays in the bigs.
WC is already knocking on the door of AA and until either can show they’re a guy that can play 130+ games a year and be an all-star level guy you have room for both of them
High floor, sure sign, and can be fast-tracked at a position of need. Not sexy, but I get the strategy.
Lets go for it - take Matt Allan and give him big money to sign. Especially if we can get Langeliers underslot.
Braden Shewmake, SS/2B, Texas A&M Fangraphs: #54 overall Baseball America: #27 overall MLB Pipeline: #32 overall
Baseball America: A lanky, 6-foot-4, 190-pound shortstop, Shewmake can handle any infield position but started all 61 games at shortstop for Texas A&M as a sophomore and has continued to hold down the position as a junior in 2019. He’s been among the most consistent hitters in the SEC over his three collegiate seasons, starting with a loud freshman campaign when he hit .328/.374/.529 with 11 home runs and 11 stolen bases and was voted first-team all-SEC. He has continued to hit at a high level, although Shewmake has not replicated his power numbers from his freshman season. Scouts wonder when he will start to physically fill out his frame and begin hitting for more power. He has good bat speed and some twitchiness with his hands at the plate, but he’ll eventually need to add more strength to tap into additional power with a wood bat. He struggled in 44 at-bats for USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team last summer (.136/.250/.205), though his track record in the SEC will likely be emphasized compared to a much smaller sample with a wood bat. Defensively, Shewmake has all of the intangibles necessary to play shortstop, and he is a terrific in-game leader with athleticism. However, if he does begin to fill out physically, he has a chance to outgrow the position, and he doesn’t currently have the hands of an everyday, major league shortstop. Because of those concerns, many scouts are mixed as to where Shewmake fits best, defensively. He’s a plus runner who could handle all three outfield positions, if necessary, but teams will likely look to keep him in the infield before running him out to the grass. Shewmake is something of a conundrum to teams who view him as a player with a skillset that’s greater than his tools, and he might be best served in a super-utility role down the line. Either way, his track record of hitting should have him selected on Day 1 of the draft, and there’s more projection here if and when he starts to fill out physically.
MLB Pipeline: Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 50 | Run: 50 | Arm: 55 | Field: 50 | Overall: 50 Shewmake drew some mild scouting interest as a senior at Wylie (Texas) East High in 2016, but not enough to divert him from attending Texas A&M. He won Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year honors and helped the Aggies reach the College World Series in 2017, then shifted to shortstop as a sophomore. Of the half-dozen college players at that position who have legitimate first-round aspirations in 2019, he might be the best pure hitter. His outstanding hand-eye coordination allows Shewmake to put the bat on the ball with ease. A left-handed hitter who's a bit unorthodox at the plate, he tends to get caught out on his front foot but still has the dexterity to slap singles to the opposite field. He also has the bat speed and leverage in his still-projectable 6-foot-4 frame to turn on balls, hinting at average power in his future. Shewmake grew up around the game because his father Shane is the head coach at Texas-Dallas, and his instincts are apparent on the bases and in the field. He has a knack for stealing bases despite average speed and makes plays at shortstop. His arm is more accurate than strong, leading some scouts to project him as a second baseman, and he has the versatility and selflessness to fit anywhere in the infield.
I get it's baseball and he's probably never making the majors with us, but what the hell do we need with a middle infielder that high