Mack - 2021 Draft Targets: Andrew Painter, Josh Hartle, Russell Smith, Christian Little, Thomas Dilandri

 

Baseball Prospect Journal came out with their Mets pick in the first round and it was…

 

10. New York Mets: Andrew Painter, RHP, Calvary Christian (Fla.) HS

 

Painter currently is the top prep arm in the 2021 MLB draft class. He has a notable 6-6, 210-pound frame, repeats his low-effort delivery well, and fills up the strike zone. He has a solid four-pitch mix. He has a fastball that sits in the mid-90s and shows a solid feel for his changeup, curveball, and slider.

 

Painter is exactly what scouts look for in a prep right-hander. He doesn’t rely on an overpowering fastball, has consistent off-speed pitches, and above-average control for a high school pitcher.

 

                    Josh Hartle

 

                        LHP 6-5 195 Reagan HS (NC) 

 

Prospects Live wrote a feature on this guy -

 

Josh Hartle is here and he's for real.

 

Hailing from Ronald W. Reagan High School, Hartle has some of the best characteristics that project potential first round talent. At 6'5, 200 pounds, his lanky frame has tons of projection to it and he has an advanced feel for pitching, with three potential plus pitches in-hand. He's long been a mainstay in draft circles, showing well beyond his years from a very young age.

 

"Hartle has been on our radar ever since his 14U days", said Brian Sakowski, the National Scouting Supervisor at Perfect Game. "The pitchability and feel stood out even when he was barely clipping 80 MPH. He's the top prep lefty on our draft board right now, with the stuff having developed well and the chance to project at least 2, maybe 3 plus pitches long term."

 

 

Draft Site posted their latest mock draft and they had this guy at 1.10 -

 

                Russell Smith

 

                    RHP 6-9 235 TCU

 

Medium - Russell Smith is a fascinating pitcher and prospect for the Horned Frogs. He produced a 2.85 FIP in 21 IP in 2020, which is a smidge worse than the average was, but he’s still just a sophomore. What’s really interesting is his peripheral numbers; Smith posted a K/9 of 11.57 and a BB/9 of 0.86. He also only allowed 6.43 H/9, but what hurt him was his propensity to allow HRs, allowing 1.29 per 9 IP, which inflated his wOBA allowed to 0.241.

 

2020 stat line - 21-IP, 2.57-ERA, 0.81-WHIP, 11.57-K/9 

 

Mack observation -

 

Smith is a big dude worth considering in the first round. I would have liked to see more of him in 2020, but since he was only a sophomore, we will see him pitch for the Horned Frogs coming next year.

 

I am going to keep a close look at him in the 2021 season.

 

 

                    Christian Little  

 

                    RHP 6-4 205 Christian Bros. College HS (MO) 

 

Talking Chop - Coming into the Perfect Game Nationals, most would have ranked Christian Little as the #1 arm in the high school class. While Little was hardly bad, others moved ahead of him because they have louder stuff. Still there is a lot to like with this athletic 6’4, 205 pounder who will still be just 17 years old on draft day. Little may be the safest of the top prep arms along with Painter, as he brings the potential for at least above average command with three plus pitches, a projectable starter’s frame, and an excellent feel for pitching. Little sits more low to mid 90s for right now, with a change that some would even call his best pitch, and the plus curve that he has tightened up in the past year. Little has been ranked at the top of his class for years, and has a long track record of success in events against top competition. It is worth noting that he is a Vanderbilt commitment, and those are almost never easy signs.

 

https://www.perfectgame.org/Players/Playerprofile.aspx?ID=468565 - Christian Little is a 2021 RHP with a 6-4 210 lb. frame from St. Louis, MO who attends Christian Brothers College HS. Ideal young pitchers build with present strength and lots of length and physical projection. Easy low effort delivery, full hands over head start, arm is loose and tension free. Fastball topped out at 95 mph, more there in the future, fastball jumps out of his hand, commands it well to both sides of the plate with intent, mostly straight with good downhill plane down in the zone. Showed feel for his curveball and tunnels it well, throws it for strikes and will double up, showed the ability to shorten it up for more of a slider look. Developing slider. Very young for the class and combines present skills/stuff with projection. 

 

Mack observation -

 

Talking Chop is correct. You need to place this name along side of Andrew Painter and, if he is still on the board when you pick 1.10, make the hard decision here.

 

What if both are still on the board?

 

Painter.

 

 

                    Thomas Dilandri

 

                                                OF 6-3 195 Palo Verde HS (LV) 

 

PG - Thomas Dilandri is a 2021 OF/RHP with a 6-3 195 lb. frame from Las Vegas, NV who attends Palo Verde. Outstanding athletic build with plenty of room to get stronger. 6.70 runner in the sixty, moves well to the ball in the outfield with fluid athletic action, fields cleanly out front, long and loose arm action with plus carry and arm strength when he's on top of the ball. Right handed hitter, hits from a wide base with an easy and loose swing, has simplified elements of his swing, hit the ball out front well and creates some lift and torque, has big power potential to develop. 

 

Prep Baseball Report -  6-foot-3 195. Simply put, DiLandri is “tooled up”. He has present strength in an athletic build that is well proportioned. He consistently runs well, but due to some tenderness sat out the 60-yard dash this time around. He has electric bat speed, posting an event best 101 MPH exit velocity off the tee. His first swing in BP drove the ball beyond the fence. At times there is so much strength and bat speed, he can be a little short through the zone, but contact is loud to the middle and pull side of the field consistently. Defensively, DiLandri has a strong arm with a positional velocity of 89. He has a longer exchange with some violence to his throwing action but his arm strength makes up for any loss of time in transition. His tools provide the ability to profile at all three outfield spots and be a middle of the order type bat at the next level. 

 

Mack observation -

 

Dilandri looks like a guy that would fit in well on Day Two.

 

It will be interesting to see how he progresses between now and draft day.