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11/15/20

Scouting Report - SS - Jordan Lawler


 

Jordan Lawler

 

SS 6-2 185 Dallas Jesuit HS (TX)

 

 11-9-20 - Ian Smith Mock 1.0 -

 

3. Detroit Tigers

 

The Pick- SS Jordan Lawlar • Dallas Jesuit (TX)       

 

            6’3” • 195lb

 

First prep player comes off the board here at 3rd overall, and I feel like it will end up being a steal for Detroit long term. Jordan Lawlar gives you everything you’d ask for in a highly rated prep bat in my eyes. Projectable, plus glove at a premium position, advanced approach and plus hit tool, and plus raw power projection; Lawlar checks all the boxes. You watch this kid play the game, and it becomes extremely difficult to find negative things to say about him. 1.1 type of talent all day long in my eyes, and brings the right attitude to a very talented Tigers system.

 

 10-9-2020 - Keanan Lamb - @keananlamb

 

Nothing has changed my opinion on infielder Jordan Lawlar, still looks like the top prep prospect for the '21 class  

 

Joe - @JoeDoyleMiLB

 

Jordan Lawlar is so, so good. Gets two high fastballs he swings under... lays off a slider on the corner... gets another high fastball from Thatcher Hurd, adjusts, drives it deep into the RCF gap for a triple. Pretty special hit tool from this young man

 

10-9-2020 - Baseball America - @BaseballAmerica

 

Jordan Lawlar is one of the standout high school names of the summer. We currently have the Texas native going No. 4 to the Red Sox in our 'Way Too Early' mock draft.

 

 Over The Monster -

 

This early mock draft does not have the Red Sox taking one of the two Vanderbilt pitchers (despite one being available), but instead taking Jordan Lawlar, a high school shortstop from Texas. As BA indicates, this would continue a trend of the team picking prep infielders, which they have done with their first round selection in each of the past two years. I certainly don’t think they’ll lock in on that profile — and that’s not the suggestion in BA either, to be clear — but they’ve shown a willingness to do so. Lawlar is an all-around talent at a premium position, with BA saying he has a chance to get 55 grades across the board. On the 20-80 scouting scale, 55 indicates above-average talent, so getting that grade across the board is very good. Lawlar is committed to Vanderbilt following his high school career.

 

Lookout Landing -

 

Before you say “But Correa went first overall, Lawlar isn’t even better than Kumar Rocker, Jack Leiter or Jud Fabian…” keep in mind Correa wasn’t even a consensus Top 5 talent in 2012. The top three by almost all talent prognosticators were Mark Appel, Kevin Gausman and Mike Zunino. Correa fell somewhere behind those guys in the pecking order. He was a pretty massive under-slot for the Astros, allowing them to draft more aggressively as the rounds went by.

 

I also want to make one further point clear: I am not placing a comp. of Correa on Lawlar. I think there’s a lot of similarities in the swing, as well as the build, but Lawlar lags behind Correa in a number of ways at this same point in their careers.

 

I’m not saying Lawlar is the best player in this draft. But I’m not saying he isn’t either. Everything about this profile is tantalizing. The body, the makeup, the tools, it all screams big league impact to me. If the Mariners elect to go prep in the first round for the first time since 2014, I think Lawlar is the guy. He likely won’t be available to Seattle until 2025, at which point Crawford will be 30 years old and potentially on his way into the throes of free agency.

 

Here’s the thing. It’s no guarantee Seattle will have a top-two, top-three, or hell, even top-four draft pick next June. It’s important you get to know some of the guys outside of the Rocker’s, Leiter’s, Jaden Hill’s and Fabian’s.

 

With the rebuild reaching it’s completion, the team will be able to flip the farm on it’s head here soon and start reaching for higher-ceiling preps in the not-so-distant future. After all, the only other time the Mariners selected a prep infielder in the top five it didn’t turn out so bad…

 

 Prospect Worldwide -

 

Jordan Lawlar – SS: Shows off a rare polished skillset for a HS Shortstop with the ability to stick at a premium position. Showing 4 Above-Average to Plus Tools, with just the Power grading lower as a 50 (League-Average), Lawlar is one of the few players in the entire class that has legitimate 5 Tool potential if he can tap into more consistent power. Even if he can’t, and he settles as a 20 HR guy, his enter package makes him undeniably the #1 Prep talent, and a very likely Top 5 Pick, with 1.1 consideration in the 2021 MLB Draft.

 

 Baseball Prospect Journal -

 

2. Texas Rangers: Jordan Lawlar, SS, Dallas Jesuit (Texas) HS

Lawlar was the best player on the prep showcase this summer. He is a five-tool shortstop who is 6-foot-2, 185 pounds. He’s added about 30 pounds to his frame since he started high school in 2017, including about 10 pounds over the last year when he focused exclusively on baseball, he said.

 

Lawlar currently is more of a gap-to-gap hitter than a power hitter. The right-handed hitter has a quiet, compact swing that allows him to succeed against high-end pitching and consistently drive hard-hit balls to all parts of the field.

 

Defensively, Lawlar is one of the best defensive shortstops in the 2021 class and should stick at shortstop long-term. He has a strong arm that is accurate and capable of making all the necessary throws from the shortstop position.

 

 Diamond Digest -   

 

4) Jordan Lawlar, SS, Dallas Jesuit HS (TX)

 

A very athletic, high school shortstop, Lawlar jumps out mainly because of his premium defensive ability but his developing in-game power is what I find to so intriguing. He has a clean swing without a ton of moving parts and he has shown a strong feel for the barrel this summer. Lawlar displays an advanced ability to adjust to breaking balls mid-flight and use the whole field, a rare trait for hitters his age. Where he has really come along so well in just the past few months is in regard to his power. He clearly spent his time in quarantine packing muscle onto his projectable frame. He looks noticeably bigger and stronger, and his newfound strength in his physical frame has helped him put up power we hadn’t seen from him until now. Lawlar already had good bat speed and was able to rotate and pull the ball, but he is starting to show potential 60-grade raw power that he is tapping in to during games. Lawlar’s 70-grade athleticism makes him a joy to watch on defense, where he profiles a potential double-plus defender. His quick foot speed and explosive first step give him great range. He has excellent hands and actions, and has a quick transfer. His arm isn’t a cannon, but his ability to make different types of throws is a valuable part of his defensive game. In all, Lawlar is one of my favorite prep players in a class littered with talented hitters, especially at the shortstop position. Lawlar is committed to Vanderbilt.

 

 MLB -

 

Jordan Lawlar, SS, Jesuit Prep HS (Texas) -- Lawlar did nothing to lose his spot as the top high schooler in this Draft class, barreling up a fastball for his triple on Sunday. Everything he does is easy and fluid, with projection to come as well for the Vanderbilt recruit.

 

 Prospect Worldwide -  -

 

Jordan Lawlar – SS: Shows off a rare polished skillset for a HS Shortstop with the ability to stick at a premium position. Showing 4 Above-Average to Plus Tools, with just the Power grading lower as a 50 (League-Average), Lawlar is one of the few players in the entire class that has legitimate 5 Tool potential if he can tap into more consistent power. Even if he can’t, and he settles as a 20 HR guy, his enter package makes him undeniably the #1 Prep talent, and a very likely Top 5 Pick, with 1.1 consideration in the 2021 MLB Draft.

 

 Pitcher List -

 

12. Jordan Lawlar, SS, Jesuit Prep High School (Texas)

 

House, Leto, and Bishop are first-tier prep hitters. Pacheco and Jordan Lawlar represent the second tier. With good contact and power in both high school games and for Team USA, Lawlar is near perfect size for the position (6’2, 180). He can stay at shortstop even if he grows and fills out a little. I like his plate patience and coverage. I’m not sure there is much room for him to rise in the uber-talented group.

 

 Prospects Live -

 

Jordan Lawlar - This is the kind of prep bat teams drool over. Throughout the summer, Lawlar has shown huge growth with the bat, showcasing a very smooth right-handed swing with good power and a great hit tool. That continued in Oklahoma City as he had a single and a double to go with a walk and a strikeout during the game.

 

The first hit came off a 94 MPH fastball from Andrew Painter, driving it to the opposite field with authority. He did it again off a Maddux Bruns fastball in the third inning, going to the opposite field gap for a double and scoring a run. He’s shown a strong ability to hit to all fields and has firmly cemented himself among the best bats in this class. In the field, he shows great defensive actions and moves well.


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