Mack's Mock Pick - 1.25 - SS - Khalil Watson

 

Khalil Watson

Mack's spin - 

Another of the very talented shortstops in this draft

I could be drafting him late here, especially if a run on shortstops starts because teams are afraid they will miss out on one of these guys unless they draft them early. We have seen this before, especially on short.

Watson has both the bat and glove to be a star in this game.

 SS      5-11     175     Wake Forest HS (NC) 

 

2-18-21 - PG - Top HS Prospects -

 

9 Kahlil Watson

 

5-11  168  L/R SS Wake Forest, NC North Carolina State Wake Forest

 

Explosive tools across the board; continued ascent throughout summer & into fall; fast hands offensively, present juice w/ excellent barrel skills; stands out defensively, big arm across.

 

 2-15-21 - CBS - Top 50 -

 

7. Kahlil Watson, SS, Wake Forest HS (NC)

 

Put a star next to Watson's name because there's a chance he becomes one. In addition to being a capable shortstop and runner, he has one of the prettiest and most mature swings in the class. Watson creates oodles of torque, a byproduct of the separation he achieves between his upper and lower halves during his load. The resulting explosivity permits him top-end hand speed and a bat path that should lend itself to above-average power production. Watson will need to improve his approach to maximize his output, and there's a chance any added muscle will force him to another position. There's a lot to like here all the same, and it seems certain he never steps foot on NC State's campus.

 

 1-26-21 - BA -

 

14. Kahlil Watson, SS, Wake Forest (N.C.) HS

 

Areas To Improve: Show improved ability to stay on dirt, strength gains, dominate North Carolina pitching

 

Watson has plenty of athleticism and some of the best pure bat speed in the class. He might not be challenged too much against North Carolina prep pitching, so he’ll need to dominate the competition to provide confidence in his hit tool, and adding strength to a smaller frame could also give teams confidence. While he has all the tools to stick in the middle of the infield, teams would like to see improvement in the details of his defensive game to give them more confidence he is a shortstop at the next level.

 

 1-20-21 - prospect live -

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#7

Kansas City Royals

Khalil Watson

2B/SS, Wake Forest (HS)

 

We have Kansas City making the first splash of the 2021 draft selecting the firecracker shortstop out of North Carolina 6th overall. Watson has had as much helium as anyone in the 2021 class, seemingly each of his showcase performances louder than the last. A bat first middle infielder with one of the most visually appealing left handed swings in the draft, Watson possesses explosive bat speed and seemingly has a knack for getting good wood on the ball. It's simple, natural loft that impacts the ball out front. The result is above average pull-side power. There's a star quality about Watson. Kansas City can dream of a future middle infield of Bobby Witt Jr. and Watson, a tandem guilty of making just about any front office blush.

 

 1-14-21  -  Baseball America

 

Kahlil Watson

 

Wake Forest (N.C.) HS SS

 

Ht: 5-9 | Wt: 178 | B-T: L-R

Commit/Drafted: North Carolina State

Age At Draft: 18.2

 

Watson steadily increased his stock by performing consistently during the summer—including standout performances at USA Baseball’s National Team Championships and East Coast Pro—and is now among the top high school players in a strong North Carolina class. A 5-foot-9, 178-pound shortstop, Watson shows solid raw power for his size with impressive bat speed and aggressive swings to go with an advanced hit tool and approach. Against one of the most electric lefthanders in the class—Alabama’s Maddux Bruns—Watson worked an impressive walk in one at-bat and then followed it up with a hard-hit triple to right-center field in the next. Defensively, Watson has a good shot to stick at shortstop moving forward with good actions, solid arm strength and slick footwork at the position. Speed should be another asset for the North Carolina State commit, as he clocked a 65-grade run time (6.5-6.6 seconds) in the 60-yard dash at East Coast Pro, which will give him enough range up the middle and make him a threat on the base paths. The industry currently sees Watson as a top-two round talent, and he’s one of the reasons the 2021 prep shortstop class is already looking stronger than it did in 2020.

 

 12-26-20  -  Baseball Prospect Journal Mock Draft 1.0 -

 

16. Miami Marlins: Kahlil Watson, SS, Wake Forest (N.C.) HS

 

Speed is Watson’s biggest asset. He has a strong arm and solid footwork to give him a legitimate chance to stick at shortstop in the future. He has room to add strength to his 5-foot-9, 178-pound frame. The left-handed hitter has an aggressive swing and notable raw power.

 

 12-25-20 - https://medium.com/minor-league-madhouse/2021-mlb-mock-draft-3

 

Cincinnati Reds

 

The Reds could use this pick to nab a faller, and the one player that Minor League Madhouse sees falling is North Carolina prep shortstop Kahlil Watson. Watson has average to solid tools across the board, with his speed ensuring he will hit leadoff. Though listed at 5'9", Watson plays with a presence. He can get overly aggressive at the plate, but is still capable of impacting the game enough to be an average hitter at worst. Watson does have some character concerns, but they aren’t egregious enough for him to be pushed out of the first round. The Reds would still be in a prime position to take advantage of the uber class and get him to be their future shortstop if he lands here.

 

 12-18-20 - Future Sox Mock Draft -

 

18. St. Louis Cardinals: Kahlil Watson, SS, Wake Forest HS (NC)

 

Watson has some apparently minor character concerns, but he fits in this range. The 5-foot-9, 180-pounder will stay at shortstop over the long haul, but his bat will definitely play elsewhere. The Cardinals continue their recent trend of selecting high upside preps early.

 

 12-16-20  -  mlb -

 

Q:  If Kahlil Watson shows out over the course of this draft cycle, how high could he rise in this Draft class?

 

Mayo  -  With Watson, it’s more a concern with his volatile on-field behavior than anything, with tremendous tools and the ability to play shortstop. In both cases, we think they’re going to perform enough to belong or we wouldn’t have put them in the top 15.

 

 

12-3-20  -  Perfect Game combined their picks for the first two rounds in this mock draft  -

 

14. San Francisco Giants | Kahlil Watson, SS, Wake Forest HS | (2/43) Cody Morissette, SS, Boston College

 

Watson burst onto the national scene this summer and didn’t slow down at all, both literally and figuratively as his plus speed was consistently on display while his offensive output only seemed to excel throughout the circuit. He’s a left-handed hitter with lightening quick hands and proved that the power plays while showing a solid collection of tools up the middle where you can easily project him to stay at the next level. With the second pick the Giants grabbed another up-the-middle prospect, this time from the collegiate ranks with Cody Morissette of Boston College. His fluidity in his left-handed swing and pure hit tool have been on display since arriving on campus and he was off to a torrid start prior to the shutdown in 2020 with a .448 average. He’ll anchor the middle of the diamond on defense for the Eagles where he’ll remain at the next level, though it’s the offensive skillset that has helped set him apart thus far. -Jheremy Brown

 

Cervino’s Take: Prep shortstops are the headliners on the high school side of the draft and the Giants grab the biggest riser in Kahlil Watson in the first and a safe college bat in Boston College’s Cody Morissette. Watson’s the first prep shortstop the Giants would have taken since 2013 and Morissette fits their draft trends a bit better given his college resume and safe hit tool. Regardless the combination of high ceiling and high floor with their first two picks make for a solid pair.

 

 11-24-20  -  Prospects Worldwide Mock Draft -

 

14.  SS Khalil Watson

 

School: Wake Forest HS, NC | Commit: North Carolina St | B / T: L / R | Ht: 5’11 | Wt: 168lbs | Age: 18.1

 

One of the summers biggest risers with some of the cleaner actions at the SS position.. Plus athleticism, bat speed, and a bat that has really been showing up loudly this summer. So much that he has put himself in firm 1st round discussions with his ability to produce on both sides of the ball, and there is still more to come with the bat. Patient and willing to take walks, to go with (55 Hit and 45 Power) with a chance to pop into 50 Power. A Plus (60) runner that plays on both sides of the ball and pairs well his his aggressive style on the basepaths.

 

Defensively, a natural fit at SS with his quick twitch actions and range where he grades as Plus (60). Above-average (55) Arm strength that is firm across the diamond with consistent on target throws.

 

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