Mack's Mock Pick - 1.27 - OF - Joshua Baez

 

Joshua Baez

Mack's spin - 

I struggled with this one.

His shear projected power would make him an easy top 15 pick. You have to respect someone who's comp has been compared to Cespedes.

On the other hand, his school has played against weak competition and he strikes out a ton.

A late first round pick is a safe spot here.

 

OF      6-3      220      Dexter Southfield HS (MA)

 

2-18-21 - PG - Top HS Prospects -

 

6 Joshua Baez

 

6-3  220  R/R OF Boston, MA Vanderbilt

 

Physical build with standout tools; big present power & more to come; big performance at WWBA Underclass with the bat; up to 92 mph as well. The Elite tools were on displays at the PG National and pretty polished in the box too. Big raw velocity on the mound, as well, peaking at 96. 

 

2-15-21 - CBS - Top 50 -

 

28. Joshua Baez, OF, Dexter Southfield HS (MA)

 

Baez has the idyllic right-field profile: a sturdy frame; a lofty swing that cranks out hard-hit balls; and an arm that has been clocked into the upper-90s on the mound. He does swing and miss a fair amount, and he's coming from the northeast, which will inspire concerns about the level of competition he's faced. Baez is a Vanderbilt commitment, so he'll have to go early to be convinced to turn pro. 

 

1-26-21 - BA -

 

20. Joshua Baez, OF, Dexter Southfield HS, Brookline, Mass.

 

Areas To Improve: Refine offensive approach, cut down swing & miss

 

Baez has some of the best power in the high school class and a high-upside raw toolset that’s near the top of the class behind Benny Montgomery. When Baez does connect with the baseball it’s explosive. But there is some swing and miss involved in his aggressive approach. There aren’t too many mechanical red flags to speak of outside of a bit of a hand drop that could cause some issues against velocity up in the zone. Because he’s likely a corner outfielder, he’ll need to leave no doubts about his hit tool, as the industry is skeptical of the right-right corner outfield profile out of high school.

  

1-20-21 - prospect live -

 

#23

Cleveland Indians

Joshua Baez

OF, Dexter Southfield (HS)

 

One of the loudest sets of tools in the draft, Baez possesses hulk-like strength and unusual twitch for a player of his size. The Vanderbilt commit and cold weather prep prospect is up to 97mph on the mound while also showcasing some of the best raw power in the class. There's triple digit exit velocity power, present plus speed, and elite physical metrics with a notoriously strong work ethic. Cleveland isn't afraid to take a chance on a toolsy prep player early (Carson Tucker, Yordany Valdez, Bo Naylor). The speed may fall a grade by the time he debuts for the Indians, but this is an extremely high-ceiling stick that the Indians have craved in their outfield for what feels like ages. 

 

1-14-21  -  Baseball America

 

Joshua Baez

 

Dexter Southfield HS, Brookline, Mass. OF

 

Ht: 6-3 | Wt: 220 | B-T: R-R

Commit/Drafted: Vanderbilt

Age At Draft: 18.0

 

One of a handful of toolsy Northeast hitters in the 2021 class, Baez has some of the best power projection in the high school class thanks to a powerful swing and a well-developed, muscular 6-foot-3, 220-pound frame. There are scouts who believe Baez has a chance to grow into 70-grade raw power, but at the moment there are some swing-and-miss concerns, though scouts have noted he never truly looks out of control or lost at the plate. There’s a hand drop in his swing that could lead to inconsistencies against velocity up in the zone, but when the Vanderbilt commit does connect the ball explodes off his bat and carries a long way. Baez clocked a solid-average 60-yard time at East Coast Pro, but most scouts believe he will become a fringe-average runner in the future and is best suited to a corner outfield position. His power and arm strength—he’s been up to 97 mph on the mound—would be a major asset in center field if he could stick there, but he’s built more like a corner guy and has the toolset and power to profile nicely as a right fielder. 

 

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

 

29. Los Angeles Dodgers: Joshua Baez, OF, Dexter Southfield (Mass.) HS

 

Baez has an intriguing tool set. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound right-handed hitter has major raw power. He has swing-and-miss concerns and will need to show he can consistently square up the ball, especially on breaking pitches, this spring. He is a solid runner right now and has above-average arm strength.

  

12-18-20 - Future Sox Mock Draft -

 

26. Minnesota Twins: Joshua Baez, OF, Dexter Southfield HS (MA)

 

The Twins love power and Baez might have the most power in the entire draft. The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder has a strong Vanderbilt commitment, but he’d likely go professional in this scenario. There is lots of swing and miss in his game and he likely moves to an outfield corner in the future. 

 

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

 

23. Cleveland Indians | Joshua Baez, OF, Dexter Southfield HS | (2/52) Shane Panzini, RHP, Rad Bank Catholic HS

 

The high school route it is for both Indians picks. Baez sports some of the very best tools in the high school class, with the potential of all of them being average or much better. He is young for the class and brings toughness that will help his minor league journey. Panzini is a durable bulldog with a power fastball that holds during outings and two very good breaking pitches. The development of the changeup could help his future ceiling as well. -Jered Goodwin

 

Sakowski’s Take: What a prep haul this would be. Baez was likely the biggest riser throughout the course of the circuit, looking like a high-end power/arm strength/athleticism right field profile who has extremely loud tools, while Panzini did nothing but perform all summer and capped it off with a great outing at WWBA, working into the mid-90s with strikes, a full 4-pitch mix, and a physical, durable build. Cleveland has proven to be unafraid of taking upside preps early on, and Baez fits that mold perfectly.

  

11-24-20  -  Prospects Worldwide Mock Draft -

 

20.  OF Joshua Baez

 

School: Dexter Southland HS, MA | Commit: Vanderbilt | B / T: R / R | Ht: 6’3 | Wt: 220lbs | Age: 17.9

 

One of the younger players in the Draft, not even turning 18 before he hears his name called. The toolset and age are simply too hard to ignore and pass up here in the 1st Round. The only question is the hit tool. Will he strike out too much? As is your question with most prep bats with the power potential he possesses (70 Raw, 60 Game) but he shows it in-game consistently to all fields, as he did at the Area Code Games with a 107 Exit Velocity HR to RCF.

 

Working with a strong (70) Arm, Baez fits naturally as an RF but could see some reps in CF with his strong reads off the bat and speed that should drop from the Plus it currently shows into a 50-55 Runner in the future. There is not a ton of physical projection left with Baez, but a lot of game projection remains. Similar loud skillset as Yoenis Céspedes 

 

11-11-20 - Prospects Live Top 300 Prospect List -

 

26. Joshua Baez - RHP/OF

 

Bio:

 

Height: 6-3

Weight: 220 lbs

Hits/Throws: R-R

Hometown: Boston, MA

School: Dexter Southfield HS

 

Sublime athlete with next-level strength. Baez is as tooled up as they come on the field. At the plate, it's 60 raw power present, maybe 70, and he gets into it in-game. Big, strong, wide, long frame. There's definitive swing and miss concerns, especially on breaking balls, and inconsistent timing triggers and balance issues at times in the overall hit tool. Very good runner right now, but will likely age into fringe average to average speed. Very green talent, but maybe the best athlete in the entire draft alongide Benny Montgomery. Also reaches 97 on the mound. It's a comfortable plus arm in any corner spot. Needs to hit and control the strikezone/battle deeper into counts to rise. 

 

7-22-20 - draft prospects from the Northeast -

 

Joshua Baez, OF, Massachusetts (Dexter Southfield HS, Brookline, Mass.)

 

Baez, the No. 86 player in the 2021 high school class and a Vanderbilt commit, was the most exciting player here, with impressive physicality, athleticism and tools across the board, looking like a potential day one draft pick. That's even more intriguing considering that Baez just turned 17 less than a month ago. Baez is 6-foot-3, 220 pounds and showed plus raw power during batting practice, hitting several deep blasts to his pull side and one off the batter's eye in center field in Hartford. That power translated in games with a home run in a 6-for-14 performance, including one loud out on a fly ball to the right-center field warning track. Baez did strike out five times and didn't walk, showing some swing-and-miss tendencies, though for the most part he wasn't out of control at the plate. Baez is an above-average runner who showed good reads and routes in center field. He's built like a corner outfielder, but he has the speed, athleticism and instincts to be a power center fielder, along with one of the strongest outfield arms in the class.

 

Baez is primarily a position player, but he also pitched one inning in Lynn against North Shore on Monday. He was wild to start, walking the first three hitters he faced with two strikes in 14 pitches. After a mound visit, he settled in, striking out the next three hitters with 9 strikes in 14 pitches, running his fastball up to 95 mph and flashing a sharp, downer breaking ball. Baez is a better prospect as a center fielder, but he would be a legitimate prospect on the mound as well.

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