4/3/21

Mack - Top 5 Third Basemen (Projected Round Pick) in 2021 Draft

 


1.        Alex Binelas                (projected 1st round)

 

3B     6-3      200     Louisville 

 

3-13-21 - Dan Zielinski III - @DanZielinski3

 

Wisconsin native Alex Binelas with his first home run of the season. Binelas has struggled early this season but maybe this will be the turning point. He is a top 2021 draft prospect. 

 

3-12-21 - top hitters in draft -

 

#9. Alex Binelas, 3B

 

Your prototypical left-handed, corner power-bat, Binelas hit the college scene with a bang during his freshman season at Louisville in 2019, slugging 14 home runs and 59 RBI to go along with a .291 AVG (the first Cardinals batter to belt 10 or more homers as a freshman since 2007). We know there should be plenty of pop in his bat once a pro, but it’s Binelas’ defense that evaluators are still unsure of, with many predicting a move to first base if he’s not able to make some improvements. Unfortunately, Binelas only logged two games last season due to an injury, and so far he’s struggled out of the gate in 2021, hitting just .143 with a bump in strikeout rate. 

 

2-18-21 - Joe @JoeDoyleMiLB

 

It's a top-heavy third base class this year, but there's some serious talent here. Alex Binelas leads the way, but Zack Gelof isn't too far off. Trey Sweeney may be my biggest draft sleeper, while Damiano Palmegiani and Riley Tirotta have big helium on their names.


2.        Izacc Pacheco                (projected 2nd round pick)

 

SS/3B      6-4      220      Friendswood HS (TX) 

 

3-14-21 - Lookout Landing -

 

I don’t know much about Izaac Pacheco’s personality, attitude or temperament, but the physical tools are absolutely tantalizing. I do think he has one of the higher ceilings in this entire draft class.

 

Seattle is in the market for infielders, though prep infielders might not be the mold they’re specifically targeting. Jerry Dipoto and Scott Hunter have to really love a prep profile to buy in in the first round. I do think Pacheco is a viable value at pick no. 12. Whether or not he fits the profile they’re looking for remains the question.

 

Pacheco is likely a day-one selection come July, so Seattle will likely get one crack at the Texas A&M commit before he’s off the board. 

 

3-12-21 - top 50 HS players  -

 

7. Izaac Pacheco, SS, Friendswood (Texas) HS

 

Pacheco is one of the better-hitting shortstops in the class, even if his size (6'4", 220) makes it likely he will eventually slide to third base. The left-handed hitter should have plenty of future power, although it comes with strikeout concerns. 

 

2-27-21 - top hs players -

 

Izaac Pacheco – Pacheco has a pretty left-handed swing and the potential for plus-plus power down the road. He’s a solid defender, but he’s only going to get bigger, so his future home is at third base.


3.        Zack Gelof            (projected 2nd round pick)

 

3B     6-3     205     Virginia 

 

2020 Virginia stat line - 63-AB, .349/.469/.746, 5-HR 

 

2-18-21 - Joe @JoeDoyleMiLB

 

It's a top-heavy third base class this year, but there's some serious talent here. Alex Binelas leads the way, but Zack Gelof isn't too far off. Trey Sweeney may be my biggest draft sleeper, while Damiano Palmegiani and Riley Tirotta have big helium on their names. 

 

1-20-21 - D1 Baseball's top 100 College Prospects -

 

31 Zack Gelof 3B H Virginia ACC 

 

1-14-21  -  Baseball America

 

Zack Gelof Virginia 3B

 

Ht: 6-3 | Wt: 205 | B-T: R-R

Commit/Drafted: Indians 2018 (38)

Age At Draft: 21.7

 

Gelof was a talented two-way prospect out of high school in Delaware—ranking as the No. 333 prospect in the 2018 class—but showed more upside as a hitter with a solid mix of tools. The Indians drafted him in the 38th round but he made his way to campus at Virginia, where he’s been an impressive hitter. Gelof is a career .321/.399/.472 hitter with the Cavaliers and also hit at a high level in the Northwoods League (.349/.426/.490) in the summer of 2019. Gelof has solid bat-to-ball skills and a chance for 55-grade power at the next level, but he’s also struck out at a 20.2% rate, while walking just 3.8% of the time. A high-probability third baseman at the next level, Gelof has average arm strength but a chance to be an above-average defender at the hot corner. While he’s not a burner, he has solid speed that plays better than you would expect on the bases, and he’s stolen 20 bags in 26 chances (76.9% success rate) with Virginia. Gelof’s well-rounded profile, hitting track record and chance to remain in the infield should have him solidly in the mix of day one players.


4.        Jamal O’Guinn                (projected 4th-7th round)

 

3B     6-4      220      Southern California 

 

2020 Southern Cal stat line - 14-G, 45-AB, .378/.533/.511, 12-BB, 0-HR 

 

1-14-21  -  Baseball America

 

Jamal O'Guinn

 

Southern California 3B

 

Ht: 6-4 | Wt: 220 | B-T: R-R

Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted

Age At Draft: 22.5

 

The No. 127 prospect in the 2020 draft class, O’Guinn is a powerfully built third baseman listed at 6-foot-4, 220 pounds. A patient hitter in the box with huge raw power, O’Guinn can drive the ball with authority from gap to gap and is a career .285/.420/.420 hitter in 94 games with Southern California. His raw power grades don’t translate to the game, as O’Guinn has struggled to incorporate his lower half consistently in his swing and has some swing and miss, though his slugging has trended in the right direction in each season since his 2018 freshman year. Some scouts believe he can stick at third base thanks to solid athleticism with average arm strength, but others believe he could be forced off the position as an already large infielder who could continue to get bigger.


5.        Wes Kath                (projected 5th-10th round)

 

3B      6-3     200      Desert Mountain HS (AZ) 

 

1-14-21  -  Baseball America

 

Wes Kath

 

Desert Mountain HS, Scottsdale, Ariz. 3B

 

Ht: 6-3 | Wt: 200 | B-T: L-R

Commit/Drafted: Arizona State

Age At Draft: 19.0

 

Kath was a loud performer throughout the summer showcase circuit and showed a loud enough bat form the left side to propel himself up draft boards. One of the better corner infielders in the prep class, Kath has played shortstop but most scouts believe he has already outgrown the position with a 6-foot-3, 200-pound frame. He has solid glovework and arm strength that should allow him to handle the hot corner, but he’s a below-average runner who lacks the lateral range necessary for shortstop and should only continue adding strength in the future. Even at a corner, there’s a chance for Kath’s bat to profile nicely, as he showed good barrel control and loud exit velocities against some of the top arms in the class and in some of the bigger showcase events. Kath is a projection power bat committed to Arizona State. 

 

1-5-21 - PBR -

 

Wes Kath is a 6-foot-3, 205-pound left-handed hitting infielder whose best traits are his skills at the plate.

 

At times, he struggled to hit premium pitching early last summer. He started the summer with a wide stance at the plate but shortened it up as the summer progressed. The change caused him to stand more upright, which improved his timing and made it easier to read the spin on the baseball, Kath said. It also allowed him to experience better results.

 

Kath currently is more of a contact over power hitter who possesses quick hands and some natural loft in his swing. He has the size and fundamentals to develop more power at the plate as he matures.

 

 

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