Joshua Baez
Mack's spin -
Some people have Baez being drafted as a pitcher, but I don't.
I have him coming off my board as my 4th outfielder.
OF 6-3 220 Dexter Southfield HS (MA)
5-18-21 - fish stripes -
The Miami Marlins went all pitchers in the 2020 MLB Draft, so it would not be surprising if they prioritized the top available hitters this year when it’s their turn to pick. Dexter Southfield’s Joshua Baez makes sense on paper.
5-16-21 - wcvb
A 17-year-old high school baseball player in Massachusetts is drawing dozens of Major League Baseball scouts to his games.
Josh Baez, a senior at the Dexter Southfield School in Brookline, will likely be selected in the first or second round of the 2021 MLB draft in July.
Baez is 6 feet, 3 inches tall and weighs 235 pounds; can run 60 yards in 6.3 seconds and throws 98 miles per hour from the mound.
5-6-21 - MLB - 5-6 Mock Draft-
28. Rays: Joshua Baez, OF, Dexter Southfield HS (Brookline, Mass.)
Baez may be raw at the plate, but the Rays excel at player development and his raw power and makeup are among the best in the Draft.
5-1-21 - Boston Herald =
Josh Baez, born in the Dominican Republic, has been atop MLB draft boards since the calendar turned to 2021. The Vanderbilt commit is ranked as the No. 24 draft prospect on MLB.com, and the top 50 in Baseball America and Perfect Game. While Baez’s usual position is center field, he has also shown potential on the mound, getting up into the upper 90s consistently, including flashing more than a handful of 98s on the radar gun this spring.
4-29-21 - Baseball Prospect Report mock 3.0 -
23. Cleveland Indians: Joshua Baez, OF, Dexter Southfield (Mass.) HS
Baez has an intriguing toolset. 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. He is a solid runner and has above-average arm strength.
4-26-21 - mlb.com mock draft -
24) Braves: Joshua Baez, OF, Dexter Southfield HS (Mass.)
Yes, there are some swing-and-miss concerns, but the tools are very loud, from his raw power to his arm and teams absolutely love his makeup.
4-20-21 - Lookout Landing -
OF Joshua Baez
Baez has as much superstar potential in this draft as absolutely anybody. The power, the speed, and arm, he could be a complete player. Baez hit tool will ultimately dictate how high he can take his profile at the big league level, but he’s shown reasons mechanically why it will work. Couple that with the attitude, personality and work ethic and all the building blocks are there for a big league stud.
4-15-21 - BA -
Joshua Baez, OF, Dexter Southfield HS (Brookline, Mass.)
I've seen Baez play four games this spring, which is every game his team has played, with the exception of one road game where no outside spectators were allowed (including scouts) due to the school's Covid-19 restrictions. Right now, James Wood in Florida is the top-ranked high school outfielder in the class, but Baez has a case for that claim, and he's playing like a first-round pick (currently the No. 21 prospect on the BA board).
Baez has an exciting package of physicality, explosive athleticism and loud tools. He's 6-foot-3, 220 pounds with fast bat speed, lots of strength and plus raw power that could develop into a 70 tool. He's also one of the youngest players in the class, turning 18 at the end of June, so he's nine months younger than Wood. There's little question about Baez's power, but he did show some swing-and-miss tendencies last summer and fall. Last year he didn't seem to be out of control at the plate for the most part, and so far this year, he has done the same. In his first plate appearance of the season, he lined a breaking ball into the left-center field gap for a double. In 14 trips to the plate that I've seen, he's gone 5-for-11 with three walks and no strikeouts, and three of those six outs were smashed for hard contact. He has swung and missed just three times, once on a breaking ball and twice on fastballs in 2-0 and 3-1 counts where he was looking to launch. He isn't a free-swinger, showing the ability to manage his at-bats well. He overswings at times when he tries to do too much, so there will probably always be some strikeouts that come with his power, but the quality of his at-bats this spring have been encouraging.
On defense, Baez is an above-average runner in center field with a 70 arm. He's built like a corner outfielder, but he has a chance to play center field. He has shown good defensive instincts this year, making a sliding catch charging in on a ball and getting good reads off the bat. He's not a classic gliding center fielder, but more of a power runner who chews up ground in center with good closing speed. Baez might end up outgrowing the position, but he should go out in pro ball and develop as a center fielder at the lower levels. He has a chance to be a George Springer-type physical center fielder with a strong arm capable of staying there, but if he ends up being teammates with a better defensive center fielder, he has the offensive upside where he could slide over to right field and be a plus defender there.
Baez also pitches for his high school team, with a fastball that has ranged from 90-96 mph. He pairs it with tight raw spin at times on his inconsistent breaking ball, but his control is scattered and he's fairly raw on the mound because he hasn't spent much time focusing on pitching. If things don't work out for him as a hitter, down the road he has a legitimate fallback option as a power-arm reliever, but he's a first round talent as an outfielder.
3-30-21 - Prospects Worldwide -
19. OF Joshua Baez | School: Dexter Southland HS, MA | Commit: Vanderbilt | B / T: R / R | Ht: 6’3 | Wt: 220lbs | Age: 18
One of the younger players in the Draft, Baez toolset and age are simply too hard to ignore and pass up. The only question is the hit tool. Will he strike out too much? As is your question with most prep bats with the power he possesses Double Plus Raw and ability to tap Plus Game Power which he shows in-game consistently to all fields. As he did at the Area Code Games with a 107 Exit Velocity HR to RCF. Double-plus Arm Grade, that should put fear in any baserunner, 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. Similar to Yoenis Cespedes.
3-12-21 - top 50 HS players -
22. Joshua Baez, OF, Dexter Southfield HS, Brookline, Mass.
Baez has plus-plus raw power that is intriguing even if it comes with a less-than-ideal setup and swing. He's also been clocked at 97 mph off the mound.
2-27-21 - top hs players -
Joshua Baez – Baez has as much raw power as anyone in the class, and he has a very strong arm that is perfect for right field. He strikes out a bit too much, but if he tones down his big swings he could excel in pro ball.
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.
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