UPDATED RESEARCH - 2023 Draft Prospect - SS - Alex Mooney

 Alex Mooney 

SS          Duke 

2022: 3 HR, .292/.393/.392, 12 SB, 41/27 K/BB in 54 games

 

10-19-22 - https://www.prospectslive.com/prospects-live/2022/1/15/2023-mlb-draft-prospects-fx4td?s=03 - 

76 SS

Alex Mooney

Duke

A high school star at Orchard Lake St. Mary's, Mooney went unselected in 2021, mostly due to bonus demands. Eligible once again just 24 months later, Mooney has already made a loud statement at Duke and figures to be a mainstay in the Blue Devils lineup in 2022 and 2023. He's an above average hitter with average raw power. Mooney can run a little bit and gets high marks for his glove work on the dirt, as well as his throwing arm. He presents the package of a college shortstop with average or better tools across the board, with a prospect pedigree.

 

10-16-22 - 2023 MLB Draft: an early look at the ACC

http://dugoutedgebaseball.blogspot.com/2022/10/2023-mlb-draft-early-look-at-acc.html?m=1&s=03 - 

9. SS Alex Mooney, Duke.

Bat: R. Throw: R. 6'1", 195 lbs. Born 7/6/2002. Hometown: Rochester Hills, MI.

2022: 3 HR, .292/.393/.392, 12 SB, 41/27 K/BB in 54 games.

Alex Mooney continues the trend on this list of players who earned considerable draft interest out of high school, and in this case he could well have heard his name in the top fifty picks. One of the top incoming recruits in the entire country, he jumped into the everyday lineup immediately as a freshman and ended up having a solid, if unspectacular, first season in Durham. He wasted no time getting acclimated to ACC pitching, posting nearly a .400 on-base percentage and running just a 16.7% strikeout rate as a 19 year old, but he also wound up slugging below .400 as he only managed fourteen extra base hits in 54 games. The Detroit-area native posted similar numbers over the summer in the Cape Cod League (.263/.330/.389), but it's worth noting that he bumped his ISO from .100 to .126 and went from three home runs in 54 games to five home runs in 46 games despite transitioning to wood bats and facing better pitching. Mooney brings a great combination of strength, athleticism, and baseball IQ to the diamond, and it's important to remember this was only his first season in college ball. He's old for a sophomore and will turn 21 before the draft, though, so taking that next step in 2023 will be very important if he wants to go in the top two rounds. Personally, I think he will. He has very quiet hands in the box and uses them to guide the barrel to different parts of the zone with precision, recognizing pitches well and making adjustments in the box. It's an above average hit tool for now that has a chance to become plus, and as he continues to fill out his 6'1" frame, hopefully he can tap average power as well. Defensively, his athleticism, strong internal clock, and feel for the infield give him every shot to stick at shortstop, though a more explosive athlete could push him to second or third base depending on what system he ends up in. This is a profile filled with average or better tools that could all tick up to 55 or better if he continues to progress.