FanPost

Know A (Potential) Future Royal: Austin Meadows

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The Info:

Position: OF
Height: 6-3
Weight: 200
Bats/Throws: L-L
Birthdate: May 3, 1995
High School: Grayson HS, GA

The Tools:

Hit: 40-60

Great bat speed. Has trouble going the other way as well as a long swing, but has good pitch recognition. Is going to take some development to reach his potential hit tool, but a .290 hitter isn't unreasonable, and a .300+ hitter could happen.

Power: 50-60

A little better than his hit tool. Very raw, but very real. His hit tool should realize his power into game power. Will need reps to get that power potential unlocked fully, but 20+ homeruns should be the expectation.

Speed: 60-50

Good burst speed. Good open field speed that reports say he could even hit a 70 grade in. Home to first times are above average. There is a worry though that as he develops he may lose a bit of speed.

Arm: 50-50

Average arm. Not going to stand out or be a major asset, but is playable in center or right and will not be a liability or put pressure on his bat.

Range: 50-50

Could probably play center for years, but if his speed declines then he's probably needs to shift to the corner. Has good routes and breaks. A corner outfielder sounds the most likely.

The Ranking:

Overall: Tough to grade. He isn't as raw as Bubba, but isn't as polished as some of the pitching talent. I'd be willing to say he's in the Top-5. Top 3 would be questionable though.

Hitter: Depending on how much you like Bubba, Austin would be the #1 or #2 hitting prospect for the Royals

Position: Would be the best outfielder in the system

The Comp: Tools are there to be a very good player. I've seen anything from a blend of the athleticism of Josh Hamilton and the swing of Andre Ethier to a comp of Colby Rasmus.

I like the Colby Rasmus comp.

The Draft: Questionable that he falls to the Royals. The Red Sox are linked to him or Clint Frazier. I'd be surprised if he fell to the Royals, but I'd imagine they'd snag him.



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