Draft Spotlight: OF Ryan Holgate
May 23, 2018
Entering the spring, Davis HS outfielder Ryan Holgate was firmly on the radar of the MLB scouts based on the power he showed at the 2017 Area Code Games. He's a strong and physically well-put-together corner outfielder with prodigious power and as a left-handed hitter, that certainly draws attention. Holgate also pitches and with a fastball up to 87 mph, if he weren't a hitting prospect, he just might be on the radar as a pitcher and certainly would be headed to college as a pitcher. In fact, he pitched his team into the section finals with a gem of a game on 5/22/18. In that semi-final game he went 6.1 IP, allowed 3 hits, 3 BB, and struck out 12 Jesuit HS batters.
Holgate has gone on a recent tear, with home runs in three consecutive games on May 8, May 15, and May 17. Davis HS has played as strong a schedule as any team in Northern California this season and their conference is one of the stronger ones in the state. Holgate has hit .368 for the season (118 plate appearances, 95 at-bats), with 26 runs, 28 RBI, 4 doubles and 5 home runs. The power numbers are modest, but he has been pitched as you might expect... as the player other teams don't want to let beat them.
Being pitched carefully hasn't been a problem for Holgate, as he is a selectively aggressive hitter and he's shown willingness to take his walks, drawing 18 for the season. His power plays to all fields, with line drive power to the opposite field and towering loft type power to the pull side. He's had a chance to face some high level pitchers and has shown well against pitchers who are prospects in their own right. He's homered of hard throwing right-handers, soft-tossers, and good left-handers.
As the season winds down and his team is fighting for a section title in the Sac-Joaquin Section D1 playoffs, Holgate has raised his game and showing that he can keep the focus between the lines, even as he goes through all the scrutiny and process that draft prospects go through. If he chooses to not sign, he is headed to the University of Arizona, where he will certainly have his chance to perform.
Let's take a closer look at OF Ryan Holgate of Davis Senior High School.