THEN JUNE 3, 2018: Uncommitted prep prospect who currently stands 6-foot-2, 175 pounds with a lean, athletic, projectable frame with long limbs. Shows athletic actions up the middle, works under control with sound hands. Moves well on the infield where he exhibits adequate arm strength that should continue to increase in the future. May slide to a corner if he fills out where he could be an above average defender. Offensively, he has loose wrists and works over the front foot. Left-handed hitter has natural feel for the barrel on a slightly uphill plane, and shows the ability to hit line drives from gap to gap especially to the opposite side.  Present feel and power potential as he continues to fill out his frame. Overall, the tools translate well to game action and has some upside.

Uncommitted INF Sterlin Thompson is a guy to watch. Developing, long, athletic frame that should fill out. Sweet swing from the left side. Great at-bats all weekend including this 2-strike single for @_Gatorball_ #PBRLimitedSeries @PBRFlorida pic.twitter.com/jRLdzNvPpO

— Shooter Hunt (@ShooterHunt) June 3, 2018

 

NOW MAY 8, 2022 FLORIDA GATORS: It was just one late season series, but the Gators' two-hole hitter was super impressive. Featured as one of our Outfield Draft Risers earlier this season, Thompson is a draft-eligible sophomore. He has elevated himself into a potential Day One selection with a current slash of .348/.433/.564. The left handed hitter drives the ball to all fields and is also the type of hitter that the analysts are attracted to with near equal walks (25) and strikeouts (31) with a low strikeout rate (14%). In the past he has shown some vulnerability vs lefties, but don't tell that to Pico Kohn who hung a slider that Thompson demolished to right field for a 389' home run. Additionally, Thompson barreled three hard ground ball singles with EVs of 110.4, 106.8 and 101.3 mph in the series. His slight step in the bucket stride is a pause for some concern, but the bat speed is real, he's long through the zone and his pure hit tool stands out. As he continues to add more strength to his 6-foot-3, 195-pound frame, even greater power numbers are likely on deck. He's a fringe average runner with average arm strength. He profiles best to the corner outfield after showing raw actions on the dirt at second base during the last two games of the series.

Go-ahead big fly for @sterlin_4! 🚀#GoGators // 💻 https://t.co/RhuigK3TdB pic.twitter.com/JFO5NVNYfn

— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) May 8, 2022