By Brandon Hall
North Carolina Director of Scouting

The 2017 MLB Player Draft has come and gone and the state of North Carolina was a key for many teams during the 40 rounds of action.  North Carolina had 39 players in total selected.  Of the 39, 10 were selected from the high school ranks.  MacKenzie Gore and Austin Beck both made headlines being selected in the 1st round by the San Diego Padres and Oakland A's respectively. 

Below is a quick look at the ten NC high school players selected in this year's draft.

 

MacKenzie Gore LHP / Whiteville, NC / 2017 Rankings  State Rank:1 POS:1 Overall Rank:1 POS:1 Draft Rank:2 POS:1 Rd 1, Pick 3 to the Padres Gore is a lanky southpaw with long levers that lead to a long, loose arm action. He pitches from a high-3/4 slot that produces a fastball in the 88-93 mph range, touching 94. He has a deep arsenal, leaning mostly on a slider/cutter in the low 80s and a curveball with 3/4 break that ranges from 73-77. Both are out pitches for him, generating swings and misses. Though he doesn’t need it at the high school level much, Gore has feel for a changeup at 79-80. He also has advanced command for a high school arm and walked just five batters while striking out 158 in 74.1 innings this season. An East Carolina recruit, the assigned value by MLB for the No. 3 overall slot is $6.67 million.

 

 

Austin Beck OF / North Davidson , NC / 2017 Rankings  State Rank:2 POS:1 Overall Rank:4 POS:1 Draft Rank:9 POS:1 Rd 1, Pick 6 to the A's The North Carolina recruit missed last summer and fall after an ACL tear during the state playoffs. He returned with a fury this spring, immediately impressing area scouts and adding helium to his name on draft boards. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound right-handed hitter stands tall and balanced in the box with a vertical bat that works with a waggle during an aggressive stride and uses a small leg kick. The bat head creates leverage as the hands load. He lacks some consistency in his barrel position during the launch that tends to get better the deeper he gets in the count. He has premium bat speed and a feel for the barrel. His hands work with quickness and there is good strength at point of contact. The ball jumps and has backspin on balls barreled. Though he has some swing-and-miss concerns, Beck has shown the ability to stay level and on pitches away, driving them to the opposite gap, while also creating uphill leverage and turning on balls on the inner half with authority. Beck is above-average runner with a plus arm and has a chance to stick in center field.  The assigned value by MLB for the No. 6 pick is $5.3 million.

 

 

Justin Bullock RHP / South Granville, NC / 2017 Rankings  State Rank:8 POS:2 Overall Rank:81 POS:33 Rd 16, Pick 474 to the Brewers RHP touched 93-94 at times during the season, but his overall velocity fluctuated and he mostly sat in the 80s. He is committed to North Carolina State

 

 

Greg Jones SS / 2B / Cary , NC / 2017 Rankings  State Rank:4 POS:2 Overall Rank:56 POS:10 Draft Rank:87 POS:14 Rd 17, Pick 518 to the Orioles Athletic, twitchy and a switch-hitter, Jones jumped onto radars last summer and was a fast riser after a good start to his spring season. The frame has gotten stronger, and he now stands at 6-foot-1, 165 pounds. In the box, Jones starts tall with a simple and slightly open set-up. From the left, he takes a short stride and mostly uses his upper half to generate solid bat speed. He flashes power at times from the left side, but has a tendency to loft easy fly balls to the opposite field if he is leaking out front. The right handed swing shows more bat speed and a stronger foundation than the left. Defensively, he has solid actions and arm strength that give him at least a chance to stay on the left side. He moves well with long, easy strides and is at least a plus runner so center field is also an option for him.  Jones is committed to UNC Wilmington.

 

 

Jacob Brown RHP / 3B / Northeast Guilford, NC / 2017 Rankings  State Rank:33 POS:12 Rd 18, Pick 548 to the Orioles 3B has strong hands and a mature, physical lower half. He has been up to 87 on the mound and has athleticism in his 5-foot-11, 175-pound frame. His calling card is his raw power, as he has above-average bat speed with uphill leverage. He is committed to High Point

 

 

Noah Campbell SS / Cardinal Gibbons , NC / 2017 Rankings  State Rank:3 POS:1 Overall Rank:55 POS:9 Draft Rank:85 POS:12 Rd 19, Pick 564 to the Brewers Campbell, a South Carolina recruit, stands at 6 feet, 190 pounds with a lean frame and broad shoulders. He’s a switch-hitter and has shown an ability to make hard contact from both sides of the plate. From the right side, he has a little bit of length, but can handle velocity. Campbell runs well, turning in a 6.6-6.9 second 60 at various stops on the showcase circuit. Defensively, he has arm strength, though it can be erratic and his hands are inconsistent. He’s not a lock to stay on the infield, but his speed would play in center field.

 

 

Kier Meredith OF / Robert B Glenn , NC / 2017 Rankings  State Rank:6 POS:2 Overall Rank:66 POS:11 Rd 28, Pick 855 to the Cubs A burner and his speed translates to the field. He has strength in his frame and bat speed, and he puts pressure on the defense by putting the ball on the ground or in the gaps and legging out at extra bags. He uses his foot speed to offset angles and his first step in the outfield. He is committed to Clemson.

 

 

Gavin Williams RHP / 3B / Cape Fear, NC / 2017 Rankings  State Rank:5 POS:1 Overall Rank:60 POS:24 Draft Rank:93 POS:35 Rd 30, Pick 889 to the Rays Williams stands at 6-foot-6, 200 pounds and has a power arm. His fastball was up to 95 late in the spring after missing several weeks with a meniscus tear. He sits 90-93, carrying that velocity deep into games. His curveball shows 11/5 shape with depth at 75, but the pitch is inconsistent and remains in development. Williams’ changeup is in the low 80s and tends to be his second-best pitch. He does lose feel at times and will choke it. Williams has big upside with his frame and fastball.

 

 

Patrick Bailey C / Wesleyan Christian Academy, NC / 2017 Rankings  State Rank:7 POS:1 Overall Rank:79 POS:6 Rd 37, Pick 1096 to the Twins  One of the most advanced receivers to come from North Carolina in recent years. A North Carolina State recruit, he is extremely polished behind the plate, providing an easy target with good posture and excellent hands. He blocks with ease and is a reassuring communicator with his pitching staff. He has a quick release and strong arm to go with plus accuracy on his throws to second base. A switch-hitter, the bat lags behind his defense. He hits to the middle of the field and has better bat speed from the right side. Bailey was a part of winning a gold medal with the 18U National Team.

 

 

Spencer Smith C / Northern Durham, NC / 2017 Rankings  State Rank:12 POS:2 Overall Rank:196 POS:18 Rd 37, Pick 1124 to the Rangers  Flashes above-average bat speed and has a lean frame at 6 feet, 190 pounds. Some shoulder issues limited him behind the plate in the spring, but did not affect his swing.  The raw power should translate in years to come and may grade out near the top of the draft class, but there are some swing and miss concerns that can be addressed should he honor his commitment to East Carolina.

 

 

Will Hoyle 2B / SS / Jordan, NC / 2017 Rankings  State Rank:105 POS:4 Rd 38, Pick 1131 to the A's Duke commit.  Athletic and advanced as an infielder.  Does a lot of things really well without having one tool that jumps off the board.