Top-10 Profiles of 2020: No. 1 Noah Miller
December 31, 2020
As the year starts to unwind, our staff will start to highlight the top-10 most viewed profiles from 2020 - starting at 10 and counting down.
We’ll wrap up the year by finishing out our countdown with our most viewed profile of the year: Ozaukee SS Noah Miller. Ranked at the top of Wisconsin’s 2021 class for quite some time now, Miller took a rather noteworthy jump in our updated national rankings and now sits as the 33rd overall prospect in the country’s senior class.
Wisconsin has produced several high-follow draft prospects over the past few years and Miller is set to follow in the footsteps of his predecessors. He’s a legitimate switch-hitter with a near identical swing from both sides that did nothing but flat-out hit each time our staff saw him throughout the summer/fall circuit. It’s a short, compact stroke that stays on plane and his ability to poke the ball across the yard is certainly advanced for someone his age. Although Miller doesn’t have noticeable raw power, he does consistently work on the barrel and makes enough loud contact into the gaps for him to have success offensively.
Like other Midwest shortstops before him, Miller’s calling card is with his glove. He’s a legitimate shortstop prospect that oozes a confident demeanor on the dirt and makes the difficult plays look routine. Similarly to Ed Howard, who the Chicago Cubs drafted 16th overall in the 2020 MLB Draft, Miller checks all the boxes for someone that can play shortstop at the next level.
We last saw Miller at our 17U PBR at The Rock Tournament in late July and our Assistant State Director, Andy Sroka, had this to say about how he performed that weekend:
“Miller's deft touch in the middle of the infield remains his standout tool – and a tool that could get him drafted. He's an excellent and true shortstop who glides to baseballs on either his left or right and he swiftly funnels them through his exchange and calmly, confidently throws firm strikes to the center of his first baseman's chest. With that being said, Miller's only added strength at the plate and it's positively affected his swings from both batter's boxes. He takes repeatable and similar hacks from both sides of the plate and he looks like he a true switch-hitter at the next level. This weekend, Miller added some more smart at-bats, demonstrating an innate feel for the strike zone, and he slugged a deep double to center field from the lefty box. He is increasingly looking like a pro prospect as the countdown to the 2021 draft is officially on.”
Committed to Alabama, it’s becoming increasingly unlikely that Miller joins former Wisconsin top prep prospect Connor Prielipp and the Crimson Tide next fall. He greatly improved his draft stock this summer after performing at every stop and has certainly grasped the attention of several professional teams. We’ll see Miller at the Super 60 event on February 7th, where he’ll be one of the top prospects in attendance.
TOP-10 PROFILES OF 2020: No. 1 NOAH MILLER
Scouting Report
+ Miller's deft touch in the middle of the infield remains his standout tool – and a tool that could get him drafted. He's an excellent and true shortstop who glides to baseballs on either his left or right and he swiftly funnels them through his exchange and calmly, confidently throws firm strikes to the center of his first baseman's chest. With that being said, Miller's only added strength at the plate and it's positively affected his swings from both batter's boxes. He takes repeatable and similar hacks from both sides of the plate and he looks like he a true switch-hitter at the next level. This weekend, Miller added some more smart at-bats, demonstrating an innate feel for the strike zone, and he slugged a deep double to center field from the lefty box. He is increasingly looking like a pro prospect as the countdown to the 2021 draft is officially on.
Ranked No. 1 overall in the 2021 Wisconsin class, Miller brings tools, instincts and energy to the diamond. At 6-foot, 180 pounds there is room to add weight and strength to his medium frame. He’s a skilled athlete with polished actions and defensive dependability. He plays low to the ground with quick feet and soft hands. Miller took the smoothest infield of the day, showing off his above average arm strength (86 mph across the diamond) with a clean exchange and quick release, allowing it to play up. In the batter’s box the switch-hitter offers some pop from both sides of the plate with more bat speed and a level bat path from the right side compared to a little more length with bat tilt and lift from the left. Although the Alabama recruit did not test all that well with Blast analytics, he has an innate feel to put the bat on the ball and loose hands at the plate giving him potential for above-average power in the future. Miller also clocked in with a 6.87 laser-timed sixty.
Positional Profile: SS/2B Top prospect in Wisconsi's 2021 class, high follow draft prospect.
Body: 6-foot-0, 175-pounds. Lean athlete, projectable frame to fill out.
Hit: SH. Balanced setup from the right side, narrower stance with taller setup from the left side, stays quiet and simple pre pitch. Lifted stride, moderate length, on time and in rhythm from both sides. Right handed path gets slightly more lift, stronger from the right side, left side swing is short to the baseball, shows excellent feel for the barrel from both sides. High follow hitter.
Power: 89 mph exit velocity from the tee. Best exit velocities from the right side.
Arm: RH. INF - 89 mph. Plus arm, plays within actions and able to get to arm strength with accuracy and efficiently, carries well across the diamond, short loose action with ability to work from multiple slots.
Defense: Plus defender, soft hands with advanced actions, works through the baseball with tempo, cuts down angles and gains ground, premium defender.
Run: 7.18 runner in the 60.
+ There are not too many infielders around the MIdwest and country steadier than SS Noah Miller (Ozaukee HS, WI). Miller, an athletically-built, switch-hitter committed to Alabama, made every routine play with ease and is fundamentally sound. Miller has plenty of arm strength for the left-side of the diamond but rarely finds himself needing to show it off due to his advanced internal clock and quick release. Miller consistently hits his target in the chest, maintains body control on the move and can throw from multiple slots.
+ Miller is as savvy as they come defensively, with a super quick gather, transfer, and release that’s always on target. He’s the top-ranked prospect in Wisconsin’s ‘21 class known for his defense, but the switch-hitter is a lead-off type with barrel feel on both sides of the plate. Miller’s a natural.