Eddie
King

Isaac Humphrey and Eddie King, Jr. are two more Louisville hitters that scouts continue to evaluate this spring. A cousin to former Louisville great Corey Ray, King also has all of the tools (other than a well below average arm) to be a college superstar and pro prospect. Last season, he batted .274/.349/.457 and then blossomed over the summer in the Cape Cod League, where he had a .408 on-base percentage and showed power to all fields. Against Virginia, King showed a long swing and a late pitch ID. He also gives away too many at-bats by swinging at a pitcher’s pitch in a hitter’s count. He did homer (96 mph exit velocity, 366’) and plate three RBI on Sunday, but for the series went 1-for-7 to bring his season slash to .305/.374/.476.

Cape Cod: After hitting .274/.349/.457 with five homers, 11 doubles and 11 steals as a redshirt freshman for Louisville this spring, King really blossomed once he forced his way into everyday playing time for Orleans this summer. He was a veritable wrecking ball in our looks, showing off power to all fields, a disciplined and patient approach, as well as good speed that plays on the basepaths and in center field. Very physical and athletic at 6-foot-3, 195 pounds, King has an open, upright setup with a pre-pitch waggle and good rhythm in his righthanded stroke. Nicholson said he put together some of the best at-bats for the Firebirds all summer, and we saw that repeatedly, as he fought off tough pitches and worked walks — he finished with 21 walks against 31 strikeouts, a big improvement from the spring (13 BB against 43 K). We saw him turn on fastballs with authority to the pull side, and we saw him stay back on quality breaking balls for line-drive hits middle-away. He hit three homers and five doubles in 98 at-bats this summer, along with eight stolen bases. King showed off his wheels with a 4.04 home to first time on a push bunt, and he glides to balls easily in center field, where he gets very good reads but has a below-average arm. Nicholson also praised his even-keeled makeup, calling him “cool as a cucumber — just the right demeanor to play for a long time.” King is an obvious breakout candidate heading into his third season at Louisville, and if he performs he could climb into Day One consideration for next year’s draft.

Verbally committed to Louisville.

Louisville commit. 6-foot-2, 180-pound, right-handed hitting outfielder; strong, physically-advanced frame. Tall, quiet setup, toe-tap stride and simple swing. Quiet takes, laid off pitches out of the zone and minimal moving parts. Strong, quick hands, lift in swing, looks to pull and creates leverage. Power potential in the future. Went 1-for-4, was a 4.61 down the line on a groundout to shortstop. Showed a strong, true arm in pregame I/O.