The Draft is quickly approaching, and multiple people have been asking about different players. The player most people have been asking about has been Stanford outfielder Austin Wilson.
Austin Wilson is an interesting prospect. His hit, and his power from the right side are listed as “plus tools” (Mayo says 6/6 future power/hit tools). He has been compared to Giancarlo Stanton in terms of ability in many scouting reports I’ve read. I believe that is an interesting comparison, considering the incredible power of Stanton. Wilson has shown some patience, takes some pitches, but doesn’t have the best eye at the plate. There will always be swing-and-miss in Wilson’s game according to many scouts.
His run tool has been reported in an erratic fashion, from below-average to above average, while his arm is rated as plus, and his fielding is above average as a prototype right fielder.
Wilson was sidelined this past spring for a while with a stress reaction at the tip of his elbow, which effectively took him out for at least a month. He returned to game form after his injury, hitting .288 with 7 doubles and 5 homers in 31 games.
While he seems like an overly interesting prospect, there is huge stigma that has been against Stanford hitters. In my recent draft mailbag, I identified the Stanford hitting philosophy with Wilson:
Austin Wilson has a large stigma attached to him by going to Stanford, which teaches contact over power, evident by the team leader only having eight homers (Brian Ragira). The college likes to teach a more mechanical swing that is geared towards contact on a flatter plane, rather than the usual hip-rotation uppercut swing that generates power. Wilson will have to overcome the Stanford stigma after getting drafted, and possibly change his swing/entire approach at the plate to tap into the power he has. There are also some holes in his swing that cause him to swing and miss frequently, which is not promising.
The mechanical swing takes power out of the equation, replacing it with line drives and higher batting averages, but features a rather contrived than natural type of swing. While some Stanford hitters had been successful in pro ranks, scouts have struggled to like the philosophy, and Wilson’s draft ranking will depend on what team will want to help change his swing and make him more inclined to tap into that plus power we’ve heard so much about.
It’ll be up to the Mets on June 6th to decide whether or not they want to risk the pick on a player who was coached at a school that many scouts scoff at. His power is enticing, but many stigmatize his approach.
(Photo Credit: CASEY VALENTINE/StanfordPhoto.com)