Last week we learned a bit about high school shortstop Nick Gordon. After spending several weeks focusing on the prep players I’ll switch it over to the college side and look at University of Virgina outfielder Derek Fisher. Most rankings have Fisher in the 10-15 range, with Scout.com placing him as high as 6th overall.

Derek Fisher, University of Virginia

Position: OF

Height: 6’3

Weight: 210

Bats/Throws: Left/Right

Fisher has all the makings of a middle of the order offensive threat, with potentially  above-average offensive tools all-around. He’s shown solid improvement in college since being drafted by the Rangers in the 6th round in 2011. He hit .293/.405/.483 with 22 XBH’s (7 HR) in 2013 for UVA. Fisher was even more impressive this summer in the Cape Cod League. In 36 games, he hit .333 with six doubles and 13 stolen bases. He walked an impressive 25 times while striking out just 19 on his way to being named an All-Star for the Harwich Mariners.

Hit

Many scouts and experts think Fisher is the best pure hitter in the draft. He’s got good bat speed to go along with a compact swing. Derek uses the entire field and has developed a solid approach at the plate since his prep days. There’s a bit of swing and miss in his bat, but has shown the ability to make adjustments.

Current: 40

Future: 60

Power

Fisher flashes potential plus raw power to all fields, but especially to his pull side. He’s got strong hands and a solid build. Power started to show in games last season. This could be his best tool at the next level.

Current: 40

Future: 65

Speed

Yet another solid tool for Fisher. He stole only eight bases last season but the speed is said to be at least above-average. Probably not an impact basestealer but definitely a threat.

Current: 55

Future: 55

Defense

Fisher’s defensive profile is his biggest question. Scouts have varying degrees of concern for his defense. All seem to agree that he’ll need to move off of center. He’s an athletic kid but seems to lack instincts in the field. Best-case projection’s have him in right field.

Current: 40

Future: 50

Arm

The arm is another area of concern for scouts. While it’s certainly not bad, there’s some question as to whether it will play in right field.

Current: 40

Future: 40

Summary

I’ve watched some video of Fisher and I was quite impressed. He’s got a pretty left-handed swing and sprays the ball around. I did notice that he has a Bryce Harper-esque toe tap thing he does during his load that appears to throw off his timing sometimes (although I’m no scout). However I’m sure that’s something that can be tweaked if it really becomes an issue. Fisher’s defensive limitations definitely raise some concern, it’s hard to ignore his offensive potential. The Mets could use a high-ceiling bat that could be a fast-riser due to his college experience. Especially in the outfield– although I’m never a proponent of drafting for need.

Sidenote: If there’s a player you’d like to see profiled in the coming weeks, just let me know in the comments and I’ll do my best to get to him.