As the MLB Draft looms, ESPN MLB Draft insider Kiley McDaniel seemed unsure of Kentucky baseball left fielder Ryan Waldschmidt’s viability as a legitimate first rounder.
“I think he (Waldschmidt) and Vance Honeycutt of North Carolina are the two most polarizing guys in the first round,” McDaniel said Wednesday.
During the season, Waldschmidt was a premier hitter for the Bat Cats and in the SEC as he posted a .333 batting average, .469 on-base percentage and a .610 slugging percentage.
Waldschmidt transferred to Kentucky after playing a season at Charleston Southern, going on to play two seasons in Lexington.
Overall in three years of college baseball, Waldschmidt hit for a .312 batting average, .469 on-base percentage and a .538 slugging percentage.
When it comes to the hitting tools that Waldschmidt brings to the table, though, many wonder how his game will translate to the next level.
“If it turns out the power plays more at 20 home runs instead of, maybe, 25 and the on-base, instead of being at .350 (is) .320, that goes from an every day left fielder to a platoon guy,” McDaniel said. “Getting an unathletic platoon guy — unathletic in the sense of defensively — some teams really don’t like and are scared of.”
McDaniel expressed concern that, defensively, Waldschmidt may struggle to bring much value to a MLB ball club. His ACL injury, which limited him some at the beginning of the season for Kentucky, also has scouts weary of his defensive value.
“Scouts don’t really like how it looks (but) the numbers guys love how it looks on the sheet,” McDaniel said.
With that in mind, the focus shifts from just where Waldschmidt will be selected, but also which team may want to take him.
As for McDaniel, in his most recent mock draft, he had Waldschmidt going No. 14 overall to the Chicago Cubs.
“I think he is in that, say, 15-25 (range),” he said. “Like a pretty wide range because I think it’ll be spotty where not every team is going to have the same evaluation.”
Regardless, Waldschmidt is still expected to hear his name called in the 2024 MLB Draft, which is set to take place on Sunday, July 14, at 6 p.m. ET and will air live on ESPN.
