The best SEC bats in the MLB Draft

The Southeastern Conference (SEC) needs no introduction in the world of sports, and baseball is no different. A year ago, there were seven SEC players taken in Round 1 of the MLB Draft, including three hitters coming off the board in the first 15 selections.

This year’s class is again full of the conference’s stars. Here are the top hitters.

Top 600 Draft Prospects | Mock Draft 6.0

1. Charlie Condon, 3B/OF — Georgia

Condon’s season speaks for itself. There’s not even much to nitpick here. He showed athleticism and defensively versatility to go with the historic offensive performance.

Condon has 70-grade power and every shot to hit 40 homers in the big leagues. For such a big guy, his ability to lock his arms and keep his swing compact is incredible. The bat speed makes it difficult to get fastballs by him.

The bat may be special and as a result Condon is in the conversation to go No. 1 overall.

2. Jac Caglianone, 1B — Florida

Caglianone has tools and a ton of production on his resume, but he’s a unique talent beyond the numbers.

Let’s get this out of the way: it’s true 80-grade power, no debate, and he manipulates the barrel well enough to cover the horizontal zone to elite levels for a power bat.

His arm allowed him to compete on the mound in college, but he’s far and away a better prospect at the plate it may be a waste of time entertaining it in pro ball.

He’ll settle in fine first base with a chance to be above average there, and the bat projects to somewhere in the middle of the order, though there’s risk in the average and on-base department.

3. Braden Montgomery, RF — Texas A&M

Montgomery broke his ankle prior to the College World Series, but his stock isn’t expected be impacted much after the season he had i College Station.

It really is a tale of two sides for the switch-hitter. As a lefty, he’s incredibly advanced, with monster bat speed, power, and the ability to hit with consistency. In the other batter’s box the swing needs work, but there is bat speed, suggesting he has a chance to keep the skill in pro ball.

In the field, Montgomery projects as a plus right-field defender with a plus arm.

4. Ryan Waldschmidt, OF — Kentucky

Waldschmidt surged late in the year  and now it looks like a potential big-league regular with some upside.

An athletic outfielder with some tools, Waldschmst possesses one of the better combinations of contact and patience in the class, which offers some floor. He has above-average raw power, and projects above-average in right with at least a chance to stick in center.

5. Christian Moore, 2B/LF — Tennessee

Moore has plus power (with big exit velocities and production to prove it) and maintained solid contact rates as the power exploded.

Moore is a fringe-average athlete with a chance to manage at second base, but his lack of arm strength may prevent an everyday role at third. If second doesn’t stick, it’s an bat-first left fielder.

6. Dakota Jordan, OF — Mississippi State

Jordan is an absolute firecracker of flashy athleticism and offensive tools. It’s at least 60-grade speed and arm strength, giving him a chance to develop above-average defense in the outfield.

His bat is thunderous with a chance at 40 homers ane he’ll take his share if bases on balls. The loud tools tools come at the expense of floor, however, as the offensive approach needs refined and more contact is necessary (28% K).

7. Tommy White, 1B/3B — LSU

Tommy White’s Career College Stats

Tommy Tanks is one of the more prolific college baseball producers in recent memory. It’s plus bat speed and 70 raw power, but he’ll have to rein in the aggression out of the zone to get to it.

The offensive profile is risky, particlarly considering he’s almost certainly a first baseman at the next level and doesn’t offer much value outside the batter’s box.

8. Dylan Dreiling, OF — Tennessee

Dreiling, a sophmore-eligible, had a breakout year for the Vols, showing above-average power from the left side, filling out a corner profile and offering a chance at an everyday player.

The power arrived after Dreilling added muscle, and his easy swing has the right kind of violence to it. He’s polished and efficient and could move relatively quickly through the minors with the right development plan.

9. Cole Messina, C — South Carolina

Messina checks off a lot of the right boxes, including above-average defense, college production, and leadership.

Offensively, Messina is weighed down by a high strikeout total, though his bat-to-ball skills are better than they appear. He’ll miss a bit on velocity, but he has plus power that he’s tapped into plenty the last couple of years.

True up-the-middle players don’t grow on trees, and such catchers — even those with a flawed offensive profile — don’t last long in the draft.

10. Billy Amick, 3B/1B — Tennessee

Amick was another loud cog in the Vols’ lineup in their run to the title. He’s strong with plus power and projects to hit the fastball well. Wether or not he’s a regular will depend on how he manages versus offspeed stuff and how much he can improve his swing decisions.

He can play some third, but isnt a lock to stick, suggesting left field or first base may be in his future.

11. Blake Burke, 1B — Tennessee

Burke is a bulky, imposing first baseman with an intimidating presence, tons of raw power and solid bat-to-ball skills.

An aggressive hitter, Burke will chase, though makes plenty of contact when he does, and doesn’t project as a high on-base guy.

He’s a first baseman already who might be forced to full-time DH in the future.

12. Peyton Stovall, 2B — Arkansas

Stovall missed the beginning of the year with an injury, but played his way up boards as the season went along. A gritty, hard-effort second baseman, Stovall has the ability to run and defend enough to stick as an average defender long-term.

At the plate, it’s a smattering of good tools, a lefty hitter who fights deep into accounts with a polished approach, and some power he can tap into when he gets a pitch in the happy zone.

13. Kavares Tears, OF — Tennessee

Tears barely played before an unprecedented breakout in his redshirt-sophomore season where he swatted 20 homers.

Tears has plus power from the left side, and unlike some of the other Tennessee hitters, he’s a solid-average athlete projecting for some value in the field and on the bases.

14. Gage Miller, 3B — Alabama

Miller came out of nowhere for Alabama, making a lot of contact and generating consistent backspin to take full advantage of his average power.

He has some feel for the barrel with a compact swing, and he’s more physical than most hitters with his high-contact profile. His chance to play everyday could come at multiple positions. He’s capable at third, but may fit better in left field long-term.

15. Colby Shelton, SS — Florida

Shelton’ is a physical lefty with a sweet swing, but showed some slugger tendencies creating swing-and-miss and inconsistencies.

With fringe-average range, he’s more likely to move to his right or left on the diamond at the next level.

16. Emilien Pitre, 2B — Kentucky

Pitre is a second baseman who just screams “hitter.” It’s a twitchy set-up with a strong feel to hit and patient approach all in one package. He’s willing to utilize all fields with deft hand speed and innate hand-eye coordination.

There’s not a ton of power or upside here, but he’s not too dissimilar from Stovall, a sum-of-his-parts, gritty ballplayer who sticks at second base for a while.

Photo of Charlie Condon courtesy of University of Georgia Athletics
Photo of Jac Caglianone courtesy of Florida Gators
Photo of Braden Montgomery courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics
Photo of Ryan Waldschmidt courtesy of UK Athletics
Photo of Christian Moore courtesy of Tennessee Athletics
Photo of Dakota Jordan courtesy of Mississippi State Athletics
Photo of Tommy White courtesy of LSU Athletics
Photo of Dylan Dreiling courtesy of Tennessee Athletics
Photo of Cole Messina courtesy of South Carolina Athletics
Photo of Billy Amick courtesy of Tennessee Athletics
Photo of Blake Burke courtesy of Tennessee Athletics
Photo of Peyton Stovall courtesy of Arkansas Razorbacks
Photo of Kavares Tears courtesy of Tennessee Athletics
Photo of Colby Shelton courtesy of Florida Gators
Photo of Emilien Pitre courtesy of UK Athletics

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Oliver Boctor

Oliver Boctor is a student at the University of Washington planning to study Creative Writing. He covers the draft, scouting, and player development for FSS PLUS, and writes about everything baseball on his Website.

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