Chase Vallot | C
Background
After growing up rural Louisiana, Vallot currently attends St. Thomas More High School in Lafayette. He has performed well in various showcase events over the years and is committed to Mississippi State.
Scouting Report
Vallot is a bat first prospect with some of the best raw power in the draft class. He has a very quick right-handed swing and he explodes through the ball, though his approach isn’t great and it prevents him from fully tapping into his offensive potential. Vallot’s best defensive tool is his very strong arm. His overall receiving and footwork behind the plate need work, and there’s a chance he’ll wind up at first base long-term. He’s built like a catcher at 6-foot-1 and 205 lbs. Vallot is a good athlete and he has some speed, so the outfield could be a possibility as well.
Miscellany
Keith Law (subs. req’d), MLB.com, and Baseball America ranked Vallot as the 33rd, 50th, and 53rd best prospect in the draft class, respectively. Just yesterday Law said the Yankees are targeting a prep catcher early in the draft, mentioning Vallot by name. It makes sense, the Yankees love to stockpile not only catching prospects, but righty hitters with power. Vallot needs to work on his approach and defense, so he is definitely a project, but the unteachable skills (power and arm strength) are there. The Yankees don’t pick until the second round (55th overall) because of their offseason spending spree.
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