2015 Draft: Garrett Whitley

Garrett Whitley | OF

Background
Whitley, 18, is a New York kid from Niskayuna, which is a few miles outside Albany. He popped up as a significant 2015 draft prospect last summer thanks to a series of strong showcase performances, and he will be the first baseball player ever drafted out of Niskayuna High School. Whitely is committed to Wake Forest.

Scouting Report
At 6-foot-1 and 195 lbs., Whitley is a premium athlete and one of the most tooled up players in the draft class. His best tool is his speed, making him a weapon both on the bases and in center field, where he also has a strong arm. Whitley is a right-handed hitter with a ton of bat speed, which projects to above-average power down the road. His swing is far from textbook — part of that is a general lack of reps and refinement — but Whitley has a plan at the plate and, with a few tweaks, he should be able to hit for average and power down the road. Loads of natural ability.

Miscellany
Baseball America, Keith Law (subs. req’d), and Baseball America ranked Whitley as the 7th, 8th, and 17th best prospect in the draft class in their latest rankings, respectively. For what it’s worth, Law said the Yankees are in on Whitley in his most recent mock draft. There’s been talk about Whitley being the Mike Trout of this draft — the over-tooled, under-scouted prep outfielder from the Northeast — but that is so unrealistic and unfair. Whitley’s a very promising prospect though, and I get the sense he’ll be off the board by time the Yankees’ first pick (16th overall) comes around.