Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
He’s no Mike Trout, but Connor Harrell has the potential to be a solid five-tool outfielder for the Detroit Tigers.
It took seven rounds for the Tigers to finally draft a position player in the 2013 MLB draft. They selected the Vanderbilt University center fielder with the 216th overall pick. The Tigers drafted Harrell in the 31st round of the 2012 draft, but it appears he did himself a huge favor by returning for his senior season.
Harrell batted .313 with 12 home runs in his final year at Vanderbilt. He has good speed to go with his big frame. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound outfielder plays solid defense, and may project better as a corner outfielder than a center fielder.
The Tigers clearly had their eye on the Texas native, as they may have reached a little bit to land him. Harrell has a great combination of size and speed, but will need to improve his strikeout rate if he plans on being an everyday player for the Tigers.
Harrell’s versatility is his greatest asset. He is far from one-dimensional. If he can improve his pitch recognition, there is no doubt he has the ability to become a solid all-around major league outfielder.
Harrell will have plenty of time to develop in the minor leagues, which will benefit him immensely. There are a lot of other minor league outfielders in the Tigers’ organization ahead of him, including Nick Castellanos, Avisail Garcia and Austin Schotts. Harrell has the potential to be a perpetual 20-20 guy, but it may take time for him to get his swing-and-miss problem under control. He regressed a bit in his junior season at Vanderbilt after a solid start to his college career, but his senior season showed that he has the potential to be a valuable asset to the franchise.
David Fouty is a columnist for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @davefouty, “Like” him on Facebook and add him to your network on Google+.
