Author Topic: Follow the Prospects: Elijah Green, OF  (Read 8696 times)

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Offline Kevrock

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Follow the Prospects: Elijah Green, OF
« Topic Start: July 17, 2022, 08:46:46 PM »
5. Nationals

Pick: Elijah Green
School: IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla.
Position: OF

Instant Analysis: Green has a chance to be a physical, exciting power/speed threat in the mold of Luis Robert. He's 6-foot-3, 215 pounds with plus-plus speed and raw power to match. If everything clicks, the upside is a center fielder who could hit 30-plus home runs. The risk is in his swing-and-miss tendencies, the same question scouts had last year about his former IMG Academy teammate, James Wood, who so far has quieted those concerns and become a Top 100 prospect. If Green goes out and shows he can keep his strikeouts to a manageable level next year in Low-A, he has the talent to quickly move into the elite tier of prospects in baseball.

Scouting Report: Green is one of the most dynamic and unique athletes scouts have seen on the baseball field in a long time. The son of 10-year NFL tight end Eric Green, Elijah’s physicality would stand out on a football field and is almost unheard of on the baseball field at his age. At 6-foot-3, 214 pounds, Green has tremendous strength and power currently and would look right at home standing next to the top sluggers in baseball as an 18-year-old. His power/speed combination with his frame gives him the biggest pure upside in the 2022 draft class as a righthanded hitter with the power to drive the ball out of any ballpark, while also turning in 70-grade run times. As one scout remarked, “Guys that big and that strong aren’t supposed to be running 6.5 in the 60.” Green isn’t a raw hitter without a plan at the plate either. He has an impressive track record of performance as an underclassman and accessed his power regularly in games over the summer showcase circuit, with USA Baseball’s 18U National Team—where he homered four times in seven games—and this spring against strong competition with IMG Academy. There is swing and miss in Green’s game. He’ll get caught out in front on breaking balls and he has shown whiff tendencies against velocity as well, but he should make more than enough impact to live with those whiffs. He has more than enough speed for center field now, and will likely begin his career at the position, but will need to refine his routes and reactions to stick there long term. It’s uncommon to see a major league center fielder with Green’s size, but he is an outlier athlete. If he does have to move to a corner he has the tools to be an above-average defender in right, with plus arm strength to profile nicely there. While other hitters in this class might top Green as a pure hitter, you won’t find anyone with his combination of dynamic athleticism, power, speed and pure upside.

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/2022-mlb-draft-day-one-analysis-for-all-30-teams/

Online Slateman

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Elijah Green
« Reply #1: July 17, 2022, 09:18:56 PM »
High risk, high ceiling

Offline Kevrock

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Elijah Green
« Reply #2: July 17, 2022, 10:01:27 PM »

Green is the son of former NFL Pro Bowl tight end Eric Green, and at 6-foot-3, 225 pounds, he looks like he could have followed in his father’s footsteps had he not desired a future on the diamond. Green really jumped on the map with a strong performance at the Area Code Underclass event back in the summer of 2020, leading some to wish he'd reclassified for the 2021 Draft, but he’s shown off his tremendous raw tools at IMG Academy this spring to put himself in position to be a very high Draft pick in 2022. A right-handed hitter, Green is capable of doing just about everything very well. He can make very loud contact and has proven he can drive the ball to all fields and hit the ball out of the park just about anywhere with at least plus raw power, and he’s done that this spring in front of a lot of decision makers. . The one question that had arisen about his offensive upside had been about the swing-and-miss in his game. He’s struggled in the past against elevated velocity and there are some concerns about his ability to adjust to offspeed and breaking stuff, but had assuaged many of those fears with how he has swung the bat this spring. Green is an elite-level runner who can steal bases and cover a ton of ground in the outfield, where he should be able to man center field, with a plus arm, for a very long time to come. His complete toolset doesn’t come around very often, so it’s likely someone in the top of the first round will call his name even if there are remaining questions about his hit tool.

Offline Kevrock

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Elijah Green
« Reply #3: July 17, 2022, 10:06:20 PM »
Elijah Green is one of the most exciting athletes that scouts have seen come out of high school in many years, and he currently ranks as the No. 5 prospect on our 2022 draft board and is a consensus top-of-the-first-round talent.

Green has a unique power/speed combination with present physicality that is rare for baseball players and more commonly seen on the football field. Green is committed to Miami but is expected to be one of the first prep players taken in the draft. We had our resident scouting expert, Tom Lipari, watch the videos below (though he wasn’t limited to just these videos) and break down Green.

Physicality: Superior athlete. Proportioned, strong, physical 6-foot-3, 225 pounds. More coming along the way. Moves extremely well. Boat load of God-given, physical ability.

Hit Tool: Plus bat speed, quickness, strength in hands will produce power numbers. Not a bat-to-ball type approach. Will make the pitcher pay for mistakes. Like any swing built for damage, strikeouts could be a concern but a chance to pay it back 10 fold in power production.

Offensive setup: Strong, wider base. Hands up, relaxed. Pre-pitch operation has its inconsistencies. Not always “on time.” Can get over anxious. Lower half timing varies: no stride, slight stride, toe tap. Doesn’t get off his backside at times. Little more consistent in hand load. Has enough bat speed to compensate for timing discrepancies right now, but as pitching advances a more consistent pre-pitch operation will be needed. However, when relaxed, on time and able to get hands through, sit back and enjoy the fireworks!

Swing Itself: Built for damage. Compact stroke with lift. Obliterates pitches he can handle out and over the plate. Does have a tendency to pull off the down-and-away breaker. Just like almost every amateur hitter, consistency in spin recognition and ability to stay on it will be a part of his education as he continues to grow and develop into a professional hitter. Plenty of tools there to expedite his growth as an offensive force as his journey proceeds.

Defense: Very good defender. Ability to stay in center field long term. Has a chance to outgrow it and move to a corner spot. Adequate, proper reads off barrel. Speed makes up for any late jump. Above-average arm, accurate.

Running: Elite 60-yard dash runner that translates well on base paths. Potential there to collect a high number of stolen bases if he chooses to do so.

Outlook: Elite talent that doesn’t come around often. Makeup and tools are there to contribute at the big league level, in a big way. Will take some time to come into his own offensively, but would be wise to bet on the athleticism, strength and overall package to assist in his development along the way.

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Elijah Green
« Reply #4: July 17, 2022, 10:56:59 PM »
Should be noted that Green improved his contact rate, changed his swing, and cut his K rate from 35% to 20%.


Offline imref

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Elijah Green
« Reply #6: July 18, 2022, 04:27:29 AM »
Anyone know why he isn’t playing football?

Offline imref

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Elijah Green
« Reply #7: July 18, 2022, 04:54:37 AM »
More good stuff:

https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/rangers/2022/07/14/elite-prospect-elijah-green-believes-he-can-change-a-franchise-will-it-be-the-rangers/

Quote
Consider this: In one breath, ESPN draft analyst Kiley McDaniel compares Green, a center fielder who spent the last two years at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., with former overall No. 1s Bryce Harper and Justin Upton and says, “He’s the kind of guy who could change the face of your organization.”


Offline welch

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Elijah Green, OF
« Reply #9: July 18, 2022, 08:57:11 AM »
Anyone know why he isn’t playing football?

Probably wants to be able to walk when he is forty and not to worry that repeated concussions have mushed his brain.

Offline imref

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Elijah Green, OF
« Reply #10: July 18, 2022, 09:08:41 AM »
I'm guessing he slots in at #3 in our top prospects list behind Cavalli and House once he signs.

Online JCA-CrystalCity

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Elijah Green, OF
« Reply #11: July 18, 2022, 09:27:48 AM »
Kev - if you could add links to some of those posts you are quoting, that'd be great (even if they are subscription).

Also, offensively, this guy sounds a little like Alphonso Soriano, except with a better arm (one that won't pile up outfield assists because no one will challenge it).

Offline imref

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Elijah Green, OF
« Reply #12: July 18, 2022, 09:33:31 AM »

Jonathan Mayo:
Quote
The Nationals went upside here with Green, who might have the highest ceiling of any player in the Draft. The son of former NFL Pro Bowl tight end Eric Green, Elijah has incredible tools. There were some concerns with swing and miss in his offensive game last summer, but he answered them enough this summer at IMG Academy to land in the top five. Green's selection ensured that this is the first Draft since 1971 that no college players were selected within the top five picks.

Offline Kevrock

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Elijah Green, OF
« Reply #13: July 18, 2022, 09:34:48 AM »
Kev - if you could add links to some of those posts you are quoting, that'd be great (even if they are subscription).

Also, offensively, this guy sounds a little like Alphonso Soriano, except with a better arm (one that won't pile up outfield assists because no one will challenge it).

It’s usually BA with me. I’ll try to add the links and will certainly add going forward. If I drop something shorthand like ratings it’s me referring to their draft guide (in print, and highly recommended).

Offline Kevrock

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Elijah Green, OF
« Reply #14: July 18, 2022, 09:42:02 AM »
I'm guessing he slots in at #3 in our top prospects list behind Cavalli and House once he signs.

Wouldn’t be surprised at #1; we got the highest upside player out of a loaded HS draft.

Offline Kevrock

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Elijah Green, OF
« Reply #15: July 18, 2022, 09:45:53 AM »
And vice-versa. The Nats lauded Green for his maturity, work ethic, professionalism and camaraderie.

“My leadership, guys are going to gravitate towards me,” he said. “I’m always going to bring joy to the field, and I’m always going to play with a smile on my face. Because it’s the game of baseball, and it’s supposed to be fun. Just having fun out there is really going to bring us back to winning a championship.”

https://www.mlb.com/news/nationals-select-elijah-green-with-no-5-pick-in-mlb-draft

Online JCA-CrystalCity

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Elijah Green, OF
« Reply #16: July 18, 2022, 09:53:24 AM »
It’s usually BA with me. I’ll try to add the links and will certainly add going forward. If I drop something shorthand like ratings it’s me referring to their draft guide (in print, and highly recommended).
thanks.  I figured you were cutting and pasting, but if you are doing this typing out of the print guide, that's amazing.

Offline Kevrock

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Elijah Green, OF
« Reply #17: July 18, 2022, 09:57:40 AM »
No, most is copy and paste. But some tidbits I transpose from the print edition.

Offline DPMOmaha

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Elijah Green, OF
« Reply #18: July 22, 2022, 11:09:02 PM »
Signed for about $20 above his slot value.

Offline zimm_da_kid

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Elijah Green, OF
« Reply #19: July 23, 2022, 08:44:37 AM »
Hopefully he gets to the complex league asap

Offline Kevrock

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Elijah Green, OF
« Reply #20: July 26, 2022, 03:18:33 PM »

Offline Kevrock

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Elijah Green, OF
« Reply #21: July 26, 2022, 03:19:40 PM »

Offline imref

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Elijah Green, OF
« Reply #22: July 29, 2022, 01:57:36 PM »
Green scheduled to be introduced at Nats park tonight.

Offline Kevrock

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Elijah Green, OF
« Reply #23: July 29, 2022, 05:48:47 PM »
https://twitter.com/bymattweyrich/status/1553124097516781568?s=21&t=7jRAj_Dom6Z7iCd5FE8UOA

Rare opportunity to get Statcast numbers on an 18-year-old prospect with Elijah Green taking BP at Nationals Park today. He’s already registering exit velos of 107 mph and 400-foot homers. Here’s a clip from his second session:

Offline imref

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Elijah Green, OF
« Reply #24: July 29, 2022, 07:20:54 PM »
heck of a first batting practice:

https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/nationals/elijah-green-wows-nationals-park-batting-practice-hopes-get-back-quickly

Quote
Even with Juan Soto and Josh Bell taking swings in the group before him, Green put on a show with a series of powerful swings and loud sounds. The scoreboard displayed Statcast numbers more aligned with that of major-league power hitters than a prospect only 18 years old. His final swing registered a 113 mph exit velocity on a 413-foot home run to left field.

Reports to the ST complex on Monday.