Kevin Bazzell
Born 3/29/2003 in Dallas, Texas
6'1 205
B/T: R/R
School: Texas Tech University
Drafted in the 3rd round (79th overall) by the Washington Nationals in 2024 ($980,300 bonus)
MLB.com Scouting report:
Scouting grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 45 | Run: 40 | Arm: 55 | Field: 50 | Overall: 50
Bazzell impressed scouts with his bat and transition to catching as a Texas high school senior in 2021, but he went undrafted and headed to Dallas Baptist. He transferred to Texas Tech after his first semester, which required him to sit out the 2022 season, then played third base as a redshirt freshman. With Hudson White transferring to Arkansas, Bazzell is back behind the plate for the Red Raiders and has played his way into the top two rounds despite battling mononucleosis early this spring.
Bazzell repeatedly barrels balls with a controlled right-handed stroke and a disciplined, all-fields approach. He rarely swings and misses or chases pitches out of the strike zone, and he made contact 92 percent of the time that he offered at fastballs in 2023. He hits balls hard but on a low trajectory and projects to hit 15 homers per season with a healthy amount of doubles, though there's more power in there if he looks to lift pitches more often.
An underrated athlete, Bazzell has average speed but will slow down as he spends more time behind the plate. He moves well back there, should develop into at least an average receiver with more experience and has average to solid arm strength that plays up thanks to a quick release and good accuracy. He did a decent job at third base last spring and could handle filling in at any of the infield and outfield corners
