Sean Watkins, OF, Cal State Los Angeles

Strong kid, particularly through upper half and core; quick-twitch athlete who’s a decent runner (better in the outfield than on the bases) and who really makes his way with his bat … Aggressive hitter looking to hack and do damage; above-average bat speed with strong hands and wrists, but tendency to get over-aggressive and struggles with poor pitch recognition; will chase down and out of the zone. Huge swings; can get long through load and swing even with bat speed; trouble catching up to fastballs at times, particularly when elevated up in the zone. Will crush off-speed when left out over the plate; lined right up with his timing multiple times in my looks, though won’t go so far as to call it slider bat speed considering he still can hit the fastball when timing is right. Above-average raw power with consistent ability to lift the ball in the air; likely going to strike out quite a bit in pro ball, but Sean Watkins will produce over-the-fence pop as he ages and fills out into adult frame … Strong arm in from the outfield; good velo with decent carry on his throws; shot to be a plus arm from center field; should fit in on the corners just fine, too … Tracks the ball very well and covers a lot of ground in the outfield; had him just 4.32 up the line from the RHH box, but he feels faster in the outfield when he really gets to stride up to top speed. That said, even while playing center now, almost surely ticketed for a corner role in pro ball, especially as he fills out and settles into power approach at the plate … Sean Watkins was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in 2017 out of Cal State Los Angeles but chose not to sign; by far the best and most projectable player on a decent Golden Eagles squad in 2018. Very high-energy guy who plays with a lot of visible intensity; polarizing guy to compete against; varied reports from opponents and third parties about his makeup and character, especially in how he carries himself against opponents; tough to make conclusions on that alone, especially considering I personally liked the way he played based on my May look, but makeup/character bears watching as part of his future projection into pro ball … All told, Sean Watkins is a reasonably exciting second- or third-day MLB Draft prospect armed with a few bona fide tools that could develop nicely in the pro environment. For me, he’s a platoon/bench bat corner outfielder at ceiling with an organizational depth floor; he’ll ultimately go as far as his power profile can take him.

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