Nick Plummer | OF
Background
The 18-year-old Plummer attends Brother Rice High School in Michigan, a few miles outside Detroit. He announced his status as a top draft prospect with authority at the Area Code Games last summer by dominating elite high school pitching. Plummer missed time last fall with mono but showed no lingering effects this spring. He is committed to Kentucky.
Scouting Report
Simply put, Plummer has arguably the best pure hit tool in the draft class, high school or college. His setup at the plate and his left-handed swing are as clean as it gets, with great balance and a direct, level path to the ball. Plummer covers the plate well and makes hard contact to all fields. There is some question about his long-term power potential, but right now he shows enough bat speed to expect at least average home run totals down the road. Plummer has a stocky build at 5-foot-11 and 190 lbs., and while he isn’t a great athlete or a speedy runner, he can play center thanks to his instincts. Plummer has had some conditioning issues in the past, and whenever he reaches the point where he can’t stay in center (could happen next year, could happen in 15 years), left field is the most likely destination because his arm isn’t suited for right.
Miscellany
Baseball America, Keith Law (subs. req’d), and MLB.com ranked Plummer as the 11th, 15th, and 27th best prospect in their latest draft prospect rankings, respectively. For what it’s worth, Kiley McDaniel recently said he heard the Yankees have interest in Plummer. It’s very likely Plummer will be the first player drafted out of Michigan in the first round since the Yankees selected Michigan C David Parrish with the 28th pick in 2000. New York drafts 16th and 30th this year and Plummer’s stock seems to be all over the place. Could go as high as the 10-12 range, could slip into the back half of the first round. My guess is he won’t be around for that 30th pick.
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