Izaac Pacheco is a prep infielder who will possibly hear his name called during round one of the 2021 MLB Draft on July 11. The Texas A&M commit has a lot of raw tools that he will break into as he fills out.
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Izaac Pacheco, 3B, Friendswood (TX)
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 225 lbs.
Age: 18
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
2019: 15 G, .366/.527/.634, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 12 R, 7/12 K/BB
2020: 5 G, .333/.526/.583, 4 RBI, 4 R, 1/4 K/BB
2021: 28 G, .543/.670/1.000, 5 HR, 34 RBI, 35 R, 5/31 K/BB
Scouting Grades
Hit: 45
Power: 55
Run: 50
Field: 55
Throw: 60
Overall: 50
Pacheco has a lot of raw power from the left side of the plate that he showed off during his high school career and on the showcase circuit. He has fringy speed, but won’t be stealing many bases, and is a solid defender. A move to third base is likely in the cards and he has the range, hands, and arm strength to make it a smooth transition. In a playoff game last month, the 18-year-old went 5-for-5 with 10 RBI and a homer to lead Friendswood to victory. This performance can be seen in the video below.
Strengths
The offensive production and raw abilities are where most of Pacheco’s value comes from. He builds a lot of leverage with his swing while his strength and bat speed help elevate his pop potential. The young infielder adjusts to pitches anywhere in the zone with impressive hands, while the bat speed creates very loud contact on fastballs and mistake pitches.
On the defensive side, Pacheco has very light feet for a guy his size and gets to balls on his left and right side while charging onto the grass to make plays as well His transition to third base should come fairly easily as he has natural athleticism to make all sorts of plays. The arm strength is also a big plus as he has no issues making throws from any spot on the left side of the field.
Weaknesses
The ceiling is awfully high for Pacheco – perhaps one of the highest in this draft class – but there are some weaknesses, of course. While he has a lot of raw power and a compact swing, there were times he could be seen getting too pull-happy and selling out for the home run. The swing-and-miss in his game is unavoidable and he will certainly have to make adjustments. His swing has the tendency to get long on breaking pitches as he opens up and doesn’t stay consistent through the zone. Since he is so young, Pacheco’s speed will never be a strong suit as he fills out and adds more strength.
Pro Comparison: Manny Machado
While Machado is a right-hander, their hitting profiles are similar along with their builds and defense capabilities. Both players have a lot of pop in their bats while at times having swing-and-miss in their games. They both play a smooth defense on the left side, and Machado has made a smooth transition to third base.
Draft Projection: Round 1, Pick 29, Los Angeles Dodgers
Justin Turner re-signed with the Dodgers for two more years in the offseason and will be 38 at the end of the deal. Pacheco will take a bit longer than that to fully develop, but he would add very good depth for the position in the system. The high potential he possesses is something the Dodgers should be all over as a solid value pick with the last pick of the first round. The only concern would be whether he would sign, but the Dodgers would certainly have the money to fork it over to meet his needs so he doesn’t stick to his A&M commitment.
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Main Image Credit: The Post Newspaper, TX
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