Brady House is going to be a top-10 pick in this year’s MLB Draft on July 11. The powerful shortstop from Winder, Georgia will be turning 18 years old in less than two weeks but is already built like a full-grown man. Let’s take a look inside the toolshed.
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Brady House, SS, Winder-Barrow (GA)
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 210 lbs.
Age: 18
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
HS Hitting Stats: 79 G – .524/.629/.868, 17 HRs, 34 SBs
HS Pitching Stats: 51.2 IP, 1.49 ERA, 0.774 WHIP, 82/9 K/BB rate
Scouting Grades
Hit: 60
Power: 70
Run: 40
Arm: 60
Field: 50
Overall: 55
As you can see from the stats above, House can hit and pitch. Although he can pump 97-mph fastballs, he likely won’t be doing much of that once he gets to rookie ball. The bat is what teams will focus on and it is House’s calling card as the best prep hitter in the class.
Strengths
The power is undeniable and House gets to it easily. He doesn’t have much of a leg kick but shifts his weight seamlessly using his lower half and torso rotation extremely well. For a player who is 6-foot-3, the Georgia native doesn’t have a long stroke. It is compact and straight to the ball. House does a good job of keeping his hands back which should help him adjust to better pitching as he moves up the ladder. The prepster has good pitch recognition for his age and even when he does get fooled, he has the upper-body strength to muscle the ball to the outfield or hit it hard the other way.
Defensively, House has solid hands and a good first step. His arm is plus and should play on the left side of the dirt or possibly a corner outfield spot as he ages. He throws with a lower arm slot from across the diamond but he is accurate. Scouts are mixed on whether he will stick at shortstop. If House does move to the hot corner, he could be an above-average defender.
Weaknesses
Not being able to play shortstop at the major league level is why House won’t be drafted as high as fellow prepsters Marcelo Mayer and Jordan Lawlar. While House is pretty athletic for his size, he is already much thicker and more muscular than his fellow top-10 shortstops. I see him only playing shortstop if needed and think he will be better served as a third baseman. His average range and fluidity around the bag will likely only diminish as he fills out his already large frame.
House is a below-average runner so don’t expect him to steal many bases. Although he has had 34 in his High School career without being caught, the running game is much different in the pros as pitchers hold runners on better and catchers show off quicker pop times and higher velocity to second base. House isn’t a lumbering runner and once he gets moving he is alright. The big guy also has the smarts to know when to take an extra bag.
Pro Comparison: Manny Machado
The San Diego Padres third baseman was drafted out of High School third overall back in 2010. While Machado was a little skinnier and a bit faster back then, he has filled out and hit 30+ HRs a year from 2015-2019. House is already Manny’s size now and should be a power threat immediately while also being a better third baseman than a shortstop just like Machado.
Draft Projection: Round 1, Pick 6, Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona has shown that they have no problem taking a prep bat in the first round as they drafted Corbin Carroll with the 16th pick in 2019. House is the most projectable bat here and although Matt McLain, who the Diamondbacks selected out of High School in 2018, is still on the board, the 18-year-old from Winder will be heading to the desert.
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5 Responses
Is this supposed to be a highlight video of why not to draft him? First impression is that he has fixable flaws in his swing, but that he is extremely raw-particularly in his plate approach. I’m very concerned at how overmatched he is vs any breaking ball, and consequently looks fooled easily. It’s easy to love his fluidity and power, particularly his frame (which stands to hold another 15-20 lbs of muscle), but he projects as a corner OF to me-possibly 3B. ESPN has Detroit taking him at 3, and while I understand salary disposition is a major factor, I believe Detroit would be better served with Lawler if he falls to 3. Lawler’s timeline seems to fit Detroit’s (competitive in 3 years) and while his ceiling may not extend to the power House has, his floor-imo-is much higher (and safer).