The Houston Astros went with University of Connecticut outfielder George Springer with the No. 11 pick. Springer is a big bat with two tools they can’t teach: power and speed.
Springer has a natural uppercut to his swing and generates a ton of power with it. He’s got the potential to hit 30 home runs in the majors and is both fast enough and good enough defensively to play center field. That gives him the advantage of being a potential 5-tool guy, but even if he doesn’t develop, he’ll have three elite tools. That’s a coup for the Astros at this point in the draft.
Moreover, Springer provides power that has been missing in the past few drafts. Houston needs a middle of the order bat and Springer has a good shot to be that. An outfield of Springer, Ariel Ovando and J.D. Martinez is pretty danged exciting.
Springer has some issues with his swing, having a timing mechanism on his front step that could be problematic. But, the Astros are probably okay with that, since a guy like Ovando also has a lot of pre-swing movement.
If the Astros can sign him, as he’s reportedly asking for a lot, Springer will move up into the top 5 prospects in the Astros system immediately.