When Nobody Knows Your Name: 2015 Potential Indians Draft Pick Cornelius Randolph

Even though the Indians have middle infield depth at every level of their farm system, there may be a prep player too good to pass up if he is still available at 17. Cornelius Randolph, 18, attends Griffin High School not too far outside Atlanta. He is the school’s best baseball prospect since Tim Beckham, the first overall selection of the 2008 draft. Like Beckham, he is athletic with tremendous baseball instinct. He can play multiple positions and even has the speed to play the outfield in pro ball. Griffin dealt with a minor bout of biceps tendinitis this spring but has showed no ill effects since March. He is committed to Clemson, so sign ability could be an issue, something the Indians always have to be aware of .

Simply put, the 6-foot-1, 190 lb. Randolph is a pure hitter with great bat speed, power potential, and strike zone awareness from the left side of the plate. An ultra-advanced approach makes him even more dangerous. Randolph rarely chases out of the zone and consistently puts himself in good hitter’s counts. Randolph has more pop in his bat than your typical high school middle infielder;  When Randolph connects with a ball, he’s capable of giving it a ride not a ton of prep players can.

His best tool is his arm strength (his arm wasn’t at its best this spring because of the biceps issue) which works well because he’s not going to stick at shortstop long-term. Cornelius has good hands but lacks the first step quickness and range for shortstop. There’s enough defensive ability there to believe he’ll become an above-average defender at third base or even the outfield in time. He possesses the tools to play a premium infield position long term, though likely not shortstop. He already isn’t the fleetest of foot, which limits his range and may doom his chances at short right out of the gate, and may slow down more as he fills out.

He’s a bigger, thicker athlete than most shortstops, and while body type can certainly be deceiving. Players built like Randolph rarely have the kind of extreme mobility short requires. He’s quick enough in short bursts, but lacks foot speed. He does have a big arm, though, so third base is probably his best fit for a future home. Second is an option as well, but would seem a bit of a waste of arm strength. He has very good hands in the field, so should have no problem turning himself into an asset at whatever position he ultimately moves to.

Cornelius ranked as the 19th, 20th, and 29th best prospect in the draft class in the latest rankings by MLB.com, Baseball America, and Keith Law (subscription required). Depending on who you ask, the Yankees are looking for a bat with one of their two first round picks (16th and 30th), and Cornelius has one of the best offensive skill sets in the entire draft.

(Photo courtesy of Royals Review)