Braden Shewmake

A lanky, 6-foot-4, 190-pound shortstop, Shewmake can handle any infield position but started all 61 games at shortstop for Texas A&M as a sophomore and has continued to hold down the position as a junior in 2019. He’s been among the most consistent hitters in the SEC over his three collegiate seasons, starting with a loud freshman campaign when he hit .328/.374/.529 with 11 home runs and 11 stolen bases and was voted first-team all-SEC. He has continued to hit at a high level, although Shewmake has not replicated his power numbers from his freshman season. Scouts wonder when he will start to physically fill out his frame and begin hitting for more power. He has good bat speed and some twitchiness with his hands at the plate, but he’ll eventually need to add more strength to tap into additional power with a wood bat. He struggled in 44 at-bats for USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team last summer (.136/.250/.205), though his track record in the SEC will likely be emphasized compared to a much smaller sample with a wood bat. Defensively, Shewmake has all of the intangibles necessary to play shortstop, and he is a terrific in-game leader with athleticism. However, if he does begin to fill out physically, he has a chance to outgrow the position, and he doesn’t currently have the hands of an everyday, major league shortstop. Because of those concerns, many scouts are mixed as to where Shewmake fits best, defensively. He’s a plus runner who could handle all three outfield positions, if necessary, but teams will likely look to keep him in the infield before running him out to the grass. Shewmake is something of a conundrum to teams who view him as a player with a skillset that’s greater than his tools, and he might be best served in a super-utility role down the line. Either way, his track record of hitting should have him selected on Day 1 of the draft, and there’s more projection here if and when he starts to fill out physically.