Kameron Misner

Misner entered the year as one of the most exciting college hitters in the 2019 class thanks to an exciting set of tools that rival any college player in the class. However, a left foot injury limited him to just 34 games in the spring of 2018, and as a result Misner entered this spring with a limited track record compared to other top college hitters. Drafted in 2016 by the Royals in the 33rd round, Misner made it to campus at Missouri, where he had a solid freshman season. He broke out in a big way as a sophomore, hitting .360/.497/.576 with significantly improved walk rates when healthy. After rehabbing, Misner started to turn heads again in the fall by showing improved power and strength. He took it a step further and started to look like a top-10 pick after the first few weeks on the spring, when he showed great feel to hit and power. Once conference play began, however, Misner showed much more swing-and-miss, which started to raise questions about the true quality of his hit tool. Through his first 45 games this season, Misner posted a .289/.460/.522 slash line with five home runs, 49 walks and 47 strikeouts. But during the 20 SEC games in that same stretch, he hit just .211/.356/.324 with two home runs, 16 walks and 30 strikeouts—raising significant questions about Misner’s ability to handle high-level pitching. That could push him further down the board, but at some point his raw set of tools will be too exciting for teams to pass up. There’s not a single tool Misner doesn’t posses, as he’s an above-average runner at 6-foot-4, 213 pounds and plays a solid center field with good instincts and an explosive first step. He also has above-average arm strength that should serve him well in right field, where his size likely allows him to fit best, and he has the plus-plus raw power necessary to profile in a corner outfield position. Scouts think Misner has an outstanding feel for the strike zone, but a passive approach has hurt him at times this spring, putting him in poor spots to hit with authority. Grading Misner’s hit tool will be the biggest challenge for teams. He’s experimented with different loads and timing mechanisms this spring, but he has never been able to consistently put himself in a good, attacking position. There is risk with Misner because of his limited track record, but his tools give him tremendous upside as well.