Evan Skoug

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #78 prospect in 2017 draft
  Coming out of high school Skoug ranked 96th on Baseball America's 2014 BA 500 draft rankings as the top high school prospect from Illinois. He quickly lived up to those expectations at Texas Christian, as he started every one of TCU's games as a freshman. He was even better as a sophomore and was the primary catcher for USA Baseball's Collegiate National Team last summer. But Skoug started his junior year with the worst slump of his career. He was hitting under .200 a month into the season as his swing had gotten longer and loopier, making him an easy mark for pitchers with a plan. Skoug lowered his hands, shortened his bat path and got back to the quicker, shorter swing that worked for him earlier in his career. He halved his strikeout rate after the adjustments and ranked among Big 12 leaders in most offensive categories in conference games. Skoug's calling card is his short stroke that generates all-fields power; the lefthanded hitter can leave the yard as easily to the opposite field as he can to right. Scouts have long questioned his defensive ability behind the plate. He struggles to handle the low pitch and some evaluators question how much room for improvement there is considering his limited flexibility. But the 5-foot-11, 200-pounder has shown a desire to catch and the durability to handle the workload. He's good enough defensively to at least get a shot at catching as a pro, and his bat may be good enough to handle a move to an easier defensive position further into his career.
• Ranked #96 prospect in 2014 draft
  Skoug draws comparisons to another strong-bodied lefthanded-hitting Midwestern catcher with an offensive profile. And like Indiana backstop Kyle Schwarber, Skoug raises questions about his ability to stay behind the plate. His lefthanded bat will be his meal ticket, and scouts are confident in his hitting ability and ability to impact the baseball. A powerfully built physical beast at 5-foot-11, 195 pounds, he blasted a pull-side home run at East Coast Pro and won the MVP at the Perfect Game World Wood Bat Association Championship last fall, hitting .636/.800/1.000. The Texas Christian commit has at least plus power to his pull side and a quick stroke with natural leverage. Although his swing can get long, Skoug has surprising contact frequency with keen strike-zone awareness. Scouts are not as convinced that he will stay behind the plate. He has fringy to average pure arm strength, but it does not consistently play at that level in game action due his transfer and footwork. His strong hands give him the ability to receive, which he does well inside the zone, but evaluators want to see how he handles velocity out of the zone. Scouts are confident that Skoug will work to maximize his ability and praise his makeup. A well below-average runner, Skoug would likely move to first base or left field if he does not stay behind the plate.