Chris Newell

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #30 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 40/High
  
  Track Record: An unsigned 37th-round pick of the Cardinals in high school, newell flashed huge tools but struggled to translate them into consistent production at Virginia. He posted a .952 OPS for Harwich in the Cape Cod League after his junior season, leading the Dodgers to draft him in the 13th round and sign him for an above-slot $147,500. Newell underwent a swing change with the Dodgers and got off to a loud start at Low-A Rancho Cucamonga in 2023, but his production fell off after a promotion to High-A Great Lakes. He battled elbow problems late in the year and had season-ending surgery to remove a bone chip.
  
  Scouting Report: newell is a strong, athletic lefthanded hitter, who knows the strike zone and crushes balls when he connects. He has plus-plus raw power and sends towering home runs out to all fields. He routinely posts exit velocities over 100 mph. Newell takes big, aggressive cuts and swings and misses in the strike zone alarmingly often, especially against elevated fastballs. He projects to be a well below-average hitter reliant on getting to his power. Newell is a fringy runner, but he runs clean routes and is playable in center field. He’s a technically sound defender with an above-average arm and can play all three outfield spots.
  
  The Future: newell has a chance to be a backup outfielder who provides power from the left side. He’ll try to prove he can hit higher-level pitching in 2024.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 30 | Power: 50 | Run: 45 | Field: 50 | Arm: 55

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #237 prospect in 2022 draft
  School: Virginia Committed/Drafted: Cardinals ’19 (37)
  Age At Draft: 21.2
  A top-100 draft prospect out of high school, scouts had high expectations for Newell thanks to a loud tool set that features power, arm strength and speed. He seemed to be living up to his hype after he hit .407/.546/.729 with four home runs and eight stolen bases during an 18-game 2020 season, but it’s been downhill since then. Newell struggled to make contact in 2021 with a swing that was far too steep and led to a 33.3% strikeout rate. He continued to struggle in the Cape Cod League, where he hit .250/.288/.500 with 23 strikeouts to just three walks. His 2022 junior season with Virginia was more of the same, though it came with more power, as Newell hit .258/.385/.468 with 12 home runs and 16 stolen bases, but a 28% strikeout rate. Newell has hammered 93-plus mph velocity this spring, but he has a hole at the top of the zone where he can be exposed and will need to make adjustments with his bat path to close that. At 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, Newell has a great frame and is a good defender in center field, which will take some pressure off his bat, but he doesn’t have the same top-three round buzz he generated as a high school prospect and after his first season with the Cavaliers.
• Ranked #85 prospect in 2019 draft
  An athletic outfielder with a lean, 6-foot-3, 187-pound frame, Newell has an enticing toolset and significantly raised his draft stock last summer. At a Perfect Game event in Atlanta, Newell was one of the showcase's best hitters and also displayed strong defensive potential in center field. Offensively, he has above-average raw power from the left side, with twitchy bat speed and a smooth, uphill, fly ball-oriented swing. He's also an above-average runner and shown above-average arm strength in the past, but that has been inconsistent this year as Newell has been recovering from Tommy John surgery. While he's not a pitching prospect, he had been in the low 90s on the mound previously, which speaks to his arm strength at it's best. The questions with Newell are in regards to his hit tool, and the fact that he doesn't have much of a track record outside of the Atlanta event. He has a power-over-hit offensive approach, and scouts put 45 grades on his hit tool with plenty of swing-and-miss in his game. They also wonder whether he will be more of a corner outfielder rather than a true center fielder as he continues to physically mature. There's a lot to like with Newell, but he is expected to be a tough sign out of his Virginia commitment.

• December, 2018 Scouting Report
  An athletic outfielder with a lean, 6-foot-3, 187-pound frame, Newell has an enticing toolset and significantly raised his draft stock last summer. At a Perfect Game event in Atlanta, Newell was one of the showcase's best hitters and also displayed strong defensive potential in center field. Offensively, he has above-average raw power from the left side, with twitchy bat speed and a smooth, uphill, fly ball-oriented swing. He's also an above-average runner and shown above-average arm strength in the past, but that has been inconsistent this year as Newell has been recovering from Tommy John surgery. While he's not a pitching prospect, he had been in the low 90s on the mound previously, which speaks to his arm strength at it's best. The questions with Newell are in regards to his hit tool, and the fact that he doesn't have much of a track record outside of the Atlanta event. He has a power-over-hit offensive approach, and scouts put 45 grades on his hit tool with plenty of swing-and-miss in his game. They also wonder whether he will be more of a corner outfielder rather than a true center fielder as he continues to physically mature. There's a lot to like with Newell, but he is expected to be a tough sign out of his Virginia commitment.