Mason Auer

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Tampa Bay Rays #26 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 50/Extreme
  
  Track Record: A two-way player at San Jacinto (Texas) JC, Auer was the Ray’s breakout prospect in 2022. His 2023 season was the opposite. Auer seemed lost at the plate from the first day of the season until almost the last. He hit .074 in May for Double-A Montgomery with a 43% strikeout rate, and only by hitting .295 in September did he drag his batting average back above .200.
  
  Scouting Report: Auer may not be as good as he looked in 2022, but he’s also not as bad as he appeared to be in 2023. The Rays were encouraged with how he just kept grinding and refused to get too discouraged, which explains why he was never demoted. But he also never found a swing he was comfortable with. Auer started the year in a closed setup and ended up open. He kept trying different places to start his hands. Nothing seemed to work. His lower half seemed disconnected from his hands, he was pull-happy, too rotational in his swing and chased way too many sliders off the plate. Auer will get to reset for 2024, but he’ll need to show that he’s more than a bottom-of-the-order hitter who can ambush a mistake. Defensively, Auer is a big league-ready, plus-plus center fielder with a plus-plus arm. His defensive acumen is why he remains an intriguing prospect, and his plus-plus speed makes him one of the organization’s best basestealers as well.
  
  The Future: Auer faces a pivotal year. Another year like 2023 in a return to Montgomery would leave him as a fringy prospect despite three plus or plus-plus tools on his scouting report. But if he can just make modest improvements offensively, his speed and glove will give him a shot at a big league role.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 30 | Power: 50 | Run: 70 | Field: 65 | Arm: 70
• 
  Ranked Tampa Bay Rays #7 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme
  
  Track Record: A football and baseball star at Kickapoo High in Springfield, Mo., Auer barely played at Missouri State as a two-way freshman in the coronavirus-shortened 2020 season. He transferred to San Jacinto (Texas) JC and blossomed, hitting .373/.525/.627 with 11 home runs in 65 games. In his first full pro season spent at Low-A Charleston and High-A Bowling Green, Auer led the minors with 12 triples and led the Rays organization with 48 steals in 55 attempts. He was sent to the Arizona Fall League to gather additional at-bats.
  
  Scouting Report: Coming out of the draft, the expectation was that Auer would be a toolsy if somewhat raw hitter, but he's proven to have more polish than expected. He has a smooth, level swing with some adjustability. Auer can be induced to chase, but he has feel for getting the barrel on the ball. He also has plus-plus raw power and flashes above-average game power as well. Auer toned down the leg kick he had used earlier in his career and now relies on a smaller toe tap to help him lock in on his timing. He's managed to combine solid contact ability (20% strikeout rate) with decent plate discipline (10% walk rate) and burgeoning power. Auer needs to polish his reads and routes, but he has the tools to be an above-average defender in center field and a plus defender in the corners. He has a top-of-the-scale arm that has been measured at 98.9 mph on a throw in the Arizona Fall League. He's a plus-plus runner who is a threat to steal any time he reaches.
  
  The Future: The Rays keep developing athletic center fielders who can also be plus defenders in the corners. Auer is following in the footsteps of Josh Lowe and Kameron Misner, but he is a better pure hitter than either of them, with similar defensive ability and a better arm.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 55. Power: 55. Run: 70. Field: 55. Arm: 80

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #449 prospect in 2021 draft
  Coming out of high school, Auer was viewed as a developing pitcher who could also play in the outfield. Now he’s an outfielder who can also pitch. Auer pitched and hit at Missouri State in the shortened 2020 season, then transferred to San Jacinto (Texas) JC for 2021. Auer was San Jac’s best hitter, hitting .373/.525/.627 with 11 home runs and 34 steals in 37 tries. Auer also made nine relatively effective outings on the mound for the Gators, but his speed, developing power and center field defense are now more alluring than his arm strength on the mound. He’s committed to Oregon.
• Ranked #443 prospect in 2019 draft
  Auer is a strong-armed 6-foot righthander whose fastball has topped at 96 mph He doesn't have much of a breaking ball, but is very athletic and has some twitch to his movements. Auer can also play the outfield, where scouts think he may be best suited in college. He is committed to Missouri State.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme
  
  Track Record: A football and baseball star at Kickapoo High in Springfield, Mo., Auer barely played at Missouri State as a two-way freshman in the coronavirus-shortened 2020 season. He transferred to San Jacinto (Texas) JC and blossomed, hitting .373/.525/.627 with 11 home runs in 65 games. In his first full pro season spent at Low-A Charleston and High-A Bowling Green, Auer led the minors with 12 triples and led the Rays organization with 48 steals in 55 attempts. He was sent to the Arizona Fall League to gather additional at-bats.
  
  Scouting Report: Coming out of the draft, the expectation was that Auer would be a toolsy if somewhat raw hitter, but he's proven to have more polish than expected. He has a smooth, level swing with some adjustability. Auer can be induced to chase, but he has feel for getting the barrel on the ball. He also has plus-plus raw power and flashes above-average game power as well. Auer toned down the leg kick he had used earlier in his career and now relies on a smaller toe tap to help him lock in on his timing. He's managed to combine solid contact ability (20% strikeout rate) with decent plate discipline (10% walk rate) and burgeoning power. Auer needs to polish his reads and routes, but he has the tools to be an above-average defender in center field and a plus defender in the corners. He has a top-of-the-scale arm that has been measured at 98.9 mph on a throw in the Arizona Fall League. He's a plus-plus runner who is a threat to steal any time he reaches.
  
  The Future: The Rays keep developing athletic center fielders who can also be plus defenders in the corners. Auer is following in the footsteps of Josh Lowe and Kameron Misner, but he is a better pure hitter than either of them, with similar defensive ability and a better arm.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 55. Power: 55. Run: 70. Field: 55. Arm: 80
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme
  
  Track Record: A football and baseball star at Kickapoo High in Springfield, Mo., Auer barely played at Missouri State as a two-way freshman in the coronavirus-shortened 2020 season. He transferred to San Jacinto (Texas) JC and blossomed, hitting .373/.525/.627 with 11 home runs in 65 games. In his first full pro season spent at Low-A Charleston and High-A Bowling Green, Auer led the minors with 12 triples and led the Rays organization with 48 steals in 55 attempts. He was sent to the Arizona Fall League to gather additional at-bats.
  
  Scouting Report: Coming out of the draft, the expectation was that Auer would be a toolsy if somewhat raw hitter, but he's proven to have more polish than expected. He has a smooth, level swing with some adjustability. Auer can be induced to chase, but he has feel for getting the barrel on the ball. He also has plus-plus raw power and flashes above-average game power as well. Auer toned down the leg kick he had used earlier in his career and now relies on a smaller toe tap to help him lock in on his timing. He's managed to combine solid contact ability (20% strikeout rate) with decent plate discipline (10% walk rate) and burgeoning power. Auer needs to polish his reads and routes, but he has the tools to be an above-average defender in center field and a plus defender in the corners. He has a top-of-the-scale arm that has been measured at 98.9 mph on a throw in the Arizona Fall League. He's a plus-plus runner who is a threat to steal any time he reaches.
  
  The Future: The Rays keep developing athletic center fielders who can also be plus defenders in the corners. Auer is following in the footsteps of Josh Lowe and Kameron Misner, but he is a better pure hitter than either of them, with similar defensive ability and a better arm.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 55. Power: 55. Run: 70. Field: 55. Arm: 80
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 50/High
  
  Midseason Update: When Mason Auer was in high school and early in his college career, there was an open question of whether he fit better on the mound or in the outfield. That arm is still apparent in the outfield, but he&#39s found a home as a position player. The Rays promoted him to High-A Bowling Green recently after he blitzed Low-A Charleston. Auer&#39s nine triples led the minors as of July 5, and he&#39s swiped bases with ease. Auer is a plus-plus runner with a plus arm. He&#39s a plus defender in the corner outfield spots with the range to sporadically play center. At the plate, his max exit velocities are some of the best in the Rays organization, although he doesn&#39t hit a ton of line drives. Auer has shown a discerning batting eye so far, but now he&#39ll be tested in High-A to see if he can maintain that approach against tougher pitching.
• December, 2018 Scouting Report
  Auer is a strong-armed 6-foot righthander whose fastball has topped at 96 mph He doesn't have much of a breaking ball, but is very athletic and has some twitch to his movements. Auer can also play the outfield, where scouts think he may be best suited in college. He is committed to Missouri State.