Jamal O’Guinn

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #127 prospect in 2020 draft
  O’Guinn was a divisive prospect in high school, but he became a solid three-year starter at Southern California and was named a starter in the Cape Cod League All-Star Game last summer. Listed at 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, O’Guinn is big and physical with feel to hit and huge raw power. He covers the entire plate, drives the ball with authority from gap-to-gap and is one of the most patient hitters in the draft class. He posted a .420 career on-base percentage at USC and finished second in the Cape Cod League in walks. O’Guinn is at least an average hitter and hits the occasional huge home run, but he is still learning to incorporate his lower half into his swing to consistently get to his power in games. He is prone to swinging and missing in the zone and will need to tap into his power more to reach his everyday potential. Scouts are divided on whether O’Guinn will stay at third base. He’s a solid athlete who moves well for his size and has an average arm, but he may have to move to first base or left field if he gets much bigger. Even with concerns about his future position, O'Guinn's potential to post high on-base and slugging percentages has teams interested between the second and fifth rounds.
• Ranked #456 prospect in 2017 draft
  A Southern California commit, O'Guinn impressed in the Area Code Games with his bat last fall, as well as with his athleticism. He made a lot of hard contact with wood and had positioned himself to be a priority draft follow. However, the 6-foot-2, 200-pounder didn't have a good spring, regressing physically and offensively, as he hit .320 but had just eight extra-base hits and no home runs. O'Guinn appears to have outgrown shortstop, so he's likely to have to move to third base or be haps further down the defensive spectrum if he doesn't make improvements. He's committed to Southern California.