The Phillies selected Gavin Tonkel, an 18 year old outfielder from Heritage High School in California in the 9th round of the draft today. He hits and throws right handed.
Here’s an article about him from Prep Baseball Report :
THE REPORT:
Body: Greyhound type body structure built for future power and speed.
Hit: Quick hands, quiet, short stroke that has a straight path through zone. Tick above average bat speed with ability to pull hands in or extend and go the other way. Demonstrates bat control, and keeps feet balanced with mild load. Hit tool will play at any outfield position.
Power: Slight lift in swing, quick hands and tic above average bat speed allow for power to play. Barrels a lot of pitches but does not have a true power swing currently. Average raw power right now with more to come in the future
Field: Good instincts, routes are fine. Has an understanding that he is not a speed demon and shifts his routes in moderation. Footwork was impressive and has a noticeable rhythm in approach to the ball.
Arm: Easy and accurate looking like a future plus arm for RF with the ability to keep throws firm all the way to the bag.
Run: Routinely clocks in the 4.2 - 4.4 range to first. Plus runner underway with greyhound-like qualities. Can reach sprint speed after a few strides. Will have some stolen base potential. Range in CF is above-average, and very good recovery speed. Puts pressure on a defense with his speed.
THE COMP
A hybrid between former MLB player Kevin McReynolds (New York Mets) and current MLB player Randal Grichuk (Toronto Blue Jays)
SUMMARY
Consistency will be a key factor in Tonkel’s overall development moving forward. Finding his identity and using the tools he has been possessed with will determine if he will be in the discussion come June 2021.
