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2019 MLB Draft Preview: Maurice Hampton scouting report
The 2019 MLB Draft is just three weeks away — the first round kicks off on June 3, 2019 — its time to start offering capsule looks at players the Texas Rangers could select with their top picks. The Rangers’ first round pick is at #8, their second round pick is at #50, and they have Milwaukee’s competitive balance pick, acquired in the Alex Claudio trade, which is #41.
Leading up to draft day, we will be doing writeups of some of the players who could end up getting selected by the Rangers with one of their first three picks. Today, we are looking at Memphis high school outfielder Maurice Hampton.
Maurice Hampton is listed a couple of places at 6’0”, 195 lbs., but at BA is listed at 6’1”, 210 lbs. He’s a righthanded hitting and throwing outfielder from Memphis University High School in Memphis, Tennessee. Hampton is a two-sport athlete, also playing football, where he’s a four-star cornerback who is committed to LSU, and who would play both sports if he went there. Hampton’s speed is considered his best attribute, though he also gets praise for his all around tool set with some potential with his hit tool. He also doesn’t turn 18 until later this year, making him one of the younger players in this class.
Baseball America has Hampton at #31 on their board, praising his tools but noting his game is unrefined, as is usually the case with two-sport players who haven’t focused exclusively on baseball. Fangraphs has Hampton at #24 on their board, while Keith Law has him ranked #30. MLB Pipeline, meanwhile, has Hampton ranked #38, though they describe him as having “dynamic tools.”
In his most recent mock draft, Keith Law has Hampton going at #24 for the Indians, and compares Hampton to Rangers 2017 first rounder Bubba Thompson. Neither MLB Pipeline nor Baseball America has Hampton going in the first round in their most recent mocks. Fangraphs, in the mock draft that went up just a few minutes ago, has Hampton going at #28 to the Brewers.
If you care enough to read those profiles about potential Ranger draft picks, its probably obvious to you why I am writing up Hampton and why he would be a potential Rangers target — they love the athletic high school guys with lots of tools who have big upside, particularly two-sport guys. The question with Hampton will be what his price will be to buy him away from LSU, and if the Rangers go below-slot at #8, he’s someone they might be looking to moneywhip at #41 or #50.
Some video is below: