With the 21st pick of the 1st Round, the Houston Astros selected shortstop Xavier Neyens from Mt. Vernon HS.
Neyens is the first high position player selected by the Astros in the first round since Kyle Tucker in 2015. He has some huge upside with the bat.
From MLB Pipeline: “There have been nine high school hitters to be drafted in the first round and signed out of the state of Washington in the history of the Draft, the best of which came in 2019 in the form of Corbin Carroll. Long known for his bat, Neyens’ increase in power has helped him make the jump to a top-level prospect, one who was extremely busy on the summer showcase circuit, playing in events including MLB’s High School All-American Game and the Area Code Games, though questions about his hit tool has dampened some enthusiasm. Neyens has long been seen by area scouts as a potentially elite hitter from the left side of the plate with an outstanding approach. He made some adjustments to his setup and swing, adding leverage and starting to show off at least plus raw power and the ability to not only get to it, but to do so to all fields. There was some concern about the increase in his swing-and-miss rate as the summer progressed, though some scouts who know him well think he was gassed after playing what one evaluator estimated was well over 100 games during the summer. Those concerns resurfaced with some lackluster showings at the plate this spring at times. While he’s not a runner, the 6-foot-4 Neyens is athletic with a solid chance to stick at third despite his size. The Oregon State recruit’s arm certainly plays from the hot corner, showing the ability to fire fastballs up to 95 mph from the mound, leading to comparisons as a left-handed-hitting version of Austin Riley.”
Xavier Neyens will instantly be on of the top prospects in the Astros system! Congratulations to Xavier for being drafted to the Houston Astros.
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