2017 MLB Draft: Adam Haseley, OF, University of Virginia

Adam Haseley has been a mainstay for the University of Virginia Cavaliers over the last three seasons, having success as both a starting pitcher (2.51 ERA in 172 innings, 118/50 K/BB) and as an outfielder. In pro ball he’ll be a hitter, and his strong 2017 season has pushed him up draft charts. Let’s take a look.

THE BASICS

Adam Haseley is from Windermere, Florida, where he attended The First Academy and quickly came to the attention of scouts for both his arm strength and his ability to hit. An excellent student, he was strongly committed to the University of Virginia and was considered unsignable for the 2014 draft. Not surprisingly, no one bothered to draft him.

He saw regular duty as a pitcher and outfielder as a freshman in 2015, hitting .250/.355/.322 while posting a 2.20 ERA in 29 innings. He improved as a sophomore with a .304/.377/.502 line while making 13 starts with a 1.73 ERA in 78 innings. His offense has continued to blossom this spring, hitting .399/.491/.680 with 12 homers, 32 walks, and just 17 strikeouts in 178 at-bats so far. While still effective as a pitcher, his hitting has convinced scouts that his future is a position player.

Haseley is listed at 6-1, 195, a left-handed hitter and thrower, born April 12, 1996.

STRENGTHS

Across-the-board tools and skills are the drawing cards here. Haseley is a fine overall-athlete with above-average running speed, a strong throwing arm, and defensive instincts that would work well at any outfield position.

While his pure hitting skills have always been respected, he’s answered questions about his power by showing more thump this spring. He’s not going to be a massive home run hitter, but could hit 10-15 homers per season matched with a high on-base percentage and 10-15 steals. He demonstrates a high level of overall polish and has shown consistent improvement while playing for an elite program against top competition.

WEAKNESSES

There was concern pre-season that Haseley could be a “tweener,” not providing quite enough defense for center field but not showing quite enough bat for a corner. Both concerns have eased, notably in the power department, and at worst he should be a good table-setter.

OUTLOOK

Haseley could be similar to Cleveland Indians outfielder Tyler Naquin, a player with parallel tools and pure hitting skills whose power eventually blossomed. Naquin ended up as the 15th-overall pick in the 2012 draft out of Texas A&M.

Haseley could go in similar territory, at least if his current reputation is any indicator: his current ranking on prospect lists varies from 13th at Baseball America to 14th at MLB.com to 31st at Perfect Game.

There’s some talk a team may cut a deal early with him, and I wouldn’t expect him to last much beyond the middle of the first round.

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