MLB Draft: 2016 Top High School Third Baseman

Joe Rizzo, from Oakton High School in Virginia, is committed to South Carolina. Born March 31, 1998, Rizzo stands at five-foot-nine and weighs 194 pounds. Rizzo doesn’t have a projectable frame, but he does hit. He’s not really a stellar athlete, so the Rizzo could fall. He’s a player that will go in the first round, and one that the Pirates could potentially avoid do to limitations in project ability.

With all that said, Rizzo does have a nice left handed stroke – notice a trend among the top high school third baseman prospects? In the box, Rizzo stands with an open stance, kicks his leg up high, and brings everything forward. He doesn’t possess speed in the slightest, his arm isn’t the greatest, and his defense could use some work. Sticking at third could become a question, but with his limit in height and lack and speed, there are not many positions where he would fit the prototypical profile. A move to the first would be the most logical option, but Rizzo doesn’t feature the same power that you’d expect from a first baseman.

Overall, I’m not too high on Rizzo, he can hit, but that seems to be it. He’ll go in the first round, probably in the Competitive Balance Round A portion, but if he somehow slides to the Pirates in round two, it may be an interesting option. His ceiling is somewhat difficult to look at, but Martin Prado may stick out as one. A player with a lack of height that just rakes.

Next: What to expect