Brock
Jones

2022 MLB Draft: Uber athletic and strong at 6-foot, 195 pounds, Jones slashed .311/.453/.646 while launching 18 home runs during his sophomore campaign. After a cold start this spring he still managed to produce a .327/.455/.655 clip with 20 home runs from the leadoff spot. However, his strikeout rate of 24.3% (75 strikeouts in 308 plate appearances) is an area of concern. At the plate he is typically out front and rolls over to the right side often. It looks as if his forward move is happening too late and he has to rush to catch up. The swing and miss tendencies seem to stem from that timing issue, which force him to compensate by leaking open with his front side. Once that happens, he loses the ability to control the barrel and his swing cuts in and out of the zone quickly. However, he has the bat speed to catch up to any fastball and when he does connect, the ball explodes off of his barrel, packing an immense punch at the point of contact. It's plus raw power that plays to all fields when it all syncs up. Defensively, he can stick in center field with his speed, jumps and above average range. There's some stiffness to his fringe average arm strength as he gets over the top with his arm action, but the ball flight stays true and he gets his throws where they need to be. Jones gets a lot of praise for his makeup and it's easy to see why with how he carries himself on the diamond. Despite the high strikeout rate, it will be easy to justify a first round selection with his athleticism and production. His skill set isn't easy to find and he's likely a first round selection.

Uber athlete at 6-foot, 195 lbs. While Jones hasn't quite lived up to the hype statistically from his sophomore campaign when he slashed .311/.453/.646 and launched 18 HR, his tools are undeniable and he still has the chance to put some helium behind his name leading up to the draft. Finished the three game set at Washington going 6-for-11, 3 R, 6 RBI, 3B, 2 HR, 3 BB, 3 K. It was arguably his most productive weekend all season and could potentially mean he's turning the corner on what has been an inconsistent year offensively so far. At the plate Jones starts off crouched with an open stance in the box and relaxed, low hands with his barrel upright. He closes off his lower half with a low leg lift into forward stride as the hands stretch back to load and drop the barrel into a better launch position prior to his swing. More often than not, it feels as if his forward move is happening too late and he has to rush to catch up. The swing and miss tendencies seem to stem from that timing issue, which forces him to compensate by leaking open with his front side. Once that happens, he loses the ability to control the barrel and his swing cuts in and out of the zone quickly. He handled everything in the zone well on this look and certainly has the bat speed to catch up to any fastball. If he can reduce the chase rate the rest of the way, he'll likely creep closer to the numbers he put up last season. When he does connect, the ball explodes off of his barrel and he packs an immense punch at the point of contact. It's above average raw power that plays to all fields. It's an effortless swing with easy bat speed when it syncs up. There's slight lift through the zone and an uphill finish after contact. He's such a strong athlete with tremendous core strength that it looks like he barely puts anything into the swing and yet the ball just flies off of his barrel. Defensively he can stick in center field with his speed and instincts. The arm strength isn't great and there's some stiffness as he gets over the top with his arm action. But the ball flight stays true and he gets his throws where they need to be. Jones gets a lot of praise for his makeup and it's easy to see why with how he carries himself on the diamond. While his production might not justify a first round selection right now, this type of athleticism and skill set isn't easy to find and I think teams would be making a huge mistake to allow Jones to slip too far on draft day.

Outside of Crews, Jones has the tools and athleticism to impact the game more than any of the others. An 80-grade athlete, Jones originally came to Stanford on a football scholarship before opting to play baseball only. He’s a 6-foot-1, 195-pound lefthanded hitter with a center field defensive profile. Jones has a speed/power package that includes a plus run tool, average arm strength and potential for above-average power at the ML level. With a spread stance he repeated a swing that showed plus raw power to his pull side. He belted 18 home runs this past season for the Cardinal to go along with 13 doubles and slugged .646. On top of his toolset, Jones’ makeup and intangibles set him apart with leadership skills that may exceed his athleticism.

Fresno Easter Classic - Stanford Commit. Speed/Power combination was on display with patient eye. Very athletic, twitchy build with great 1st step quickness on bases and in CF; stole 2nd twice. Finished the day on base 4 times with 2 walks, 1B and HR to RF; ball was absolutely crushed on hanging CHG. 3rd AB got jammed but showed off speed down the line beating 1B to the bag (4.13 H-1st) gliding down the line with long, controlled stride.

vs Franklin HS - Stanford multi-sport (football) signee, having watched football highlights of him, I can certainly appreciate his combination of tools and athleticism. Strong and chiseled body type. Given all that, I also see a player who is still a ways away from being a finished product on the baseball field, not that any high school player is close to being a finished product. In this one he was 0-for-3 with three Ks (two looking on CB, one swinging on CB) and they weren't great at-bats, all vs LHP Grant Stevens. The swing trigger didn't show up on good pitches to hit in positive counts as often as it should and he took a lot of strikes. There is good bat speed, not doubt. There is strength and life in the body. He simply looked like a hitter feeling his way through at-bats and was caught in-between on an abundances of pitches. His timing will have to improve vs quality pitching and that timing will have to get worked out by a more aggressive/planned approach. Now, he did have an outstanding game following this one, by the box score anyway. Defensively he has a fair arm that profiles best in left field. Feels like a tough report on a player who has been heavily scouted and will continue to be seen by professional baseball scouts, but given the look on this night, there is a lot of work ahead of him. However, also important to understand is that ALL players have rough days and they are not to be solely judged on their best or their worst days.

USA PDP workout Stockton (CA) - Remains one of the more intriguing talents in the California in the 2019 class. Two-sport talent as he is also a highly recruited football player. Offensively possesses elite hand speed and a body type that draws eyes. Can buggy-whip the baseball with the ball leaving his bat with life. Load of his swing and approach to the ball can be a bit complicated with his hand movement and drifting of his hips. Took a lot of BP pitches looking for exactly what he wanted which didn't exactly show adjustability to pitches in different zones. With his bat speed and strength he can be a lot quieter and retain the power while increasing his barrel control. Interesting in that his swing is much flatter than many of the players at the workout and his mistakes, the balls he got a little under, they left the yard, which is counter to the uppercut trends these days. In any case, his contact was LOUD. He's not Josh Hamilton, but his hands and ease with which he swings was along those lines of a talent. In the outfield his release was a bit long with a curl to his backside arm action, good one hop throws, chance to develop average raw arm strength on pro scale, accuracy was good to the plate. Live at-bats resulted in 4-3 ground out on 89 mph FB from RHP and single to left on left-handed breaking ball, then stole 2nd and eventually picked off trying to also steal 3rd.

Uncommitted. 6-foot, 180-pound, medium, muscular frame with strength proportioned throughout, especially in the lower half. The 13th ranked player in the state and 100th overall in the 2019 class, Jones shows incredible athleticism both at the plate and defensively. Moves gracefully in center field where he covers a lot of ground with his speed and quick, instinctive first step. Has the speed and arm strength to stay in centerfield at the next level. Offensively Jones shows a balanced and strong approach with the hand-eye coordination and pitch recognition that most elite hitters have. Jones has a slight uppercut swing path that stays is short to the ball and long through it. Jones generates a lot of power with his strong lower half snapping his hips into the ball. Jones is a pure hitter whose swing and current physical stature projects more power in the future.