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Draft  | Prospect Scouting Reports  | 5/24/2018

2018 MLB Draft Reports: 151-200

David Rawnsley      Jheremy Brown      Vincent Cervino     
Photo: Christopher Willis (Perfect Game)




2018 Perfect Game MLB Draft Preview Index

Top 500 Prospects (list/Insider): 1-100 | 101-200 | 201-300 | 301-400 | 401-500

Top 500 Prospect Reports (Premium): 1-50 | 51-100 | 101-150 | 201-250 | 251-300 | 301-350 | 351-400 | 401-450 | 451-500


151. Christopher Willis, c, Ruston HS
L-R, 6-4/195, Ruston, La.
College Commitment: Louisiana State

Christopher "C.J." Willis' best tool is his lefthanded power potential, which is built on a combination of his athletic 6-foot-4, 195-pound build that gives him plenty of leverage and lots of raw bat speed. But he's also an all around athlete who has been up to 92 mph on the mound, ran a sub-7.0 60-yard dash and was about to establish himself as a quarterback prospect at Ruston High School before giving up football to concentrate on baseball after his sophomore year. What position Willis eventually settles at is very undetermined at present. He's been a primary catcher for much of his development but has increasingly played more and more third base as he's grown physically. He will generally be evaluated by scouts as a player who will go as far as his bat will take him and the position will determine itself. A 2017 Perfect Game All-American, Willis' best Perfect Game event was the 2017 WWBA 16u National Championship, which highlighted another positive about the Louisiana native, as he is a young senior who won't turn 18 years old until after the draft. At that event, Willis hit .348-3-6 and struck out five hitters in two innings while playing for the East Coast Sox.


152. Jonathan Ornelas, ss, Kellis HS
R-R, 6-0/165, Peoria, Ariz.
College Commitment: Tennessee

Ornelas has the chance to be a higher pick than many expect based on being a rare high school prospect who has the chance to stay at shortstop in the long term. The Tennessee commit is an average runner on the professional scouting scale at best but has a quick first step in the infield and plus athleticism and balance working through the ball. He's very graceful and smooth with his glove and release and his arm strength, which has enabled him to hit 91 mph from the mound at PG events, is strong and accurate. A righthanded hitter, Orenlas doesn't project to have much more than gap power in the future but he has a very high contact swing and a long history of performing both in the spring and during the summer/fall circuit. Ornelas has played in five WWBA tournaments during the last year and hit .452 in 84 at-bats with 13 extra-base hits, 25 RBI and 11 stolen bases., including hitting .417 with four RBI at last year's WWBA World Championship in Jupiter.


153. Drew Rom, lhp, Highlands HS
L-L, 6-2/177, Fort Thomas, Kent.
College Commitment: Michigan

Rom has been on the scene for well over a year now and saw his prospect stock take off in a big way over the course of last summer and fall, culminating in a dominant outing in Jupiter at the WWBA World Championship. A highly-athletic, extremely projectable lefthander, Rom has a loose arm that creates good angles to the plate, works in the 87-91 mph range with his fastball and will flash a plus slider at times. A brilliant student, Rom is committed to Michigan to continue his academic and athletic careers. 

For more on Rom check out his full scouting report with video in the May 16 High School Notebook here.


154. Aaron Ashby, lhp, Crowder (JC)
R-L, 6-1/180, Kansas City, Mo. 
Previously Drafted: Never Drafted
College Commitment: Tennessee

Perhaps the most prolific strikeout pitcher in all of baseball this season, not just at the JUCO level, Crowder's Aaron Ashby struck out 156 hitters in 74 2/3 innings, good for a ridiculous 18.80 strikeouts per nine innings. A solid-sized, athletic lefty, Ashby dominated his opponents all season long with a good mix of funk and stuff. He's capable of working into the low-90s with his fastball and moving it around the zone, and complements the fastball extremely well with a hammer breaking ball that projects to be a bat-missing pitch for the duration of his career. He's viewed more as a reliever in terms of projection, but has legitimate Major League upside with that breaking ball from the left side. He's committed to Tennessee, and if he should make it campus there would almost immediately become one of their top pitchers. 


155. Zack Hess, rhp, Louisiana State (SO)
R-R, 6-6/216, Forest, Va.
Previously Drafted: Yankees '16 (35)

A draft-eligible sophomore, Hess transitioned from the bullpen to the Friday night starter role for LSU this season, and has had mixed success. He's walked too many and been too hittable at times, but has still struck out 94 hitters in 82 innings and flashed power stuff. He can work his fastball into the mid-90s, and while the curveball comes and goes, it flashes as a plus pitch at times. He's likely to be a reliever at the next level due to the violence in his delivery, and the loose command, but he has a chance to be a power reliever with two plus pitches. 

For more on Hess check out his College Player Database scouting report here. 


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