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Tyler Locklear
Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 45 | Arm: 50 | Field: 40 | Overall: 45
Pete Alonso, anyone? That was the comp that MLB Network analyst Dan O’Dowd shared after Seattle selected the 22-year-old in the second round of the 2022 Draft and made him VCU’s highest pick in 18 years. Locklear possesses the kind of raw, untapped power that organizations covet, and it carried even more credibility after he hit nine homers in the Cape Cod League in 2021. He helped VCU to a pair of Atlantic 10 Conference titles, hitting 36 homers combined in 2021-22, and he added another seven in 29 games after debuting at Single-A Modesto last year. He was showing his bat would play during his first full season in 2023, though he missed more than two months with a broken hand suffered by a hit by pitch.
His calling card, obviously, is raw power from the right side that many tout as better than plus. Because of the more limited college competition he faced in the Atlantic 10 Conference, it’s possible that he experiences some kinks when moving up, especially against tougher pitching. The swing is advanced, but for an aggressive power guy, there can be tendencies to over-hit and expand the zone. That said, because he’s older, there’s a chance he could climb quickly.
Locklear flashed an above-average arm manning third base at VCU, but most scouts suggest that he’ll need to move to first longer term. Above all, it’ll be his bat that carries him to the big leagues. - MLB Pipeline
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