With the 18th pick in the 2024 Draft, @RaysBaseball selects Westlake (TX) outfielder Theo Gillen, No. 28 on the Top 250 Draft Prospects list.
July 15, 2024
With the 18th pick in the 2024 Draft, @RaysBaseball selects Westlake (TX) outfielder Theo Gillen, No. 28 on the Top 250 Draft Prospects list.
3 comments
Fangraphs has him ranked No. 8 and as their top HS
> When Gillen first burst onto the prospect scene, he was a skinny shortstop with a great looking lefty swing. He dealt with injuries of varying severity throughout high school, the most significant of which required labrum surgery. In addition to their toll on Gillen, the injuries made it difficult to evaluate him, as even when he was healthy he sometimes looked rusty. Now he’s getting stronger and looks more comfortable in the box the further away he gets from his injuries. He is one of the few players in the draft class who can hit, hit for power, and also projects to play an up-the-middle position.
> Gillen has some of the quickest and slickest hitting hands in the draft. His swing looked long last summer, but he’s meaningfully stronger now and is getting back to the ball quicker. He rotates hard while keeping his head on the baseball and makes a ton of sweet spot contact. A scout source told me they thought Gillen had a chance to be a left-handed Marcus Semien — that’s what Gillen’s hitting hands are like. It’s also the path Gillen’s body and defensive fit could follow as he fills out. While Gillen’s lateral agility and arm strength probably aren’t a fit at shortstop (his high school position), his middle infield experience and speed give him a good shot to play second base or maybe try center field. I think the former is more likely. Especially if he continues to get stronger, his hit/power combo will profile in an everyday capacity at either spot. Teams are scared of Gillen’s medical and worry he might slip way down the defensive spectrum, some even fear he’s a DH. That probably means I’m higher on him here than he’ll be selected, but there just aren’t many hitters in this class who might play an up-the-middle position and also hit for both contact and power, which is why this is my top high schooler in the class.
The kid is legit but has a long way to go. I still think Williams is the future at SS but this kid has the ability to play 2B and out field. Extremely versatile with stupid high upside.
3 comments
Fangraphs has him ranked No. 8 and as their top HS
> When Gillen first burst onto the prospect scene, he was a skinny shortstop with a great looking lefty swing. He dealt with injuries of varying severity throughout high school, the most significant of which required labrum surgery. In addition to their toll on Gillen, the injuries made it difficult to evaluate him, as even when he was healthy he sometimes looked rusty. Now he’s getting stronger and looks more comfortable in the box the further away he gets from his injuries. He is one of the few players in the draft class who can hit, hit for power, and also projects to play an up-the-middle position.
> Gillen has some of the quickest and slickest hitting hands in the draft. His swing looked long last summer, but he’s meaningfully stronger now and is getting back to the ball quicker. He rotates hard while keeping his head on the baseball and makes a ton of sweet spot contact. A scout source told me they thought Gillen had a chance to be a left-handed Marcus Semien — that’s what Gillen’s hitting hands are like. It’s also the path Gillen’s body and defensive fit could follow as he fills out. While Gillen’s lateral agility and arm strength probably aren’t a fit at shortstop (his high school position), his middle infield experience and speed give him a good shot to play second base or maybe try center field. I think the former is more likely. Especially if he continues to get stronger, his hit/power combo will profile in an everyday capacity at either spot. Teams are scared of Gillen’s medical and worry he might slip way down the defensive spectrum, some even fear he’s a DH. That probably means I’m higher on him here than he’ll be selected, but there just aren’t many hitters in this class who might play an up-the-middle position and also hit for both contact and power, which is why this is my top high schooler in the class.
The kid is legit but has a long way to go. I still think Williams is the future at SS but this kid has the ability to play 2B and out field. Extremely versatile with stupid high upside.
[Highlights](https://youtube.com/@samgillen14?si=QWXCZ7YPpgy6xkYF) (mostly from this past HS season)