We’re now just three days away from the 2018 MLB Draft. Next up in our Washington Nationals draft profiles is Oregon State outfielder Trevor Larnach.
The Washington Nationals have selected four outfielders in the first round of the MLB Draft since moving to Washington in 2005. And should they wish to go that route again, Trevor Larnach out of Oregon State would be an excellent pick.
Larnach has gone from a solid prospect, to potentially one of the better bats in this draft class with an outstanding season at OSU. So far in 2018, he’s hitting .324 with 17 homers and 64 RBI, the latter of which leads the Pac-12.
But the outfielder’s plate skills are incredibly eye-catching as well as his power numbers. The last two seasons, he has a total of 79 walks and 103 strikeouts. For a college player that’s excellent plate discipline.
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He has a smooth left-handed swing that has shades of Christian Yelich in it. Much like Yelich, he’s not afraid to go the other way when pitcher’s try to pitch him away. But as he fills out with muscle, he should wind up with more power than the Milwaukee Brewers outfielder.
Standing at 6″4′ and 210lbs, he has a huge frame that could allow him to get a bit more power at the highest level. A 30-40 home run player isn’t out of the question by any stretch.
If there’s a weakness to Larnach’s game it’s that he’ll likely only be an average defensive corner outfielder in the pro game.
A little slow on reads combined with ok speed means it’ll be something to work on in the minor leagues. However, he has a plus-arm which will allow him to throw runners out from right-field and is his likely home at the next level.
You can see some of his season highlights for OSU below. With every watch, it’s not hard to see why scouts have fallen in love with Larnach’s approach at the plate.
His teammate Nick Madrigal is probably the top hitter in this draft class and has a chance to go number one overall. But when Madrigal broke his wrist, it was Larnach that stepped up and made sure they didn’t miss a beat.
Now Oregon State are the number three seed in the NCAA Division I tournament and will be a team to watch out for.
Next: Cole Wilcox Draft Profile
Trevor Larnach has been rising up draft boards as we approach draft day, and with good reason. Some now think he could go top 20, but if he slips, the Washington Nationals will be there to pounce.