In today’s entry to the 2020 Major League Baseball Scouting Report series (you can read all the reports here) we are back in the high school ranks and looking at one of the top shortstops in the draft. Ed Howard may be the top rated shortstop among all high schoolers and only New Mexico State’s Nick Gonzales rates higher across the board. Howard currently is rated as the #20 prospect in the draft by Baseball America, #9 by Fangraphs, and #15 by MLB Pipeline.
Ed Howard’s High School Career
His senior season never came to be, but he put together a strong junior campaign at Mount Carmel High School in Illinois. He hit .421 with 13 doubles, 4 triples, and 3 home runs while walking 20 times with just 18 strikeouts.
Ed Howard Video
Ed Howard Scouting Report
Height: 6′ 2″ | Weight: 185 lbs
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Position(s): Shortstop
Among the shortstops in the draft, Ed Howard might be the one with the best defensive tools around. He’s got plenty of range, good hands, and an above-average arm – giving him a potential plus profile on that side of the ball.
But he’s more than just a potential strong defender at shortstop. The right-handed hitter had a chance to hit for some average and power, particularly at the shortstop position. Both his hit tool and his raw power grade out as average to slightly above-average. Currently both are viewed as a bit “in progress”, which isn’t totally surprising for a high school player. Scouts seem to have varying opinions on his pitch recognition, though it seems there’s enough who think it’s fine that I’m not overly concerned about it. He’s been around the national showcase circuit and faced quality pitching enough that if it were a true problem then there would be a larger consensus about the issue.
Where the concern could be
The bat is clearly behind the glove at this point. It seems everyone believes in the defensive abilities and that he can remain at shortstop. So the concern has to be about whether the bat develops or not. As mentioned above, at least some scouts question his pitch recognition a little bit, and he’s still relying on a lot of power projection compared to where it’s at today.