5 Collegiate Hitters to Know for the 2017 MLB Draft
Drew Ellis, 3B, Louisville
MLB.com Rank: 61st | Baseball America Rank: 66th
As mentioned in the beginning, a lot of the buzz around this crop of collegiate hitters centers around McKay and what position he'll wind up playing at the next level. And McKay's stats as a hitter are tremendous. But he wasn't the only Louisville batter who met what we're looking for with teammate Drew Ellis checking many of the same boxes.
To illustrate the similarities, here are their stats side by side. Can you guess which one is McKay and which is Ellis?
| In 2017 | Isolated Slugging | Strikeout Rate | Walk Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Player A | 0.333 | 14.0% | 14.0% |
| Player B | 0.327 | 13.8% | 17.7% |
Given McKay's reputation, it shouldn't be a big surprise that McKay is Player B with the elevated walk rate. But across the board, there really isn't a major statistical difference between the two at the dish.
Ellis is rated in the 60s on both MLB.com and Baseball America potentially because -- as noted by Law -- he's likely to play first base rather than third at the next level. But his stick was superbly impressive in 2017, and he's a mighty intriguing bat who could be a solid pick beyond the first round.
