MLB

5 Collegiate Hitters to Know for the 2016 MLB Draft

Jim Sannes  —  @JimSannes Jun 9th, 2016
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Will Smith, C, Louisville

MLB.com Rank: 110th | Keith Law Rank: 59th

Corey Ray may be getting the most buzz of the Louisville batters, but he's certainly not the only one.

A catcher with that slash and a 6.3% strikeout rate can't be real. There has to be a flaw where he's only behind the plate for show or he has a third arm springing from his chest, right?

Hot momma, this is a thing of beauty.

Will Smith didn't have the same volume power numbers as Ray, but part of that was due to fewer opportunities, as you'd expect for a catcher. Smith turned his 191 plate appearances into 7 home runs and a .573 slugging percentage, the second-best mark on the team, while also leading the squad in on-base percentage. For good measure, he also tossed in nine stolen bases, tied for the third-best mark on the team. Now you're seeing what Law was saying about Smith's athleticism.

Smith isn't going to match the sticks of fellow catchers Matt Thaiss or Zack Collins, but MLB.com's write-up called Smith "one of the better all-around backstops available." You won't need to hop on him quickly in dynasty drafts as he's likely to have much lower draft capital than others at the position, but it'd be wise to monitor how Smith's bat plays early in pro ball, and he should be on your radar as a potential steal after the first few rounds.

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