With the 28th overall pick in the 2018 First-Year Player Draft, the Houston Astros selected 21-year-old Clemson outfielder Seth Beer. He’s 6’3″, 195 lbs, bats left and throws right, and looks for all the world like he’ll read nothing more than, with Houston, like a left-handed Evan Gattis.

Most draft day pundits and scouts think little to nothing of his potential left field glove, or even his ability to play an effective first base, rendering him little more than a DH.

UPDATE: Beer, himself, announced Saturday that he has reached an agreement with the Astros, and will fly to Houston Tuesday, June 12, to sign a contract. He will then report to Houston’s short season Tri-City ValleyCats affiliate of the New York-Penn League.

UPDATE: Beer actually signed Wednesday, June 13. The slot value for the No. 28 overall pick is $2,339,400. Beer signed for $2.25 million.

Related: Beer Hops to Next Level in Houston’s System; Denny Walling Comp?

Beer hit .369 with 18 HRs and 70 RBIs as a freshman, .298 with 16 HRs and 53 RBIs as a sophomore, and .301 with 22 HRs and 54 RBIs, with a .456 on-base percentage at Clemson, this season as a junior. He walked 54 times and struck out just 36 times in showing remarkable plate discipline.

In his career at Clemson, he drew 180 walks and struck out 98 times in 188 games.

Beer is the Clemson Tigers’ only first-round draft pick since 2012, when the Tampa Bay Rays selected corner infielder Richie Shaffer, 25th overall.

Despite possible defensive liabilities observed by some, Astros’ assistant general manager, Mike Elias, (who heads Houston’s draft efforts), said he thinks 1B & either corner OF spot are options for Beer.

“But certainly, once we get him into our minor league system, his work with our coaches & the construction of our roster as he approaches the big league level will determine where he ends up. Beer can play corner OF spots or 1B.”

Elias also told draft day reporters that the Astros were in love with Beer’s “controlled, polished swing,” and, of course, the fact he has such a good eye at the plate.

JJ Cooper of Baseball America, though, posed this doubt: “Can Seth Beer play in the OF? Almost assuredly not. We got sub-20 run times on him last summer. But if he hits like he can hit, it won’t really matter. One of the best bats in the class. Key is he’s going to an AL team because there’s very legit questions about whether he has any eventual defensive home.”

Cooper also echoed MLB’s Jim Callis’ concern that Beer has had an overly heavy aluminum bat use record, lamenting, “We have that in our scouting report as well: Wood bat track record for Beer is very light.”

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