CJ Abrams (SS) – It does not take a scout’s eye to see Abrams is a special athlete. He didn’t show well this spring at NHSI, but the 120 decibel tools shone through; he has double-plus bat speed and elite speed (70). Abrams displays special hands at the plate and can do damage with little effort to his swing; for lack of a better word, he flicks the bat through the zone and still generates substantial carry. Physically, Abrams is thin but wiry strong. I look at the body and wonder if thin goes hand in hand with projectable. He looks like a fast metabolism kid who will not gain much more weight. At the same time, the Padres have huge monetary incentive for Abrams to succeed: expect team player dev/dieticians to craft a plan to help Abrams maximize his potential power. Projecting him to 50 future power feels reasonable.

Watching Abrams, one could come away with the impression he does not feel challenged by the level and was not always 100% locked in. During BP, the bat path was inconsistent. In game, he was (at times) out front on spin with his hands chopping down on the ball. His reaction to pro-caliber breaking balls should improve with reps and better competition at higher levels may incite another gear in Abrams. With the stick, Abrams has shown the ability to hit offspeed, ripping a changeup to right on 7/12. He has good barrel control and uses all fields. The special bat speed is a luxury, allowing for margin of error that few other players have. Put a 60 future on the hit. Defensively, Abrams has some rawness to his game but also immense athleticism. My feeling watching his defense is he moves too close to his max speed. Slowing to 90% speed in exchange for disproportionate gains in body control may yield better results. He is a good enough defender to stick at short, but should team needs dictate a move to the outfield, Abrams would also have the speed (70) and arm (45/50) to play in center. As an above average offensive contributor at a premium defensive position, Abrams profiles as a realistic role-60 player.