The draft order for teams is in place, and MLB Pipeline has released its top 50 draft prospects list. The 2019 MLB Draft takes place in June, with the Houston Astros selecting at the #32 position.

Mock drafts are already dotting the landscape, with almost no duplication of the guesses of the name that will land at Houston’s slot come draft day.

One example of that lack of consensus comes from two mocks: MyMLBDraft.com, which has UNC’s first baseman Michael Busch landing in the Astros’ draft lap. Conversely, Michael Dault’s Through The Fence Baseball places Busch at #27 to the Chicago Cubs. Dault describes Busch as “Seth Beer-like,” and the Astros, already served, took the former Clemson standout in 2018’s first round.

Dault is predicting the ‘Stros will select Stanford’s slugging junior outfielder, Kyle Stowers.

Kyle Stowers, 21, Patriot

Stowers ranks #34 on the MLB Pipeline prospect list, and the solidly built 6’3″, 200-pounder’s power is legitimate, with the ability to drive the ball to all fields, according to his MLB scouting report.

Born in the San Diego suburb of El Cajon, Stowers attended Christian High School in that community, excelled as a two-way player at both outfielder and pitcher, and led the Patriots to two league championships and one state title.

Incidentally, current president of the MLB Players Association (MLBPA) and former All-Star first baseman Tony Clark attended Christian High.

When not also overachieving on the basketball court (as a senior second-team all-league), Stowers was combining to hit .387 with 10 home runs, 54 RBIs, and a .493 OBP in his junior and senior campaigns.

Stowers has the odd tendency of letting his top (left) hand index finger drift off the bat, sticking it up with just a very slight bend until just before he swings. Upon closer inspection, it appears to be part of a full strategy of employing a loose, relaxed top hand before tightening his grip and swinging.

Stowers grew up a fan of the San Diego Padres, with his favorite player being the versatile Wil Myers, who has played the outfield, third, and first base. But it’s mainly his composure that appeals to Stowers, according to the San Francisco Chronicle in a January interview.

“Whether he hits a home run or strikes out, he’s very even-keeled,” he said. “That’s something I try to incorporate in my game. I try to be the same person whether everything’s going my way or everything’s not.”

Scouts Weigh In

MLB’s scouting blurb sums up Stowers’ near future and projection: “Power is always a hot commodity, especially from a proven college performer. If Stowers continues to drive the ball as a junior while showing an ability to limit his strikeout rate, he could move up boards in a hurry.”

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Arm: 55 | Field: 50 | Overall: 50

Stowers came out of high school undrafted but with Perfect Game logging this assessment: “Strong athletic, well proportioned build. Left handed hitter, better game swings than batting practice, has the strength to create bat speed and drive the ball.

“Shows gap to gap power and some lift in his swing, tends to get over-rotational with his upper half and just use his arms to pull the bat, has hitting tools to develop. Right field tools on defense, strong arm with carry and accuracy, showed off his arm well in games.”

Cardinal Rule

Stowers played sporadically as a freshman in 2017, logging just 44 plate appearances. That summer, though, wishing to try his hand at wood-bat hitting, he played college summer ball for the West Coast League’s Bellingham Bells.

Solid contact ensued, to the tune of a .311 in 142 PAs with six doubles, seven homers, and a .423 on-base percentage, leading to a well-fed .978 OPS.

Not projected to make the Cardinal starting lineup as a sophomore, he nevertheless stepped in for some injured players to excel in left field.

In fact, in that 2018 sophomore season, Stowers showed off a solid spring at Stanford in which he earned All-Pac-12 honorable mention honors after batting .286 with 10 doubles and home runs, three triples, an .895 OPS, and 42 RBIs in 240 plate appearances. His 30 walks and 49 strikeouts yielded a 12.50 walk percentage, and a 20.42 K% (1.63 K/BB ratio).

More Wood Success

He followed that up with a summer in the Cape Cod League, continuing his wood bat banging for the Falmouth Commodores. He took the Cape Cod League by storm. At one point, his .352 batting average ranked fourth in the league, and he enjoyed one streak where he hit .413 in an 18-game swath from late June through mid-July, raising his average by .156 points in the process.

He finished at Falmouth with a .326 BA and .926 OPS in 148 PAs. He added 13 doubles to six homers while drawing only seven walks (4.86 K/BB ratio). Nonetheless, Stowers’ general consistency with a wood bat is what’s raising MLB eyebrows, and forcing scouts to clutch their clipboards while calling their bosses.

“You go through struggles and learn from them,” Stowers told the Commodores Corner in July. “It’s just made all the good times that much sweeter.”

“The biggest thing with Kyle is that he just goes out and has a great deal of fun,” Commodores head coach Jeff Trundy told the Corner. “He understands the significance of approach and the significance of making adjustments.”

“It’s a pure form of baseball,” Stowers told the Chronicle, referring to his Cape Cod League experience. “Wooden bats, high school fields — so it’s obviously not like Pac-12 fields. Some people would say the umpires aren’t as great. But you’re playing against great competition and having fun.”

Stowers was recently named a 2019 preseason first-team All-American by Baseball America.

Whether Stowers ends up a Houston Astros draft pick or not, he’s refreshingly philosophical about the June event: “Every draft-eligible guy can tell you: Baseball players want to play baseball,” he said. “It’s everyone’s dream since we were kids. So obviously I want to play (pro ball). But that will take care of itself if I just do whatever I can to help the team win.”

And, right now, the team he’s doing whatever he can do to help win is the Stanford Cardinal. “It’s to win the [College] World Series,” he concluded. “That’s what you have to set the goal at. I don’t think you should go into any season expecting that you’re going to lose.”

Just what every suit crammed into a draft war room wants to hear.

More Possible 2019 Astros Draft Prospects: Speedy LSU Outfielder Zach Watson, TCU Lefty Nick Lodolo, and Houston Area Prep Pitcher Matthew Thompson