Miami Marlins Draft Prospect: Shortstop Brice Turang

Turang was once considered the favorite to be the top pick in the 2018 MLB Draft, his hit tool is compared to that of a former Marlins’ star, and most likely he will be available when the Marlins pick 13th in the draft.

SS Brice Turang

Height: 6’1”

Weight: 165

Age: 18

School: Santiago (Calif.) HS

Commitment: Louisiana State

Brice Turang‘s name has been floating around the scouting community for quite some time now. He originally made a name for himself playing with Team USA as their shortstop in 2016 and 2017.

Turang was the favorite to be taken with the first overall pick as recently as last summer. Yet now, most mock drafts have him going somewhere around picks 20-25.

Turang’s drop over the last year was not about poor performance. It’s more attributable to a failure to separate himself, causing him to be passed up by others. He never really struggled, but he also never separated himself the way that scouts were hoping for.

Many people also attribute his fall to the fact that he has been over-scouted. This has led to scouts nit-picking his game. While the shine of Turang may have worn off, he is an undoubtedly talented player with the ability to stick at shortstop.

Miami Marlins Scouting Report

*All grades can be found on MLB.com*

Hit: 55

Turang’s smooth left-handed swing is one of the first thing that scouts notice. This along with the fact that he is a So-Cal native has many comparing his offensive approach to former Marlins star, Christian Yelich.

Many feel that Turang has the ability to develop into a plus bat down the road, he is a patient hitter with a very refined approach for his age. This spring he had a 3:1 BB:K ratio, which is an impressive feat for a young hitter.

Power: 40

Turang’s gap-to-gap/line-drive approach is not necessarily conducive to much power and neither is his 6’1″/165 frame. This has had some scouts questioning his overall game, while others have said that he will grow into more power down the road. At his peak, I see Turang being a 10-18 homer guy in the big leagues.

Run: 60

Turang’s run ability is his highest graded tool. While MLB.com has Turang as a 60-grade runner, I have seen grades as high as 70 put on his running ability. From the left side of the plate, Turang shows the ability to get out of the box very fast and pick up infield hits.

Arm: 55

Turang’s arm strength is rated as above average, yet that hasn’t stopped people from saying that it is too weak to stick at shortstop. With that being said, most evaluators believe that he has a real shot to stick at the position.

Field: 55

Turang’s advanced footwork suggests the ability to stay a shortstop in professional ball. His hands and feet work very well together which helps his arm strength play up.

Overall: 50

Turang is a very polished player for his age and his ability to stay a short gives him some major draw for major league clubs that are looking to build up the middle. His game is very reminiscent of Nationals shortstop Trea Turner and last year’s first overall pick Royce Lewis. All three players had high grades for their contact and speed, yet lacked true raw power.

Turner has already shown us the type of player that he can be, Lewis is currently tearing up the Midwest League in the Twins system and I believe that Turang can very well follow in their footsteps.

Although Turang and the others may not have elite size or power, these guys are complete ballplayers with a real feel for the game and a killer work ethic.

MLB Comparison: Trea Turner