LA Angels MLB Draft Preview: Three Round Mock Draft 1.0

Round Three, Pick 94: Kyren Paris, Shortstop, Freedom High School

For the final selection in the first edition of this mock draft, prep shortstop Kyren Paris is the pick in Round Three. This is a player who has all the potential in the world to be an everyday shortstop in the MLB, but there are a couple of things keeping him from being a Day 1 pick.

First off, there is his future at shortstop. While some within the industry believe he could stick at shortstop long-term, a move to second as he develops is within the realm of possibility. On defense, he has natural instincts and a good first step, and like Mendoza, has the physical prowess Billy Eppler often aims for in draftees.

At the dish, Paris has a long swing that generates minimum power while also creating solid contact. He already has a very mature approach at the plate with exceptional vision and discipline. There is some hope that as he develops into his 5’11” frame some power will come along, but counting on him to ever hit double-digit home runs would be foolish.

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While being a plus athlete, Paris is not an absolute freak on the base paths, but could turn into a threat to steal 15-20 bases. He is also already a smart baserunner as well, rarely being over aggressive.

His defensive profile along with his work at the plate drew a comparison to Ketel Marte, the Arizona Diamondbacks’ second baseman. Marte, like Paris could be, was brought up as a shortstop in the Seattle Mariners’ organization. However, he has since transitioned to shortstop and has seen his career trajectory improve since then.