by Cary Osborne
The Dodgers, for the second year in a row, have selected a high school player with impressive speed and athleticism in the first round of the MLB Draft.
Kellon Lindsey, a shortstop from Hardee Senior High School in Florida, was taken by the Dodgers 23rd overall on Sunday. Lindsey carries a 75-grade on the 20–80 scouting scale and turned in the two fastest 30-yard dash times at the June MLB Draft Combine at Chase Field in Phoenix.
“It’s a big run, defensive shortstop, we think there’s power coming, and the excitement level or player development staff has is through the roof,” said Billy Gasparino, Dodger vice president of baseball operations.
The Dodgers took 80-run-grade outfielder Kendall George in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft.
Lindsey, a University of Florida commit, models his game after All-Star shortstop Trea Turner and draws comparisons to the former Dodger and current Phillies All-Star for his speed and body-type. Lindsey is 6-foot-2 and weighs 175 pounds.
He was rated as the №29 Draft prospect by MLB.com and carries a 50-overall grade with a 55-hit grade. The Athletic’s Keith Law rated him as the №22 prospect in the draft.
Lindsey was also the starting quarterback for the Hardee varsity football team and was dual threat, passing for 1,272 yards and rushing for 1,236 yards and averaging 12.0 yards per rush.
“I think speed is definitely one of the biggest roles for sure, and I think that really helps translate throughout the other parts of the field,” Lindsey said. “I think my glove it’s always been pretty good. I think this past year, fundamentally, and then rhythm-wise it really improved. And I think that was big for this past season. And then on the hitting side of things, I feel like I can pretty much put the ball in play whenever I want. And I think that’s an important tool to have. And then of course, I think the power is coming, and I have power. I’m excited to finally like get to focus on baseball.”
Here is MLB.com’s scouting report on Lindsey:
The 2023 Draft was a good one for athletic high school shortstops in Florida, with Arjun Nimmala, George Lombard Jr. and Adrian Santana all going in the top 31 picks. The 2024 crop might not be as top heavy, but Lindsey has burst on the scene this spring to create buzz as a player with as much helium as any in the class.
A former quarterback, Lindsey missed the summer showcase circuit because of injury but had scouts of all levels running to Hardee Senior High School to see him action. A premium athlete who can record 80-grade run times, Lindsey has already taken a big step forward in all facets of the game after deciding to stop playing football and focus on the diamond.
He has a better feel for the game than some might think based on his multisport background. He has a short, right-handed swing geared to making contact and sending line drives up the middle. He may never be a huge power guy, and he does need to add strength, but as he’s started to catch the ball out front, he’s impacting the ball more, with some pop to come. He has solid strike zone awareness with good swing decisions and takes walks against lesser competition. Lindsey’s defensive polish has also improved considerably this spring.
He should be given every chance to stick at shortstop with at least an average arm and more than enough range to make all the plays. Even those not convinced about the premium spot know he’ll stick up the middle on the dirt, and the University of Florida recruit’s name was popping up in first-round conversations as the spring season wore on.
Lindsey was the Dodgers’ lone pick on Day 1 of the three-day, 20-round draft.
The Dodgers forfeited their second- and fifth-round picks when they signed Shohei Ohtani as a free agent.
The Dodgers again go big speed in the first round of the MLB Draft with Kellon Lindsey was originally published in Dodger Insider on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.