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2019 MLB Draft Profile: Andrew Vaughn

If the Marlins take the college route with their top draft pick at No. 4 overall, Vaughn is the leading candidate.

By Hector Rodriguez
Photo by @CalBaseball/Twitter

Overview

Position: 1B

Height: 5’11”

Weight: 215 pounds

High School: Maria Carrillo High School

College: California

Andrew Vaughn 2019 MLB Draft Profile

Andrew Vaughn is a 21-year-old first baseman from Santa Rosa, California and plays college baseball for the University of California, Berkeley. One of the top collegiate prospects in the 2019 MLB Draft, the Cal junior has played for the Collegiate U.S.A. National Team.

According to Perfect Game, Vaughn was the 422nd-ranked prospect and the 71st-ranked first baseman in the 2016 class. As a freshman, Vaughn was named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year with a .349 batting average, 12 home runs and .969 OPS. In his sophomore season, he improved and earned the Golden Spikes Award after batting .402 with 23 home runs and 1.350 OPS.

At 5-foot-11, 215 pounds, Vaughn is a short, powerful prospect with one of the best bats in the draft. He compares favorably to anyone we’ve seen lately in previous drafts, too. Vaughn has a very advanced approach at the plate and draws a lot of walks. Doesn’t need to sacrifice contact in order to generate more power. He does a good job of driving the ball to all fields and can really make pitchers work with his plate discipline.

On defense, Vaughn is strictly a first baseman as his skillset doesn’t match anywhere else. Vaughn also has a strong arm, as he pitched very well for the California Golden Bears his freshman season.

Strengths

  • Effortless power
  • Strong arm
  • Great plate discipline
  • Great bat speed
  • Advanced approach
  • Makes lots of contact
  • Walks more than strikeouts
  • Run producer

Weaknesses

  • Can only play first base
  • Below average runner
  • Height (Not too worried about that)

Pro Comparison: Paul Goldschmidt

Projection: Top 5 pick

Bottom Line

The 2019 Miami Marlins offense has been one of the worst offenses in the MLB. They have a very high strikeout rate and fail to deliver at key scoring opportunities. The Marlins really need to add some top hitting prospects in their farm system who could eventually help the big club’s offense.

Chances are, Vaughn will likely be taken with the second or third overall pick of the 2019 MLB Draft. With the fourth pick, the Miami Marlins would be very lucky if he falls to them.

Vaughn has all the hitting tools to be a very successful hitter at the MLB level.

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