Name: Ryan Mountcastle (click link for full 2019 scouting report)
Position: LF/1B
Age as of 6/30/20: 23
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Current Grade: 50
Future Grade: 60
Ceiling Grade: 65
Most Likely Future Role: Everyday 1B/LF/DH, occasional All-Star
Ceiling: Perennial All-Star
Career Stats
Quick Scouting Report Update: Made a spectacular offensive major league debut posting a .333/.386/.492/.878 slash line with a .371 WOBA (.317 MLB Avg), 42.7 Hard hit % (34.9% MLB avg) and 7.1% Barrel % (6.4% avg) in 140 major league PAs. Maybe most surprising was the fact he struck out around major average (21.4% vs 21.8% MLB avg) and even walked around MLB average (7.9% to 8.3%) after a minor league career of walking well below average.
He showed a hole down and away (.226 WOBA/71.1 MPH exit velocity):
And not surprisingly that’s where pitchers tried to get him out (28.7% of the pitches were thrown down and away)
He surprisingly swang at just 34% (by far the lowest of any zone for him) of the pitches in that zone which showed an ability to understand what pitchers were trying to do to him and contributed to his near MLB avg walk rate. Strangely, he actually hits the ball well to RF and is more of an up the middle hitter than a pull hitter.
While Mountcastle is an aggressive hitter (58.5% swing% vs 46.6%), he absolutely mashed pitches down and in and up and away and just doesn’t miss too many mistakes.
As one scout said, he’s just a special hitter that has that ability to hit the ball hard on the edge and even outside the zone besides the low and away.
Defensively, Mountcastle started 23 games in LF where he caught everything hit at him, but seemed tentative at times going for balls on the ground or down the line. His throwing arm is slightly below average even from left field, but it’s fairly accurate and it’s not bad enough that runners will take advantage to often. He also started nine games down the stretch at 1B where he was a little rusty, showed an inaccurate below average arm, and was considered -8% success rate in his limited chances. He did show some ability to scoop balls but doesn’t have a great first step on the dirt.
Mountcastle runs very well for his size with a sprint speed at the 78.2 percentile which suggests with more experience he can become at least a solid defensive outfielder.
Mountcastle is still considered a rookie and will have an excellent opportunity to be an impact bat for the Orioles for a long time.
