Addison Russell has been a name player on the showcase circuit for years and while there's some disagreement in the scouting community about what his tooled-up package is worth, his upside is undeniable.
The first thing that needs to be mentioned with Russell is his frame. He was universally regarded as a future third baseman last summer and on a loaded Team USA, he weighed about 210 pounds and was asked to play third. The Auburn signee didn't like this and dedicated himself to dropping weight before his senior season so he would be considered a shortstop. He's now a svelte 6-foot-1, 185 pounds and looks the part -- one scout compared his body to Edgar Renteria.
It's important to mention that this wasn't bad weight that Russell was dropping. He has some of the broadest shoulders you will see and scouts said he was just filled-out and a little stiff; he wasn't lazy, his body just matured early. If you saw Russell for the first time this spring and didn't know this, you'd say this player had an ultra-projectable upper half and he will be a beast when he fills out.
To read more about Addison Russell, become an Insider today.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Keith Law
Keith Law joined ESPN.com in June 2006 as the lead baseball analyst for Scouts Inc., covering the majors, minors and amateurs. Before joining ESPN, Law spent 4½ years with the Toronto Blue Jays as a special assistant to the general manager, and was previously a writer for Baseball Prospectus. He graduated from Harvard College and holds an MBA from the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon.
Follow Keith on Twitter: @Keithlaw
Jason A. Churchill
Jason A. Churchill is the executive editor at ProspectInsider.com, covering major league baseball with an eye toward scouting and player development since 2006.
Christopher Crawford
The founder and executive editor of MLB Draft Insider. He can be followed on Twitter @crawfordchrisv
-
2013 MLB Draft:
- Law's top 100 prospects
Follow us on Twitter: @ESPN_MLBDRAFT