With the 44th selection in the MLB Draft, the Detroit Tigers selected high school third baseman Nick Castellanos from Archbishop McCarthy in Florida.
Castellanos was the Florida High School Player of the Year this past season. He batted .542 with six home runs and 46 RBIs as a shortstop, helping his team to a state championship.
Here’s some of the scouting report on Castellanos from SB Nation’s MLB Draft blog, MLB Bonus Baby:
Castellanos is as good as you’re going to get for a smooth power-hitter this year. He features one of the prettiest swings from the right side of the plate, and it projects for plus power and plus hitting. He also features average speed, sometimes better, depending on the day you see him. He should stick as a fringe-average runner in the long run once he fills out. Defense is the questionable side of his game. He features an above-average arm that should be just fine for third, but he has a slow release and fringe-average lateral range at times, along with below-average instincts off the bat. He has the raw tools to be a solid third baseman, but there’s some question about his ability to adjust there, as some think he’ll be a liability.
ESPN.com's Keith Law viewed him as the 11th best player overall. Baseball America ranked Castellanos 14th among its Top 50 draft prospects.
Castellanos is currently committed to play baseball at the University of Miami next year.