2020 Draft Preview: Zac Veen (OF)

School: Spruce Creek (FL) HS
Position: OF
Height/Weight: 6’4” 190 lbs
B/T: L/R
D.O.B.: 12/12/2001
Previously Drafted/Commitment: Committed to Florida

Scouting Report

Zac Veen is a high school outfield prospect out of Spruce Creek High School in Florida. Veen is widely considered the top prep prospect available in the 2020 MLB Draft, although he was something of a late riser in that regard. Even after winning the 2018 Perfect Game WWBA Underclass World Championship MVP, Veen didn’t climb draft boards until proving himself as one of the most consistent prep performers in the summer of 2019.

After committing to play his college ball at the University of Florida during his junior year, he spent the 2019 summer playing for the Orlando Scorpions Founders Club, and also appeared in both the Perfect Games and Under Amour All-America games. Going into the draft, Veen is listed as the top prep player on Perfect Game’s board, is the No. 5 overall prospect according to Fangraphs, and the No. 7 overall prospect at MLB Pipeline.

Pipeline called the slugger the “most consistent performer on this past summer’s showcase circuit. Keith Law of The Athletic ranks Veen as the No. 7 prospect in the 2020 class and Baseball America echoes those sentiments. Baseball America praised Veen’s “smooth and loose left-handed swing” and they lauded his “natural leverage and good lift” in his swing. Kiley McDaniel of ESPN is the highest on Zac Veen, slotting him at No. 4 overall on his 2020 big board.

2019 PG National courtesy of ProspectsLive

Under Armour All American Game in Chicago from 2080 Baseball

Veen’s sweet swing courtesy of Baseball America

Scouting Grades

*Scouting grades are according to MLB Pipeline, grades may vary between different publications*

HIT: 60
POWER: 55
RUN: 50
ARM: 55
FIELD: 55
OVERALL: 55

Prospect Overview and Future Outlook

Veen possesses one of the best hit tools of any player in the draft, with great bat-to-ball skills and an excellent feel for the zone. He’s easily the best prep hitter in the class and his hit tool may only be surpassed by Vanderbilt IF Austin Martin.

Complimenting his plus hit tool is above average power, which figures to improve to plus as Veen matures. At just 18-years-old and already standing 6’4”, with some reports having him listed at 200 pounds heading into the season, Veen has plenty of time and potential to grow into his frame and leverage his hit tool and physical presence into 30-homer power at the big league level.

Defensively, Veen is solid all around. He has played center field almost exclusively at the high school level, but is unlikely to stick there in pro ball. His offensive skillset, athleticism, and above average arm strength should profile well in right field in the long term.

Veen already isn’t the most impressive runner and figures to slow down more as he adds muscle, so you shouldn’t expect much production from him on the base paths. That lack of speed could also limit him to left field defensively, although there will be several other factors that play into any final decision on his defensive home.

Overall, Veen has one of the highest ceilings in this draft, drawing some comparisons to Christian Yelich and Cody Bellinger, the last two National League MVP’s. While those comparisons are aggressive, the profiles aren’t exactly wrong.

Other than his running, there isn’t any major area of concern with Veen, and in a normal spring season he may have even climbed up boards to the point of No. 1 overall pick consideration. It’s not often you get this level of safety and upside from a high school bat in the draft. I’d be shocked if Veen makes it out of the top five-to-six picks on June 10th.

Mock Draft Outcomes

Veen is pretty widely viewed as a top-5 pick in the mock draft circles. Over at MLB Pipeline, both Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo have the Toronto Blue Jays selecting Veen at fifth overall. ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel projects Veen to wind up with the Kansas City Royals at No. 4 overall.

Our James Fox predicted in his second mock draft that Veen would go No. 4 overall to the Kansas City Royals. Similarly, the Athletic’s Keith Law has the Royals taking Veen fourth as well. Two reports have Veen falling as low as No. 8 overall to the San Diego Padres, which both CBS Sports and Prospects Live have predicted.

Carlos Collazo of Baseball America released his updated projection this week as well with the Orange Florida prep heading to the Royals with the 4th overall pick. Eric Longenhagen of Fangraphs placed Veen to the San Diego Padres at No. 8 as well.

While Veen certainly fits the Padres’ typical mold for first round picks, I would personally be shocked to see him fall that far. I don’t expect Veen to get past Toronto at No. 5, but in the event that he does, the Padres at eight certainly seem like the absolute floor for him.

Potential Fit with the White Sox

Given that Veen doesn’t seem likely to fall to the Sox at 11, dreaming too much on his fit in the system is kind of just teasing ourselves. With that being said, it’s still worth dreaming on – the MLB Draft can be weird, and miracles do happen!

Veen would seemingly slide right into the top five prospects in the White Sox system immediately upon joining the system. Even in a system with a crowded outfield group that features several future big leaguers, Veen would instantly become the top non-Luis Robert OF in the system. With the Sox seemingly having center field figured out for the foreseeable future with Robert locked up, it’d be a no-brainer for them to shift Veen to right and pencil him in as the right fielder of the future.

We all know the Sox haven’t gone prep in the first round in a long time, but Veen is the kind of prospect that would be too good to pass on if he ended up on the board at 11. While it would take some kind of miracle for that to happen, you can count me as one person who would be jumping for joy if it did come to fruition.

Photo credit: YouTube still

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