2021 Draft Preview: Harry Ford (Catcher)

Name: Harry Ford

School: North Cobb H.S. (GA) Committed to Georgia Tech

Position: Catcher

Height/Weight: 5’-10” 200-lbs

B/T: R/R

D.O.B: 2/21/2003

Previously Drafted: No

Scouting Report

If you like athleticism in a prospect, Harry Ford is tailor-made for you. He’s agile behind the dish and versatile enough to play second base, third base, or center field. The latter is not a typo. Ford has 60-grade speed. He clocked 6.50 in the 60-yard dash. Factor in a plus arm (85 MPH from home to second), and you’ve got a top-catching prospect. There have been four catchers taken in the first round from the state of Georgia in recent years, and Ford is a better all-around prospect than any of them. And that includes Joey Bart, the second overall pick by The San Francisco Giants in the 2018 draft. You want bat speed?  Ford’s got it. He’s strong and hits the ball hard. He projects to have average or better power. Oh, yeah, he’s a great student too. First-round catchers out of high school have a hideous track record, which will give some teams pause. He also could improve his footwork on defense. Otherwise, there’s so much to like.

Scouting Grades

Hit: 50

Run: 60

Field: 55

Power: 50

Arm: 55

Overall: 55

Prospect Overview and Future Outlook

With so much going for him, it hard not to imagine teams salivating over the opportunity to draft him. This is where economics enter the equation. Having a commitment to play baseball at Georgia Tech, he’s got some leverage. Given the floor for a first-rounder is approx. $2.5 million, it’s unlikely he’ll go that route if selected. The question becomes the track record of catchers coming out of high school. With so much versatility on defense, it’s doubtful a team will let that stop them. His combination of power and defense make him an attractive long-term prospect.

Mock Drafts

The draft projections for Harry Ford are all over the board. Some have him going in the Top 10, others in the middle of the first round, and several at the back end of the opening round. Our own James Fox has him going to the Marlins at number 16. Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com slots Ford to the Cardinals at #18 while Jim Callis projects the Georgia prep to the Miami Marlins at #16. Kiley McDaniel of ESPN projects Harry Ford to the Milwaukee Brewers at #15 overall. Kevin Goldstein and Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs slotted Ford to the Phillies at #13 overall in their most recent article. Keith Law at The Athletic projects the young catcher to the Baltimore Orioles at #5 overall.

Potential fit with the White Sox

A quick scan of the FutureSox preseason Top 30 nets no catching prospects.  Dig a little deeper, and you’ll find several of them on the Just Missed list. Younger players like Jefferson Mendoza, Tyler Osik, and Victor Torres have some promise. But none of them are playing above Low-A Kannapolis. Seby Zavala and Carlos Perez are playing at higher levels and could fill a backup role. Given that profile, there is a need to inject some catching talent into the system. With so many defensive options, there doesn’t seem to be a reason the White sox wouldn’t take him. The overriding reason would be the White Sox penchant for college players in the first round. Having taken several high schoolers in the early rounds in recent drafts, it’s a distinct possibility that philosophy has changed. He will likely be long gone by the time the White Sox make a selection however.

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