Steele Walker

Position: OF
Born: 7/20/1996
Ht: 5’11” Wt: 190 lb B-T: L-L
Acquired: Drafted 2nd round in the 2018 draft out of the University of Oklahoma
Career Stats

FutureSox Prospect Rankings

  • #15 – 2018 Midseason
  • #15 – 2019 Preseason
  • #7 – 2019 Midseason

FutureSox Media

Accolades

  • Carolina League All-Star, 2019 Postseason

Scouting Report

The White Sox selected Walker with the 46th overall pick in the 2018 draft. Baseball America cited his impressive hand-eye coordination and pitch recognition from the left side when calling him one of the better pure hitters in the draft.

According to 2080 Baseball, the corner outfielder is a high contact bat with an ability to spray line drives across all fields thanks to above average bat speed and a compact stroke. Though not a burner, he shows good feel on the grass and on the bases. Due to his size, Walker projects to have average power. Baseball America also highlights his seven dingers in 53 games with a wood bat in the Northwoods League during the summer of 2016. There, he posted an impressive slash line of .406/.479/.557 leading the league in hitting that summer.

In his professional debut Walker got the tour of the lower rungs of the system. He played at both rookie level Arizona and Great Falls before finishing his season in Kannapolis. Statistical he struggled, posting a combined .209/.271/.342 line.

He proved those numbers were an aberration with a solid 2019. Walker dominated Kannapolis in 20 games (.365/.437/.581) to earn a promotion to Winston-Salem. He held his own, but didn’t stand out in 100 games with the Dash. Walker more or less matched his profile. He had a low strikeout rate, moderate power and a good walk rate, although his batting average (.269) didn’t show well. He hit .269/.346/.426.

Walker’s ceiling is limited due to his lack of a standout plus tool and corner outfielder profile without blazing speed or a big arm. White Sox Director of Amateur Scouting Nick Hostetler mentioned the possibility of him playing center. In a short stint at Great Falls, he played there almost exclusively before being promoted to Kannapolis.

If Walker is able to sustain the power he showed as an amateur to go with his high rate of contact and solid defense, he has the ability to become a starter at one of the corner spots. Otherwise, he’ll need to demonstrate that he is capable of playing all three outfield positions in order to become a valuable left-handed bat coming off the bench.