Chicago Cubs Draft Prospect Profile: Kameron Misner’s Raw Athleticism Intriguing
The first thing that jumps out at you about Missouri’s Kameron Misner is his physical prowess. At 6-foot-4 and 219 pounds, he looks to be a pure lean athlete with good speed and outstanding strength. What’s more, he is only just now figuring out what to do with all those tools and he looks like he has room for even more weight, which would be scary.
In terms of raw talent, Misner is one of the top prospects in the draft. He struggled a bit this spring at Missouri, but still showed an excellent approach. While hitting in the .280’s, Misner had close to a .450 OBP. Like Michael Busch of North Carolina, Misner probably did not get a lot of good pitches to hit and was pitched around quite often.
As such, his stats might be deceiving.
Basic Info
21 years old
6‘4“
219 pounds
Bats – Left
Throws – Left
Previously drafted by the Royals in 2016 in the 33rd round
While Misner has slipped on some boards this spring, most evaluators agree that his immense tools could take time to develop. That’s not necessarily true, though, as things could come together pretty quickly when that athleticism is exposed to professional instruction.
He’s already got the approach at the plate and pitchers won’t be able to pitch around him in the minors as much as they did in the SEC. If everything works out with Misner, the team that drafts him could get top 10 talent at the back end of the first round. He just has to put everything together and turn his tools into everyday skills.
Here’s some video of him in action against Florida from last week.
What sticks out the most here is his awareness, as he’s able to lay off pitches out of the zone, especially down and away. He’s well aware of his own strengths as a hitter and what kind of pitches he can and cannot do something with.
MLB Pipeline had a lot to say about Misner, who they currently have as the 30th ranked prospect in the draft.
His bat speed, strength and the leverage in his 6-foot-4 frame give him huge raw power that he’s just beginning to tap into. He’s a polished hitter with a sound left-handed swing, good balance and a mature approach. He also has plus speed and the aptitude to steal bases, making him a 20-20 threat.
Though Misner played mostly left field as a freshman and a lot of first base as a sophomore, he has the quickness and strong arm to patrol anywhere in the outfield. He has a chance to play center field in pro ball and definitely profiles well in right. Scouts love his makeup as well.
The comments about versatility on defense are nice, as are those about his makeup, which includes how he takes care of himself and his body. He appeared in food and fitness advertisements at Missouri and it certainly appears as though he practices what he preaches.
There’s been a lot of volatility in his rankings this year and I’ve seen him as high as a top-10 pick and as low as the early 30’s. FanGraphs said he has “70 power and deceptive athleticism.” If the Cubs do select Misner, their coaches will be drooling over the chance to work with him on a daily basis.