Rank History
| Year | Team | Position | Team Rank | OFP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | CIN | OF | 16 | 45 |
Grades Update: Nov 2020
| OFP | Role | Hit | Power | Field | Arm | Run |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45 | 40 | 45 | 60 | 50 | 55 | 50 |
Nov 2020 Report
Evaluator: Justin Lada
Age: 18 yr
Height: 6-1
Weight: 205 lbs
Hits/Throws: R/R
Acquired: 2020 Draft - Round 4
RuleV: 2024
Physical Description: Strong frame, physical big league type body. At physical maturity not a totally dissimilar body type to Yoenis Cespedes. Athletic build with a multi-sport background, playing wide receiver in high school with heavy interest from multiple Division I programs to play football before committing to Ohio State to play baseball.
Hit: Wide base with open stance. Barrel over shoulder. Uses wide leg kick to create hip hinge. Long stride forward. Quiet hands during weight transfer. Balanced, efficient swing creates above average bat speed. Large gap between present and potential future grade. Hit tool will ultimately influence future role. Grade: 45
Power: Thanks to his strength, efficient swing, Wainwright is able to create the bat speed necessary for strong exit velos that produce plus raw power. He shows natural loft in his swing presently, though can get a little too out in front and grooved at times. Generally shifts his hips out from under his upper half and creates the swing plane with his upper body needed to lift the ball to get to his raw power. There are other exciting physical tools to Wainwright's profile, but power may be his top carrier to the bigs. Grade: 60
Field: There are limited chances to see Wainwright play in the field in game. He started out his prep career on the dirt but moved to the outfield as a freshman in order to get his bat into the lineup. Looks very natural coming in on balls and charging hits to the outfield. Utilizing game tape from his football days, he's a plus athlete with good body control as a wide receiver, and those actions should serve him well in the outfield. Depending on his instincts as an outfielder, there's a chance he sticks in centerfield. Grade: 50
Arm: Wainwright threw 91 from the outfield in showcases in his senior year of high school. Average is somewhere around 88-90 and his throws generally stay up on a line. With some additional physical growth and being a year young for his class, his arm strength could tick up above that. Grade: 55
Run: Like fielding, there weren't many chances to see Wainwright utilize his athleticism and speed on the bases or on the outfield grass. Using his sub-7 60-yard dash (6.94) and football game tape once again, Wainwright isn't a burner, but runs very well for his size and even with a little added weight should be able to maintain average overall speed. Grade: 50
Overall: Cold weather baseball players can be hard to peg down. Even playing on one of the better programs in northeast Ohio, his exposure to competition compared to his peers from his draft class probably weren't on par. However, he graduated at age 17, so he was a year younger than most of his peers. The physical tools are very apparent and he's already a very well built athlete. He is a gifted athlete who was committed to play DI baseball at Ohio State and had real interest from DI schools as a wide receiver. It's a high risk profile betting on physical tools right now, but even getting his hit tool to fringe-average would mean getting to impactful power. The potential to play centerfield, more likely right- field with an above average arm gives him several potential loud tools. While Wainwright is a good athlete with a smooth swing and other tools, he also loves baseball. Being a plus athlete with plus makeup is more narrative driven, but it makes it easier to bet on a player young for his class in a cold weather state that may be raw and need time to catch up in many ways. The potential is there for an impact bat corner outfielder, but the risk is high with his age and being raw in seeing advanced breaking stuff.
OFP: 45
Role: 40 - Below-Average Player: Bench/Platoon
Risk: Extreme
