Bird is a former teammate of 2010 sixth-round pick Kevin Gausman, who refused the Dodgers offer and headed off to LSU, where he has had a very solid freshman season.
Bird is a talented prospect in his own right, but just might slip through the cracks and end up as a third-, fourth- or even fifth-round pick. At 6’4″ and 220 pounds, you wouldn’t necessarily think that Bird will end up behind the plate in the long-run, but for the time being, playing there has helped enhance his draft stock. Most scouts seem to agree that he’ll likely have to move to a corner infield spot. He has more than enough arm for third, which would seem the most likely landing spot.
Regardless of his position, Bird will be a nice find in the middle-rounds due to his seasoned bat. He’s been unstoppable against Colorado high-school competition, bashing home runs at such a high rate that he’s become a regular intentional walk against most teams. Baseball America reported last August that he was once walked intentionally six times in one game!
Team’s don’t do that for just anyone.
Bird also has a great eye at the plate. It probably helped spending two seasons catching Gausman, who can fire fastballs in the low-to-mid 90s. Bird does have a commitment to Arkansas in his back pocket.
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