Baseball America No. 8 Nats prospect: Andrew Stevenson

It is exciting to see the potential of an outstanding defensive center fielder who knows what it's like to win fall to the Nationals in the draft.

In June, the Nationals selected LSU center fielder Andrew Stevenson in the second round of the First-Year Player draft.

He is an aggressive, rangy and speedy outfielder who played in the College World Series and is the top-of-the-order lefty bat that the Nationals always respect.

He is locked in as Baseball America's No. 8 Nats prospect for 2016.

No. 8 CF Andrew Stevenson:

The 21-year-old didn't waste any time moving up to low Single-A Hagerstown towards the end of the season. Stevenson played 20 games combined for the Gulf Coast Nationals and then short-season Single-A Auburn.

He showed a knack for making plays and was advanced because of all the important games he played at a high-level Southeastern Conference school like Louisiana State. Hagerstown liked his game so much he was made the leadoff man after being a middle-of-the-order guy with the Tigers.

Stevenson ended up slashing .285/.338/.358 with 16 stolen bases for the Suns.

Baseball America editor-in-chief John Manuel said Stevenson is a top-of-the-line defender. But what is his offensive ceiling?

"Is this guy going to be like a 'slashing singles' kind of hitter where extra-base hits are really going to have to come with his speed as opposed to him driving the ball over the fence?" Manuel asked rhetorically. "Or is this a guy you can retool his swing a little bit and get him more into a power position at the time he is pulling that trigger?"

Stevenson had no trouble getting hits for Hagerstown with 39 in 35 games. He had three doubles, two triples, one homer, eight walks and 16 RBIs. Manuel believes Stevenson is adjusting very well to wooden bats in the pros after college baseball had experimented with changing its equipment recently to inject some offense back into the game.

"When you watch him hit, he's just not in the position to loft the ball at all," Manuel said. "I can understand how you'd have that approach in college the last few years because they just changed the baseball for 2015, thank goodness, because before that they had taken all the power out of college baseball."

Manuel believes Stevenson has the batting tools and skill to get on base, and build strength and power as his pro game evolves.

"I think he had an approach that was suited to the time, and now we'll see if he's athletic enough and have the aptitude to make that adjustment," Manuel said. "I do think he's athletic enough. He's a plus-runner with excellent instincts in center field. He can throw with good range.

"He's kind of a unique guy because it is like a slashing offensive approach and swing," Manuel concluded.

The offensive numbers are promising for Stevenson because his defense is elite prospect status.

"We should talk about the defense, that's what really stands out the most," Manuel noted. "The guy has a chance to be a premium center fielder defensively. Also, fairly young for a college player, just turned 21 at that time of the draft. I do know that some of teams really do value that kind of thing. Obviously, there's still some physical maturity to come with Andrew Stevenson.

"He has a chance to make an impact defensively and with his speed as well on the bases. It really is just a matter of how much impact he will have with the bat. So maybe he could be a top-of-the-lineup kind of guy if he has that patience and can make that consistent contact."

Manuel said the Nationals found something in the second round in Stevenson, a guy who has first-round defensive skills.

"Scouts told me he was one of the top five defensive players available in the draft," Manuel said. "To get that kind of player when you don't have a first-round pick, I think the Nationals were excited about that."