As we continue our top 100 countdown we move to number 53 in LSU’s Antoine Duplantis.
He played in 66 games as a freshman for LSU in 2016 hitting .327 in 272 at-bats with 45 runs scored, 9 doubles, 2 home runs, 39 RBI, 33 walks, 25 strikeouts and 13 stolen bases.
That led to him being named an Freshman All-American and to the 2016 Freshman All-SEC.
In the Cape Cod League the following summer he hit .268 in 112 at-bats with 8 stolen bases.
As a sophomore this past spring he hit .316 with 50 runs scored, 14 doubles, 2 home runs, 61 RBI, 16 walks, 31 strikeouts and 19 stolen bases.
He was named to the 2017 College World Series All-Tournament Team.
This past summer he played in the Cape Cod League again and hit .265 with 14 runs scored, 10 doubles, 2 home runs, 6 RBI, 6 walks, 11 strikeouts and 4 stolen bases.
The 5-foot-11, 179 pound outfielder has kind of an unusual swing with an open stance that almost looks like his knees are bent towards each other. And then he dips that front shoulder before throwing his hands at the baseball.
He is a very good contact hitter, but won’t develop much power with that swing. Still, he projects as a high on-base guy who can steal some bases and score some runs.
If he’s going to stick in a corner outfield spot at the next level scouts will probably want to see some more power from him.
Regardless, Duplantis is a great hitter and one of the most exciting college baseball players to watch.
