Coming in at number 13 on our 2018 CBD Top 100 Countdown is Missouri State shortstop Jeremy Eierman.
Perfect Game ranked him as the best high school shortstop in the state of Missouri in 2015, and the third best overall prospect in the state.
He made an immediate impact at the collegiate level in 2016 by hitting .296 in 230 at-bats with 45 runs scored, 13 doubles, 4 triples, 9 home runs, 48 RBI, 6 stolen bases, 12 walks, 67 strikeouts and a .336 on-base-percentage.
Eierman went on to win several awards after that season, including being named a Freshman All-American by a couple different outlets.
That summer he played in the Cape Cod league but struggled to the tune of a .192 average in 104 at-bats with zero home runs and 30 strikeouts.
However, he seemed to make a ton of improvements going into his sophomore season at Missouri State. Most importantly, his home runs total shot up to 23, he stole more bases (17) and his walk total increased to 41, which boosted his on-base-percentage to .431.
All of his other numbers improve too as he hit .313 with 67 runs scored, 15 doubles and 68 RBI.
The home run, stolen base and walks totals all stand out to me as you can tell he really worked to improve upon those areas from his freshman season.
This past summer he played just four games in the Cape Cod League as he spent most of his time with the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team.
At 6-foot-1, 205 pounds he certainly has the frame and ability to stick at shortstop in the major leagues.
I really love this guys swing as there isn’t a ton of movement and it’s very repeatable.
He turns his front foot towards him so that he steps towards the pitcher when he swings. There also isn’t a big leg kick there, but he’s still able to generate a ton of power using his hips and his arms to drive through the baseball, driving it to all fields.
If scouts believe Eierman can stick at shortstop at the next level, then could be one of the first names you hear in this year’s MLB Draft. And I think he moves pretty quickly once he’s in the big leagues.
