Steele Hall has yet to take his first at bat of pro ball, so like Baltimore’s Jaiden Lo Re, there isn’t a ton to go on, so his future path is more about projection than production. Steele became the first prep athlete from the state of Alabama to be drafted in the first round in more than 50 years (if you know me, you know that’s why I chose him), and the thing that could help him ascend through the ranks quickly is his plus speed (70-grade) and defense.

He’s got good range in both directions defensively, and can throw the ball from multiple arm angles, giving him the ability to make the tough plays look easy. It should allow him to stick at shortstop for a long time. At 18 years old, he’s still filling out, but he did add 15-20 pounds during his senior year of high school, so it should be interesting to see how that growth continues.

His ability at the plate needs improvement. He’s a free swinger with holes in the bat path. He will need to improve offensively to reach his full potential. Speaking of potential, Hall’s speed draws comps to guys like Trea Turner, and his ability with the glove brings up the likes of Dansby Swanson. I tend to lean more toward Swanson, as he is a defense-first guy who can be a really streaky hitter.

Even without a professional plate appearance under his belt, MLB.com has Hall at #83 on the Top 100 (#20 SS). He is still a few years away from Cincinnati, with a current ETA of 2029, but he has the potential to develop into a 5-tool player and as I said, he possesses a few plus tools that could accelerate his ascension to the higher levels of the system.