Georgia Tech’s single-season home run king has won just about every catcher’s award available to a college backstop and will hear his name called early on Sunday.
Watch Georgia Tech catcher Kevin Parada set up in the box and you’d never guess the guy mashed 26 home runs in 56 games for the Yellowjackets this year, good for a program single-season record. The Athletic’s Keith Law compares Parada’s stance to someone carrying a bag of golf clubs over his shoulder, but somehow he gets the bat through the zone and can catch up to pretty much anything.
Hey, whatever works, right?
Depending on your mock draft of choice, Parada is looking like he could go anywhere from 4 to 10 on Sunday, and whoever takes him seems to be getting their middle-of-the-order catcher of the future.
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Who is Kevin Parada?
Age: 20
Height: 6’1
Bats/Throws: R/R
Position: C
Hometown: Pasadena, CA
School: Georgia Tech
Make no mistake: You’re going to see that weird stance in the majors soon enough. Parada’s allure is as a hit-first catcher that has a knack for connecting the barrel to the ball and ripping line drives. Defensively, he’s good enough to stay put for now, though his arm can improve in strength and accuracy.
Room for improvement on defense, however, is a small worry for the team that wants to scoop up Parada. That team will get someone who not only hits for power, but is disciplined at the plate. He walked 30 times and struck out only 32 times this season, hitting .411 on balls in play. MLB.com projects Parada to be a .280-.300 hitter in the majors, a high mark for someone with his power.
Kevin Parada Stats & Accolades
- Slashed .360/.452/.709 with 26 HR and 88 RBI this year at Georgia Tech
- Single-season school home run record holder (26)
- Johnny Bench Award and Buster Posey Award winner
- First-Team All-American
- NCBWA District Player of the Year
Kevin Parada MLB Scouting Report
Scout ratings are via MLB Pipeline and exist on a 20-80 scale. 50 is considered average for an MLB player.
Hit: 60
Power: 60
Run: 40
Arm: 45
Field: 50
Overall: 60
Expected MLB Draft position: Top 10
The Expert Take on Kevin Parada
His plate discipline and pitch recognition are both advanced for an amateur and he’s shown some ability to make adjustments in-season already. Behind the plate, he’s adequate as a receiver with fringy arm strength, good enough to stay there because he hits so well.
Keith Law, The Athletic
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