Gavin Conticello thankful for draft attention

Gavin Conticello has made impressive strides throughout his career at Coral Springs Charter School in Florida. 

The highly-regarded prep infielder describes himself as a late bloomer. Although he didn’t draw the attention he deserved as an underclassman, Conticello now has the attention of talent evaluators.

Conticello is a University of South Florida commit and a potential early-round pick in July’s MLB draft. Scouts believe Conticello could hear his name called in the first five rounds of the draft. 

Conticello has enjoyed the early stages of the draft process and has turned to friend Coby Mayo, a fourth-round pick by the Baltimore Orioles in the 2020 draft, for advice.

“It has been a big learning experience for me, especially before the season with talking to a bunch of teams,” Conticello said. “It was just a great experience to have. I am blessed to be in the position I am, and I am just trying to take full advantage of the opportunity I have been given.”

Conticello is a 6-foot-3, 190-pound left-handed hitter who has notable bat speed and a loose approach at the plate. He drives the ball well, especially to his pull side, and has raw power that should only improve as he matures physically.

“My biggest strength is my hit tool,” Conticello said. “I can hit for power and average and just see the ball really well at the plate. I think that I can hit pretty much any pitcher. It’s just my best attribute, I think right now as a baseball player.”

Besides refining his offensive approach, Conticello also hopes to make strides defensively in his senior season, he said. Conticello spent most of his time in the offseason working on his defensive skills. He dedicated time to improving his lateral quickness and footwork.

Some scouts believe Conticello will have to move to third base in the pro ranks due to his size. He has experience playing shortstop, third base and second base in high school. Conticello feels he has the intangibles to remain at shortstop long-term.

“I hope to stay at shortstop long-term,” Conticello said. “I think it’s the best position on the field. You get a lot of action at shortstop, and I would just love to stay there.”

Besides his status as a top draft prospect, Conticello also is a University of South Florida commit. He committed to USF as a junior on Sept. 28, 2019.

“I went on a visit and saw the facilities and love the coaches,” Conticello said. “The coaches have been great to me, and it just seemed like a great fit for me.”

Read more in-depth stories on top 2021 MLB draft prospects at Baseball Prospect Journal.

Dan Zielinski III has covered the MLB draft for six years. He has interviewed 253 of the top draft prospects in that period, including three No. 1 overall picks. Multiple publications, including Baseball America, USA Today, MLB.com and The Arizona Republic, have quoted his work, while he has appeared on radio stations as a “MLB draft expert.” Follow him on Twitter @DanZielinski3.