Kendall George has blazing speed he uses to make an impact on the bases and in center field.
His speed significantly impacted the U.S. national team, as he reached base 10 times in 18 plate appearances and stole five bases. It helped Team USA capture the gold medal in the 18-and-under World Cup last year.
George’s speed separates him from other prospects. He boasts the best speed in the prep class, and it draws great reviews from scouts.
George is a top prospect in July’s MLB draft class, with scouts projecting the Texas prep center fielder as a potential early-round pick. He credits his brother, Avery, who had a successful four-year college career at Lamar, for his development as a baseball player.
“It’s definitely something to be excited for,” George said. “But then again, I just try to stay in the moment and grind it out because you never know what can happen. I take it day by day and try not to worry about it.”
George is a 5-foot-10, 175-pound left-handed hitting center fielder with an intriguing toolset. His speed is his standout tool as it’s elite. He typically gets out of the batter’s box and down the first base line in 3.8 seconds on a ground ball and 3.4 seconds on a bunt. He is an aggressive base stealer and is dangerous on the bases.
The left-handed hitter uses a simple setup at the plate and has a contact-oriented approach. He strongly understands the strike zone and drives the ball into the gaps.
“I have very good bat-to-ball skills,” George said. “With my growing strength, I think that will be the second-best tool in my game. Behind that real close is my defense. I take a lot of pride in playing really good defense. I can chase down almost any ball in the outfield due to my speed.”
Defensively, George’s speed and quality route-running skills allow him to cover a lot of ground in center field. He projects as a center fielder in pro ball.
Scouts want to see George improve his arm strength. He also doesn’t hit for much power, as he is a top-of-the-order hitter. While he doesn’t profile as a significant home-run threat, scouts want to see him elevate and drive the balls more consistently.
“I want to improve my overall strength because that’s the weakest part of my game,” George said. “I don’t have a great arm by any means, and I do lack a little bit of power on the offensive side. Those are the two things I can improve and would impact my game the most.”
Besides his status as a draft prospect, George is an Arkansas commit. Arkansas is one of the premier programs in college baseball, with a track record of winning and player development. Arkansas also has a passionate fanbase that led the NCAA in baseball attendance in 2022.
“It felt like home to me,” George said. “It is a great college baseball atmosphere. I think it’s one of the best in college baseball. They have by far the best facilities in college baseball. The coaching staff is great, and the fanbase is great. It’s just a great place to play college baseball.”
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Dan Zielinski III has covered the MLB draft for eight years. He has interviewed 433 of the top draft prospects in that period, including four No. 1 overall picks. Multiple publications, including Baseball America, USA Today, MLB.com, The Arizona Republic and The Dallas Morning News, have quoted his work, while he has appeared on radio stations as a “MLB draft expert.” Follow him on Twitter @DanZielinski3.
