The Dodgers on Sunday selected prep shortstop Kellon Lindsey out of Hardee Senior High School in Florida. While his ascension into the first-round pick conversation came late in the draft process, there's plenty of reason for optimism around the 18-year-old speedster as evidenced by the lofty comparison he drew from two prominent outlets.
Lindsey, whose physical tools leap off the screen, is known primarily for his speed. A speedy shortstop who doesn't hit for a ton of power sounds a lot like former Dodgers shortstop Trea Turner, who was the comp for the Dodgers 2024 first-round pick by both ESPN and Yahoo Sports.
Here's what ESPN's Dan Mullen had to say about Lindsey:
Tools. Tools. Tools. When it comes to athleticism and explosiveness, Lindsey is one of the elite prospects in this class. The downside of his profile is that he simply has not faced the same level of competition as many of the players who have come off the board before him. But, like the Orioles taking Honeycutt with the previous pick, this is a case where the organization matters as much as the draft spot, and the Dodgers landing a player drawing Turner comps here is scary for the rest of the league.
Yahoo Sports' Jake Mintz had a similar take on the Dodgers' selection:
His absence — and his superb high school quarterback career — meant that scouts simply didn’t know too much about him before this spring. Which is when sensational reports started trickling in on the stupid-fast shortstop from middle-of-nowhere Florida. Lindsey is an outstanding athlete who will need time to develop as a baseball player, but the Dodgers snagged a Trea Turner starter kit here.
LA has done a nice job developing prospects which gives Lindsey room to grow into the physical tools he possesses. It's also worth noting again that he was a two-sport athlete in high school who played quarterback for the Hardee Senior football team. That commitment is part of why he was a late riser in the pre-draft process as Mintz noted, but it may also play a role in why he hasn't developed as much as some scouts might like.
Getting a chance to play every day and work in the Dodgers' program should allow Lindsey to maximize the natural combination of size and speed he brings to the table. If he's able to do that, it shouldn't be a surprise if LA winds up with a close facsimile to Turner, who hit .307 with 31 home runs and 38 stolen bases in 212 games with the Dodgers.
