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Who is Nander De Sedas ?
Before the season, De Sedas (six-foot-one, 190 pounds) was projected to be an easy first round pick as a powerful, switch-hitting shortstop — with some projections having De Sedas being picked by the Sox as early as the No. 4 overall selection in the draft. Questions have arisen regarding his offense, as he fell below expectations during his final year with Montverde’s Baseball Academy in Florida. This school is also where De Sedas’ idol, Cleveland shortstop Francisco Lindor, also plied his trade. De Sedas is just 18, and is the true definition of a high-risk, high-reward player. He is a Florida State recruit, and if he does in fact fall to the second round, a team would likely have to offer him an over-slot bonus in order for De Sedas to forego his commitment. He is one of the more polarizing players in the draft, as the rankings below suggest.
How does De Sedas rank?
MLB Pipeline: 56th
Baseball America: 28th
Perfect Game: 43rd
FanGraphs: Not among the top 55
What is De Sedas’ game?
According to 2080 Baseball,
As a tall, athletic, switch-hitting shortstop, De Sedas has been a known commodity to MLB clubs for some time. He draws differing opinions from scouts: some see a true five-tool shortstop, some see a future third baseman with a projectable bat, and others don’t seem to see the first-round hype at all. He hits from a fairly wide base, utilizing a small leg-kick trigger to start the swing, with looseness and some whip to the bat through the zone. He’s fairly tall for a shortstop at 6-foot-2, but his trim, tapered frame has the chance to remain in the middle of the field as his body matures. De Sedas shows easy, fluid actions and seems like a natural defender at short, though he’ll often be a bit showy and make routine plays more difficult than need be. He has enough arm strength to stay on the left side of the infield, whether that is at shortstop or third base.
What does De Sedas look like?
Why should the White Sox draft him?
The White Sox only have one Top 30 shortstop according to MLB Pipeline presently (Luis Curbelo at No. 27), with Laz Rivera likely to replace him once their list is updated after the draft. Switch-hitting shortstops who can hit for power, while also playing great defense, are coveted throughout the league. If the Sox grab a safer pick in the first round (perhaps under-slot), they may have the pool money available to pry an electric young talent like De Sedas. This could be a steal in the draft, as he was projected to be a Top 10 pick prior to this season.
Why wouldn’t the White Sox draft him?
If available, the Sox may not select him because of their risk-averse nature; while De Sedas has a high ceiling, he doesn’t have the highest of floors due to his struggles offensively. The White Sox also haven’t shown a long history of turning hitting projects into gold — the verdict’s still out on Winston-Salem talents Micker Adolfo and Luis Alexander Basabe. Also, if the Sox draft a hitter in the first round, they may decide to go with a pitcher in the second.