2018 5th Round (145) Robert Neustrom - RF - Iowa (IA) RF

[weams]

Ranked 147 BA

Big Cape Cod League with Wood Bat

6' 2 208lbs DOB: 11/12/96

 

 

Luke's Take: The Iowa product has a frame and build reminiscent of a LH Nolan Reimold. He offers plus raw power and is athletic enough to stay in an OF corner. He has a complicated load in his swing, where he drops his hands very low early, but ends up in a good hitting position eventually. This excess movement will likely need to be cut down if he's going to make enough contact for his power to play in game. Still a good value here, proven pop with a wood bat, not hard to see everyday player upside.

[lovetoaster]

Quote

Neustrom landed on draft radars following an all-star summer in the prestigious Cape Cod League, and kept momentum flowing into his junior season. As one of Iowa’s offensive catalysts, Neustrom hit .311/.386/.538 with 15 doubles, 11 homers and 36 RBIs in 2018.

The right-fielder was named a first-team all-Big Ten selection and helped propel the Hawkeyes to a 33-20 campaign. Baseball America rated Neustrom as the No. 189 overall prospect heading into the draft.

“Neustrom puts on quite a show in batting practice when he displays plus-plus raw power,” his Baseball America scouting report reads. “But in games, he’s just as comfortable poking a ball to right field with a contact-oriented approach. That combination of contact ability and power potential makes him an interesting mid-day two pick.

https://www.hawkcentral.com/story/sports/college/iowa/baseball/2018/06/05/baltimore-orioles-select-robert-neustrom-fifth-round/673329002/

[lovetoaster]

Quote

Robert Neustrom, OF, Univ. of Iowa 
Ht/Wt: 6’2”/208            B/T: L/L           Age (as of 2018 MLB Draft): 21y, 6m

Neustrom has the size and speed to impact the game both at the plate and out in right field. He slashed .302/.346/.479 on the Cape last summer, earning all-star honors on the circuit. He carried that momentum with him to Iowa City this spring, producing a .311/.386/.538 line with 11 homeruns. There’s untapped power potential within Neustrom, which will augment his profile in a corner. As an intriguing developmental pick, Neustrom could make sense in the fourth-to-sixth round range.

https://2080baseball.com/2018/06/2018-draft-reports-corner-outfield/

[lovetoaster]

Quote

Following a strong sophomore campaign and an All-Star performance on the Cape this summer, Baseball America bestowed preseason Player of the Year laurels on OF Robert Neustrom, as did Perfect Game. Neustrom went undrafted out of high school despite being named Gatorade Player of the Year for Iowa, perhaps because his college commitment to the Hawkeyes was seen as so strong. The lefty outfielder stands 6’3” with long legs and good speed on the bases and in the outfield; he hits for average, but there might be some power to unlock in his bat as well. Baseball America has him going around pick 150.

https://www.lookoutlanding.com/2018/5/2/17310310/2018-mlb-draft-eligible-prospects-the-big-10

[Can_of_corn]

Nice to see he can move some.

[lovetoaster]

 

 

[weams]

[MDtransplant757]

Is it wrong to say that he reminds me a lot of Kakes? 

[Can_of_corn]

Nice, clean signature.  I like it.

[Tony-OH]

I like this guys profile in the 5th round. I'm guessing the defense is not great for him to be in this range. 

[Can_of_corn]

3 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

I like this guys profile in the 5th round. I'm guessing the defense is not great for him to be in this range. 

They did said he moved well so maybe he has good range.

[lovetoaster]

3 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

I like this guys profile in the 5th round. I'm guessing the defense is not great for him to be in this range. 

I've seen some differing accounts on his defense. Some people say that it's good, some say that it needs work. I do believe I saw that he will likely end up in LF because his arm might not play in RF.