ASU OF Hunter Bishop ranked top 10 MLB Draft prospect by ESPN
May 1, 2019, 11:37 AM | Updated: 11:39 am
Hunter Bishop, right, celebrates with Michael Gasper of the Brewster Whitecaps during game one of the Cape Cod League Championship Series against the Bourne Braves at Stony Brook Field on August 11, 2017 in Brewster, Massachusetts.(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Arizona State has produced its fair share of Major League Baseball talent and there’s another name to keep an eye on that could be added to the list.
ESPN’s Keith Law ranked his top 50 prospects for June’s 2019 MLB Draft and Sun Devils outfielder Hunter Bishop cracked the top-10 at No. 8.
Bishop didn’t produce at all in his first two years with the Sun Devils but exploded out of the gate this year, briefly leading the country in home runs, showing a better eye while making much harder and more consistent contact at the plate, elevating him from Day 1 afterthought to likely top-10 pick. He’s a center fielder now who will end up in left, and he hasn’t been as productive in Pac-12 play, doing much more damage against nonconference competition.
A 20-year-old junior, Bishop is hitting .369 this year through 42 games with 18 home runs and 51 RBI. Bishop leads the Pac-12 in homers and is second in RBI.
The outfielder was originally drafted out of high school in the 24th round by the San Diego Padres in 2016 and elected to go to Tempe.
If Bishop were to be selected in the first round, he’d be only the second Sun Devil to earn the honor this decade, joining former Arizona Diamondback Deven Marrero. The utility infielder went 24th overall to the Boston Red Sox in 2012.
Notable ASU baseball alumni include Barry Bonds, Reggie Jackson, Dustin Pedroia, Jason Kipnis and Andre Ethier.
