Malvern Prep Baseball Star Drafted By St Louis Cardinals

MALVERN, PA — The 2019 MLB Draft got underway this week and a talented kid from Malvern Preparatory School was selected.

Out of Malvern Prep, Chris Newell was selected in the 37th round, 1,115th overall, by the St. Louis Cardinals. Newell, who stands 6-feet-2-inches tall, hits and throws left-handed.

Here’s what the experts have to say about Newell:

There is a relative bumper crop of high school talent in Pennsylvania this spring, with as many as three prepsters from the Keystone State having the potential to go in the top three rounds of the Draft. While Jack Kochanowicz is the top pitcher in the state, Newell and Sammy Siani have battled it out as the top outfielders in the area. While Siani rates higher and has more polish, Newell might beat him in terms of raw tools.

At 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, the left-handed Newell certainly looks the part of an athletic outfielder and has shown glimpses of the tools to match. While unrefined, he does have good raw power with a swing that should allow him to continue to drive the ball. He will need to work on his overall approach and improve his feel for hitting in order to tap into that pop consistently. Newell has good speed that many feel could allow him to stay in center field, with some scouts thinking he has a better shot to stick there than Siani does, though others see a move to left eventually.

Newell hasn't always shown the ability to use his raw tools consistently on the field, and there have been some questions about his effort level this spring. That could stem from his desire to sign, as he does have a commitment to attend the University of Virginia should the Draft not work out.

Drafted No. 1 overall by the Baltimore Orioles, Oregon State catcher Adley Rutschman joined notable past players such as Carlos Correa, Bryce Harper, Stephen Strasburg, David Price, Gerrit Cole, Justin Upton, Joe Mauer, Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Hamilton, and, of course, Alex Rodriguez to earn the distinction.

Rutschman, a switch-hitter, was the “consensus” best prospect in the draft, according to MLB.com. He can hit for average and power and knows the strike zone well, drawing many walks. He’s also “quality” on defense.

“He now becomes the face of the franchise,” MLB.com wrote.

Here are the top 10 players selected and their schools:

1. Baltimore Orioles: Adley Rutschman, catcher, Oregon State
2. Kansas City Royals: Bobby Witt Jr., shortstop, Colleyville, TX, Heritage High School
3. Chicago White Sox: Andrew Vaughn, first baseman, California
4. Miami Marlins: JJ Bleday, outfield, Vanderbilt, Nashville, TN
5. Detroit Tigers: Riley Greene, outfield, Hagerty High School, Oviedo, FL
6. San Diego Padres: CJ Abrams, shortstop, Blessed Trinity Catholic High School, Roswell, GA
7. Cincinnati Reds: Nick Lodolo, pitcher, Texas Christian, Fort Worth, TX
8. Texas Rangers: Josh Jung, third baseman, Texas Tech, Lubbock, TX
9. Atlanta Braves: Shea Langeliers, catcher, Baylor, Waco, TX
10. San Francisco Giants: Hunter Bishop, outfield, Arizona State, Tempe, AZ

The draft was to continue Tuesday afternoon with rounds three through 10, then again on Wednesday with rounds 11 through 40. MLB.com was to livestream coverage of the rounds.

Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report.