Will Pirates use 1st-round pick on West Allegheny's Austin Hendrick?

West Allegheny baseball star Austin Hendrick, ranked as the top high school bat in the country, is expected to hear his name called early in this summer’s MLB Draft.

How early?

Well, Baseball America released a mock draft on Monday that predicted the left-handed hitting outfielder going seventh overall to his hometown Pittsburgh Pirates. The magazine predicts Hendrick as the first high school player chosen in the June 10-12 draft.

“Many teams believe Hendrick is the best pure hitter in the high school class and he brings jaw-dropping raw power and elite bat speed to the table as well,” writes Baseball America.

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Mississippi State commit has become a star on the AAU circuit and built a national reputation with USA Baseball. Six college prospects were predicted to be drafted ahead of Hendrick: Vanderbilt shortstop Austin Martin, Georgia right-hander Emerson Hancock, Arizona State first baseman Spencer Torkelson, New Mexico State infielder Nick Gonzales, Texas A&M left-hander Asa Lacy and UCLA outfielder Garrett Mitchell.

Hendrick also was ranked seventh overall on Baseball America’s list of prospects for the 2020 draft, one spot behind high school pitcher Jared Kelley of Refugio, Texas. The top five names on Baseball America’s prospect list are college players.