On Monday, Stanford junior outfielder Eddie Park went 239th overall to the Chicago White Sox in the 8th round of the 2023 MLB Draft. Park was the seventh Cardinal selected in the draft after Carter Graham, who went 228th overall to the Cincinnati Reds.
This past season, Park batted .333 for six home runs and 47 RBIs to go along with a .475 slugging percentage and a .413 on base percentage. Defensively, Park had a .993 fielding percentage and just one error. Not known for his power behind the plate, Park is a really good contact hitter, knowing how to find the gaps in the field to get on base and bring runners home. Park stole seven bases on 11 attempts, doing a solid job of using his speed when on the bag. He got caught a few too many times, but his speed is evident when you watch him run.
Park’s biggest strength is definitely his defense. He’s very reliable in the outfield, rarely making any mistakes. He has a good arm and has a really good feel for the game. That’s why he played centerfield. He was the best outfielder on the team from a defensive standpoint.
Park could end up being a solid defensive specialist at the major league level and if he is able to improve his hitting, that will give teams more confidence to put him out there. It’ll be interesting to see how he grows in the White Sox organization and whether or not he’ll one day get that big league call up.
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