10 things to know about Bryson Stott
UNLV shortstop is Phillies' top Draft pick
The Phillies selected UNLV shortstop Bryson Stott with the 14th overall pick in the MLB Draft on Monday. Here are 10 things to know about Stott, MLB Pipeline's No. 9 overall Draft prospect.
• Stott is a college shortstop with all-around tools, and his play draws comparisons to Brandon Crawford. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound 21-year-old has a chance to be a plus hitter, and he has a little pop at the plate, too. Stott is an above-average runner and defender with a good arm.
• Stott's heard the Crawford comps: "I hear Crawford all the time," he told MLB.com in April. "I think it’s pretty accurate. I see some of the stuff that he does and I’m like, 'Wow, I’ve watched video of myself and it’s very, very similar.' I think it’s accurate."
He's also a fan of Christian Yelich: "I like to watch Yelich," Stott said. "He does everything right, like I try to do. Just watching those two guys is fun -- and going on YouTube, you can find anything, so I try to go on there and watch them."
• As a junior this year, Stott led UNLV in batting average (.361), on-base percentage (.489), slugging percentage (.615), OPS (1.104), hits (74), home runs (10), runs scored (61) and stolen bases (15) during the regular season.
• Stott is a 2019 semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award, given annually by USA Baseball to the top amateur baseball player in the U.S.
Stott is also a semifinalist for the Brooks Wallace Award for the nation's top collegiate shortstop, an award previously won by Major Leaguers like Dansby Swanson, Trea Turner and Alex Bregman.
• Stott doesn't just go to UNLV, he's from Las Vegas, graduating from Desert Oasis High School in 2016. (His father, Derek, also attended UNLV and played football there from 1988-91.) He's a Vegas Golden Knights fan, and even won a Name That Tune contest on the Jumbotron at a preseason game.
If he won the Golden Spikes Award, Stott would join two other Las Vegas natives on the list of honorees. You might have heard of them: Kris Bryant, who won in 2013, and Bryce Harper, who won in 2010.
• Last summer, Stott played for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team. He was the fourth player in UNLV program history to be selected to the team, after a trio of Major Leaguers: Erick Fedde (2013), Ryan Ludwick (1998) and Matt Williams (1985).
• As a UNLV freshman in 2017, Stott was named the Mountain West Conference's co-Freshman of the Year. As a sophomore in '18, he led NCAA Division 1 with 30 doubles.
• Stott's self-scouting report (as told to MLB.com): "I think I do all the little things, and I like to play the game right. There’s always little kids in the stands who you want to mentor, have them look up to you. So you always want to do all the little things -- run out every ball and do all the little things -- so when they grow up, they don’t say, 'I saw that guy jog, so I’m going to jog, too.'"
• You can follow Stott on Twitter at @stott_ya10, and on Instagram at @bryson_stott10.
• Reds pitcher Amir Garrett -- who's also from Nevada and went to school with Stott's older brother -- has known Stott since he was little. According to Garrett, Stott puts ranch dressing on his ice cream, a truth Garrett uncovered while they were playing Fortnite. Do with that information what you will.