Scout: 18-year-old Druw Jones could handle center field in majors 'right now'

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By , Audacy Sports

Andruw Jones played in the 1996 World Series at the age of 19, and in some circles, there seems to be a belief that his son is capable of following a similar path.

An anonymous scout told Jon Heyman of The New York Post that Druw, just 18, could handle playing center field at the major league level "right now."

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It's the latest in a long line of praise for Druw, who may very well go from a star at Wesleyan High School (Ga.) to the No. 1 overall pick in July's MLB Draft.

Jim Callis of MLB.com has projected that the Baltimore Orioles will use the top selection in the 2022 MLB Draft on Druw. Keith Law of The Athletic has Druw falling to the Arizona Diamondbacks at No. 2, but compares his defensive prowess to that of his father.

"He's a plus defender in center now, with similar feel for the position to his father, gliding to catch fly balls thanks to strong reads off the bat."

Keep in mind, Andruw won 10 consecutive Gold Glove Awards between 1998 and 2007, and is considered by most to be one of the greatest defensive players in MLB history:

On top of being an all-time defender, Andruw is viewed as one of the greatest overall center fielders in MLB history because he hit 434 home runs in his career, peaking at a league-leading 51 in 2005. Druw's bat may not be as advanced as his glove at this stage, but on the 20-80 scale, Callis still gives him a 55 for hitting and a 60 for power. Druw also gets a 70 for his running ability, to pair with his 70 as a fielder.

Assuming he signs with whatever team drafts him -- rather than playing collegiately at Vanderbilt -- you get the sense that it may not be too long before we see Druw playing in the majors.

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