CLE
Heston Kjerstad, OF
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Scouting report
Kjerstad performed against the best pitching in the country since the moment he set foot in Fayetteville, and in 150 career games with Arkansas hit .343/.421/.590, including a white hot .448/.513/.791 in 2020, during which Kjerstad hit in all 16 games he played. He's kept his big, 6-foot-3 frame lean and speedy during that time, relevant for the corner-only prospect because Kjerstad puts a lot of balls in play down both baselines and runs well enough to turn them all into extra bases. He can drop the bat head and lift balls at his knees, and also get on top of pitches at the top of the zone. It's plus bat control on a somewhat odd-looking swing. If there are concerns about Kjerstad's cut, I'm not hearing them, as they've been drowned out by how well he's performed. I considered him part of a deep 50 FV tier in the lead up to draft day and the Orioles were able to cut a below-slot deal with him since he didn't have any likely suitors until closer to the back of the top 10. He was absent from the alternate site and instructs due to an extended bout of myocarditis, a heart condition that's often a side effect of viral infection (though Kjerstad isn't known to have tested positive for COVID-19), and can impact long-term heart health. (At-home dev, injury)