noah hata

INF Kodey Shojinaga (@KUBaseball) is an intriguing Sophomore-eligible prospect. Was outstanding as a true Freshman and hit .378/.421/.526 with 11 2B, 6 HR, and 32 RBIs. Also slashed .326/.396/.349 across 11 games on the Cape. Shojinaga was named Co-Freshman of the Year in the Big 12 and earned a Team USA invitation. Medium build at 5'10", 190-lbs with some physicality in the lower-half. Slightly open front side in the box with a normal handset. Holds bat horizontally over his back shoulder with the barrel pointed slightly back. Medium-high leg kick, but the stride itself is small. Little bit of a bat wrap, but he's consistently on time. Average bat speed. Hit over power profile right now, but Shojinaga has an advanced feel for the barrel and plus bat-to-ball skills. Last season, he sported a 93% overall IZ contact rate. Approach is sound, but sometimes chases down/away. Does a nice job of using the whole field and working inside the baseball. Would put a 55 on the pure hit tool. Sound defender at 2B with above average arm strength and makes the plays he needs to make. He has quick hands and some range in either direction. Shojinaga also has experience catching, and got some reps behind the plate this summer for Team USA. Will be interesting to see what it would look like if he focused on catching - actions need refining, but the arm strength is there. Shojinaga will need to really hit, and he's capable of doing so. This July, he profiles as a 5th-8th round pick.