Justin Lebron MLB mock draft: Where is Alabama shortstop projected?

Three years ago, Justin Lebron faced the uncertainty of whether he would be selected in the MLB Draft from a deep class of Florida high school shortstops or would honor his commitment to play college baseball at Alabama.

The latter ultimately is what happened, as Lebron didn’t get drafted in the 20-round 2023 MLB Draft.

After helping Alabama to three consecutive NCAA Baseball Tournament appearances, Lebron is expected to cash in his childhood dream of playing professional — and is projected to be drafted as one of the top players in the draft pool.

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In his time in Tuscaloosa, Lebron — no, he is not related to four-time NBA champion LeBron James — has developed into one of the top players in the country. He entered the season as a potential No. 1 overall pick, but has been jumped over by the likes of UCLA’s Roch Cholowsky.

Alabama shortstop Justin Lebron makes an error on a ball hit up the middle in the SEC Tournament game between Florida and Alabama at the Hoover Met.

That said, Lebron has still produced an impressive junior campaign for the Crimson Tide, who open up the Tuscaloosa Regional of the NCAA Baseball Tournament at 7 p.m. ET, Friday against Alabama State, with a team-leading 16 home runs.

He’s also a menace on the basepaths with his speed. He is one of two players in the country to have at least 38 stolen bases and only been caught once this season.

Here’s what to know on Lebron’s MLB projections and more as the Crimson Tide begin their Road to Omaha in the NCAA Baseball Tournament:

Justin Lebron MLB draft projections

Lebron is projected to be a first-round draft pick by MLB draft analysts, with most projections coming between picks No. 7 and the mid-teens. Alabama has not had a top-20 pick since the Kansas City Royals selected Joe Vitello with the No. 7 overall pick in 1991.

Here’s a breakdown of exactly where MLB draft analysts have Lebron being taken:

Justin Lebron MLB draft rankings, grades

MLB Pipeline has Lebron as the No. 9 overall prospect and the No. 2 college-ranked shortstop in the upcoming MLB draft.

His hitting has a low 45 scouting grade — an individual tool used with the MLB draft, where players are graded on a scale of 20-80 in different categories — according to MLB Pipeline. That 40-49 grading for hitting is defined by Major League Baseball as “below average.” He has higher scouting grades of 60 for his power, arm, running and fielding. He has an overall scouting grade of 55, which is defined as “average.”

As noted by USA TODAY, the scouting grades assigned to a player are usually based on what the player will eventually develop into rather than where they stand at the time of being drafted or early on in their professional career.

Here’s MLB Pipeline’s scouting report on Lebron:

“The only knock on Lebron is a tendency to chase pitches out of the zone, especially breaking balls. But he’s also making strides with his approach and two-strike plan and could develop into an average hitter, which would make him an All-Star. He has added 15 pounds and significant bat speed in college, giving him well-above-average raw power from the right side of the plate, and he also has good feel for driving balls in the air.

“All the rest of Lebron’s tools grade as plus, as does his makeup, and some evaluators think he’s even better than that as a defender despite an uncharacteristically erratic spring. He has a quick first step that allows him to steal bases and cover plenty of ground to both sides at shortstop. He can make any throw needed from anywhere at short and would be an asset anywhere on the diamond.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Justin Lebron MLB draft latest mock projections for Alabama shortstop

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