Scouting Report

Video scouting report »

Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 60 | Run: 55 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 | Overall: 60

Before the 2024 high season began, people looked at Rainer as an exciting two-way player. The Harvard-Westlake standout showed off skills in the box and on the mound during the summer showcase circuit and performed double duty for USA Baseball’s 18U team in international competition. The consensus was that while Rainer seemed to want to hit, scouts thought he had tremendous upside on the mound, albeit shown in smaller samples. The Rainer who showed up for his senior season, however, was bigger, stronger and faster. He was the best player at the National High School Invitational this spring and while he still pitches a little, he’s vaulted himself to the top half of the Draft as a position player.

Rainer has a ton of tools in all directions. At 6-foot-3 and listed at 195 pounds, he has a strong and projectable body. While his swing used to get long at times, with a tendency to wrap the bat behind his head, a stronger Rainer has shown the ability to make consistently hard contact from the left side of the plate. He had the top four exit velocities at the NHSI in April and has shown he can drive the ball to all fields. He sticks to a game plan and doesn’t chase or strike out, allowing him to tap into what could be plus power in the future.

There are no longer questions about where he might play defensively. He ran and moved better at shortstop over the summer than some expected, a trend that continued this spring, recording plus run times occasionally and showing he has every chance to stick at the premium position. His easily plus arm that fires mid-90s fastballs from the mound (with a good breaking ball) works from all parts of the infield and if for some reason he had to move to third, he could be a Gold Glove caliber defender there. Like most big left-handed hitting shortstops, the Texas recruit has garnered some Corey Seager comps, and there’s a good chance he lands in the top half of the first round. 

Video scouting report »

Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 60 | Run: 55 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 | Overall: 55

Before the 2024 high school season began, people looked at Rainer as an exciting two-way player. The Harvard-Westlake standout showed off skills in the box and on the mound during the summer showcase circuit and performed double duty for USA Baseball’s 18U team in international competition. The consensus was that while Rainer seemed to want to hit, scouts thought he had tremendous upside on the mound, albeit shown in smaller samples. The Rainer who showed up for his senior season, however, was bigger, stronger and faster. He was the best player at the National High School Invitational this spring, and while he still pitched a little, he vaulted himself to the top half of the Draft as a position player. The Tigers were happy to take him 11th overall and signed him to a $5.8 million bonus.

Rainer has a ton of tools in all directions. At 6-foot-3 and listed at 195 pounds, he has a strong and projectable body. While his swing used to get long at times, with a tendency to wrap the bat behind his head, a stronger Rainer has shown the ability to make consistently hard contact from the left side of the plate. He had the top four exit velocities at the NHSI in April and has shown he can drive the ball to all fields. He sticks to a game plan and rarely chases or strikes out, allowing him to tap into what could be plus power in the future.

There are no longer questions about where he might play defensively. He ran and moved better at shortstop over the summer than some expected, a trend that continued this spring, recording plus run times occasionally and showing he has every chance to stick at the premium position. His easily plus arm that fires mid-90s fastballs from the mound (with a good breaking ball) works from all parts of the infield, and if for some reason he had to move to third, he could be a Gold Glove-caliber defender there. Like most big left-handed-hitting shortstops, the Texas recruit has garnered some Corey Seager comps.

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	08/05/2024	SS Bryce Rainer assigned to FCL Tigers.
	07/22/2024	Detroit Tigers signed SS Bryce Rainer.
	06/16/2024	College Workout activated SS Bryce Rainer.
	06/03/2024	SS Bryce Rainer assigned to College Workout.
	01/30/2024	SS Bryce Rainer assigned to High School Workout.
	09/13/2023	3B Bryce Rainer assigned to High School Workout.
	08/16/2023	3B Bryce Rainer assigned to High School Workout.
	07/06/2023	American activated 3B Bryce Rainer.
	08/24/2022	SS Bryce Rainer assigned to USA Baseball 18U National Team.
	02/03/2022	Visiting Team activated SS Bryce Rainer.
	02/03/2022	SS Bryce Rainer assigned to Visiting Team.