Scouting Report

Video scouting report »

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 | Overall: 50

Hailing from a smaller private school in San Bernadino, Calif., Bitonti has certainly been seen by the entire scouting industry, especially after a very busy tour of the summer showcase circuit. From the PDP League to the Area Code Games, from Major League Baseball’s High School All-American Game to the Perfect Game All-American Classic, Bitonti showed off some impressive raw tools, even if his performance was uneven at times. It’s been more of the same this spring, with Bitonti not hitting particularly well at the NHSI in March, but swinging the bat a bit better at the Boras Classic back in California.

Bitonti checks off a lot of boxes. He’s big and physical, with even more strength to come in his 6-foot-4 frame. He’s a left-handed hitter with tremendous raw power, and even though he has long levers, he tends to be short to the ball. Though he has solid plate discipline and can pick up spin, Bitonti didn’t hit as well as some expected over the summer. Despite that, some scouts feel he’ll be able to make adjustments with professional instruction and has the chance to hit for average and power.

A shortstop in high school, there were times over the summer where Bitonti showed excellent body control, especially for his size, but most see a move to third in his future. He has an easily plus arm and could be an above-average defender there. He’ll still be just 17 when the Draft rolls around, another plus in his column for many teams, and that, plus his considerable offensive ceiling could have the Oregon recruit in early-round consideration.

Scouting grades: Hit: 40 | Power: 60 | Run: 45 | Arm: 60 | Field: 55 | Overall: 45

Bitonti certainly made the rounds on the showcase circuit with stops at the PDP League, Area Code Games, Major League Baseball’s High School All-American Game and Perfect Game All-American Classic in 2022, and while his performance was inconsistent in those environments, he continued to draw scouts last spring. The Brewers selected the infielder in the third round and signed him with an above-slot bonus of $1.75 million. Bitonti went 7-for-39 (.179) with two homers, nine walks and 15 strikeouts during a 12-game run in the Arizona Complex League after signing.

Standing in at 6-foot-4 already, Bitonti is certainly a presence on the diamond, and that shows up in his tools as well. The left-handed slugger already shows at least plus raw power, and given his size, he can make it translate into games fairly easily. While he has the plate discipline that can lead to walks, his long levers and swing have hurt his overall hit tool as he can struggle with swing-and-miss; he whiffed on 30.9 percent of the pitches he saw over the small ACL sample. Some amateur scouts believed he needed pro instruction to iron out those concerns.

Though we live in the Age of the Big Shortstop, Bitonti has long been pegged for a move from the six to third base, and that’s what happened in the early days of his Brewers career. He had the body control to play an adequate short in school, and that, along with a plus arm, could make him a quality defender at the hot corner. Bitonti is only entering his age-18 season and has the tools (and room to grow) to be an interesting project for the Milwaukee pipeline. 

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45

Although he hailed from a smaller private school in San Bernadino, Calif., Bitonti has been seen by the entire scouting industry, especially after a very busy tour of the summer showcase circuit. From the PDP League to the Area Code Games, from Major League Baseball’s High School All-American Game to the Perfect Game All-American Classic, Bitonti showed off some impressive raw tools, even if his performance was uneven at times. It was more of the same this spring, with Bitonti not hitting particularly well at the NHSI in March, but swinging the bat a bit better at the Boras Classic back in California. Milwaukee selected him in the third round and went above slot to sign him for $1.75 million.

Bitonti checks off a lot of boxes. He’s big and physical, with even more strength to come in his 6-foot-4 frame. He’s a left-handed hitter with tremendous raw power, and even though he has long levers, he tends to be short to the ball. Though he has solid plate discipline and can pick up spin, Bitonti didn’t hit as well as some expected over the summer. Despite that, some scouts feel he’ll be able to make adjustments with professional instruction and has the chance to hit for average and power.

A shortstop in high school, there were times over the summer where Bitonti showed excellent body control, especially for his size, but most see a move to third base in his future. He has an easily plus arm and could be an above-average defender there. He was 17 on Draft Day, and that, plus his considerable offensive ceiling, gives Milwaukee officials hope he’ll be better than the typical third-rounder.

Awards

Baseball America Rookie All-Star

Year	Team
2024

ACL Post-Season All-Star

Year	Team
2024

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	07/29/2024	SS Eric Bitonti assigned to Carolina Mudcats from ACL Brewers.
	03/07/2024	Milwaukee Brewers Prospects activated SS Eric Bitonti.
	08/02/2023	SS Eric Bitonti assigned to ACL Brewers.
	07/21/2023	Milwaukee Brewers signed SS Eric Bitonti.
	06/15/2023	SS Eric Bitonti assigned to College Workout.
	08/24/2022	USA Baseball 18U National Team activated SS Eric Bitonti.
	08/24/2022	SS Eric Bitonti assigned to USA Baseball 18U National Team.
	07/11/2022	SS Eric Bitonti and assigned to College Workout.
	07/01/2022	SS Eric Bitonti assigned to High School Workout.
	07/01/2022	High School Workout activated SS Eric Bitonti.
	07/01/2022	High School Workout activated SS Eric Bitonti.
	02/04/2022	SS Eric Bitonti and assigned to Visiting Team.