Scouting Report

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

As a freshman at Virginia Tech in 2021, Schobel started every game, shuttling between second base and shortstop while having a fairly nondescript year offensively. He then hit over .300 in the Cape Cod League last summer, and that's carried over to a huge Draft-eligible sophomore season, where he's been the surprising Hokies' No. 3 hitter and regular shortstop.

While Schobel is more a “sum of his parts” type of player, he does use his largely average tools very well. He has a solid approach from the right side of the plate and has shown a better ability to impact the ball this year, something scouts had felt had limited his profile. His power has largely been to the pull side and some aren't sure if he'll hit the ball over the fence with wood at the next level, but he has the chance to have extra-base authority. A bit undersized, he reminds some area scouts of former Maryland standout Brandon Lowe in terms of body type.

Teams may decide to send Schobel out as a shortstop and see how it plays, but most feel his defensive skills would fit best at second base as an everyday player. An average runner, Schobel could end up being a very skilled super-utility type if a regular role doesn't happen, with a Jamey Carroll-esque potential trajectory. 

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 45 | Run: 50 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 40

After a relatively pedestrian freshman season at Virginia Tech, Schobel hit over .300 in the Cape Cod League that summer, using that as a springboard into a big Draft-eligible sophomore season. Hitting in the middle of the Hokies' powerful lineup, he smashed 19 homers and posted a 1.134 OPS while playing shortstop and ended up being taken by the Twins No. 68 overall. He performed well enough with High-A Cedar Rapids during his first full season to get a bump up to Double-A in mid-July, though he scuffled a bit up a level.

Schobel is the kind of player whose whole might be greater than the sum of his parts, one who can do a lot of things pretty well, but nothing plus. Even when the results didn't stand out in Wichita, his underlying numbers were good, including his penchant for making a ton of contact from the right side of the plate and limiting his strikeouts. He controls the zone well and draws plenty of walks and has worked to add depth to his swing, allowing him to drive the ball a little more effectively.

While Schobel played shortstop at Virginia Tech and could fill in there if needed, his best position now is second base, where he could be an excellent defender, and he split time between the keystone and third base in 2023, something that should continue to maintain his positional flexibility moving forward.

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

Schobel put himself on the map as one of the top Draft-eligible sophomores in the 2022 class after hitting well in the Cape Cod League in the summer of 2021. He kept on raking as Virginia Tech's shortstop the next spring, hitting in the middle of a potent college lineup, finishing with 19 homers and a 1.134 OPS, enough to land him in the Competitive Balance Round B and the Twins signed him for $1 million. He spent most of his pro debut with Single-A Fort Myers.

A right-handed-hitting infielder, Schobel's contact skills already stand out. He struck out in just 14.2 percent of his plate appearances and registered an overall miss rate of just 14 percent on all pitches, according to Synergy, during his sophomore year with the Hokies. He displayed that skill, as well as his ability to control the strike zone, during his relatively modest pro debut. He worked during instructs to add some depth to his swing, as he had a tendency to be too out in front with a pushy swing, with the hope he can impact the ball more as a pro and adjust to breaking stuff more consistently.

Schobel is a good athlete who could potentially play shortstop with decent actions and a solid arm. He played a lot of second base during his pro debut, and he'll likely keep moving around, with the Twins' depth at shortstop as much of a reason for that as Schobel's inability to stick there.

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

As a freshman at Virginia Tech in 2021, Schobel started every game, shuttling between second base and shortstop while having a fairly nondescript year offensively. He then hit over .300 in the Cape Cod League last summer and that carried over to a huge Draft-eligible sophomore season, where he was the Hokies' No. 3 hitter and regular shortstop. After finishing with a .363/.445/.689 line and 19 homers, Schobel was scooped up by the Twins in the Competitive Balance Round B and signed with a full slot bonus of $1 million.

While Schobel is more a “sum of his parts” player, he does use his largely average tools very well. He has a solid approach from the right side of the plate and showed a better ability to impact the ball this past spring, something scouts had felt had limited his profile. His power has largely been to the pull side, and some aren't sure whether he'll hit the ball over the fence with wood at the next level, but he has the chance to have extra-base authority. A bit undersized, he reminded some area scouts of former Maryland standout Brandon Lowe in terms of body type.

It's unclear whether Schobel can play shortstop regularly at the professional level, and the Twins had him playing on both sides of second base during his pro debut, with most scouts thinking the keystone would be his best fit as an everyday player. An average runner, Schobel could end up being a very skilled super-utility type if a regular role doesn't happen, with a Jamey Carroll-esque potential trajectory.

Awards

TEX Player of the Week

Week	Team
08/11/2024

MiLB.com Organization All-Star

Year	Team
2023

Baseball America High Class A All-Star

Year	Team
2023

MID Post-Season All-Star

Year	Team
2023

MID Player of the Month

Month	Team
06/2023

MID Player of the Week

Week	Team
06/25/2023

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	03/07/2024	Minnesota Twins Prospects activated SS Tanner Schobel.
	07/18/2023	SS Tanner Schobel assigned to Wichita Wind Surge from Cedar Rapids Kernels.
	07/18/2023	Wichita Wind Surge activated SS Tanner Schobel.
	04/03/2023	SS Tanner Schobel assigned to Cedar Rapids Kernels.
	04/03/2023	Cedar Rapids Kernels activated SS Tanner Schobel.
	03/03/2023	SS Tanner Schobel roster status changed by Minnesota Twins.
	03/03/2023	SS Tanner Schobel roster status changed by Minnesota Twins.
	03/03/2023	SS Tanner Schobel assigned to Minnesota Twins.
	08/09/2022	SS Tanner Schobel assigned to Fort Myers Mighty Mussels from FCL Twins.
	08/04/2022	SS Tanner Schobel assigned to FCL Twins.
	07/26/2022	Minnesota Twins signed SS Tanner Schobel.
	06/11/2022	College Workout activated SS Tanner Schobel.
	06/11/2022	SS Tanner Schobel assigned to College Workout.
	04/15/2022	SS Tanner Schobel, and assigned to Virginia Tech Hokies.
	04/15/2022	Virginia Tech Hokies activated SS Tanner Schobel.