Scouting Report

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

Hightower was a consistent performer over the years at East Rowan (N.C). HS and helped the school win a North Carolina 3A state championship this past spring. Padres area scouts were interested in the UNC commit and came away even more pleased when he popped offensively during a workout in South Carolina. Worried that other organizations would try to pop a player it liked on the board, San Diego swooped to take Hightower in the third round and paid him exact slot at $852,300 to go pro.

The 6-foot infielder made evaluators interested when his bat speed really showed out in those workouts, and he was routinely squaring balls up during those sessions, giving confidence that he could hit for both average and power at the next level. That will be put to the test against more advanced pitching on the pro side, but the raw ingredients are there at least. A 6.6 runner in the 60-yard dash, he also has speed that can impact games.

Hightower is athletic enough to play shortstop right now, but some view him as a future bat-first second baseman. Already 19, he is older than typical prep picks but will get space and time to develop in the San Diego system. The Padres believed Hightower would have performed quickly had he gone to school, and they’ll now get to plug him into the same development apparatus that pushed Jackson Merrill to the Majors and Leodalis De Vries into prospect prominence.

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	08/05/2024	SS Cobb Hightower assigned to ACL Padres.
	07/24/2024	San Diego Padres signed SS Cobb Hightower.
	05/29/2024	College Workout activated SS Cobb Hightower.