UPDATED RESEARCH - 2023 Draft Prospect - C - Luke Shliger

 

Luke Shliger

C         Maryland 

 1-19-23 - Top 25 Breakdown: No. 13 Maryland

https://d1baseball.com/season-preview/top-25-breakdown-no-13-maryland/

Glue Guy: C Luke Shliger very quietly had a monster season in 2022. He led the team in hitting at .353, had an insanely high .495 on-base percentage—his 54 walks and 20 hit by pitches helped greatly—flashed plenty of power with 22 doubles and 12 home runs, and swiped 14 bases. He’s a durable catcher who can control the opposing running game with sub-two-second pop times who is also athletic enough to play second base and perhaps a corner outfield spot if pressed into duty. To summarize: Shliger ably plays a premium defensive position, is the best on-base guy that Maryland has, wears out the gaps and can hit the ball out of the ballpark, and is a savvy enough runner to steal bases, and that’s why it feels like he may actually be the Terrapins’ most important piece.

 

1-1-23 - 2022 Fall Report: Maryland

https://d1baseball.com/fall-report/2022-fall-report-maryland/ 

While Vaughn said he may never coach another player as good as Matt Shaw, he admitted Luke Shliger is probably the team’s most important asset. He’s a firestarter at the top of the lineup that forces a starting pitcher to immediately be locked in. Otherwise, he can ambush a pitch and quickly put Maryland ahead 1-0 — as he did against UConn in Game 7 of the regional — or he can work a count, allowing teammates behind him in the lineup to see a bevy of pitches right off the bat. He was top 15 nationally with 54 walks and top 25 in the country with 20 hit by pitches to go along with a team-best .353 average. This fall, he produced a quality at-bat nearly 70 percent of the time, according to Vaughn. In his first five plate appearances, in our viewing of the Terps against West Virginia, Shliger reached four times — walking twice, getting hit by a pitch, lining out to center field and then singling through the right side. Twice he stole third base, showing his baseball instincts and savvy. He also controls the pitching staff and has good actions behind the plate both throwing where he regularly shows sub-2.0 pop times and receiving where he struggled early in his college career.

11-28-22 - 2023 MLB Draft: College Top 100 Prospects - https://d1baseball.com/prospects/2023-mlb-draft-college-top-100-prospects/ - 

84 Luke Shliger C Maryland Big Ten 

 

11-19-22 - 2023 MLB Draft: an early look at the Big Ten

http://dugoutedgebaseball.blogspot.com/2022/11/2023-mlb-draft-early-look-at-big-ten.html?m=1&s=03 

5. C Luke Shliger, Maryland.

Bat: L. Throw: R. 5'9", 180 lbs. Born 9/25/2001. Hometown: Danbury, CT.

2022: 12 HR, .353/.495/.602, 14 SB, 42/54 K/BB in 62 games.

Matt Shaw isn't the only sub-six footer in Maryland's lineup projected to go in the first couple of rounds. Luke Shliger was a light hitting backup in his freshman year in 2021, but busted out for a huge sophomore season in which he led the Big Ten in on-base percentage and his 1.097 OPS comfortably topped Shaw's .985. Though his power didn't really show up, he kept getting on base at an elite clip on the Cape, where he slashed .266/.404/.291 in 28 games. If there is a bat in the conference that is advanced enough to make the jump to pro ball, it's his. The western Connecticut native rarely chases, taking extremely professional at bats that led to walk rates above 16% both at Maryland and on the Cape, the latter of which you rarely see. He recognizes offspeed stuff and is unfazed by velocity, which also helps him get his barrel to the ball with great consistency. Combine that pitch selection and barrel accuracy with a natural uppercut that maximizes his power, and he can really ambush you. The problem comes when you account for his lack of actual raw power, as he stands just 5'9" with an average build. While the ambush power works great with metal bats, it didn't show up on the Cape with wood and there are questions over how much will come in pro ball. He's limited at that size, but if he can get on a pro conditioning program and bulk up a little, his swing and approached are geared to get the most out of it. Defensively, Shliger is a good athlete with the agility to stick behind the plate, though the finer aspects of his game do need some work and he'll need to prove he is physical enough to handle a full season back there. It's probably a backup catcher/utility man profile that can play some corner outfield and get on base, with a chance for more if he bulks up in the right program and unlocks more offensive impact. 

 

7-28-22 - https://www.prospectslive.com/prospects-live/2022/1/15/2023-mlb-draft-prospects - 

#113 C/OF

Luke Shliger

Maryland

Shliger has been an absolute powerhouse for the Terps in his career showcasing hit, power, run, throw and field. He's a multi-dimensional player who can handle the outfield in a pinch, though evaluators do think there's a shot he can stick behind the plate as a pro. Shliger has fringe-average power though he's getting to all of it in game. He doesn't have a ton of projection left in his smaller frame, but he's already performing at a high level with an advanced approach at the plate and impact in his offensive game. There's some swing-and-miss here, but he stays inside the zone and is more than willing to take his walks. In fact, jogging to first base has been one of his offensive pillars. 

 

All the 2023 Draft Prospects in the Mack’s Mets database can be viewed by going to www.macksmets.blogspot.com and clicking on 2023 DRAFT PROSPECT DATABASE found on the top, left of the front page of the site.