2016 Mets draft profile: OF Jacob Zanon

Name: Jacob Zanon
Born: Beaverton, Oregon
Age: 21 ( 6/25/95)
Height/Weight: 6'1"/185 lbs
Position: OF
Bats/Throws: R/R
School: Lewis-Clark State College (Lewiston, Idaho)

Jacob Zanon comes from a family of athletes, with his mother, father, and sister having played D1 sports in college, and the youngster followed the family tradition, excelling in college athletics. Upon graduation from Southridge High School in his native Beaverton, he attended Shoreline Community College in Washington state. He performed at a high enough level, hitting .319 as a freshman and .382 as a sophomore, that he was offered an athletic scholarship to Lewis-Clark State College. In his lone season in a LC State Warrior uniform, Zanon hit .393/.464/.676 with 14 home runs and 27 stolen bases, earning an All-NAIA West selection and an All-American honorable mention.

Despite helping lead the Warriors to their second consecutive NAIA World Series championship, being named NAIA World Series Most Valuable Player, and ending the deciding game by throwing out a runner at third to end a rally, Zanon's 2016 season is most notable for a fight that he got into earlier in the year with Corban University Warriors second baseman Austin Andrews. When sliding into second to break up a double play, Zanon slid a bit high, leading Andrews to angrily shove the LC State outfielder. Without hesitating, Zanon shoved him back, and then swung at him, leading to a small fracas at second that led to four-game suspensions for both players.

Zanon stands square at the plate, utilizing a leg kick as a timing mechanism. He has a smooth swing and possesses some decent bat control, allowing him to make contact with regularity. He excelled somewhat against NCAA Division II pitching, but against more advanced pitching his contact ability is unlikely to hold up. His body is currently not strong enough to muscle balls for extra base hits, nor does it seem likely that he will add enough muscle mass to his frame to be able to do so with any regularity.

The right-hander is currently athletic enough to play center field, but is unlikely to be able to stay in the position as he climbs the minor league ladder. He has solid-average speed, as evidenced by his excellent stolen base numbers and six-to-seven-second 60-yard dash times. His arm is strong enough to play up in right field, but his bat may not be able to.