Isaiah Greene has heard the comparison and he’s OK with it.
The sweet-swinging Corona High senior, projected by experts to be selected in the top three rounds of the Major League Baseball Draft on June 10-11, draws a striking resemblance to former Angels All-Star outfielder Garret Anderson.
“I can see why I get compared to him. He was a quiet, low-key guy like me, but he could also get the job done,” said Greene, who finished his four-year high school career with 87 hits, a .405 on-base percentage and three consecutive Big VIII League titles.
Corona had played only five games this spring when CIF Southern Section officials canceled the 2020 spring sports schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
NATURAL STRIDE TO THE BALL
Lean and left-handed like Anderson, Greene’s mechanics and approach were refined by his father and sharpened by competition against his brother, Elijah, a senior outfielder at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
Among the top sophomores in Southern California in 2018 after batting .389 with four triples and nine stolen bases, Greene’s progression has been followed keenly by professional and collegiate scouts.
“He has great bat control, a natural stride to the ball and his ability to get the barrel of the bat on the ball is elite level,” Corona baseball coach Andy Wise said. “He can drive the ball all over the yard without really trying.”
Greene drew rave reviews for his performance at the 2019 Area Code Games, and caught the eyes of scouts while playing against USA Baseball’s 18-and-under team.
“Everyone agrees he can really, really hit and that he’s a really good athlete who can really run. That’s a very good place to start,” said Kyle Glaser, national writer at Baseball America.
NO QUIT DURING QUARANTINE
Much like Anderson, Greene has a reputation for being a quiet presence in the clubhouse. He said it is respect for his teammates and the game that fuels him to let his play do the talking.
“Right now I’ve just been working out a lot lately,” Greene said. “I’m hitting every day (and) working out with my brother. He’s a tough competitor and he keeps me motivated.”
A slow start to the 2020 season (.067 avg., 1 RBI) was “a blip on the map in the scheme of things,” Wise said, but has motivated Greene to attend four private training sessions a week and demand of himself at least 200 swings every day.
“The guy has been busting since quarantine’s been going on,” Wise said. “He’s put on another 10 pounds of muscle. He looks amazing. He’s incredible.”
GREENE(R) FUTURE
The buzz he has generated among pro scouts has created the impression that big days lay ahead for Greene, who many experts agree will be taken early in the MLB Draft. Anderson was taken by the Angels in the fourth round in 1990.
“Isaiah Greene is considered one of the better high school position players in the draft,” Glaser said. “We have him right around No. 50 in our overall national player rankings and we think he’ll be drafted in that compensation round between the first and second rounds.”
Another option – a potential scholarship from the University of Missouri – carries with it the opportunity to play NCAA Division I baseball.
“Either way, this is what he wants to do as a career path and a career choice, and he’s proving it with the amount of work he’s doing,” Wise said. “This dude is trying to get to that next level and is putting in the continuous work it takes to be successful.”
POTENTIAL MLB DRAFT PICKS FROM THE INLAND AREA
(Players listed in alphabetical order)
Name |
Position |
High School/College |
Jordan Andrade
|
SS
|
Yucaipa
|
Connor Burns
|
C
|
Don Lugo
|
Marcos Castanon
|
IF
|
Carter / UC Santa Barbara
|
Isaiah Greene
|
OF
|
Corona
|
Clay Owens
|
C / IF
|
Norco / USC
|
Cole Percival
|
P
|
Riverside Poly / UC Riverside
|
Brandon Ross
|
P
|
Vista Murrieta / RCC / Hawaii
|
D’Andre Smith
|
2B / SS
|
San Dimas
|
Harrison Spohn
|
IF
|
Damien / Cal Baptist
|
Nate Webb
|
C
|
King / UC Riverside
|
Kevin West
|
P
|
King / UC Riverside
|
