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Allen

2021 MLB Draft: After a strong 2019 campaign in which he hit .349 with 23 doubles and seven home runs, Allen’s stock was high heading into the 2020 season. But a slow start and the shutdown allowed him to return to Starkville. A relatively modest start to 2021 was quickly erased and the 5-foot-11, 190-pound spark plug was named the SEC Player of the Year and led the Bulldogs to their first-ever nationtal title. Built with some compact strength and strong forearms, Allen’s bat speed is impressive, generated from a strong bottom hand that whips the barrel through the zone while covering the plate with firm contact to all fields. He gets on plane early with the barrel, exhibiting considerable lag through the zone and an innate ability to change planes and track pitches. His relaxed, gap-to-gap approach allows him to handle elite arms with comfort in all counts. His power has ticked up slightly, and given his loud exit velocities, there is reason to believe there is more to come. Amplifying his rising stock has been the evolution of his in-game speed, which includes being 11-for-14 in stolen bases and turning in sub-4.0 times down the line. He’s an adequate defender on the corners, working to become better in that facet of the game.

2020 DRAFT: Drafted as a soph-eligible in the 34th round by Colorado in 2019, Allen immediately made known his intention to return to Mississippi State for his junior season and went to play for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team, hitting .308. He's strong bodied at 5-foot-11, 185 pounds and played both left field and first base during the trials, then saw action in right field in the fall and early spring for MSU. After playing his first two years at first base, he looked far more comfortable on the dirt last summer, but made great progress in the outfield during the fall and winter. With a fringy arm from the outfield, his arm played much better at first base, with quickness from catch to release and plus accuracy. In the batter's box, the left handed hitter is short to the ball and uses all fields. He has very good balance and hits the ball where it is pitched. Also shows very little weight transfer and tends to cut off his front side with a closed front foot and flexed front knee, limiting his power. But he's a pure hitter with innate feel for his barrel and enough bat speed to hit for solid-average power with some mechanical tweaks. Allen is a near-average runner underway, yet well below average down the line. He must continue to hit for a very high average at the next level, as he otherwise lacks a carrying tool. His draft stock is clouded by the fact that he was limited to 25 at-bats this spring due to nagging injuries, but nothing serious. However, he has enough of a track record of hitting against high-level competition, and projects as a top five-to-eight-rounds pick.

7/1/19:Drafted as a sophomore-eligible by age in the 34th round by Colorado this June, Allen immediately made known his intention to return to the HailState for his junior season. He’s strong bodied at 5-foot-11, 185 pounds and played both left field and first base during the Trials. Defensively, he looked far more comfortable on the dirt. With a below average arm from the outfield, his arm played much better at first base with quickness from catch to release and plus accuracy. In the batter’s box, the left-handed hitter was short to the ball and used all fields. He had very good balance and hit the ball where it was pitched. Also showed very little weight transfer and tended to cut off his front side with a closed front foot and flexed front knee, limiting his power. In addition to six hits in 14 at-bats, he also reached base via one hit by pitch and arguably had the best at-bat of the Trials, an 11-pitch walk. Allen is a near average runner underway, yet well below average down the line. He must continue to hit for a very high average at the next level as he otherwise lacks a carrying tool and projects to be a Day Two selection next June. (Seifert)

8/1/16 - Some bat speed. Easy stroke, loopy at times. Flashed hard line drives in BP. Minimal stride. Good hands, quick exchange.

6/25/16 - 1-for-3 with two walks. He smacked a single back up the middle off of a 92-mph fastball from McCabe. Its exit velocity was 97.4.

6/23/16 - Quick bat from the left side and went 2-for-4. One of his hits was off a 91-mph fastball

6/22/16 - OK hands and an average arm on defense. In BP, he took a direct path to the ball with some quickness. He drove hard line drives from both sides of the plate.