Tyler Locklear

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Seattle Mariners #5 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 50/High
  
  Track Record: A star tight end in high school, Locklear blossomed into one of college baseball’s top power hitters at Virginia Commonwealth and set a school record with 20 home runs his junior season. The Mariners drafted him in the second round in 2022 and signed him for $1,276,500. Locklear played his first full season in 2023 and missed two months after he was hit by a pitch that broke a bone in his right hand, but he starred when he was on the field. He hit .288/.405/.502 with 13 home runs and 52 RBIs in 85 games and advanced from High-A Everett to Double-A Arkansas even with his injury. His .907 OPS led all Mariners prospects with at least 325 plate appearances.
  
  Scouting Report: Locklear is a chiseled, physical righthanded hitter with borderline plus-plus power. He is one of the strongest players in the Mariners organization, with muscular legs and huge forearms, and punishes balls on contact. Locklear has an unconventional setup with a bat waggle over the plate, but he’s a patient hitter who works long at-bats and turns around fastballs at any velocity. He hits towering home runs to all fields and gets to his power with little effort. Locklear can be a bit stiff and struggles to hit righthanded breaking balls, but he knows the strike zone and makes enough contact to be a fringy hitter who accesses his power in games. A third baseman when he was drafted, Lockear moved to first base full time in 2023. He’s a below-average runner but moves well for his size and has the potential to be an average defender at first base. He has average arm strength.
  
  The Future: Locklear projects to be an everyday first baseman and middle-of-the-order slugger. He’ll begin 2024 back at Double-A.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 45 | Power: 65 | Run: 40 | Field: 45 | Arm: 50
• 
  Ranked Seattle Mariners #9 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
  
  Track Record: A former tight end who was recruited to play college football, Locklear emerged as one of the country's top power hitters at Virginia Commonwealth. His father Todd pitched collegiately and his uncle Jeff professionally, while his cousin Gavin played college football. Tyler tied for the Cape Cod League lead with nine home runs in 2021 after his sophomore year. He followed by setting VCU's single-season record with 20 home runs as a junior and finished his career with 37, which tied for the program's all-time record. The Mariners drafted him in the second round in 2022 and signed him for $1,276,500. Locklear quickly moved to Low-A Modesto after signing and caught fire late, bashing seven home runs in his final 16 games.
  
  Scouting Report: Locklear stands an imposing, muscular 6-foot-3 and is one of the strongest players his age. He crushes balls to all fields with plus-plus raw power--including home runs the opposite way off of right-field scoreboards--and posts elite top-end exit velocities. Locklear has some stiffness to his swing and his bat moves in and out of the zone quickly, but he controls the strike zone and swings at the right pitches to do damage. His pitch selection gives him a chance to be a fringy hitter with plus power if he can make swing adjustments against higher-level pitchers. Locklear is a decent athlete for his size and has good hands at third base, but his footwork and actions need to be softened and his arm is a tick below-average. He will likely move to first base and could potentially end up in left field. He has below-average speed but makes up for it with a quick first step and good instincts on the bases.
  
  The Future: Locklear has a chance to emerge as a power-hitting, everyday first baseman if he makes the necessary swing adjustments. He'll open at High-A Everett in 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 45. Power: 60. Speed: 40. Fielding: 40. Arm: 50

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #99 prospect in 2022 draft
  School: Virginia Commonwealth Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted
  Age At Draft: 21.7
  BA Grade: 45/High
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 60 | Run: 30 | Field: 40 | Arm: 50
  A large and physical, 6-foot-3, 210-pound corner infielder, Locklear comes from an athletic family. His father, Todd, played college baseball, his cousin, Gavin, played football at North Carolina State and his uncle, Jeff, was a lefthanded pitcher who played five minor league seasons. Locklear stands out for his 65-grade raw power and after hitting 16 home runs and being named the 2021 Atlantic 10 Player of the Year, Locklear was one of the most productive college hitters in the country in 2022. He hit .402/.542/.799 with 20 home runs, 25 doubles and 47 walks (15.9 BB%) to just 25 strikeouts (8.5 K%). Locklear has controlled the zone well with VCU and should be a TrackMan darling with loud average and top-end exit velocities. Scouts wonder how much power he’ll get to against better pitching and more consistent velocity at the next level—and question the overall stiffness of his swing—and in the Cape Cod League in 2021, he hit .256/.333/.504 with 32 strikeouts (22.7 K%) and just six walks (4.3 BB%). Locklear has played more third base than first base with VCU but is likely a first base-only type at the next level, with well below-average speed. Locklear’s value is heavily reliant on his righthanded bat and power, but he’s done nothing but mash over his last two seasons.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #91 prospect in 2023

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
  
  Track Record: A former tight end who was recruited to play college football, Locklear emerged as one of the country's top power hitters at Virginia Commonwealth. His father Todd pitched collegiately and his uncle Jeff professionally, while his cousin Gavin played college football. Tyler tied for the Cape Cod League lead with nine home runs in 2021 after his sophomore year. He followed by setting VCU's single-season record with 20 home runs as a junior and finished his career with 37, which tied for the program's all-time record. The Mariners drafted him in the second round in 2022 and signed him for $1,276,500. Locklear quickly moved to Low-A Modesto after signing and caught fire late, bashing seven home runs in his final 16 games.
  
  Scouting Report: Locklear stands an imposing, muscular 6-foot-3 and is one of the strongest players his age. He crushes balls to all fields with plus-plus raw power--including home runs the opposite way off of right-field scoreboards--and posts elite top-end exit velocities. Locklear has some stiffness to his swing and his bat moves in and out of the zone quickly, but he controls the strike zone and swings at the right pitches to do damage. His pitch selection gives him a chance to be a fringy hitter with plus power if he can make swing adjustments against higher-level pitchers. Locklear is a decent athlete for his size and has good hands at third base, but his footwork and actions need to be softened and his arm is a tick below-average. He will likely move to first base and could potentially end up in left field. He has below-average speed but makes up for it with a quick first step and good instincts on the bases.
  
  The Future: Locklear has a chance to emerge as a power-hitting, everyday first baseman if he makes the necessary swing adjustments. He'll open at High-A Everett in 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 45. Power: 60. Speed: 40. Fielding: 40. Arm: 50
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
  
  Track Record: A former tight end who was recruited to play college football, Locklear emerged as one of the country's top power hitters at Virginia Commonwealth. His father Todd pitched collegiately and his uncle Jeff professionally, while his cousin Gavin played college football. Tyler tied for the Cape Cod League lead with nine home runs in 2021 after his sophomore year. He followed by setting VCU's single-season record with 20 home runs as a junior and finished his career with 37, which tied for the program's all-time record. The Mariners drafted him in the second round in 2022 and signed him for $1,276,500. Locklear quickly moved to Low-A Modesto after signing and caught fire late, bashing seven home runs in his final 16 games.
  
  Scouting Report: Locklear stands an imposing, muscular 6-foot-3 and is one of the strongest players his age. He crushes balls to all fields with plus-plus raw power--including home runs the opposite way off of right-field scoreboards--and posts elite top-end exit velocities. Locklear has some stiffness to his swing and his bat moves in and out of the zone quickly, but he controls the strike zone and swings at the right pitches to do damage. His pitch selection gives him a chance to be a fringy hitter with plus power if he can make swing adjustments against higher-level pitchers. Locklear is a decent athlete for his size and has good hands at third base, but his footwork and actions need to be softened and his arm is a tick below-average. He will likely move to first base and could potentially end up in left field. He has below-average speed but makes up for it with a quick first step and good instincts on the bases.
  
  The Future: Locklear has a chance to emerge as a power-hitting, everyday first baseman if he makes the necessary swing adjustments. He'll open at High-A Everett in 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 45. Power: 60. Speed: 40. Fielding: 40. Arm: 50
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 45/High
  
  August Update: A large and physical, 6-foot-3, 210-pound corner infielder, Locklear comes from an athletic family. His father, Todd, played college baseball, his cousin, Gavin, played football at North Carolina State and his uncle, Jeff, was a lefthanded pitcher who played five minor league seasons. Locklear stands out for his 65-grade raw power and after hitting 16 home runs and being named the 2021 Atlantic 10 Player of the Year, Locklear was one of the most productive college hitters in the country in 2022. He hit .402/.542/.799 with 20 home runs, 25 doubles and 47 walks (15.9 BB%) to just 25 strikeouts (8.5 K%). Locklear has controlled the zone well with VCU and should be a TrackMan darling with loud average and top-end exit velocities. Scouts wonder how much power he&#39ll get to against better pitching and more consistent velocity at the next level—and question the overall stiffness of his swing—and in the Cape Cod League in 2021, he hit .256/.333/.504 with 32 strikeouts (22.7 K%) and just six walks (4.3 BB%). Locklear has played more third base than first base with VCU but is likely a first base-only type at the next level, with well below-average speed. Locklear&#39s value is heavily reliant on his righthanded bat and power, but he&#39s done nothing but mash over his last two seasons.