HawgBeat - HawgBeat 2022 Previews: Peyton Stovall - 1B
HawgBeat continues its baseball season preview series with a look at Arkansas' projected starting first baseman.
arkansas.rivals.com
1B - Peyton Stovall - #10
Freshman
5-11 | 190 | L/R
Haughton, La. | Haughton HS
The fact that Peyton Stovall made it on campus at Arkansas is surprising. The high school shortstop was projected as a first round pick in last year's MLB Draft, but he likely turned down around $2 million for a chance to be the next great Razorback freshman.
Stovall’s bat alone was good enough to make him a top-50 overall recruit in the Class of 2021, according to Perfect Game. During his senior campaign at Haughton High School, Stovall hit .489 with 12 home runs and 39 RBI.
Not only has head coach Dave Van Horn mentioned that Stovall's bat would land him in the starting lineup, but the veteran coach - who is known for being reluctant about discussing freshmen before they play a game - has hinted he could hit pretty hit in the lineup, too.
“We’ve got a freshman that’s pretty good that could actually hit 1, 2 or 3, to be honest with you,” Van Horn said in the fall.
Stovall had an incredible .988 slugging percentage and 1.638 OPS his senior year of high school. Those numbers likely won't translate to his freshman year with the Razorbacks, but they prove he can make a difference at the plate.
Perfect Game rated Stovall as the No. 1 overall prospect in the state of Louisiana for the 2021 class and the No. 19 overall freshman in college baseball entering this season.
The powerful left-handed hitter played shortstop as a senior, but his glove is not why he was a highly touted prospect. Many scouts believe he does not have the quickness and arm speed to be an elite shortstop at the next level — hence the position change.
Second base is likely where Stovall projects at the next level, but that spot is occupied by future first-round pick Robert Moore. Instead, we've slotted Stovall at first base, where he'll take over for Brady Slavens.
“He played second base his sophomore and junior year and he’s going to be really good at second in the future," Van Horn said, "but obviously that’s Robert Moore’s spot right now,”
Van Horn mentioned that Stovall dealt with a rib injury for the first half of fall ball, but it didn't seem to show much in the Fall World Series. He went 5 for 12 at the plate with three runs and five RBIs — primarily in the leadoff spot — during the intrasquad scrimmages that concluded the fall.
“He's as advertised for sure, he can play,” Arkansas catcher Michael Turner said after the second Fall World Series game. “He’s fun to watch, especially with a young guy like that you don't see it very often, so to see somebody come in and like that do well right away is respectable."
Cayden Wallace set the bar pretty high for Razorback freshman last season, but Stovall has a chance to exceed even what Wallace was able to accomplish at the plate last year. Arkansas might have three legit first-round prospects in its infield this season.
HawgBeat's 2022 Preview Series
CF - Braydon Webb
2B - Robert Moore
C - Michael Turner
3B - Cayden Wallace
1B - Peyton Stovall
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