Texas Longhorns signee Conner Capel agrees to deal with Cleveland Indians

The Texas Longhorns are losing another baseball signee to the professional ranks. According to a tweet from TribeInsider, outfielder Conner Capel has signed a contract with the Cleveland Indians.

The fifth-round draft pick will likely receive an over-slot bonus from the Indians, as he was set to enroll in Austin. The slot bonus for the 152nd overall selection in this year’s draft was $361,300.

It would have been exciting to see the Seven Lakes High School graduate take the field with the Longhorns, as he hit .456 during his senior campaign, along with 27 doubles, 36 runs scored and 23 stolen bases on the year. Here’s a video of Capel taking batting practice, via The Prospect Pipeline on YouTube:

According to an article from Jeff Ellis on Indians Baseball Insider at Scout.com, Conner Capel “looks like a future centerfielder thanks to his good instincts and plus plus speed.” Ellis also mentions that Capel “uses all fields and has shown gap power,” while “he has a chance to have 55 power and hit tools but I think will more likely be 50 at both.” Since “he throws 90 MPH off the mound,” Ellis projected that his “arm will allow him to play all three spots in the outfield.”

Connor’s father, Mike, played for the University of Texas back during the 1981-1983 seasons. He pitched for their 1983 club, which featured the likes of Longhorn legend Roger Clemens, and that club ultimately won the 1983 College World Series.