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O's note Heim's upside, take him in fourth round

The Buffalo, N.Y., area isn't known to be a hotbed of baseball talent, but Jonah Heim is the second premium catching prospect in two years that area scouts have been fortunate enough to evaluate.

At 6-foot-3, 189 pounds, Heim is tall for a catcher, but he has plenty of upside that had scouts excited entering this year's MLB First-Year Player Draft, in which he went at pick No. 129 by the Orioles.

Despite his size, Heim -- out of Amherst Central High School -- has good pop at times, and still is fairly agile behind the plate.

Heim has a strong arm and, in time, has the potential to be at least an average defender. There are more questions surrounding his offensive ability, but he has some raw power and a good approach at the plate.

Heim is committed to play at Michigan State next year.

Derek Wetmore is an associate reporter for MLB.com.
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