As fall ball ramps up across the country, we’ve been working very hard on our rankings on both sides of the amateur landscape. The college class is dominated by outfield bats at the top, followed by a couple of tantalizing arms.
2025 MLB Draft: Top Draft Prospect Transfers
The transfer portal and NIL have created the notion that we expect lots of change each college baseball offseason. It has also significantly changed the recruiting process and how teams approach the MLB Draft. Regardless of your opinion on the matter, this is where the current landscape stands.
The 2025 college baseball transfer portal saw a lot of high-end talent on the move, with many expected to be potential top draft picks for the 2025 MLB Draft. Here are a few names you should be watching. Rankings of the transfer portal players are thanks to our friends over at 64 Analytics: www.64analytics.com
HITTERS
3B/OF ANDREW FISCHER (OLE MISS TO TENNESSEE)
64 Analytics Portal Rank: #2
The Tennessee Volunteers were quiet on the transfer portal, and then, all of a sudden, they landed two of the top bats in the entire transfer class in Fischer and Kilen. We will start with Fischer, who provided some serious pop for Ole Miss. Fischer began his collegiate career at Duke in 2023 before transferring to Ole Miss for his sophomore year. Fischer is a bat-first prospect who generates a ton of power, as he’s seen max EVs up to 113 mph. Fischer generates most of his power to the pull side. He couples that with decent barrel-to-ball skills and the ability to get on base, as he sports a near 14% BB rate. Defensively, Fischer’s home is a bit unknown because he’s a bit clunky at third base, but has the arm strength to handle the position if he can improve there. He should fill in nicely in the heart of the Volunteers lineup.
SS GAVIN KILEN (LOUISVILLE TO TENNESSEE)
64 Analytics Portal Rank: #4
The Volunteers lost a ton of bats in the MLB Draft, but hit the transfer portal hard and should be able to stave off some of those missing pieces. Kilen will play a major role in that. He produced some of the best contact rates in the NCAA last year, posting some insane contact and in-zone contact rates. He’s a bit aggressive, which led to a high chase rate, but that didn’t lead to significant Whiff or an increase in strikeouts, he has put up pretty good numbers in both categories. The big thing about Kilen’s offensive game is he saw a rise in pull-side power, with his max exit velocity getting up to 111 mph. Defensively, Killen has solid range at shortstop and enough arm strength to stick at the position. His quick reaction time helps him get to the ball with ease. He should be a solid contributor to the Volunteers looking to be repeat National Champions.
OF KANE KEPLEY (LIBERTY TO NORTH CAROLINA)
64 Analytics Portal Rank: #8
The Tar Heels are getting one of the best contact hitters in the transfer portal. At Liberty, Kepley made some insane numbers contact wise. It doesn’t matter where you throw it, there is a good chance that Kepley will hit it. He utilizes the opposite field quite a bit as well. The 5’8, 170lb outfielder doesn’t possess much raw power but still puts up decent overall exit velos. He’s a plus runner who can track a ball down decently in the outfield. That speed has also led to 20+ steals in one season at Liberty and two summer ball seasons. The lack of power, as mentioned, limits his ceiling, but he has a very safe floor due to his speed, defensive ability, and ability to make contact.
INF AIVA ARQUETTE (WASHINGTON TO OREGON STATE)
64 Analytics Portal Rank: #10
The Washington Huskies saw many players enter the portal, with Head Coach Jason Kelly leaving for Texas A&M. Arquette was definitely one of the top players to leave the Huskies and a massive get for Oregon State. Arquette put on a show in his second year with the Huskies, showcasing a solid combination of power and bat-to-ball skills at the plate. He continued that this summer in the Cape Cod League, where he slashed .291/.357/.437 with a .793 OPS. Most of his power came pull side, but he did showcase the ability to drive the ball the other way as he hit about five home runs to centerfield or right. Arquette also has incredible plate coverage and does a fantastic job getting balls down and away. He can sometimes be aggressive, which leads to increased chase rates. Defensively, he plays a good second base, but given his 6’4, 220lb frame, there is a good chance he will make his way to the hot corner in the long term. In the Cape, he played most of his games at shortstop, with a few at third base. He’s definitely one to watch in 2025, as his already solid toolset and projection could have him skyrocketing.
C BRADY NEAL (LSU TO ALABAMA)
64 Analytics Portal Rank: #13
A significant loss for LSU, Neal was a force behind the dish for the Tigers, slashing .276/.409/.578 with a .986 OPS. Neal heads to Alabama, where he will give Head Coach Rob Vaughn a solid contributor and consistent leader behind the dish and in the lineup. Neal possesses extreme raw power from the left side and hits the ball very hard to the right side of the field, and has pretty good exit velo numbers to the poolside. Neal needs to improve his ability to make consistent contact so he can tap more into that raw power. He strikes out at a higher clip than you’d like to see. He offsets some of those issues with a fairly decent walk rate. Regardless, the 5’10, 193lb Neal can stick behind the plate thanks to his strong arm and athleticism. The upside with the bat is what you want to say for a potential catcher in the draft, regardless of some of the swing-and-miss concerns.
INF RYAN BLACK (UT ARLINGTON TO GEORGIA)
64 Analytics Portal Rank: #15
Hits the ball hard. That about sums it up. Line drives are the name of the game for Black. He had some decent exit velocities and put his name on the map as a mid-major hitter. Black can generate hard contact with all parts of the field and has most of his hits to the right side. He couples that with very low Chase and Whiff rates. It’s an excellent approach at the plate, and he will be tough out for pitchers. Black should easily stick at second base because he is quick and makes plays. He lacks some range and has average arm strength, which likely limits him to second. He’s not the fastest runner and it’s average at best so his ceiling on the basepaths is limited. He’ll have the opportunity to face some much tougher pitching as he joins Georgia and the SEC.
INF DANIEL DICKINSON (UTAH VALLEY TO LSU)
64 Analytics Portal Rank: #16
LSU, as always, had a time with the transfer portal. Daniel Dickinson may have been one of their best grabs this portal season. Like Ryan Black, Dickinson has some of the most insane contact rates in the country. His Whiff rates are off the charts well, and he struck out less than 10% of the time at Utah Valley. He’s been tapping into his power more, thanks to his quick hands and ability to get barrel-to-ball. It still taps out about fringe-average, but he could improve on that. He couples that with the ability to hit the ball hard. He did run into some struggles this summer in the Cape, but he maintained his elite approach at the plate, boasting excellent walk and strikeout rates, leaving me less concerned. However, he will be tested by some of the best arms in the nation in the SEC. Dickinson seems slated to be a second baseman due to his solid range and quick feet, but his arm will hold him back from playing on the left side of the diamond.
OF ETHAN CONRAD (MARIST TO WAKE FOREST)
64 Analytics Portal Rank: #169
.388/.433/.486/.920. That’s one hell of a Cape Cod League slash line. Yes, I know it is fairly hitter-heavy in college summer leagues, but that’s still impressive for a guy who was at Marist last year. Conrad has been a force for the Red Foxes for the last two years and will take his talents to a Wake Forest team that needs some offensive pop. It’s a really fun and beautiful left-handed swing that has a good amount of raw pop. He chases quite a bit due to his aggressiveness on the plate, but he takes advantage of mistaken pitches when he connects. Despite his aggressiveness, he tends to have a very good feel for the strike zone. He’ll be tested in the SEC, but as mentioned earlier he has shown in a small sample size he can keep up with better arms. He pairs that solid ability at the plate with plus speed and had double-digit steals over the last two seasons at Marist. He’s a fringe-average defender with a strong arm who could be a very solid right fielder at the next level.
PITCHERS
LHP CADE FISHER (FLORIDA TO AUBURN)
64 Analytics Portal Rank: #1
Cade Fisher was easily one of the most exciting names to enter the transfer portal this offseason and is a massive get for the Auburn Tigers. Pitching Coach Everett Teaford must be stoked to add him to that rotation. The former Florida Gator has a solid three-pitch mix that includes a fastball in the low-90s but has seen a max velo of 95 mph. He has some really good carry to that pitch. He pairs that with a slider and changeup. His slider has a ton of horizontal movement and absolutely fools hitters when he’s on with his command and control. The changeup plays well off his fastball and is a pretty good second secondary for him. Fisher comes at hitters with a low slot arm angle, creating some deception on his pitches. After a strong 2023, some command issues hurt Fisher in 2024, and his overall numbers took a step back. Fisher’s release point would vary, and the combination of walks and giving up hard contact led to him giving up quite a bit of runs. Fisher had a small sample size of three games in the Cape Cod League and flashed more success there in a hitter-friendly league. He opens up as a favorite to be in the rotation for the Auburn Tigers.
LHP ZACH ROOT (ECU TO ARKANSAS)
64 Analytics Portal Rank: #3
A massive loss for ECU is a huge gain for the Arkansas Razorbacks who will have some stacked pitching going into 2025. Root found a ton of success during his tenure at ECU, pitching to the tune of a 3.82 ERA with 69 strikeouts in 63.2 innings for the Pirates. Root has a pretty well-filled out lower half that’s paired with quick arm actions. It’s a somewhat funky delivery that helps him get some deception. His fastball sits in the in the low-90s, but has been up to 97 mph. His secondaries are really what make him a threat on the mound. He goes to his change-up the most often as he’s willing to utilize it in any account tude to his good feel and command of the pitch. He hides the ball well with his funky delivery and the pitch drops away and out of the zone on hitters. His other secondary he goes to often is a slider, which has some cutter action to it at times, has some serious bite to it and he’s generated a ton of Whiff and Chase on this pitch as well. He rounds out the arsenal with a sweepy curveball. It’s a fun arm on it’s way to Fayetteville and a very successful season will boe well for the rising junior.
LHP LANDON BEIDELSCHIES (OHIO STATE TO ARKANSAS)
64 Analytics Portal Rank: #5
Another big arm heading to Arkansas. You’ll see that’s a common theme in this article on the pitching side. The Razorbacks snag one of the best starters in the BIG10. The 6’3, 225lb Beidelschies is a physical presence on the mound, and he isn’t afraid to attack hitters with his fastball/slider combo. Beidelschies fastball has been in the 90-94 MPH range and has even topped at 98 mph. It’s his go-to pitch, as he utilized it nearly 60% of the time and missed bats with it a ton. As mentioned earlier, he pairs that fastball with a very nasty slider, which he goes to just over 30% of the time. Its sharp bite helps him get some decent Chase and Whiff on the pitch. He also has a change-up and curveball, which he’s utilized much less frequently, but both have the makings of rounding out a solid four-pitch arsenal. There is some relief risk if he doesn’t polish up those other secondaries, but the projection is there and he will look to find success against some of the toughest bats in the SEC.
RHP EVAN CHREST (JACKSONVILLE TO FLORIDA STATE)
64 Analytics Portal Rank: #9
Chrest isn’t as highly ranked as the other arms, but there is plenty of intrigue. The numbers in the stat sheet aren’t the prettiest, but the data behind them will interest most teams. His slider clocks in well above 2800 RPMs and induces a ton of chase. He’s got a developing fastball that sits in the low-90s and has topped out at 95 MPH. The two-pitch combo has helped him generate decent strikeout numbers, as he’s punched out 74 batters over 68.2 innings. He commands the slider decently as well. His changeup rounds out his three-pitch mix nicely, generating some decent Whiff on the pitch. He’s a bit undersized, coming in at 6’0, 180lbs and heading into his junior year, there might not be as much projectability left. But the already decent three-pitch mix and decent command for all of them will have teams interested on draft day.
LHP LIAM DOYLE (OLE MISS TO TENNESSEE)
64 Analytics Portal Rank: #11
Doyle joins his Ole Miss teammate Andrew Fischer in making his way to Tennesee, giving the Volunteers a high strikeout rate arm to add to their rotation. Doyle has put up some insane strikeout numbers between Coastal Carolina and Ole Miss the past two seasons, striking out 153 batters in 111.1 innings. Doyle’s fastball ranges from 90 to 94 and has topped at 96 MPH. The metrics behind it make it an electric fastball that gets by hitters. The pitch averages over 20 inches of vertical carry, and he has decent extension on the pitch. His secondaries are a bit behind his fastball, but he has two secondaries in slider/sweeper and cutter. The slider is in the low-80s, and he’s still working on commanding the pitch better, as he is with most of his secondaries. He also has a splitter he’s flashed but hasn’t thrown nearly as much as the pitch still needs quite a bit of development. The 6’2, 220lb lefty is a presence on the mound and while there might not be a ton of room for growth, there is still lots of projection left in his arsenal that he will look to continue to build on at Tennessee.
RHP JACOB MAYERS (NICHOLLS TO LSU)
64 Analytics Portal Rank: #12
Prospects Live Draft Rank:
LSU lost a few arms to the MLB Draft as expected, but they still have plenty of incoming talent, including Jakob Mayers, who makes his way to campus from Nicholls. His fastball is explosive as it has a ton of spin, giving it lots of carry in the zone. It’s averaged 91-95 MPH, but has topped out at 97 MPH. He utilized his fastball at extremely high rates last year, but still generated a decent amount of Whiff with it and put in insane strikeout numbers as he punched out 106 batters in 70.2 innings. He did the same thing in his freshman year, striking out 105 batters in 75.2 innings. The next step for Mayers is going to be really developing his secondary pitches to give him more weapons. He’s flashed a decent slider that with some polish could be a very good second pitch for Mayers.
Switz Report: Recap Cape Cod "Best of the Best" Prospects
Summer baseball is in our rearview mirror, and we are a few weeks away from the start of fall ball for college baseball, with athletes returning to school and ramping back up for the next season. It’s been a while since I have contributed to the site. A large portion of that is due to my commitment over the summer to the Cape Cod Baseball League, as I was given the privilege and honor of helping the league this summer (an opportunity that I was unaware of when I first started Prospects Live and a change in course I had to make regarding previous promises I had made with readers earlier in my articles). Due to this, the inevitable occurred, and I had the time to watch a lot of college baseball over the 10-week Cape season. During my time up in the Cape, I had the ability to keep a close eye and get some early live looks for the upcoming 2025 draft class and top dudes eligible for the 2026 and 2027 classes.
For the next few weeks, I look forward to treating many of you to my views and evaluation process of some of the buzzing names in college baseball who participated in the Cape this summer. In doing so, I will provide full baseball scouting reports from dudes who grabbed my eye during the season and detailed prospect analysis with 20-80 scale grading, projected round selection, and brief overall summaries of the prospects.
Further, these grades are based on my evaluation and rumblings that I heard while on the Cape and are not full or final summaries from the Prospects Live draft team or myself, as the next draft is (*checks watch), not for another ten months. Everyone sees prospects differently, even at the MLB level during draft day or for incoming prospects (Ex. There were people in baseball who thought Ohtani's bat wouldn't translate to MLB. Now, he's easy money to hit 30+ HR's each season). So, things can change regarding these prospects from the Cape season to next spring or draft.
Back to the topic at hand; early looks for next July are panning towards the 2025 class to be front-loaded with college-hitting prospects, and it seems to be anyone’s game to be selected inside the top 10 or even first round within a pool of 15-20 college hitters (with some teams getting the premium luck of possibly grabbing two or more of these guys next summer when adding in college arms and prep talent to the field). I do not see any Dylan Crews or Adley Rutschman-like prospects in this draft. However, there are desirable quality tools that project well for the next level, premium athleticism up the middle that we haven’t seen in a while for draft day, and future MLB starters that will become household names down the road.
Additionally, like back in the spring and carried into the Cape this summer, the general opinion and analysis in scouting circles regarding college pitching is that the talent is still down compared to years past. There are some outliers, but the overall crop of pitching talent is down.
Now, to stop digressing from the article material at hand, below are five dudes that I believe were the top guys who grabbed scouts' eyes, balled out, and truly made themselves money over the summer.
| OF Brendan Summerhill | Arizona | Draft Eligible: 2025 |
Cape Numbers: .286/.358/.441 (.798), 5 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 14 RBI, 19 R, 12 SB, 9 BB (9.47 BB%), 15 K (15.78 K%)
Switz’s Notes: Summerhill was among the first dudes that grabbed my attention in the west division over the summer. He has easy-to-see athletic traits, a desirable hit tool still maturing, and straight-up ballplayer talent to be selected early next summer. If you are a person who likes dudes who know the strike zone well with great poise, then Summerhill may be one of the best in this draft cycle from his advanced approach and batter eye. From his first game in the Cape till his final game, Summerhill played the game hard, running out infield base hits and making spectacular catches in CF. I’m a big fan of his and hope the best for him moving forward, as he is just a fun player to watch. If the in-game power develops and he still maintains that plus speed tool in his game, he could pan out to be a video game-like player at the MLB level.
| OF Ethan Conrad | Wake Forest | Draft Eligible: 2025 |
Cape Numbers: .385/.433 /.486 (.919), 5 2B, 2 HR, 19 RBI, 27 R, 19 SB, 8 BB 6.7 BB%), 18 K (15.0 K%)
Switz’s Notes: I have to admit, regarding Ethan Conrad, which was no secret for anyone who talked to me during the summer, I have a massive admiration and man crush on Conrad’s game. This is the type of dude; if I were a Crosschecker for a team, I would fight to draft this guy until the last second is on the clock on draft night if available. This dude is a very special ballplayer that’s easy to root for in this draft cycle. I will acknowledge that he has some stuff he needs to iron out (especially contact vs offspeed/movement), but he’s got a tremendous ceiling if he can grab the brass rings at the next level of his development. Conrad is a superb athlete, and I’m willing to lay it out with the hot take that Conrad may have been the best athlete any scout saw during the summer wood-bat circuit in college baseball and even in the 2025 draft cycle. If he balls out next spring for Wake, he has the profile to be a potential lottery or top 10 selection in the draft to the already helium Conrad has on his draft stock.
Our own Brian Recca had the ability to get a live look on Conrad at Marist over the spring Here.
| OF Devin Taylor | Indiana | Draft Eligible: 2025 |
Cape Numbers: .296/.397/.510 (.907), 4 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 16 RBI, 18 R, 2 SB, 17 BB (14.7 BB%), 29 K (25.0 K%)
Switz’s Notes: Between being a standout ballplayer at LaSalle High School and becoming a blow-away Freshman Player of the Year in the Big Ten two springs ago for Indiana, Devin Taylor has become one of the most talked about prospects in the Ohio Valley for some time at the college level and rightfully so. When looking at Taylor’s summer, he started six games for Cotuit before leaving for Cary, NC. During that time, Taylor showed off his bread-and-butter of getting on base by any means necessary by hitting over .300 and accumulating a handful of walks. On the downside, within his first six games, he struck out more than any scout in attendance wanted to see, with 8 Ks through 16 ABs. However, when he arrived for Team USA in Cary, NC, Taylor found a different gear where he exploded during the primetime events for the red, white, and blue. Taylor came back and took that success from USA Baseball to carve out a successful season for the Cotuit Kettleers by producing a near .300 batting average, .907 OPS, and 5 HRs in 29 games with a wood bat.
Taylor showed he belongs within the top 10 conversations going into the spring of 2025 over the summer. However, the 25% K rate in the Cape isn’t very appealing for major league scouts, with murkiness around the pitching talent and quality within the Big Ten going into next spring. Taylor, in 2025, will need to bounce back in this department and continue his declining K rate that he was showing at Indiana (roughly 19% in 2023 and 13% in 2024) before his time on the Cape.
Going into the spring, I would like to see him take that next step into locking down that top 5 (maybe even top 10) status that early evaluations and industry talking heads are labeling him. In doing so, I would love to see him improve his defense and display more athleticism in the field while showing that I’m dead wrong on his 45 FV as a defender with current signs showing he may be playing CF next spring for the Hoosiers. When he added the 25 lbs of mass over the last calendar year to tap into more power, he lost some of the defensiveness and athleticism that made him look so appealing in his freshman year.
Also, he can improve his stock on his hit tool by cleaning up his issues with + velo and offspeed while boosting his batting average into the .400s, and continuing a contact rate over 80%. Lastly, he can even do the fun route and just club everything he sees for HRs next college season like Condon and Cags did last spring that got them selected into the top 10 in July (granted, both these dudes also hit .400 while crushing everything to the moon). Overall, as outlined in the scouting report, Taylor is a future premium hit tool player and should be one of the quickest dudes to the MLB. However, it seems he is already losing some steam early in the 2025 draft cycle and will need to find a way to stay afloat at the top if he wants to be taken within the top 10 with the rise of so many helium dudes coming off of the summer season as right now it seems he is starting to meddle into the middle of the first round territory as a 10 - 15 overall selection.
Lastly: Tyler Jennings caught him at USA Baseball during the summer with some video if you want to see more on Taylor Here.
If you want to see Taylor from last Spring, you can check out Perkins' live look of Taylor at Maryland Here.
| OF/1B Ethan Petry | South Carolina | Draft Eligible: 2025 |
Cape Numbers: .360/.480/.760 (1.240), 7 2B, 11 HR, 25 RBI, 26 R, 16 BB (12.8 BB%), 26 K (20.8 K%)
Switz’s Notes: Petry is one of the biggest imposing dudes on the Cape this summer and is possibly one of the most extensively debated bat profile’s when trying to project him. He’s done and accomplished a lot within his short college career so far between being a career .300 hitter, having a career OPS over 1.100, hitting 20+ bombs in each of his first two college years, taking home the Cape Cod Baseball League MVP, the Robert A. McNeese Most Outstanding Pro Prospect Award, and Cape Cod Baseball League Home Run Derby title in the process. The dude hits the ball hard, and it is easy to see the offensive potential in his game. Nevertheless, even with his offensive upside, some limitations in his game are easy to see, such as his defense, athleticism, and eye at the plate. I strongly feel that teams will overlook his limitations and focus on the terms of the power and RBI-producing upside he has. Offensively, I see it being black and white: either he fixes these issues and becomes a freak for the next level, or they continue to haunt him, and it is a blemish that teams will have to work around in his game at the plate. As stated in the scouting report, with the universal DH being in play, I think he’s in a better boat as a prospect than he would be 5 - 10 years ago when scouts in the NL would have to project and find a defensive role for him.
In giving him an Adam Dunn comparison, if the National League had the DH as they do now, I strongly feel that you would never have seen Dunn in the OF, and he would've been a straight DH with him playing 1B when Griffey Jr. was healthy and in the lineup. Like Dunn, I see Petry being that type of middle-of-the-order bat that teams are betting for HRs and RBI-producing abilities with the sacrifice of strikeouts coming within it. I do not see it being Joey Gallo-like bad where it is a career .195 hitter, and it's either K or HR with every swing. But, I think Dunn is a realistic comp with a ceiling batting average being a .255 - .265 hitter, crushing north of 35 + bombs a season with some triple-digit RBI abilities, and taking on the burden of having north of 25% strikeouts to go with it. However, with pitching movement and velo being the best baseball has ever seen (two things Petry does struggle with, unfortunately), I think the batting average and offensive production can easily fall into Kyle Schwarber-like territory as a floor or a readjusted comp later down the road if Petry does not fix these issues at the plate.
| SS Marek Houston | Wake Forest | Draft Eligible: 2025 |
Cape Numbers: .306/.465/.329 (.794), 2 2B, 8 RBIs, 17 Rs, 7 SB, 26 BB (22.8 BB%), 21 K
(18.4 K%)
Switz’s Notes: From the first time I watched Bourne over the summer, my eyes were glued to watching Houston in the field. He is a natural athlete on the diamond and is one of the guys who has a higher ceiling than most in the 2025 draft. This year, he was a key contributor for the Bourne franchise to make another appearance in the Cape Cod Championship game with his run-producing abilities at leadoff and stellar defense. Nightly, over the summer, Houston produced web gem-after-web gem defensive plays that showed that he can stay on the left side of the diamond for the next level. Many other talking heads will criticize his bat for the next level due to it not producing the batted ball metrics that the new-age fans and gurus want to see. However, it isn’t as bad as this crowd wants to voice as he displayed a good feel for the zone and protects anything inside his hands (a skill many hitters over the summer seemed to lack that is desired by scouts). Further, he showed good abilities to hit to all fields and not let the Cape’s BABIP inflation dictate his hitting abilities while taking walks and not forcing a play to be made when nothing was there. To quote Aaron Rodgers, the new age fans and gurus need to “relax” regarding Houston’s bat profile because Houston has advanced intangibles that metrics cannot measure and should be alright.
When drawing up a projection on Houston, it is tough to forecast what he will become. At first, I thought he might be a glove-first dude with below-average pop that he currently shows and could build into being a Dansby Swanson-like SS. However, when watching him play and looking at his build, there is more growth left in him as he has an unorthodox build of a large upper body frame and a smaller lower half. Between working on his mechanics in rookie development to add bat speed and going to the weight room for him to add muscle, I think there's a chance he could surpass the average 15 - 20 HRs (which is upside 45 FV and fringy 50 FV grades that vary based on organization grading and modeling) that Swanson averages each year (I know that Swanson crushed over that between 2021 - 2024 but, I see that as a too small of a sample size to call Swanson a genuine 55-60 grade power guy).
Next, I took the approach of thinking he may be a Trea Turner-like athlete whose arm is strong, where there is 25 HR + pop if he can tap into it, and he oozes athleticism all over the diamond. However, Turner plays at a lower weight than Houston, and he fills out nicely for the 185 lbs he is. Thus, it left me to think and draw up the athletic comparison that Houston has a similar athletic body type to young Manny Machado coming out of high school (I’m not drawing the idea he is the next Machado, so don’t go down that rabbit hole of conclusion). Granted, you shouldn’t compare a 17-18-year-old player to a 20-year-old prospect in college athletically. However, when looking at the current state of college athletics, where there is limited time given for development from the Power 5 level, and it’s a state of just “get up and go” mentality within their constructed rosters, Houston’s athleticism has carried him into a starting spot with his defense being an essential tool.
Nonetheless, there is still time for Houston, where he is still a projectable and moldable athlete, and a franchise can build him into what they want him to become, as I outlined in my report. Returning to Machado, when coming out of Brito Miami, he displayed a tall, slim, lean, athletic large frame that appeared boxy with large square shoulders (similar characteristics of Houston). At a young age, Machado easily displayed his fluid movements and defense on the dirt with a good feel for the barrel (same Houston has done with Bourne and at Wake). In the development of Machado in the Orioles system, Manny went from the skinny 180 lb size that he was drafted and grew into a 210- 215 lb size when he appeared in the major leagues roughly two years later, displaying his bat speed and strength to generate pop for the pros.
If a team wants Houston to stay light on his feet and is not concerned about tapping into the power, they can take the approach of him being that 1980s and 1990s style SS where it's less than 15 HR pop with contact and defense being the essential tools. If this route is taken, he should be a quick-to-the-show type draft pick. Yet, suppose Houston gets drafted by a strong development organization, and they work with him on improving his internal strength and bat speed, which are his clear blemishes. In that case, there is upside four to five-tool potential (he has the speed for SB’s but, hasn’t displayed the production for it to be a real tool at his disposal) at the end of the road where we can see that pop come into play on a nightly basis like many of the premium SS display in today's baseball style.
Overall, Houston's defense and superb athleticism will overshadow his complete toolset. However, Houston has a solid bat and advanced approach at the plate that shouldn't turn scouts and franchises away when turning in his name next summer. As I harped in the paragraphs before, I still believe and see lots of projection within Houston's game, and he is a late bloomer within the power department than most in college. Houston has a solid chance to hear his name early in next year's draft, and he could be the first SS off the board. A lot of this ease in decision-making for teams regarding Houston comes from his limitless ceiling and the high athletic floor that he possesses. Houston should be a fun follow this upcoming spring and moving forward in his pro career; he is a non-stop defensive highlight reel and potential offensive threat in the making.
Earlier in the spring, Jared Perkins had the opportunity to catch Wake Forest for some live looks and saw Marek Houston Here.
Next time I’ll have full reports and notes on some of the top performers that popped over the summer on the Cape.