MLB Draft

Recca's Fall Notebook Part 2: Lafayette v East Stroudsburg Scrimmage

I joined colleague Jake Bargery on a rainy, overcast day to watch Lafayette College’s scrimmage against DII East Stroudsburg. Not having seen either school in the 2024 season, this was a great chance to get familiar with both Pennsylvania programs.

Lafayette’s baseball program often loses top talent to the transfer portal, with two of their hardest-throwing pitchers, Luke Craytor (Virginia Tech) and Mason Koczwara (Florida SouthWestern), leaving this offseason. The previous year, it was Alex Walsh (Maryland), and before that, future major leaguer Jake Bloss (Georgetown). Building a solid pitching staff will be challenging, but several promising arms show potential for growth. On offense, Lafayette brings more stability with a mix of proven hitters and emerging talent, led by JR Ethan Swidler, a potential Patriot League star and draft prospect. The lineup’s strength should allow Lafayette to compete well in-conference, and if the pitching develops, they could be a dark horse.

East Stroudsburg, a consistent DII contender, competes in the highly regarded PSAC conference alongside top programs like Millersville, Seton Hill, and West Chester. Draft talent coming out of the PSAC in any given year is not uncommon, and it was only two drafts ago that ESU had a player chosen in RHP Tom Reisinger. The Warriors have finished with a winning percentage of 67% or higher in each of the last three seasons. Longtime ace Brent Francisco, hard-throwing Nick McAuliffe, and lockdown reliever Carson Renner (now at Penn State) will be tough to replace, but Coach John Kochmansky and company have a knack for piecing together highly effective pitching staffs. The Warriors have finished no lower than 3rd in ERA from 2022-2024 in the PSAC. Despite some turnover on offense, several veteran players look poised for breakout seasons. Whether future pros are in this ESU squad remains to be seen, but they’re a respected program with strong scouting interest year after year.


Lafayette College

ETHAN SWIDLER

Position: Catcher

Year: JR: | Draft Age: 21.07

B: Right | T: Right

H: 6’1 | W: 200

Photo Credit: Hannah Ally

The Leopards offense will be led by JR catcher Ethan Swidler. Getting a live look at Swidler prior to the 2025 season was a priority after he made the All-Patriot League First Team last spring. Swidler split time between catcher and first base as a sophomore and finished the year with a .327/.460/.572 line which included 9 homers and more walks (39) than strikeouts (35) in 202 plate appearances. Beyond the box score stats, Swidler also stood out in several data categories:

Average EV: 90 MPH | 85th percentile

90th Percentile EV: 105 MPH | 81st percentile

Barrel Rate: 24% | 78th percentile

Contact Rate: 82% | 79th percentile

Chase Rate: 12.7% | 98th percentile

Swinging Strike Rate: 6.1% | 89th percentile

That’s an extremely well-rounded offensive game that covers contact ability, power, and plate discipline. In 2024 there were two other Patriot League hitters with similarly versatile data profiles, Bucknell’s Sean Keys and Lehigh’s Rafe Perich. Keys was drafted in the 4th round by the Blue Jays while Perich went to the Rangers in the 7th. Here’s how the three stack up:

Obviously, Swidler is in good company. A continuation of this level of production will be enough to put him on the draft radar though whether or not he is ultimately a day-two selection like Keys and Perich will depend on other factors. But just looking at Swidler the size, physicality, and strength at the plate are clear. He starts out in a crouched stance, somewhat closed, with high hands, and the bat angled slightly upwards. Swidler coils up with a short stride, really digging in his front foot to the ground to generate good torque and plenty of bat speed. Swidler was walked multiple times during the game and it was evident from my view behind home plate that Swidler was identifying pitches early, allowing him to remain in the strike zone. He did square one pitch (GIF below), a high breaking ball that he lined directly at the shortstop. While a collection of plate appearances resulting in walks isn’t great for content, it was useful information for both myself and Jake. Overall, the physicality, the approach, and the few swings we did see were enough for us to determine that Swidler isn’t just a player who looks good on a spreadsheet, there are legitimate tools for the next level.

Of course, the burning question for amateur catching prospects will be whether or not they can stick at the position. Last year Swidler played 31 games at first base and 19 at catcher. He was behind the plate during this scrimmage and I have to imagine that he spends the majority of his time back there in 2025. Now I’m no catching expert. I never played the position and I rely heavily on other sources such as scouts and coaches when trying to piece together a player’s defensive profile. In other words, take my opinion with a grain of salt. However, sometimes you “know it when you see it” and in this look, I did not see it. Swidler made some good blocks in the dirt but it was a little inconsistent. There were some good flashes on the receiving end but again, it wasn’t consistent. Swidler showed good arm strength but the throwing mechanics were, you guessed it, inconsistent. I included some of his receiving and a throw down between innings in the video below. Context is important here. Swidler is still relatively inexperienced at the position and this was a fall ball scrimmage on a wet, dreary day. Making a firm call on his defensive future based on this single game would be a mistake. The way I look at it, this game sets a baseline. We can compare where he was on this day to what he looks like in April or May. Is there progress? How much? Will it continue? Until we’re able to answer those questions, Swidler’s future defensive home remains up in the air. But going back to Sean Keys and Rafe Perich for a moment, it’s not like those two were defensive stalwarts either. Their bats carried the overall profile and the same will be true for Swidler. He’ll be an early favorite for Patriot League Player of the Year and a player who scouts will check up on throughout the spring.


Outside of Swidler, SR third baseman Michael Zarrillo and SO shortstop Matt Colella should be integral pieces of the everyday lineup. Zarrillo is a switch hitter with superb physicality at 6’1-220. He has well above-average power and a strong arm that fits at the hot corner. He’ll need to reign the swing-and-miss but Zarrillo has 17 homers over the past two years and is a double-digit home run threat for 2025. Colella has a very different profile than Zarrillo with a smaller 5’9-175 build. Colella finished his freshman year with a .252/.368/.329 line and an impressive 89% contact rate. He lacks impact power but he makes pitchers work and puts pressure on the defense with his bat-to-ball ability. He was adequate defensively at shortstop but the profile might be a better fit at second base. Colella is a good bet to improve substantially during his second year on campus.


The final player who stood out offensively for Lafayette was third-year outfielder Bode Grieve. Grieve is the son of nine-year veteran and 1998 Rookie of the Year, Ben Grieve. Bode has made stops at Baylor and New Mexico State but never received game action with either squad. That will certainly change this year as Bode looked like a quality athlete with good size at 6’3. He was on base often with a couple of walks and a pulled line drive double down the left field line. We’ll have to see how he holds up over the course of a full season, but Grieve is a nice wild card for a program like Lafayette. Grieve has some upside and could bolster the top of the Leopards lineup this spring.

SR RHP Joe Skapinetz made the start for Lafayette and received two innings of work. The 6 '5 righty topped out at 92 MPH and sat in the 89-91 MPH range. He also threw what appeared to be a mid-80s cutter, an upper-70s slider that he used to record two strikeouts and one changeup. He moved well down the mound for his size, getting well above average extension in his delivery which allowed his stuff to play up. Skapinetz hasn’t had much success in previous seasons but looked like a potential rotation anchor in this viewing.

A handful of underclass arms showed some positive traits. RHP Sophomore Tristan Helmick is probably the one with the most upside and draft potential. He’s highly projectable with a lanky build at  6’6-185. Helmick gets extended well and flashes a heavy sinker that sits around 87 MPH, topping out at 90. He filled out his arsenal with a low 80s cutter, a mid-70s curveball with above-average depth, and a low 80s changeup. None of his secondaries stood out in this appearance but there is potential with each offering as he continues to grow and begins to harness his pitchability. Helmick is a work in progress, but there’s loads of development potential, making him a good name to follow. Joining Helmick as potential follows are righties Ben Waterman and Kellen Moore. Waterman is a sophomore transfer from DIII Hamilton College with a solid 6’2-190 build. Waterman showed decent feel for a three-pitch mix and was up to 90 MPH while sitting 87-89. Moore meanwhile, is a prized recruit for the Leopards and looks ready to contribute out of the gate. The 6 '4 New Jersey native sat 89-90 MPH with a highly effective changeup in the 80-82 range while also mixing in a mid-to-upper 70s slider.

Tristan Helmick, RHP

Sophomore

Photo Credit: Hannah Ally


East Stroudsburg

Getting the Start for ESU was Charleston Southern transfer RHP Ryan Cavanaugh. The redshirt FR has good length to his leaner frame and has the potential to be a long-term building block for Coach Kochmansky’s pitching staff. He opened up in the 89-90 range before sitting 86-88 in the second inning. Cavanaugh has been up to 92-93 in the past and with the physical projection that he possesses, it would not be surprising if he was sitting in that low 90s area in the future. He complimented his fastball with a slider in the 82-84 range that had cutter shape, a 76-78 MPH slurve, and a changeup between 78-81 MPH.

Two more righties that caught my attention were JR Jaden Newton and SR Caden Parker. Newton showed the most velocity for any ESU arm touching 92 MPH while working in a low 80s slider that showed flashes of being an effective weapon and a changeup in a similar velocity band. Consistent strikes have been a concern in the past but the 6 '4-215 righty has quality arm strength and the blueprint for a competent three-pitch mix. Meanwhile, Caden Parker showed why he was such an effective weapon late in games for the Warriors in 2024. The UMES transfer secured 12 saves during his first season with ESU with a 2.25 ERA. He won’t blow you away with velocity but he mixes his 88-90 MPH fastball and 78-80 MPH slider effectively with plenty of deception in his delivery. Finally, I liked what I saw from SO Peyton Brannock. The projectable 6’1 lefty tossed two shutout innings during the scrimmage while striking out a pair of batters. Brannock is a good mover on the mound and I liked the slight crossfire action to his delivery. He topped out at 89 MPH and sat 87-88 with good life. He also showed solid feel for spinning his upper 70s curveball and added a changeup that flashed some fading action. It’s more control over command for now but Brannock has a lot of positive traits and his development will be worth tracking over the next year and change.

Shanley Wall, CF

Junior

Photo Credit: Dave Janosz

The Warriors offense is led by redshirt JR first baseman Parker Frey. The 6’2-225 lefty slugger is coming off a strong 2024 season that saw him hit .339/.425/.514 with 5 homers and more walks (26) than strikeouts (16). While there is plenty of raw pop, Frey doesn’t sell out for power as he’s more than comfortable taking what pitchers give him. He scorched a ball the opposite way and another towards the middle of the field for extra-base hits. It’s a mature approach from a seasoned hitter with enough strength to boost his home run total in a major way this spring. The biggest hit of the day was courtesy of redshirt SO infielder Walker Zampella. A righty bat with a strong, thick build, Zampella smacked a no-doubter to his pull side. He’s coming off a .309/.413/.463 season and has experience playing both up the middle positions on the dirt. Lastly, JR centerfielder Shanley Wall will be a major focal point of the Warriors offensive attack. Wall is the younger brother of former St Joseph’s OF Conlan Wall who was a spark plug and consistent performer throughout his college career. Shanley is in the same mold. He has a short, stout build at 5’9-185 and gets the most out of his physical tools. He’s a pesky hitter who is coming off a phenomenal 2024 season that saw him hit .401/,472/.553 with 4 homers, 21 extra-base hits, and a 22:12 B-to-K ratio in 233 plate appearances.

2025 MLB Draft: Top 75 Collegiate Prospects

2025 MLB Draft: Top 75 Collegiate Prospects

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.

Switz Report: Recap 2024 Cape Cod "Top Performers" Heading into the 2025 Draft

As promised in my last article, I come back this week to deliver some of the top performers that were seen on the Cape this year. To clear any confusion that may develop, some of the guys that you see below I would even classify as dudes that could’ve been in the last article of the best dudes and talent overall in the league like Aiva Arquette and vice versa as many of guys in the last article were the headliners and statistical leaders of the summer. 


Nonetheless, the dudes last time around are guys that I feel very confident that they will end up getting their name called on the first day and have little risk of falling out of the first round and CB-A unless drastic measures occur. This week, there are guys that caught fire this year in some capacity and really turned it on where they could develop the rumblings of being drafted early. 


As mentioned in last week’s article, the pitching on the Cape this year was underwhelming, and thus again, this week we are shut out with arms that really grabbed attention. I will highlight some of the pitchers who did well and have some early draft upside on a later day. However, the position players again take the prize of being recognized this week and I’m excited to highlight a backstop that has garnered attention during the 2024 baseball calendar (When given the opportunity to highlight catcher’s I love to give that attention as many get overlooked for the flashy web-gem play’s and flamethrowing arms in the sport.). 


Below are five dudes that I saw on the Cape that developed some breakout performances and numbers over the summer where they proved they belong to be mentioned with the top college dudes eligible in next year's draft. Many of these guys showed some struggles or absences sometime during their first two seasons of college baseball but developed helium strides with a good 2024 college season and Cape this summer. 



| INF Aiva Arquette | Oregon St. | Draft Eligible: 2025 |

Cape Numbers: .291/.357/.437 (.794), 4 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 21 RBI, 15 R, 2 SB, 8 BB, 28 K (23.9%)

Switz’s Notes: Last time before publishing the first Cape article, I went back and forth if I wanted to add Arquette. However, I wanted to keep a five-prospect structure to my article series and omitted him. Nevertheless, he easily could've been added to the "Best of the Best" as he grabbed the eyes of anyone who attended Chatham games over the summer, from his 6 '4 size at short to his ability to make an impact on nearly every play, which led to an easy All-Star selection in the middle of July that was rightfully deserved.


When evaluating draft prospects and heading into each July, I love it when the industry has the ability to highlight an individual coming out of the island(s) of Hawaii as they rightly deserve more recognition and a spotlight that doesn't come their way. This is the same case for a guy like Arquette, who came off the island as a toolsy prospect and now is making a name for himself on the West Coast after a robust performance this summer that grabbed the attention of all college baseball and headlined many transfer portal big boards. This ushers him with the ability and potential argument to be the best college position player in next year's draft and even the highest Hawaiian ever drafted during the annual Rule 4 Draft in MLB history.


Arquette manned the middle of the order during his tenure with Washington before jumping to Oregon State and played second base for the Huskies. While he excelled up the middle at second, over the summer, he proved that moving forward he should be on the left side of the dirt as he was one of the best defensive shortstops seen by scouts over the summer on the Cape. Many scouts, evaluators, and talking baseball heads on the internet go back and forth with where Arquette’s long-term position is at the pro level: whether he stays at short or moves over to third base to match his lengthy size and arm strength. Which I do agree that either third base or even right field would match his profile better. However, he showed me enough over the summer that he could play shortstop and would take an elite SS defender to move him off the position for me to relocate him on the diamond. 


When seeing these talks about Arquette moving to the corner or even the outfield, it gives me flashback vibes when they told Carlos Correa coming out of high school and even Troy Tulowitzki coming out of Long Beach that due to the length at the six-hole, they would not be able to play shortstop at the next level. However, even as tall players for the position, they showed their athleticism and defensive prowess to stay up the middle at shortstop and evolve into a cornerstone franchise player at the premium position, a pattern Arquette could follow.

Outside of displaying his abilities on the dirt, Arquette also balled out with the bat and showed that he can impact the game in many ways regardless of how the coach constructs their lineup by exhibiting RBI producer traits and XBHs at the dish (In 22 games generated 45 total bases and 21 RBIs which was T12 in the league). Further, a standout tool that sells me on Arquette for the next level is a data drop highlighted and outlined by former Prospects Live Analyst Joe Doyle below of Aiva's ability to hit the ball hard in the zone consistently within the same past precedence as many top draft selections and prospects have. This trait of Arquette's was very apparent on the Cape, and he further displayed a unique skill from over the spring: hardly chasing and whiffing in the zone. In my opinion, these traits are substantial reasons for the helium that you will see out of Arquette in the next calendar year going into the 2025 draft. If he has a monster 2025 where he can consistently lift the ball more and see further development within his raw pop, he can become a top 10 selection in July. 

Additionally, Arquette has a true gift on the diamond and plays the game uniquely, so it is hard to give him a true MLB comp. He plays very lanky and athletic, which makes me want to compare him to the Cruz's in the NL Central; however, they are true unicorns of the game with far better tools and athleticism than Arquette. At times, he gives Brandon Crawford-like vibes at SS, with his defense standing out, but I believe Arquette's power potential and offensive production will surpass Crawford when he truly develops on his raw power. So, for the readers, the best MLB comp I can give Arquette that I have thought of is him developing into a Troy Tulowizki-like dude, as I mentioned multiple times in my report. Two dudes that coming out of the draft, have an MLB-ready body and have all the tools that will be close to big league-ready when drafted (Tulo came up 14 months after he was drafted, and I can see Arquette following the same path if he has a monster spring as everything seems to come to him quickly within the game of baseball). Both are good defenders with a sound internal clock and the game doesn't get too fast for them. However, despite their good athleticism on the dirt and strong arm, they will likely be labeled offensive SS at the next level due to their RBI production and HR potential. 

Overall, the Hawaiian sold me on the product he is selling, which has upside bat-to-ball skills with all field contact, emerging robust pop, and defense/athleticism to stay at the premium six on the diamond. Not to sound like a true homer on the guy, but he is currently number one on my preferred list and 2025 draft big board going into fall ball and displays to me potential five-tool and annual All-Star upside. The sky's the limit for this dude and going into a draft where there seems to be lots of swing-and-miss in many draft profiles, I would bet on his in-zone contact, bat-to-ball skills, and athleticism over anyone else if I were an amateur scouting director. He should be an exciting draft prospect for the 2025 draft for us to watch next spring and follow moving forward. 


| OF/INF RJ Austin | Vanderbilt | Draft Eligible: 2025 |

Cape Numbers: .321/.361/.536 (.896), 6 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 10 R, 6 SB, 3 BB, 12 K (19.3%)

*Played in only 15 contests

Switz’s Notes: Austin was a late arrival on the Cape this summer after starting his summer campaign with Team USA in Cary. However, the former big-time prep star who passed on the opportunity of getting his name called in 2022 to go to Vandy made some noise over the summer by showing his athleticism more than the first base landlock that he was given over the spring and further displaying more soundness in his bat by hitting over .300, spraying hard contact everywhere. Anyone who watches Austin play sees the tools and high baseball IQ upside that he brings to the table for a pro team if selected. During the summer, Austin even showed some of his developing pop in his game with triple-digit EVs for XBHs. He even exhibited pull-side power to touch all the bases periodically in the summer without needing the turbo footspeed he provides. After back-to-back years on the Cape, exhibiting quality results with the wood, further indicates that outside of getting one of the best athletes in the draft, he has a quality hit tool that appears to get discounted at times. Austin further proved outside chatter wrong on the substantial question mark he had coming out of high school regarding his hitting/contact abilities. 

In the box, since coming to Vandy, he has changed his approach and has consistently tinkered with many things during ABs. The first thing that usually stands out within Austin is that he added more uphillness in his swing to tap into more XBH and HR pop. He’s also shuffled around, incorporating bigger leg kicks for better timing, lowering his hands, being a little more open, taking bigger strides, etc. He has shown the desire to improve his game and become the best version of himself at the plate possible and uses his time on the Cape to practice these in live AB settings. Seeing these things come together matched with his player profile and work ethic; this clicked the idea in my head of his player comp being similar to Ketel Marte (I know he is a switch-hitter; however, he didn’t hit double-digit HRs until he made changes to his swings) as he was a dude that went down the same path of a toolsy athlete, always looking to hit, and flashes the leather on occasion that makes being on the field for defense look easy. However, to be a more desirable and well-rounded ballplayer, they needed to tap more into their pop and produce HRs, which Marte did and has become a cornerstone player for Arizona. 

Many of you may be asking and reading all this word salad, "ok why are you bringing this up?". I bring this to the limelight because after watching RJ's game over the summer and getting an eye on his metrics, it seems like Austin is getting towards the end of the road with his tinkering needed to be able to produce the necessary pop that Marte needed to break out at a young age as Austin is learning to simplify it down more at the plate, trust his core rotation, and getting more out of his energy from his back hip to drive the baseball deeper than before. With everything that Austin has worked on over the last two years with the Red Sox on the Cape and back in Nashville, and to quote that annoying Costco guy from TikTok, I think we are going to see either a big "boom or doom" season for Austin in a similar light as Mike Sirtoa in the 2023-2024 calendar where it is a strong contact numbers hitter with toolsy traits and athleticism that is trying to maximize themselves as a ballplayer for the next level by tinkering at the plate to see if they can summon more pop and HR production into their game. For Sirota, it didn't work out during the spring before the draft, and he fell from a potential top-15 player in the draft to the third round. I like Austin's chances a lot more than Sirota's due to his metrics and mechanics at the plate, which align more for the long ball than Sirota's, as he displayed more line drive pop than uphill-ness for the long ball. 

Overall, going into this spring and next year's draft, Austin is going to be a violent, high-risk, and high-reward prospect that is hard for anyone to project for July. Since he was an HS prospect, Austin has always had the speed, athleticism, competitive instinct, and makeup for the next level. However, it was always about projecting what the hit tool and future value of the bat can provide. For Austin, after two years in college and on the Cape, it can be shown that he has the contact tool for the next level and the ingredients to be an everyday start for the pro level. However, the ability to tap into his HR pop within his elevation approach will be a deciding factor for his longevity in professional baseball. A strong spring that shows the pop that I expect should place him somewhere within that first round with college arms, last-minute helium guys, and the HS crop possibly passing him up. If he produces a season where the pop isn't made and doesn't align with the hard contact displayed over the 2024 calendar year, then a fall into early day two is possible like it did for Mike Sirota. Regardless of how the pop plays out, Austin has substantial contact tools for the next level and should hold his own even during this launch angle era baseball is currently in. 

| 3B Trent Caraway | Oregon St. | Draft Eligible: 2025 |

Cape Numbers: .276/.362/.449 (.811), 5 2B, 4 HR, 21 RBI, 17 R, 5 SB, 13 BB, 21 K (18.1%)

Switz’s Notes: Another Beaver from Oregon St makes this list of top performers from the summer on the Cape. Rewinding to the 2023 season, Caraway was one of the big surprises from that prep class who decided to take his talents to college over being selected in the draft (even with his mature athletic traits and advances in the box). He was a prospect and incoming freshman that many in the Pac-12 were excited to see play over the spring; however, his season was shortened to 18 games due to an injury with a broken finger. During his time over the spring and summer, he showed flashes with the bat by consistently producing hard contact and video game-like exit velocities. However, the ability to deliver these hard contact hits into HRs and XBHs is where he needs to pick up his game with little results so far and show more production versus movement outside of having the ability to bang FBs all over the park when pitched middle-middle. A consistent issue seen over his time on the Cape was him falling into being a victim of GDP (ground into double plays) due to his undesirable knack of hitting ground balls and not getting enough loft on the ball when hitting spin (an issue that carried over from the spring into his time with Falmouth).

Due to these tendencies, many teams picked this up in their advanced scouting reports in the league and started to pitch more spin and movement when he was at the dish down the stretch this summer. Even returning to his short stint in the spring, he produced a nasty 53% groundball rate. Over the summer, I believe he toiled on this issue and emphasized ironing out these issues seen in spring 2024 and minimizing them going into spring 2025 by displaying more line drive contact later on the Cape season. The issue I would like to see more from him in the spring is the ability to hit spin and give the Beaver fans what they want and for him to be productive. 

Regardless, I believe he has the tools and ability to turn all this around and take his rough 2024 baseball campaign and flip it 180 degrees in 2025, as before the injury struck him, he was a force to be reckoned with at the plate and was a front runner to be Freshman of the Year in his conference. Further, I see him getting some minor stuff worked out in the box where he can tap into the power for production more often and become a powerful home run hitter. He has smooth and fluid operation in the box, which I love in his game, and he has very polished movements and mechanics.

On the defensive side of the ball, he did show some struggles with Falmouth on the left side of the dirt, which even led to the point that he got benched for a game for his mistakes. At the pro level and the end of the road for Caraway, I think teams will have him match the power profile he delivers and move to 1st base with him putting more emphasis and energy into his offensive side of the ball. With him being a former high school prospect who was highly desired coming out of school, I think the floor is high for him going into the draft. A good season at the dish could skyrocket him into the first half of Day 1. However, I do not see him falling out of the top 50 - 60 unless some significant red flags or college influence motivates him to stay (cough….cough…NIL). A healthy Caraway next spring should be an exciting show to watch, and I believe that with the potent lineup that the Beavers will have, he should be able to carve a significant role at the plate with many RBI-producing opportunities and be a highly talked-about name in scouting circles. 


| OF Brandon Compton | Arizona St. | Draft Eligible: 2025 |

Cape Numbers: .331/.414/.489 (.903), 3 2B, 6 HR, 30 RBI, 26 R, 2 SB, 21 BB, 26K (16.6%)

Switz’s Notes: If you ask who took the opportunity to grab the "brass rings" during the 2023 - 2024 college baseball calendar, many would answer Charlie Condon, Hagen Smith; some might answer Braden Montgomery or even Christian Moore. However, I would answer with Brandon Compton!

Compton was an under-the-radar two-way prospect who worked his way to Tempe over the summer of 2022 with the Sun Devils coaching staff with big expectations for him even with being ranked outside of the top 300 on PBR and not even given a grade on Perfect game as the coaching staff saw something in his game. Compton missed his true freshman season in 2023 after undergoing Tommy John Surgery, which regulated him to being a bat-only profile. Thus, he came back into the fold for the Sun Devils in the last year of the traditional Pac-12 conference and blew the doors off the competition at the dish, leading him to take the Pac-12 Conference Freshman of the Year award as a redshirt. After a strong spring for ASU, he continued his monster 2024 campaign by being a consistent offensive key for the Kettleers this summer, producing an impressive slash line of .331/.414/.489  and creating his own spotlight within the Cotuit lineup with eventual first-round talent Devin Taylor. Compton did have the opportunity last summer to get some reps within the Northwoods League. There, he first displayed that his bat isn't a joke with the wood by hammering .320/.423/.563 with 21 long balls and 71 RBIs (maybe one of the best productive seasons you may ever find from a college summer ball player). 

However, even with the impressive resume in the last calendar year, during his time on the Cape, and even going into next spring, Compton has some stuff to clean up offensively to remain a coveted prospect and continue the hype he has created in his 2024 breakout. First, he strikes out way too much (near a 25% clip) and needs to get that down (as most of his K's come from whiffs and chase on movement/offspeed). On the Cape, he helped himself by only striking out 16.5% in a small summer sample size, but he still has that chip on his shoulder from scouts that he needs to prove more versus movement. Which I get from a scout's perspective that with Compton only really providing an offensive profile with him being an underwhelming defender; they really need to make sure (some would add the pun and say "hit it out of the park") that the offensive profile will play for the next level. Next, having the ability to draw walks is a key ability that Compton needs to improve on after producing a BB rate of 10.8% last spring and roughly 13.3% on the Cape. When you go back and look at some of the best hitters coming out of college and getting selected early on Day 1 of the draft, most, if not all, have the ability to draw walks; a surge in this department next spring will boost his stock and value for next July. 

Over on Baseball America, former Prospects Live analyst and founder Geoff Pontes made a great comparison between Brandon Compton and recent first-round draft pick James Tibbs III, which is a great comp to have on the Sun Devil prospect currently. Many evaluators and scouts projected Tibbs mainly as an offensive profile player in college. Similarly, he had below-average defense, some swing-and-miss within his younger years (needed to lower his K%), and needed to display a boost in his walk rates to get his respectable draft stock up. 

Thus, going into his draft-eligible season, Tibbs went to work. During his junior year at FSU and during his time within the Cape for Brewster the summer prior, he continued to impress with his contact tools and loud power potential, and it showed statistically. Coming off his freshman season into his upperclass years, he steadily climbed in home runs, WRC+, OPS, and batting average to finish his three-year college career. Tibbs ended college, lowering his K% to roughly 10% and boosting a respectable 18% BB rate to be selected in the first round. 

Granted, Tibbs did this in three years at FSU, and Compton just came off his first year of college ball healthy. However, for Compton to garner that first-round status that Tibbs achieved going into his first draft-eligible college season, he will need to build off his freshman year and grow/develop further as a hitter Tibbs did. The helium is there for Compton, who is no longer in the shadows as an unknown hitter. The attention is now on him, and if he wants to get his name called on Day 1 next July, he will need to iron out his weakness and provide a substantial offensive performance next spring. As of right now, I like him within the latter half of the top 100 prospects when you factor in the HS dudes and I presently see him as an early day two prospect within the second or third round (picks if selected, may be too tempting for him to pass regarding the offered pool even with another two years of eligibility remaining).


| C Easton Carmichael | Oklahoma | Draft Eligible: 2025 |

Cape Numbers: .299/.372/.496 (.868), 10 2B, 5 HR, 23 RBI, 22 R, 6 SB,13 BB, 26K (17.8%)

Switz’s Notes:  An emerging offensive star out of Oklahoma who bears a keen eye and impressive ability to make contact to all fields at the plate. Carmichael carried that success from back-to-back springs in the Big-12 onto the Cape this summer and continued to display his bat-to-ball skills in front of MLB scouts. I believe the bat can play for the next level, and it is the best tool at his disposal. It should translate to solid contact and batting average production in the pros. He’s improved as a hitter every spring by lowering his K% and gradually improving the free passes. The Cape gave him a different feel and level of competition this summer, yet he held his own. However, there really isn’t any future value regarding the power and home run department in his profile, which hurts him in many phases of the game (especially with him making a possible move to 1st base) and looks to be more of a hard contact doubles hitter that could sneak some pop over the wall in smaller ballparks. Advanced metrics and analytical teams that value ballpark factors in their amateur evaluation and roster construction process may roll the dice of putting him in the lineup and trusting he can muster the pop needed for run production (similar to how the Reds implemented Kyle Farmer in their infielder with his hard contact abilities and RBI producing upside. An example I used in my report of giving him a Kyle Farmer power comp.). 

That said, Carmichael needs to make further strides behind the dish to become a better catcher for the next level and match his bat profile. When watching Carmichael, he is proficient at the advanced traits and skills behind the dish teams desire (framing and blocking) and shows some strain in the fundamental level tasks (arm strength and receiving). I do believe there's time for him to be able to fix these issues, as we have seen other household college catchers who have gone pro having the same issues (Ex. Zach Collins, 1st round White Sox 2016). Thus, it gives me the feeling that if he goes to a team that has a strong player development and catching development program, he can develop into being a catcher at the major league level that had athletic traits but some warts in their game behind the dish like the example from my report of Lucroy, coming out of the draft and through development. 

The only red flag in Carmichael's game going into the spring that worries me that he cannot control is where he is played when the lineup card is turned in and is a point of emphasis during fall ball that will control his destiny for the spring. Over the summer for YD, in most of the games I saw with Carmichael, he was either chicken scratched in at DH or first base for the Red Sox. Last spring, Oklahoma used him primarily as a DH in their lineup down the stretch (roughly 64% of contests in the 2024 spring) due to his inability to control the running game and weaker arm strength. If college and summer ball coaches are already emphasizing moving him off catcher for the next level, it doesn't give a good sign of confidence that scouts and minor league staff will give him a chance behind the dish. Nonetheless, suppose Carmichael takes the reins in fall ball to establish himself as "the catcher" for the Sooners in 2025. In that case, he has a decent shot at staying behind the dish for the early beginnings of his pro-level career (especially with this next year's catching class looking more top-heavy than depth). If Carmichael creates mystery, loses the battle, or creates platoon work behind the dish for 2025 and gets regulated back to DH/1B duties. Then, it wouldn't give strong signs for him going into next year's draft without some further power established in his game.


Next time I’ll have full reports and notes on some of the guys that grabbed my eye over the summer on the Cape that little are talking about.

Deep Drives: Devin Obee Commits to Georgia

While the summer transfer portal has closed, that doesn’t mean that the movement within the college landscape stops. On Tuesday, ex-Duke outfielder Devin Obee, who received significant draft interest this past summer, made his commitment to Wes Johnson’s Georgia squad, beefing up an already impressive transfer class for the second-year skipper.

With the news of the transfer now public, I felt it was a good time to try something a bit different. Since Obee was a guy that I saw on plenty of occasions this past spring, it only feels right to write about the player and how the profile will translate to the SEC. It may be a tough transition, but Obee is the kind of bat that can be a middle-of-the-order thumper for a team that just lost Charlie Condon and his BBCOR HR record to Colorado. So, what is the toolset like? What are the expectations in Athens, and what does Duke do to replace such a power threat in their lineup? Let’s dive in.

Devin Obee’s Profile

As mentioned in the introduction, Obee had substantial draft interest and turned down a significant sum of money to complete his degree and enter the portal in August. Obee was ranked 229th on our final Top 300 board that dropped just before the draft. He’s still eligible to play in the 2025 campaign as a result of this late entry, unlike situations like Wake Forest RHP Luke Schmolke, who couldn’t pitch in 2024 after a late transfer from Georgia Tech.

Overall, Obee is one of the more gifted athletes in the country. He’s a physical brute at 6’2, 215 pounds and features a ton of strength throughout his frame. Despite his size, Obee is an incredible athlete and figures to handle center field for the Bulldogs in 2025. Obee made plenty of highlight reel plays at the “eight” for the Blue Devils and features above-average speed and average or better defense. It’s not Vance Honeycutt good, but it’s enough for me to believe that he’ll be tough to push off the position if he enters a professional organization. His route-running is very solid and he’ll cover plenty of ground with that speed. Obee only committed one error and posted a .991 fielding percentage in 2024, giving him a track record of consistency at the position.

With that said, 2024 was his only full season in a starting role at Duke. Obee saw some meaningful playing time in his first two years on campus, playing in 87 total games, but he only recorded a total of 184 plate appearances. That changed in 2024, as he secured a starting role and began the year on an impressive hot streak, posting a .476 batting average in non-conference play. As the ACC slate began, Obee began to be exploited a bit by more impressive pitching, though he’d finish the year with a .309/.399/.599 slash line and sixteen home runs. During Duke’s run to the ACC title in Charlotte, Obee recorded three multi-hit games and three home runs, earning Tournament MVP honors in the process.

Obee’s swing is a bit grooved and stiff, which has led to contact concerns. Obee posted a contact rate of 68% in 2024, which is well below-average in comparison to the rest of college baseball (the average is 77.3%). Obee struggled a ton with both velocity and spin, recording a whiff rate of 27% on heaters and a rate of 40% on sliders alone. This led to his inflated strikeout numbers, as he recorded sixty punchouts this spring, though Obee kept his chase rate near the average clip for college baseball, posting a 22.5% chase rate in 2024 (the average is 23.4%). This kept his walk rate to a respectable clip on the season and while his speed wasn’t utilized a ton on the bases, scouts raved about the power in the swing.

In the clip above, you can see what helps Obee generate a ton of his power. He’s a violent rotator with tons of bat speed and there’s natural loft to his swing, allowing him to lift the ball with ease. It’s legitimate all-fields power with Obee, grading out as above-average to plus with hefty exit velocities. Obee jumped the 110 MPH echelon on numerous occasions, maxing out at 111.3 MPH with one of his ACC Tournament home runs. It’s the calling card of his offensive profile and will be a valuable asset in the age of the long ball in college baseball.

While Obee is a college graduate, he will still be on the younger side of the upperclass bats in this year’s class. He was only 20 years and 9 months old on July 14th and won’t turn 22 years old until September 20, 2025, which bodes well for model-friendly teams. If there’s a solid performance against tougher competition in 2025, there’s a good chance that teams will view him somewhere in the latter half of Day Two, similar to the case this past summer.

Outcomes for Georgia and Duke

For Georgia, the outcome of this commitment is pretty cut and dry. Obee fills a hole not only in the outfield, but also in the power department offensively. Of the 151 home runs hit as a team in 2024, 66 of them were hit by players taken in the draft (Condon, Corey Collins, and Fernando Gonzalez). Georgia’s portal additions help ease the pain of these losses, as Robbie Burnett, Ryland Zaborowski, and Daniel Jackson all recorded double-digit home run totals in 2024, plus Kolby Branch, Slate Alford, and Tre Phelps all return to Athens, too. There’s a chance that the 2025 team could outslug the 2024 squad, especially with the way the ball continues to fly out of the ballpark at an infinite clip. The pitching looks to be on the stronger side, as well. This is a team with Omaha aspirations after a campaign that fell one game short of that goal in 2024.

As for Duke, replacing Obee’s leadership and power will be a tough task. Duke was poached on the pitching side of the draft and while Alex Stone signed with Toronto, there’s a hefty amount of bats returning to campus in Durham. There won’t be any Zac Morris, but Ben Miller went undrafted and the likes of Macon Winslow, AJ Gracia, and Kyle Johnson will step foot in Jack Coombs in 2025. Two outfielders from the Northeast will travel south to Durham, as well, as Jake Hyde and Ben Rounds will test their tools in the ACC this spring. In the power department, Duke will be eager to get Sam Harris valuable playing time. Coaches have raved about Harris’ raw power and there’s a good chance that a healthy spring will equate to hefty power numbers from the sophomore from Iowa. This won’t be a team to sleep on and much like Georgia, the lofty expectations of Omaha may well and truly become reality.

2025 MLB Draft: Top 30 Prep Prospects

It’s finally August and the 2024 MLB Draft signing deadline has passed, so it’s time to dig further into next year’s class. We’ve already put out our Top 30 College prospects list a month ago, and as we’ve gotten our live looks in on the prep class, we meticulously built our Top 30 Prep list.

There is a disclaimer to be said here: the summer circuit is still underway. East Coast Pro is currently ongoing and Area Codes start up in short order. There’s a lot that will change between now and the next rankings update and the same will be said about the college list when we update it. Those updates will come in due time. Until then, we’re proud to release our first rendition of our 2025 prep list to give our readers an early glimpse into our rankings for the new draft cycle.


1. 3B Ethan Holliday, Stillwater (OK)

Height: 6’4

Weight: 210

b/t: L/R

Draft Day Age: 18 yr 4 mo

Commitment: Oklahoma State

Hometown: Stillwater, OK

The younger brother of 2022 first overall pick Jackson, Ethan is already more physical and displaying louder tools than Jackson did at this stage. Offensively, Holliday's toolset is as loud as it gets. He has excellent pitch recognition and mature plate discipline, paired with a buttery smooth left-handed swing. Holliday is relatively passive and stays within the zone, garnering walks at a frequent rate, plus he's gotten better at shortening his swing and becoming more direct to the baseball. He's already posted triple-digit exit velocities on the regular in-game, too, including a 111 MPH bolt during 18U trials. Scouts expect Holliday to add more muscle to his frame as he matures physically, enhancing his power potential. There's not much to hate on that side of the ball. As a defender, many believe his ultimate home will be third base, as his physical frame is better suited for the position. He's shown solid range and fluidity in his game on the dirt and his strong arm would fit perfectly at the hot corner. He's looking like the lead candidate for 1.1 at this point. If Holliday elects to attend school, he'll stay home and attend Oklahoma State.


2. 3B/OF Xavier Neyens, Mount Vernon (WA)

Height: 6’4

Weight: 205

b/t: L/R

Draft Day Age: 18 YR 8 MO

Commitment: Oregon State

Hometown: Mount Vernon, WA

It's not too often that the state of Washington is home to one of the top prospects in the country, but Neyens is putting himself in rare territory with his tools and performance. With an advanced approach, top of the scale bat-to-ball skills, and loud power from the left side, Neyens' offensive potential is sky-high. His approach is very mature for his age, staying inside the zone and racking up walks in the process. The power itself grades out as plus with natural loft and loud bat speed, playing to all fields. He creates a tight coil with his core during his load, allowing his body to rotate rapidly and allowing his hands to explode through the zone. Against premier pitching, he's already tattooed baseballs at 108 MPH. It's loud. Neyens has the tools to stick at the hot corner, though some scouts express concern about the footwork at the position, as it can get rather clunky. With that note out of the way, Neyens has the soft hands and strong arm to handle the position. If he moves off third base, he'd get a chance in a corner outfield position. Neyens is currently committed to the West Coast powerhouse of Oregon State.


3. RHP Seth Hernandez, Corona (CA)

Height: 6’4

Weight: 195

b/t: R/R

Draft Day Age: 19 YR

Commitment: Vanderbilt

Hometown: Chino, CA

At this stage of the 2025 cycle, there's no better arm in the class than Hernandez. At 6'4, 195 pounds, Hernandez has plenty of projection remaining to his frame and his operation is as easy as they come. He's very athletic and moves fluidly down the mound with loud arm speed. His fastball has sat in the low-to-mid 90s thus far, though he's gotten up to 96-98 MPH in shorter stints and projects to sit closer to that mark as he fills out his frame. He gets solid extension and fills up the strike zone, as well as showing a tendency to miss bats on the top rail. His change-up is one of the best in the country, a low-80s parachute that flashes plus with a ton of sinking action and velocity separation from the heater. He'll mix in a bigger curveball in the upper-70s and a firmer cutter/slider hybrid in the mid-to-upper-80s, both of which possess spin rates near 2,700 RPMs. The mix of pure stuff, projection, and athleticism make him the best arm in a prep class that lacks dynamic arms. Hernandez is on the older side of the class and will be 19 on draft day. If he gets to campus, he'd be eligible as a sophomore at Vanderbilt.


4. SS Eli Willits, Fort Cobb-Broxton (OK)

Height: 6’1

Weight: 175

b/t: S/R

Draft Day Age: 17 YR 7 MO

Commitment: Oklahoma

Hometown: Fort Cobb, OK

A recent reclass from the 2026 ranks, the switch-hitting Willits projects to fit at the top of lists with a very solid toolset at his disposal. The son of former Angels outfielder Reggie, Eli has the chance to be a legitimate switch-hitter at the next level, as he's shown quality polish from both sides of the plate. Both swings are compact and short to the baseball with the right side featuring more bat speed and pop while the left side has more hitter-ish traits on display. He'll split the gaps on a regular basis from both sides with flatter swing planes, but he's shown an ability to lift the baseball. It's a very polished approach, too. He's an athletic specimen in the field, as well, showcasing solid range and enough tools to stick at shortstop long-term. Willits has even had some run in center field this summer at the 18U Trials. He's an average to above-average runner on the basepaths and has the chance to be a base-stealing threat. He is committed to attending Oklahoma, where his dad is a coach.


5. OF Ty Peeples, Franklin County (GA)

Height: 6’2

Weight: 185

b/t: L/R

Draft Day Age: 18 yr 8 mo

Commitment: Georgia

Hometown: Lavonia, GA

There may not be a bigger rise over the past year in this class than Peeples. He's gotten more physical and there's more on the way, as his 6'2, 185 pound frame is still rather projectable. We'll start with the tools at the plate, which are as smooth as they come. It's a gorgeous left-handed swing with quick hands, budding bat speed, and whippiness through the zone. He keeps it simple with little movement pre-pitch and he utilizes an optimized bat path and great rotation in his swing. Adjustability to off-speed pitches isn't a problem for him, either. As he continues to grow, he'll add more power, though there's already present thump in the stick. There's a good chance that he'll hit for average and power at the next level. Peeples has the tools to be a center fielder right now, though he's destined for a corner outfield spot as he matures physically. He has very solid route running, above-average speed, and a strong, accurate arm. Peeples is committed to Georgia, less than an hour from his hometown of Lavonia.


6. OF Brock Sell, Tokay (CA)

Height: 6’1

Weight: 185

b/t: L/R

Draft Day Age: 18 YR 8 MO

Commitment: Stanford

Hometown: Stockton, CA

While his last name may tell you otherwise, now's a great time to begin buying stock in Brock Sell. Sell is an exceptionally twitchy athlete on the field and his game has blossomed over the past year, turning into one of the highest upside profiles in this class. His swing is as simple as they come. There's very few wasted movements in his load and the bat explodes through the zone, lacing line drives to all fields. He can be aggressive and expand the zone a bit, but there's minimal swing-and-miss to his game and he does a great job of consistently getting the barrel to the baseball. It's a hit-over-power profile right now, though he's begun to tap into more pull-side juice. His hands are very quick and there's impressive bat speed there. Sell has been clocked as an above-average to plus runner and has the defensive chops to make a legitimate case to stay in center field. The arm strength is certainly there, getting into the low-90s from the outfield, plus he's hovered around 90 MPH on the bump. He is older for the class and committed to Stanford, which is something to keep an eye on, but the tools look too good to pass up right now.


7. SS Lucas Franco, Cinco Ranch (TX)

Height: 6’3

Weight: 175

b/t: L/R

Draft Day Age: 18 YR 2 MO

Commitment: Texas Christian

Hometown: Katy, TX

An athletic and projectable infielder, Franco has risen up the ranks over the past year thanks to a solid toolset. Franco is a great athlete with a long, lean body type that oozes projection. Franco has very quick hands and rotates well, displaying budding bat speed and fluidity throughout his left-handed swing. There's some loft already present and utilizes his lower half well, meaning there's a solid chance that he achieves average or better power as he grows into his body. His contact quality is improving as time goes on and his plate discipline is already advanced for his age, keeping whiffs and chases to a minimum. He's got the defensive chops to stay at shortstop, as he has soft hands, fluid motions, and a strong arm across the diamond. As he fills out, he may have to move to the hot corner. He's an above-average runner, as well. Franco is committed to attending Texas Christian.


8. OF Dean Moss, IMG Academy (FL)

Height: 6’0

Weight: 182

b/t: L/R

Draft Day Age: 19 YR 2 MO

Commitment: Louisiana State

Hometown: Atherton, CA

After traveling across the country to attend IMG Academy, Moss has put himself at the top of the pecking order for outfielders in this class. While he's smaller-statured, don't let the size fool you. Moss possesses loud power to his pull side with excellent bat speed and very quick hands. His left-handed swing is tightly wound, allowing him to burst through the zone and turn on pitches to right field with authority, as well as some opposite-field pop. While the power itself is impressive, Moss' plate discipline is advanced for his age and he loves to take his walks. Moss' pure hit tool is rather polished and he displays very little warts, staying within the zone and adjusting to off-speed pitches very well. He's done a great job of keeping the strikeouts at bay this summer. With average speed and an average arm in the outfield, Moss is destined for a corner outfield position at the next level. He is on the older side of the class, as he'll turn 19 a couple of months prior to the draft, making him eligible as a sophomore at Louisiana State if he chooses to attend classes.


9. SS/OF Coy James, Davie County (NC)

Height: 6’0

Weight: 185

b/t: R/R

Draft Day Age: 18 YR 4 MO

Commitment: Mississippi

Hometown: Advance, NC

James is one of the more potent offensive profiles in this draft class. A potential leadoff sparkplug type of bat, James has torched opposing pitching this summer, including a record performance at 17U WWBA in Georgia, where he set a record with 22 hits throughout the tournament. While he can be aggressive and reluctant to take walks, James has excellent barrel consistency and outstanding bat-to-ball skills that will allow him to hit for average at the next level. He's beginning to grow into legitimate juice, too. He'll show the ability to lift the ball to his pull side with very quick hands, giving him a chance to hit 15+ home runs as a professional. There's a solid chance he can stick at shortstop, as he's shown off great range, smooth actions, and a sound internal clock at the position. In the off chance that he moves off the position, he'll likely end up at second base, though he's gotten some run in center field this summer. James is currently committed to attending Ole Miss.


10. SS/RHP Billy Carlson, Corona (CA)

Height: 6’1

Weight: 175

b/t: R/R

Draft Day Age: 18 YR 11 MO

Commitment: Vanderbilt

Hometown: Corona, CA

A two-way athlete out of the loaded Corona High School roster, Carlson may just be the best shortstop defender in the class. Carlson possesses smooth, rangy actions at the "six" with bounce, soft hands, and a quick release across the infield. His arm is very stout and grades out as plus or better at the position, too, leaving little doubt that he'll stick at the position long term. At the plate, his swing can get a bit steep, but there's not a ton of whiff concerns, and stays within the strike zone. He's beginning to lift the ball more and there's robust power in the bat thanks to loud bat speed. His athleticism and arm strength translate on the mound, as he's been up to 96-97 MPH already with fluidity down the mound. The secondaries are promising, as he throws a quality mid-70s curveball with depth and a mid-80s change-up with solid fading life. He's thrown strikes at a solid clip, too. There's a ton of upside if everything works out with Carlson. He is currently committed to attending Vanderbilt and projects to be on the older side of the class.


11. LHP/1B Kruz Schoolcraft, Sunset (OR)

Height: 6’8

Weight: 215

b/t: L/L

Draft Day Age: 18 yr 2 mo

Commitment: N/A

Hometown: Beaverton, OR

A gangly, uber-projectable southpaw from Oregon, Schoolcraft reclassed from the 2026 class and now projects as one of the best two-way players in the class. There's more upside on the mound right now, as the 6'8, 215 pound lefty has exquisite body control and projects to throw much harder as he grows into his frame. He's primarily sat in the low-90s, though he's maxed out at 97 MPH, with solid extension down the hill and a heater that jumps on hitters quickly. He'll miss a bevy of bats during outings with it thanks to a lower release and hop at the top of the zone. He had a grip change with his slider that now sits in the mid-80s with cutter-esque firmness and an ability to command it gloveside. The change-up has solid feel and shape, too. As he learns to sync up his frame more, expect more strikes. He's also a power-hitting first baseman with legit feel for the barrel and loud power potential given the projection. Schoolcraft remains uncommitted as he enters his senior year.


12. SS/OF Sean Gamble, IMG Academy (FL)

Height: 6’2

Weight: 185

b/t: L/R

Draft Day Age: 19 YR

Commitment: Vanderbilt

Hometown: Des Moines, IA

If you're looking for the best pure athlete in this class, look no further than Sean Gamble. An Iowa native who resides at IMG Academy, Gamble is incredibly twitchy on both sides of the ball. We'll start at the plate, where he's got some of the loudest bat speed and power in this prep class. His hips explode open, allowing his hands to race through the zone with impressive barrel lag. He's had exit velocities with wood up to 108 MPH in-game settings already this summer and given the frame, it wouldn't be a shock to see higher numbers. He has excellent torque and rotation in his swing, though the hit tool does lag behind a bit. He's working on refining his approach and becoming more patient, especially on breaking balls. In the field, Gamble has the tools to be a potential corner outfielder, though his plus speed gives him a chance in center field with a strong arm. If the outfield doesn't work, Gamble has seen time in the infield, projecting best at second or third base. He is committed to Vanderbilt.


13. SS Kayson Cunningham, Johnson (TX)

Height: 5’10

Weight: 178

b/t: L/R

Draft Day Age: 19 YR

Commitment: Texas

Hometown: San Antonio, TX

Despite the smaller stature that Cunningham possesses, he has a case for having the best pure contact hitter in the entire prep class. Cunningham covers the zone exceptionally well, keeping the whiffs and chases at bay. It's a smooth, direct left-handed swing with a good bit of bat speed and an all-fields approach at the dish. There is some pop in the bat, mainly to the pull side and he'll work the gaps for extra bases, but his swing is more suited for line drives right now. He should add some lift to his swing in due time, but he'll profile best as a power-over-hit type. Cunningham is a plus runner underway and has good range at shortstop with smooth hands and a strong arm. There's a chance he could move to the other side of the second base bag, but it's hard to envision him leaving the dirt up the middle. Cunningham recently flipped his commitment from Texas Tech to Texas.


14. OF Slater De Brun, Summit (OR)

Height: 5’9

Weight: 180

b/t: L/L

Draft Day Age: 18 YR 1 MO

Commitment: Vanderbilt

Hometown: Bend, OR

Slade Caldwell was just taken in the first round of the 2024 MLB Draft, but it looks like he's been cloned and moved to Oregon as Slater de Brun. de Brun's body is very similar to what Caldwell is, as he's a smaller, yet physical outfielder with exceptional speed and an excellent approach at the plate. There's very little to hate at the plate, as de Brun has posted incredibly healthy contact rates and rarely expands the zone, getting on base frequently where he can be a basepath menace. His bat speed is top-notch, though the swing plane is more suited for line drives to the gaps than fly balls over the fence. His speed is double-plus, if not better. He's had home-to-first times clocked between 4.05-4.15 seconds on the regular, displaying an incredible second gear and he has the makings of a very difficult out. That speed translates to center field, where he figures to stick long-term with strong route-running, instincts, and a strong arm. There's a lot to love here and it would not be a shock to envision this profile in the first round in 2025. He is younger for the class at 18.1 years old and is committed to attending Vanderbilt.


15. RHP Josh Hammond, Wesleyan Christian Academy (NC)

Height: 6’1

Weight: 215

b/t: R/R

Draft Day Age: 18 YR 9 MO

Commitment: Wake Forest

Hometown: High Point, NC

The son of High Point skipper Joey Hammond, Josh burst onto the scene as an arm after a loud showing during the 2023 summer circuit. While the command itself is a work in progress and will need refinement, he has the makings of a true power pitcher. He has a very strong lower half down the mound, as well as extremely quick arm speed and fluidity down the mound. The low-90s heater has touched 96 MPH in the past calendar year, coming in like a bowling ball and boring in on right-handed hitters. He'll change the shape slightly and add more riding life, too. However, it's the low-80s slider that has the most upside. It's a beast of a pitch, featuring nasty sweep and bite that has left hitters floundering on occasion. It may be a plus pitch at the end of the day. The CH has heavy fade and there's feel to throw strikes, too. Hammond also has tools at the plate, including impressive juice in the stick. He is committed to attending Wake Forest.


16. LHP Cameron Appenzeller, Glenwood (IL)

Height: 6’5

Weight: 180

b/t: L/L

Draft Day Age: 18 YR 5 MO

Commitment: South Carolina

Hometown: Springfield, IL

At 6'5, 180 pounds, Appenzeller is insanely projectable and projects to be one of the best southpaws in the class. Appenzeller's delivery is incredibly easy and he oozes athleticism on the bump, creating fast arm speed and a slingy action to a lower release. As a result of the low release, he generates quite a bit of armside run on the fastball, sitting in the 88-92 MPH bucket and tickling 93-94 MPH in shorter spurts. When in the zone, the pitch jumps on batters and he'll execute on the top rail for whiffs. Given the projection, there's a good chance Appenzeller could reach 95+ MPH in due time. His upper-70s sweeper flashes solid bite and spin traits and his low-80s change-up has heavy fade against right-handed hitters, too. He commands all three pitches well and may ultimately need a firmer breaker to give himself a "bridge pitch." He's a legitimate data darling who should continue to garner interest as he adds muscle to his lanky frame. Appenzeller is currently committed to attending South Carolina.


17. SS Brady Ebel, Corona (CA)

Height: 6’3

Weight: 190

b/t: L/R

Draft Day Age: 17 YR 11 MO

Commitment: Louisiana State

Hometown: Rancho Cucamonga, CA

The son of longtime Angels third base coach Dino Ebel, Brady is one of the more famous bats in this class. Ebel is renowned for his maturity and contact prowess at the dish, though he's had some issues with contact and chases this summer. His sweet left-handed swing is very repeatable with a quick, direct path to the baseball that is built for line drives presently. He doesn't sell out for a ton of power and while it's a hit-over-power profile now, he'll grow into more power as he begins to fill out his lean frame. He's got the defensive chops to stick on the left side of the dirt, too. He may grow off of shortstop once he physically matures, but Ebel has excellent hands, rangy actions, and a strong arm to handle the position. If he outgrows shortstop, he'll fit in at third base. He will be one of the youngest bats in the class, too, as he won't turn 18 until late July. He is committed to attending Louisiana State.


18. C/UTL Jaden Fauske, Nazareth Academy (IL)

Height: 6’2

Weight: 205

b/t: L/R

Draft Day Age: 18 YR 7 MO

Commitment: N/A

Hometown: Willowbrook, IL

An infielder from the state of Illinois, Fauske boasts one of our favorite swings in the whole class. It's a lovely left-handed swing with loose wrists, quick hands, and a whippy barrel through the zone. There's very few flaws in his approach, as he's got excellent barrel control and will utilize the whole field to his advantage. It's hit-over-power right now, but as Fauske continues to grow into his body, we should see higher power output. He's already beginning to register exit velocities into the triple digits and he's shown some pull side power in game with quality bat speed. Expect the bat to be the money-maker in his profile. Defensively, he's logged a ton of innings behind the plate, where he's an average defender with a quick exchange and average arm strength. He's gotten more run in the dirt recently, mostly as a utility type when he's not catching. He's currently one of the top uncommitted bats in the country.


19. RHP Angel Cervantes, Warren (CA)

Height: 6’3

Weight: 193

b/t: r/r

Draft Day Age: 17 YR 10 MO

Commitment: UCLA

Hometown: Lynwood, CA

One of the youngest players in the class, Cervantes is an intriguing arm out of southern California. Cervantes is a great athlete with a fluid delivery and a clean arm swing with little to no effort down the mound. It's led by a low-90s fastball that has a downhill plane with some ride and run to it. Given the projection of Cervantes' frame, he could reach the mid-90s in due time. The change-up is the best pitch in his arsenal and it's a contender for the best cambio in the class. It's a higher spin offering that hits the brakes halfway to home plate in the upper-70s to low-80s, diving away from lefties. He'll throw in a curveball with high spin and shape manipulation, throwing both a vertical and sweepy curveball. Cervantes projects to be one of the youngest players in this class, as well. He is committed to attending UCLA.


20. 2B/SS Josh Gibbs, Forsyth County (GA)

Height: 6’0

Weight: 180

b/t: R/R

Draft Day Age: 18 YR 7 MO

Commitment: Georgia

Hometown: Cumming, GA

Gibbs is a lean, athletic infielder out of the state of Georgia who is really explosive on both sides of the ball. An XBH machine to start the 2024 summer circuit, there's quite a bit of noise ongoing during his load, but the timing of his swing is exquisite and the twitchiness in his profile really stands out. Gibbs possesses electric bat speed as a result of uber-quick, whippy hands, and loud body coil during his swing. Despite how noisy everything is, Gibbs stays in the zone and waits for his pitch, drawing walks and getting to the barrel often. As he fills out his frame, expect more power gains. There's a really good likelihood that Gibbs is capable of staying on the left side of the dirt, namely at shortstop. He's a great runner and utilizes his range on the dirt, showcasing soft hands and a rather strong arm across the diamond. The overall upside here is super enticing. Should Gibbs go to school, he'd enroll at Georgia.


21. C Brayden Jaksa, Irvington (CA)

Height: 6’6

Weight: 210

b/t: R/R

Draft Day Age: 18 YR 5 MO

Commitment: Oregon

Hometown: Fremont, CA

At 6'6, 210 pounds, Jaksa is not your typical catching prospect. Jaksa has an extra large frame with proportionate strength and long levers to his body, giving him ample projection to his figure. While he's gangly, he does a great job of controlling his limbs and body on both sides of the ball. At the plate, his plate discipline has very little warts and there's a ton of power projection in the stick. He stays within the strike zone and maintains a high contact rate thanks to a consistent bat path through the zone. He has a heavy barrel through the zone with natural loft and leverage, allowing him to tap into legitimate all fields power that should grade out as above-average or plus when all is said and done. Behind the dish, Jaksa is rather mobile for his size thanks to quality athleticism. He's a good receiver with a strong arm, as well. He's got a good shot to stick back there, but if he has to move positions, he fits as a first baseman or corner outfielder. Jaksa is committed to attending Oregon.


22. 3B/OF Quentin Young, Oaks Christian (CA)

Height: 6’5

Weight: 215

b/t: R/R

Draft Day Age: 18 YR 4 MO

Commitment: Louisiana State

Hometown: Camarillo, CA

Another reclassification from the 2026 ranks, Young is as tooled up as they come. Young is an extremely tall, lanky prospect with a ton of projection remaining to his frame, plus he's an excellent athlete on the field. The raw power in his profile is one of the more enticing in the class, grading out as easily plus and some may even put a double-plus grade on it. It's a heavy barrel with a ton of bat speed and torque in the swing, allowing the ball to fly off the bat. The hit tool is a work-in-progress, as an inconsistent bat path and whiffs hamper him. He'll need to iron out the kinks to live up to the sky-high offensive potential. Defensively, he has loud arm strength and projects best as a third baseman or right fielder as a result. His footwork at third base needs some work, but he has good range and actions at the position. Young is related to former big leaguers Delmon and Dmitri Young and will now be on the younger side of the class. He is committed to Louisiana State.


23. RHP Landon Harmon, East Union Attendance Center (MS)

Height: 6’5

Weight: 188

b/t: R/R

Draft Day Age: 18 YR 10 MO

Commitment: Mississippi State

Hometown: New Albany, MS

One of the biggest risers in this year's summer circuit, Harmon possesses one of the best fastballs in the entire class. The heater jumps out of the hand from a wide angle thanks to Harmon's crossfire and catches hitters by surprise, darting away from righties with slight cutting action and some riding life. He's already been up to 98 MPH in brief stints, quickly settling into the low/mid-90s across longer outings. He has electric arm speed and controls his body well down the mound, allowing him to throw a solid amount of strikes that should get better as he becomes more polished. His breaking ball has been a bit inconsistent, jumping between an upper-70s slurve and a firmer low-80s slider, but there's upside in the pitch as there's some late depth and sweep when it's on. As he develops further, there's a good chance he'll generate a power slider. There is a change-up in there, though it's rarely used. Harmon is currently committed to attending Mississippi State.


24. OF Anthony Pack Jr., Millikan (CA)

Height: 5’10

Weight: 175

b/t: L/L

Draft Day Age: 18 YR 6 MO

Commitment: Texas

Hometown: Lakewood, CA

If you're looking for a Dillon Head/Braylon Payne clone in this class, look no further than Anthony Pack Jr. Pack is an exceptional athlete with a ton of twitch on both sides of the ball. At the plate, Pack is a bit more of a slasher profile, though he's got extremely quick hands, tight rotation, and bat speed that separates him a bit from his peers. He's employed more of a line-drive approach in recent viewings and while there's some swing-and-miss, Pack is patient and racks up his walks. He'll attack the gaps and utilize his plus speed to his advantage, plus there's some pull side juice, too. He's a fit in center field long term thanks to the aforementioned plus speed, which enables him to get excellent reads off the bat and chase down fly balls with ease. He has the chance to be an exceptional defender when all is said and done. Overall, there's a lot to like with the profile and there's a good chance he's a Day 1 prospect. Pack is committed to the University of Texas.


25. RHP Marcos Paz, Hebron (TX)

Height: 6’2

Weight: 220

b/t: R/R

Draft Day Age: 18 YR 7 MO

Commitment: Louisiana State

Hometown: Carrollton, TX

Paz is a Texas arm with a ton of traits that lead to a starting role as a professional player. Unfortunately, Paz underwent Tommy John surgery in early July, taking him out through next summer and clouding his future a bit. He's more of a physical specimen at 6'2, 220 pounds, Paz has a low-effort delivery with a lightning-quick right arm and an arm swing that's a bit reminiscent of Chase Burns, allowing him to command gloveside with ease. His stuff is very impressive, led by a fastball that has been up to 97 MPH this spring. He'll usually sit in the 91-95 MPH pail and the pitch has solid carry upstairs, as well as good command. His slider profiles as one of, if not the best, breaking ball in the class. Sitting in the low-80s, Paz generates loud spin numbers and hitters struggle to connect thanks to the late bite and sweep out of the zone. There's a mid-80s change-up that has solid fade and tumble, projecting as average or better. More strikes will come as he gets more consistent with his delivery. Paz is committed to attending Louisiana State.


26. 1B/OF Josiah Hartshorn, Orange Lutheran (CA)

Height: 6’2

Weight: 220

b/t: S/l

Draft Day Age: 18 YR 5 MO

Commitment: Texas A&M

Hometown: Anaheim, CA

Orange Lutheran continues to churn out quality prospects, as Hartshorn is the next in a long line of top prospects to hail from the school. A physical figure in the box, Hartshorn is incredibly athletic for his size and projects to be on the younger side of the class at 18.5 on draft day. Hartshorn hit exclusively as a right-handed hitter last summer and decided to flip to the left side in 2024, strictly hitting as a lefty this summer. Hartshorn's bat speed stands out and while the swing can get a bit handsy, he coils his body very well and produces loud power off the bat. There's very little whiffs in his profile, as well, especially against heaters. He's a solid average or better runner and has the athleticism to handle a corner outfield spot, where he's shown the arm strength to handle right field. Should he outgrow his athleticism, he would fit best at first base, though that doesn't seem to be in the cards just yet. Should he make it to campus, he'll attend Texas A&M.


27. RHP River Hamilton, Sam Barlow (OR)

Height: 6’3

Weight: 185

b/t: R/R

Draft Day Age: 18 YR 9 MO

Commitment: Oregon State

Hometown: Woodvillage, OR

Could Hamilton become the next big arm out of Oregon? There's a chance it could happen, as the uber-projectable right-hander has a lot to like. Built like a twig, Hamilton's entire delivery is rather loose and athletic, moving fluidly down the mound with a bit of effort at release. It reminds us of Cole Schoenwetter's delivery a bit. The fastball has a chance to be very, very loud. Already sitting in the low-90s consistently, Hamilton's heater generates a ton of vertical carry, averaging close to twenty inches of ride and he's shown an ability to add run down in the zone. He's been throwing strikes with it, too. There's a chance for a plus offering here as it jumps out of his hand. The low-80s breaking ball can get inconsistent, but at its best, he generates solid sweeping action with late bite away from righties. His mid-80s change-up has solid fading life, too. Command can come and go, though given the athleticism, there's a good chance it'll continue to improve. Hamilton is committed to attending Oregon State.


28. OF Brock Ketelsen, Valley Christian Schools (CA)

Height: 6’4

Weight: 195

b/t: L/L

Draft Day Age: 17 YR 11 MO

Commitment: Stanford

Hometown: Scotts Valley, CA

Ketelsen is a bit of an unknown, but his mix of tools and projection makes him a quality prospect at this stage in the cycle. At 6'4, 195 pounds, Ketelsen is rather lanky and features a lot of twitchy actions in his game. A left-handed bat, Ketelsen has very impressive bat speed and displays accuracy with his barrel through the zone, staying short and direct to the baseball. There's already present strength and power in the profile, mainly to the gaps and pull side, though as he adds weight to his frame, expect the power to tick up. His hips open up violently and there's natural loft to the swing. In the field, he's likely a corner outfielder at the next level, though he's able to cover a ton of ground thanks to his lengthy stride and quality speed. He runs like a gazelle in the outfield and shows defensive maturity, giving him a solid outlook with the glove. He has also seen time on the bump, getting up to 92 MPH from the left side. Ketelsen is one of the youngest players in the class, too. With that said, he is a Stanford commit, which is something to keep an eye on come draft day.


29. C Trent Grindlinger, Huntington Beach (CA)

Height: 6’3

Weight: 195

b/t: R/R

Draft Day Age: 18 YR 11 MO

Commitment: Mississippi State

Hometown: Huntington Beach, CA

Grindlinger has quietly had one of the better summer circuits of anyone in the class, hitting at every stop he's been at. A physical catching prospect from Huntington Beach, Grindlinger is one of the best catch-and-throw guys in this class. He has solid athleticism and moves well behind the dish with a very strong arm, throwing out would-be base stealers with ease on numerous occasions. He's a near-lock to stay behind the plate long term. At the plate, he does expand the zone a bit, but he does a great job of fighting off strikeouts. It's a powerful swing with solid bat speed and he's shown an ability to adjust to off-speed pitches, handling them well this summer. He'll pepper the gaps with line drives and there's considerable raw juice in the bat during his BP rounds, primarily targeting his pull side. It's a fun profile to dive into. He'll be on the older side, as he'll turn 19 during All-Star Weekend in 2025, though he's got the tools to be signed away from his Mississippi State commitment.


30. RHP Grayson Boles, Saint Augustine (CA)

Height: 6’4

Weight: 215

b/t: R/R

Draft Day Age: 18 YR 9 MO

Commitment: Texas

Hometown: San Diego, CA

At 6'4, 215 pounds, Boles looks every bit like a future workhorse starter. A projectable athlete on the bump, Boles moves fluidly down the bump and repeats his delivery well. While he's more of a low-90s arm currently, he's shown mid-90s velocity in shorter stints this summer and the pitch possesses a lively nature, especially on the top rail. There's some flatness with his approach angle and as he matures, the expectation is that he may sit more in the mid-90s. That's an excellent recipe for a heater that projects to miss quite a bit of bats. He's flip-flopped between an upper-70s curveball and a low/mid-80s gyro slider, both of which have quality depth and project well. He's used more of the slider this summer, flashing short shape with nasty bite when he's on. There's a fading mid-80s cambio in there, too. Given the athleticism and repetition of his delivery, there's a good chance he'll grow into more strike-throwing. A SoCal native, Boles is committed to attending Texas.

2024 MLB Mock Draft 3.0

While everything in Texas is bigger, this introduction won’t be. This is a practice in futility and there’s a lot of rumors and potential chaos abound. Prepare for mayhem accordingly!

The Draft Team Staff at Prospects Live is very thankful for everyone we have interacted and worked with this cycle and we appreciate the readers and viewers alike! Please make sure to join our draft stream tonight at 6:30 PM EST/5:30 PM CST.


1. Cleveland Guardians - INF JJ Wetherholt

Slot Value: $10,570,600

Sitting from this chair, it seems the running for 1.1 has come down to JJ Wetherholt and Travis Bazzana. Given the consideration for draft strategy with two more Top 50 picks, the likelihood that Cleveland gets a significant haircut is high and I would be shocked to see otherwise. With that said, who is more likely to give you that out of those two? Our guess is Wetherholt and it mainly comes down to the fact that he'd provide the bigger haircut and fits on the left side of the infield more than Bazzana. The savings that Wetherholt would provide allow Cleveland to float a prep down to #36 and even #48 if the money works out in their favor. Expect this situation to be fluid throughout the day and there is a good likelihood that the pool of players in consideration is higher than these two.


2. Cincinnati Reds - 3B/OF Charlie Condon

Slot Value: $9,785,000

The gut feeling right now is that Cincinnati prefers a power bat over a power arm, though there's been a Chase Burns connection recently. However, Charlie Condon appears to be the name linked the most with the Reds. This is, of course, assuming Cleveland doesn't go haywire. Caglianone makes sense here, too.


3. Colorado Rockies - RHP Chase BUrns

Slot Value: $9,070,800

There's been heat around a few guys here, including Burns, Condon, and Caglianone. This seems to be an early pivotal pick in this draft considering that Colorado could be in a wait-and-see mode with the two picks above them, but Burns makes the most sense in our eyes. They've quietly done a good job with Chase Dollander and Sean Sullivan, among others, in last year's draft and Burns has arguably the highest upside of any arm available. This seems to be Condon's floor, too.


4. Oakland AThletics - INF Travis Bazzana

Slot Value: $8,370,800

If Bazzana isn't the first overall pick, this is his likely ending spot. It's hard to envision this kind of bat slipping out of the top five and Oakland would be giddy to get a great value pick early. Now, if Bazzana is the first overall pick, expect a myriad of players to be in discussion here, including Nick Kurtz and Jac Caglianone.


5. Chicago White Sox - 1B/LHP Jac CAglianone

Slot Value: $7,763,700

To us, Caglianone feels like the leader in the clubhouse right now, though this may be a more pivotal pick than the Rockies at #3. If Caglianone is gone here, there's an expectation that the two prep bats in Konnor Griffin and Bryce Rainer would be in heavy consideration. Consider this one more of a toss-up in all seriousness.


6. Kansas City Royals - INF Bryce Rainer

Slot Value: $7,213,800

Kansas City really threw us a curveball the night before the draft by trading pick #39 to the Nationals in the Hunter Henry deal. They lose $2,395,000 of their bonus pool, giving them closer to $13,000,000 now to sign their allotted picks. They do still have an early second-round selection, so maybe their strategy doesn't change much. Who knows. As of right now, it feels like it'll come down to one of the prep bats or Hagen Smith. We'll go with Rainer for right now, and maybe there's a slight haircut, but again, who knows? This could very well be where Smith ends up.


7. St. Louis Cardinals - LHP Hagen Smith

Slot Value: $6,823,700

Assuming the Royals end up taking a prep bat, Smith makes a ton of sense for the Cardinals and I'd be shocked if they let him slip past them. Pairing him with 2023 draftee Quinn Mathews would be a fun southpaw duo. If Smith is taken before this pick, we'd expect either Rainer or Griffin here, more so Rainer.


8. Los Angeles Angels - INF Christian Moore

Slot Value: $6,502,800

The Angels are always tricky to identify a specific player in a mock. We know their recent demographic, a fast-moving college guy, but who could that be this year? Braden Montgomery is hurt and while I think he's got a chance here, the injury he sustained in Super Regionals may play a factor in their decision-making, unless they turn a new leaf. Look no further than Christian Moore, Tennessee's offensive catalyst in their CWS run. He has the chance to move quickly in their system and likely comes at a discount, as the Angels have liked to pay a prep in later rounds (i.e. Caden Dana, Barrett Kent).


9. Pittsburgh Pirates - 1B Nick Kurtz

Slot Value: $6,216,600

This pick likely comes down to whichever prep bat is still available (in this case, it's Griffin) and Nick Kurtz. Kurtz is a Pennsylvania native and may present a discount for Pittsburgh's competitive balance pick, though that feeling is not set in stone for us. We'll mock Kurtz for now, but expect an appearance from Griffin.


10. Washington Nationals - OF Braden Montgomery

Slot Value: $5,953,800

Things may get a bit hectic here, but in this scenario, Montgomery's fall comes to an end. He may need to ditch switch-hitting and perform as a left-handed bat, but that's fine. Kurtz makes a ton of sense here if the order changes, plus there's a good chance we could see someone else here. I wouldn't say expect potential chaos, but expect the boards to open up a bit here.


11. Detroit Tigers - INF/OF Konnor Griffin

Slot Value: $5,712,100

Detroit's brass would be pretty happy with Griffin falling into their lap at #11. There's a big link to Cam Caminiti at this spot and I'd imagine that's the likely route, but this is a scenario where the other half of the best prep bats is available. There's some Caleb Lomavita smoke here, too, but that's a rumor we don't feel too confident in. It's still worth noting, nonetheless.


12. Boston REd Sox - RHP Trey Yesavage

Slot Value: $5,484,600

Given Craig Breslow's arrival in Boston, our gut still tells us that ECU's Trey Yesavage is the best fit and would more than likely be available here. He's the last of the premier college arms in this class and fits Boston's organizational needs to a tee. If a top ten player falls to #12, though, expect Boston to pounce.


13. San Francisco Giants - LHP Cam Caminiti

Slot Value: $5,272,300

Assuming Caminiti isn't a Tiger, the next best fit would be the Giants at #13. It'd likely be his absolute floor and that's exactly what happens in this mock scenario. We're prepared to be wrong, though if Yesavage and Cam Smith are available here, we'd expect them to be in consideration.


14. Chicago Cubs - 3B Cameron Smith

Slot Value: $5,070,700

Speaking of Cam Smith, I'd expect the Cubs to pull the trigger if he's available. There's a plethora of college performeres available here and we'd imagine that the Cubs dive into that player pool. Smith's approach changes and power really stand out and he can handle the hot corner.


15. Seattle Mariners - SHP Jurrangelo Cijntje

Slot Value: $4,880,900

The expectation from Seattle is that this pick will likely be pitching. Many, including ourselves, view Jurrangelo Cijntje as SP4 in the college ranks, especially as a right-hander. Yes, there's uniqueness with the switch-pitching, but the stuff from the right side is bringing plenty of suitors to his doorstep. This would likely be Yesavage's floor and we can envision names like Carson Benge to be in consideration here if they go for a bat.


16. Miami Marlins - INF Seaver King

Slot Value: $4,704,700

New Marlins GM Peter Bendix was in Charlotte during the ACC Championship to get eyes on the likes of Seaver King and others. Miami's approach may go bat-heavy now and King seems like an excellent fit at this range, so we'll trust our gut and say he's the pick here.


17. Milwaukee Brewers - OF Ryan Waldschmidt

Slot Value: $4,534,100

Our expectation is that Milwaukee will look for a bat at this spot, though who that is isn't set in stone. Benge makes sense here, though we like Kentucky OF Ryan Waldschmidt more. He's a solid mold of clay for the organization to play with and most believe his best baseball is yet to come. It's a fun analytical fit.


18. Tampa Bay Rays - RHP Ryan Sloan

Slot Value: $4,372,900

There's a plethora of routes that Tampa Bay could go here, but I'd imagine some of the prep arms begin to get some notice here. Ryan Sloan makes the most sense of those arms. The burly right-hander has an excellent three-pitch mix with loud secondaries and has been into the upper-90s this spring. If it's not an arm, we wouldn't be shocked by a prep bat.


19. New YOrk Mets - INF Kaelen Culpepper

Slot Value: $4,219,200

The Mets have a preference for an up-the-middle type of bat and Kaelen Culpepper has the chops to stick at shortstop long term. Vance Honeycutt's name could make an appearance here, too. However, the link between the Mets and Culpepper is too strong to go that route at this time.


20. Toronto Blue Jays - C Malcolm Moore

Slot Value: $4,073,400

The expectation is that Toronto will take a college catcher here, though the real question is which one that'll be. In our eyes, Malcolm Moore is the best available catcher of that group and has solid underlying data to boot. Of course, if it's not Moore, Lomavita, and Walker Janek make the most sense.


21. Minnesota Twins - OF James Tibbs III

Slot Value: $3,934,400

Do we expect James Tibbs III to slip this far? No. In all honesty, there's a good likelihood that he goes way higher. There is some worry about his platoon splits and if he falls like we think he will in this mock, the Twins would be more than happy to scoop him up. He fits their recent trends to a tee.


22. Baltimore Orioles - OF Carson Benge

Slot Value: $3,802,200

Baltimore has liked Culpepper and Honeycutt, though, with one gone and the other having legitimate hit tool concerns, the Orioles may pivot to Benge. Benge's swing is a bit of a project, though Baltimore's hitting development would be perfect for him. It's an extremely fun fit.


23. Los Angeles Dodgers - INF/OF Theo Gillen

Slot Value: $3,676,400

Our expectation is that the Dodgers will go after one of the prep shortstops available in the backend of the first round. Theo Gillen makes the most sense in our eyes right now. Luke Dickerson, Wyatt Sanford, and others are potential fits, too. This is legitimate toss-up territory for us.


24. Atlanta Braves - RHP Dax Whitney

Slot Value: $3,556,300

Dax Whitney has the most helium of any prospect at this present time. It's a projectable frame with budding secondaries and a potentially loud heater. The Braves seem to have an eye on a prep arm and while Kash Mayfield makes a ton of sense, the heat around Whitney is too hard to ignore.


25. San Diego Padres - LHP Kash Mayfield

Slot Value: $3,442,100

The Padres love their preps, that's no secret. There's a grouping of prep guys here, though Mayfield seems like the best fit of that gaggle and would be a fun get for Preller and company. If it's not Mayfield, Kellon Lindsey's name gets some run here.


26. New York Yankees - 1B/3B Tommy White

Slot Value: $3,332,900

The likelihood that the Yankees go with a bat is pretty high and while this may end up being a prep selection, the Yankees may target a performing college bat. That includes Billy Amick, Tommy White, and others. White's bat is the best of that group and our gut tells us he'd be the pick here if it works out that way.


27. philadelphia Phillies - RHP Brody Brecht

Slot Value: $3,228,300

Depending on how you feel about Brody Brecht, this could be in the middle of his potential range or it could be near the top of it. Either which way, the Phillies have the pitching development to at least help Brecht clean up the delivery and improve the strikes necessary to start.


28. HOuston Astros - C Walker Janek

Slot Value: $3,132,500

The Astros have the lowest bonus pool total and it's hard to envision a prep player being the pick here, especially this slot alone is over half of Houston's total pool. Our gut tells us it will likely be one of the college catchers. Janek would be a bit of a surprise since he has suitors higher up on this board, but he'd help Houston save some money if they wanna utilize the most of their money later on.


29. Arizona Diamondbacks - SS Kellon Lindsey

Slot Value: $3,045,500

This is the first of three Arizona picks in the next six. Arizona likes high-contact bats and Lindsey certainly profiles as such. He's also a very impressive runner and many believe he has the chops to stick at shortstop. Expect Arizona to maximize their money over the next couple of picks. Slade Caldwell could be the pick here, as well.


30. Texas Rangers - C Caleb Lomavita

Slot Value: $2,971,300

Whichever college catcher becomes available to Texas at #30, whether it be Janek or Lomavita, makes the most sense to us. Lomavita's got some more raw tools, but the upside is high if everything clicks.


31. Arizona Diamondbacks - RHP Braylon Doughty

Slot Value: $2,904,000

Arizona is back on the clock and this time, our gut feel says it's a prep arm. There's a few options available to them, including Joey Oakie and Dasan Hill, but it's hard to see Doughty falling much further than this. Teams love the feel to spin and there's a good chance he adds more velocity in due time.


32. Baltimore Orioles - INF Wyatt SAnford

Slot Value: $2,835,400

This pick is a bit of wild card. The Orioles have the cash to splurge a little and there's a good chance a prep player is taken here. Dickerson, Caldwell, and Carter Johnson make sense, but it's hard to ignore the projection and tools surrounding Sanford.


33. Minnesota Twins - OF Slade Caldwell

Slot Value: $2,766,100

A potential high-OBP kind of bat for the Twins? Yeah, that's got Caldwell's bat written all over it. It feels like a solid match from this desk.


34. Milwaukee Brewers - OF Vance Honeycutt

Slot Value: $2,698,300

Is it possible that Honeycutt falls this far? Maybe. In this scenario, he does and Milwaukee is as good of a fit as it can get for him. It's a bit of a toss-up if Honeycutt is not available.


35. Arizona Diamondbacks - INF Carter Johnson

Slot Value: $2,632,500

It's time for the last Arizona pick in this mock and we will continue the expectation that they'll utilize as much of their change as humanly possible. Johnson may command a bit of an over-slot deal here, but it's hard to not love the bat path and potential power.


36. Cleveland Guardians - 1B/OF PJ Morlando

Slot Value: $2,569,200

Well, with William Schmidt pulling himself from the draft at the eleventh hour, there's some changes here. There was a plan B to this scenario and for us, it's hard to ignore the availability and tools with Morlando. We'll see what ultimately happens.


37. Pittsburgh Pirates - RHP Bryce Meccage

Slot Value: $2,511,400

There's a bloodline link here, as Meccage's uncle is a bullpen coach in Pittsburgh. Many teams have preferred Meccage over the likes of other prominent Northeast arms and it's easy to see why. Starter traits, a budding arsenal with two banger breaking balls, plus he's been up to 96 MPH this spring.


38. Colorado Rockies - RHP Luke Holman

Slot Value: $2,452,200

Colorado's likely searching for a college arm at this point and things begin to get a bit murky this deep. Ben Hess has been tossed around, as well as Drew Beam. Luke Holman's more of a safer pick, but there's some upside here if he can throw harder and command the baseball better.


39. Washington Nationals - SS Tyson Lewis

Slot Value: $2,395,000

There's a good likelihood that Lewis finds himself higher on this board, but given the Nationals' additional pool money now, could they buy him down? That scenario plays out in our minds and could ultimately happen.

2024 MLB Draft: Top 300 Players Final Update

2024 MLB Draft: Top 300 Players Final Update

After a long, tedious construction of our board, the Prospects Live Draft Team is excited to unveil the final iteration of our 2024 board. This update takes in a lot of factors: our live looks, film studies, and industry rumblings. There’s been quite a bit of movement, especially at the top of this class, as the likes of Christian Moore and Jurrangle Cijntje have had helium down the stretch. There are also a few new names on our board, including Nathan Flewelling and Ryan Verdugo, both of whom are intriguing pieces to take on the second day of the draft. There’s a new #1, too.

2025 MLB Draft: Top 30 Collegiate Prospects

With the overlapping of draft class occurring this summer, it’s only right that we begin to introduce our 2025 lists as the summer circuit is ramping up. Today, we’ll release our initial Top 30 College list and for the readers, it’s open to the public! As the summer progresses and we get more looks, we’ll expand this list (and our Top 30 Prep list) to 50 players in a system similar to how we navigated the 2024 cycle.

We’ve gotten some eyes on the 2025 class already and it’s mostly comparable to the 2024 class as a whole. Jace LaViolette, a huge thumper out of Texas A&M, leads the way, followed closely by a couple of other notable outfield prospects. There’s a few players on this list in the transfer portal and they are denoted properly in their reports. As we get a better grip on understanding this class, expect plenty of changes in due time.


1. of jace laviolette, texas A&M

height: 6’6

Weight: 230

b/t: L/L

Draft Day age: 21 yr 7 mo

hometown: Katy, TX

At 6'6, 230 pounds, LaViolette is an extremely physical left-handed bat with some of the most robust power in the entire country. LaViolette has already cranked 50 home runs in his collegiate career and he may end up amongst the likes of Eddy Furniss and Frank Fazzini on the all-time list in the NCAA ranks. It's a controlled, yet violent, left-handed swing with a ton of bat speed and an optimal bat path for doing damage, as he's a legitimate all-fields power threat and has cleared the 115 MPH exit velocity threshold in 2024. His hips clear out quickly, allowing him to get leverage in his swing and do significant damage. The plate discipline is also solid, as he rarely expands the zone and has a knack for racking up the walks. Yes, strikeouts are part of his game, but he's got time to polish up the bat-to-ball skills. Despite his size, he moves quickly on the basepaths and in the field. He's manned center field for the Aggies in 2024, though a move to a corner outfield position is likely in the near future.


2. OF Cam Cannarella, Clemson

height: 6’0

weight: 180

b/t: L/r

draft day age: 21 yr 10 mo

hometown: Hartsville, sc

Cannarella stepped onto campus as an infielder, but a road block in the Clemson infield gave him an opportunity in center field that he has not relinquished. A gamer in every sense of the word, Cannarella is a dangerous hitter with some of the best contact skills in the entire country. It's a lovely left-handed swing built more for line drives right now, but he's shown flashes of raw power to the gaps and to his pull-side. He did become a bit more aggressive in 2024 compared to 2023, but he has quality barrel control and shows patience, drawing walks aplenty. He's got above-average speed, though he didn't flash it a ton on the bases due to an injury this year. However, that speed translates to center field, where he has excellent route-running and quality defensive chops. Expect Cannarella to go high in this draft.


3. OF Devin Taylor, Indiana

height: 6’1

weight: 215

b/t: L/R

draft day age: 21 yr 6 mo

hometown: Cincinnati, OH

A physical left-handed bat, Taylor is a legitimate power threat with burgeoning raw juice and he lets his quality athleticism play on the field. He built upon a stellar freshman campaign at Indiana with a .357/.449/.660 slash line and blasting twenty home runs, the first Hoosier to do so since Alex Dickerson smacked twenty-four in 2010. His swing features substantial bat speed and he'll deposit the baseball to both sides of the field, utilizing the opposite field more in 2024. He's already displayed exit velocities touching the 110 MPH barrier, as well. He does expand the zone a bit, but there's little warts to his contact skills and he draws a copious amount of walks. He'll likely get a chance to man center in a bigger capacity in 2025, though given his average speed and route-running, he may be a better fit in left long term. It's hard not to like this profile.


4. C Caden Bodine, Coastal Carolina

height: 5’10

weight: 197

b/t: s/R

draft day age: 21 yr 7 mo

hometown: Haddon Heights, NJ

A switch-hitting catcher out of New Jersey, Bodine has been one of the best pure hitters in college baseball. Bodine's barrel awareness and bat-to-ball skills are top of the charts from both sides of the plate, as he ran a contact rate of 89% in 2024, including a 94% (!) in-zone contact rate. He has quick hands from both sides and will prioritize an all-fields approach, rarely selling out for power. His power likely grades out more as fringe-average to average, though he'll run into a home run every once in a while. He has the prototypical size for a backstop and has impressed in his time on campus. It's a solid throwing arm with improving blocking skills and he has athletic movements behind the plate. Most believe he'll stick back there long term as a result.


5. RHP Tyler Bremner, UC Santa Barbara

height: 6’2

weight: 180

b/t: r/R

draft day age: 21 yr 2 mo

hometown: san diego, CA

Highly projectable, super athletic, burgeoning stuff. That's the menu for Bremner, who turned in a stellar sophomore campaign in the Big West, striking out 104 batters and walking just 21 in 88.2 innings. His stuff took a big jump during the pre-season, with his fastball sitting in the mid-90s with significant carry up in the zone. He should be throwing in the upper-90s more consistently in due time, as he’s already touched 98 MPH this summer. His slider took a huge step forward after struggling his freshman year, jumping into the mid-80s consistently with late bite and sweep. The change-up is unique with high spin traits, though he shows a ton of confidence in the pitch and it dives hard to the dirt in the low-80s, acting almost like a screwball. It projects as a double-plus offering. Let’s not forget that Bremner commands the zone really well. There’s potential for three above-average or better pitches with above-average command. He’s our SP1 right now for that reason.


6. LHP Jamie Arnold, Florida State

height: 6’1

weight: 191

b/t: l/l

draft day age: 21 yr 3 mo

hometown: Tampa, fl

After a rough freshman campaign in Tallahassee, Arnold exploded onto the draft scene in 2024, striking out 159 batters in 105.2 innings to the tune of a 2.98 ERA. Arnold generates a ton of scap retraction in his delivery, but he's on time with his arm and he creates a tough angle to the plate with a slingy release. His fastball rarely cracked 90 MPH in 2023, but he's now into the mid-90s with a very low release height and a flat approach angle that has allowed the heater to miss bats aplenty. His mid-80s slider can be downright diabolical, flashing late bite and sweep. It tunnels well off the heater and he's shown an ability to backfoot it to righties consistently. His change-up lags behind the one-two punch, thrown roughly 4% of the time in 2024 with slight fading life and will need more development in 2025. He'll need more of a tertiary offering to keep hitters off the FB/SL, but the whole package screams starter. He’ll be wildly popular in 2025.


7. c Ike Irish, Auburn

height: 6’2

weight: 203

b/t: l/R

draft day age: 21 yr 7 mo

hometown: Hudsonville, MI

One of the most decorated recruits to make it to campus after the 2022 draft, Irish has cemented himself as one of the best SEC hitters in two years since. Irish has a beautiful left-handed swing that's direct to the baseball with quick hands and loud bat speed. He's begun to pull the baseball more in 2024 after displaying more of a gap-to-gap approach in 2023, tapping more into robust raw power. He does swing at a high rate, meaning his walk rate isn't too high, but he doesn't strike out a ton, either. Defensively, he's shown a loud arm behind the plate and has improved on his blocking skills. He'll see more time back there in the future and he could man first base or a corner outfield spot, too. It's a bat-first profile with a ton like offensively.


8. OF Gavin Turley, oregon State

height: 6’1

weight: 185

b/t: R/R

draft day age: 21 yr 8 mo

hometown: Chandler, AZ

One of the toolsiest players in the entire class, Turley is an impressive athlete with a ton of power at his disposal. It's extremely loud bat speed and pull-side juice with leverage and loft, tapping into it easily in-game already. His hips open explosively thanks to his twitchy nature, which allows him to possess these kind of tools at the plate. With that said, he's struggled with contact in Corvallis and while the contact improved slightly in 2024, strikeouts are a huge concern in his game and he'll need to polish up the bat-to-ball skills. Turley is a very strong runner and displays a cannon right arm in the outfield, which will allow him to handle right field at the next level. If Turley hits in 2025, he'll be one of the first names off the board.


9. RHP Matt Scott, Stanford

height: 6’7

weight: 247

b/t: R/R

draft day age: 21 yr 6 mo

hometown: Redding, CT

A walking mountain of a human being, Scott is an uber-physical right-hander that traveled across the country to attend Stanford. There's not a ton of warts in his mechanics. They're loose and easy, showcasing quality body control for his size, and there's little effort overall. The fastball jumped in velocity over the off-season, topping out at 98 MPH and sitting consistently in the mid-90s. The pitch possesses insane carry on the top rail, averaging above 20 inches of vertical movement. He does have a steeper angle to the plate due to his high release, but the pitch still misses bats at a high rate. His primary secondary is a cutter-esque slider in the upper-80s with two-plane break and late bite. He'll tinker with a splitter, as well, which has graded out well. His command comes and goes, but one would expect him to grow into more of it given the mechanics.


10. 1b/3b henry ford, virginia

height: 6’5

weight: 220

b/t: R/R

draft day age: 20 yr 11 mo

hometown: Charlottesville, va

A draft-eligible sophomore, Ford is built much like an automobile mechanic. He's extremely physical with plenty of strength throughout his frame and he's a solid athlete despite his size. Ford has quality barrel control and has a ton of bat speed and loft, allowing him to tap into legitimate plus power in-game. He stays short and direct to the baseball and doesn't have a ton of swing-and-miss to his game, either. He's a first baseman right now given how deep Virginia is offensively, but his athleticism is good enough to get a shot to work at third base in the future. He's got the range and footwork necessary to make it happen, as well as a strong arm. He'll be an exciting prospect to watch next spring.


11. OF Brendan Summerhill, arizona

height: 6’3

weight: 195

b/t: L/R

draft day age: 21 yr 8 mo

hometown: Chicago, il

Summerhill is a long, lanky specimen that saw one of the biggest jumps in production in this class. As a freshman, Summerhill struggled to make consistent contact and had a whiff rate of 30%. He slashed that number by over half in 2024, finding a more consistent bat path and whiffing at just a 14% rate in 2024. Summerhill's bat speed and loft are noticeable at first glance, pulling the ball in the air consistently and flashing above-average exit velocities. He's held his own against heat upstairs and spin, too. There's a lot to like with his offensive profile and he is in line for a monster 2025 campaign. In the field, he profiles as a future average runner with added muscle and with his strong arm, he's likely destined for right field.


12. 1b/of Nolan Schubart, oklahoma State

height: 6’5

weight: 233

b/t: L/R

draft day age: 21 yr 2 mo

hometown: Durand, mi

A lanky, physical specimen from Michigan, Schubart has blasted the cover off the baseball in his two years in Stillwater. He has prodigious power from the left-hand side of the plate with a beautiful swing with great leverage and natural loft. He stays inside the baseball and will pummel it to all fields, eclipsing the 110 MPH exit velocity barrier regularly. He doesn't expand the zone often, chasing at a minute rate of 21%, but there's contact questions to be answered due to a hefty whiff rate. He'll need to polish up the pure contact skills this summer, but the power is the pure selling point. On the defensive side, Schubart has spent time in left field, though given the body and speed, he's likely destined for first base.


13. ss marek houston, wake forest

height: 6’3

weight: 185

b/t: r/R

draft day age: 21 yr 2 mo

hometown: Nokomis, fl

Houston turned a corner in 2024, becoming one of the most improved bats in the entire class. After enduring some struggles as a freshman, Houston became a leadoff sparkplug for Wake Forest, slashing .326/.434/.516 and recording more walks than strikeouts. His plate discipline is pristine and features little warts. He has some of the best contact rates in the class and he stays inside the zone, slapping the ball to the all fields. He'll utilize his fantastic speed on the basepaths, as well, as he's recorded times to first base around 4.15 seconds. He's a surefire shortstop at the next level, as well. He has a great internal clock with excellent range and motions, as well as a strong arm. If there's one complaint, it's his 30-grade power, though with added weight, he may be able to get to 40-grade juice.


14. LHP Shane Sdao, Texas A&M

height: 6’2

weight: 170

b/t: L/L

draft day age: 21 yr 9 mo

hometown: Montgomery, TX

An uber-projectable southpaw, Sdao turned heads in a loud sophomore campaign that has seen him split time between the bullpen and the rotation. Sdao's arm speed really stands out at first glance, maintaining it with all three of his pitches and working quickly down the bump with some deception. The fastball has solid carry up in the zone with some slight cut, working primarily in the low-90s, though Sdao has reared back for 96 MPH on occasion. The low-80s sweepy slider is the best secondary and got whiffs at a 44% clip in 2024. There's some lift in the pitch shape and he's shown an ability to backfoot the pitch to righties. He turns over a quality mid-80s cambio, as well. The expectation is that Sdao will be a starter in 2025 and he's due for an uptick in stuff with added mass to his frame.


15. RHP Gabe Davis, Oklahoma State

height: 6’9

weight: 225

b/t: R/r

draft day age: 21 yr 8 mo

hometown: Choctaw, ok

At 6'9, 225 pounds, Davis is a behemoth of a human being and provides an interesting look on the mound. He's uber-projectable and controls his body rather well for his size, though there's still some kinks to work out with his delivery. He’s a bit stiff moving down the mound, but his wide angle to the plate generates difficult at-bats for hitters. After having a release height under six feet in 2023, Davis raised his release by half a foot, which hampered the fastball whiff rates a bit. With that said, he gets a ton of extension and sits in the mid-90s consistently, bumping 99 MPH at his peak. It's his cutter-esque slider that takes the headlines, though. It sits in the upper-80s and flashes tight shape and depth, becoming more of a cutter once it approaches 90 MPH. He's tinkered with a change-up and a bigger curveball, both sitting in the low-80s. Should the command turn the corner, Davis is in contention for being the best arm on the board.


16. OF Max Belyeu, Texas

height: 6’2

weight: 210

b/t: l/R

draft day age: 21 yr 6 mo

hometown: Aledo, tx

After having just twenty at-bats in 2023, Belyeu cemented himself as one of the better collegiate players in the 2025 class, slashing .329/.423/.667 in 59 games and earning Big 12 Player of the Year honors. He's got a physical frame with projection remaining and his barrel feel is amongst the best in the Big 12. He does chase a bit too much, but there's not a ton of swing-and-miss to his game and handles velocity and spin rather well. There's a bit of Kyle Tucker in his swing, as well. The power itself has stood out, too, as his 90th percentile EVs are in the upper echelon of college bats and he'll smash the ball to all fields. In the field, he's likely relegated to left field due to a subpar throwing arm and average speed.


17. INF Henry Godbout, Virginia

height: 6’2

weight: 190

b/t: R/R

draft day age: 21 yr 8 mo

hometown: Brooklyn, NY

Godbout has one of the most polished hit tools in the entire ACC. Godbout has little issues at the plate and hammers fastballs, only whiffing on them 5% of the time in 2024. He doesn't chase a ton and he'll grind out walks, though his power is nothing more than fringe-average at best. He's an excellent rotator and should grow into more power as he matures physically, though he does have a stiff lower half and will need to utilize it more in 2025. Defensively, Godbout has manned second base for Virginia, where he's been a sound defender with solid range and instincts. Given Griff O'Ferrall's departure this summer, Godbout will more than likely get reps at shortstop in 2025 for the Cavaliers.


18. RHP Cam Leiter, Florida State

height: 6’5

weight: 218

b/t: R/R

draft day age: 21 yr 5 mo

hometown: Bayville, NJ

The latest Leiter to work his way through the ranks, Cam transferred from UCF to Florida State and found immediate success in the rotation. While an injury cut his season short to just seven appearances, Leiter's stuff took a big jump forward under new coaching. Leiter's fastball has gotten up to 99 MPH and he'll hold mid-90s velocity deep into starts, missing bats thanks to a low release and elite extension despite modest shape. The upper-80's/low-90s slider is dynamic, flashing tight spin and late bite, while the low-80s curveball has a ton of depth and high spin. He'll tinker with a change-up to lefties, as well. Command is a work-in-progress, but given the easy operation and athleticism, he should grow into more strikes in due time. If healthy in 2025, Leiter has the chance to be the first arm off the board.


19. c luke stevenson, north carolina

height: 6’1

weight: 200

b/t: l/r

draft day age: 20 yr 11 mo

hometown: wake forest, NC

Stevenson was highly touted out of high school last summer, but he chose to uphold his commitment to North Carolina and it has paid dividends for the freshman. He's eligible as a sophomore due to his age in 2025 and he's in line to be one of the first backstops off the board. He's built like a stereotypical catcher with a stout lower half and present strength throughout his body. He's got explosive motions out of the crouch and handles the run game well, showcasing a strong arm and pop times to second have been clocked at 1.9-1.95 seconds. He's a standout receiver, as well. At the plate, Stevenson has shown off legitimate pull-side juice and has a keen eye at the plate, racking up walks aplenty. He has a heavy barrel through the zone and stays direct to the baseball, and while he's shown some struggles with off-speed pitches, finding a catcher with the feel to hit like Stevenson is hard.


20. 3b/of andrew fischer, Tennessee

height: 6’1

weight: 205

b/t: l/r

draft day age: 21 yr 1 mo

hometown: Manasquan, nj

After a fantastic freshman campaign at Duke, Fischer transferred to Ole Miss where he didn't skip a beat against better competition. He's a physical left-handed bat with a ton of juice in the bat, most notably to his pull-side. It's a violent swing with natural loft and bat speed, allowing Fischer to pull the ball in the air with dangerous intent. He does have a bit of bat-to-ball woes, namely struggling a bit with spin, but Fischer draws a copious amount of walks and gets the most out of the barrel. In the field, Fischer isn't the fleetest of foot, displaying some choppy footwork and limited range at third base, but he has a strong enough arm across the diamond to at least start his professional career there. Fischer will play for Tony Vitello in 2025 as either a third baseman or an outfielder.


21. UTL RJ Austin, Vanderbilt

height: 5’11

weight: 193

b/t: r/r

draft day age: 21 yr 6 mo

hometown: Atlanta, ga

One of the more decorated athletes to make it to campus after the 2022 draft, Austin is a gritty prospect that has become a bit more physical during his tenure in Nashville. He's been a bit positionless in 2024, playing a myriad of positions given the depth in Vanderbilt's lineup. With that said, he fits best in the dirt, though he can get some play in the outfield, too. At the plate, he's grown into his power and has average or better pop in the bat. All of the power plays to the pull-side, though he'll utilize the opposite field gap when able to. He's a high contact, moderate chase bat with a good eye at the plate, keeping strikeouts to a minimum. His twitch on both sides of the ball should continue to stand out as long as he doesn't outgrow the athleticism he has.


22. 3b tre phelps, georgia

height: 6’2

weight: 204

b/t: r/r

draft day age: 21 yr

hometown: Kennesaw, ga

A draft-eligible sophomore, Phelps pushed his way into the Georgia lineup with an impressive performance in a limited sample size, slashing .355/.442/.686 with ten home runs. Phelps has impressive bat speed and very quick hands, as well as generating leverage and loft in his swing. This allows him to tap into his raw power, which grades out as above-average to plus. He does have some issues with spin and will expand the zone often, but he kept the strikeouts to a minimum in 2024. As a defender, Phelps has the tools to stick at third base, as he possesses solid hands, range, and a strong arm across the diamond. If he moves off the hot corner, he'll pick up work in a corner outfield position.


23. INF Daniel Dickinson, Louisiana State

height: 6’0

weight: 180

b/t: R/r

draft day age: 21 yr 7 mo

hometown: Richland, WA

Hailing from Utah Valley, Dickinson has quietly been one of the best hitters in college baseball the past two years. Dickinson has grown into his body more on campus and has *elite* contact skills from the right side of the plate. There's some twitch in his profile and very quick hands, staying direct to the baseball and lacing the ball to all fields. He likes to hammer the gaps and utilize his speed on the bases, though he's tapped more into his power and projects as fringe-average to his pull-side. While he does chase a bit more than you'd like, Dickinson's plate coverage is otherworldly and he handles everything well, including higher-end velocity when he comes across it. As an infielder, Dickinson projects more as a second baseman. He has good range and footwork, though the arm strength isn't the greatest and likely hampers his ability to stick at shortstop. Dickinson will be taking his talents to Baton Rouge and play in LSU’s infield in 2025.


24. INF Gavin Kilen, Tennessee

height: 5’11

weight: 185

b/t: l/r

draft day age: 21 yr 3 mo

hometown: Milton, WI

A highly decorated recruit out of high school, Kilen enjoyed a breakout sophomore campaign where he slashed .330/.361/.591 with nine home runs in 54 games. His pure contact skills are exceptional, producing a contact rate around 85% in 2024, including an astonishing 93% in-zone contact rate. He has a consistent barrel path through the zone and has grown into some thump, primarily displaying over-the-fence power to the pull-side and he'll hammer the gaps for doubles. It's an extremely polished bat. In the field, Kilen profiles up the middle. He's shown a good arm across the diamond at shortstop and moves well laterally, though he could move to second base later on. After two years at Louisville, Kilen will transfer to Tennessee and join Tony Vitello’s infield for 2025.


25. RHP Kolten Smith, Georgia

height: 6’3

weight: 210

b/t: r/r

draft day age: 21 yr 6 mo

hometown: Ocala, FL

A projectable and athletic specimen, Smith has enjoyed a breakout campaign under new head coach Wes Johnson. Smith more than doubled his strikeout rate in 2024, jumping to a 33.9% clip in 69.2 innings of work for the Bulldogs. Smith sequences his arsenal nicely, as both breaking balls in his arsenal saw usage over 20% of the time in 2024. Smith's firm slider in the mid-80s has sharp bite and stays short to the plate, flashing some late sweep, too. His low-80s curveball has little hump out of the hand and drops to the dirt from a high release, catching hitters out front. Both project as above-average pitches. His heater has gotten into the mid-90s more consistently, flashing some carry up in the zone and holding velocity deep in starts. He'll flash a firm change-up, too. He's still a bit raw overall, though his arm speed stands out and he's commanded the ball much better than in 2023.


26. INF Mason White, Arizona

height: 5’11

weight: 176

b/t: L/r

draft day age: 21 yr 9 mo

hometown: Tucson, AZ

Despite White's shorter stature, he is one of the more powerful bats in this draft class. There's quite a bit ongoing during his load, but White's hands are explosively quick and he launches the barrel through the zone at insane speed, allowing him to tap into legitimate plus raw power to all fields. There are questions about the pure contact skills, though. He added more aggression to his approach in 2024 and began chasing more frequently, plus his whiff rate did jump up slightly. He'll need to improve upon this for there to be legitimate first round buzz. In the field, he's a fringy runner and has limited range, making him a projected second baseman at the next level.


27. 3B Trent Caraway, Oregon State

height: 6’2

weight: 202

b/t: r/r

draft day age: 21 yr 3 mo

hometown: Dana Point, CA

One of the most prized prospects to make it to campus after the 2023 draft, Caraway would've been in contention for being the best freshman in the country had a broken finger not sidelined him for two months. He's a masher in every sense of the word. Uber-physical, loud bat speed, and robust power to his pull-side. He's already cleared the 110 MPH exit velocity threshold on numerous occasions and his barrel feel should continue to improve as he gets more at-bats under his belt. He does have contact issues and he's aggressive, which is something to keep an eye on in 2025 as a draft-eligible sophomore. He has the arm and range to stick at third base long term, though as he matures physically, he may be destined for a corner outfield position.


28. INF Cade Kurland, Florida

height: 5’11

weight: 190

b/t: r/r

draft day age: 21 yr 4 mo

hometown: Tampa, FL

An early enrollee at Florida, Kurland had a fantastic freshman campaign for the Gators. A middle-infield thumper, Kurland's power stands out at first glance. He'll utilize both sides of the field with impressive bat speed and he's shown great barrel feel thus far, though his swing gets long and he'll need to polish up the hit tool in 2025. He's aggressive and will chase often, leading to strikeouts piling up and a walk rate that scouts want to see raised. Defensively, he's built for second base at the next level, but given his physicality, there's a chance he may outgrow the position and get a tryout at the hot corner.


29. RHP Kyson Witherspoon, Oklahoma

height: 6’0

weight: 205

b/t: r/r

draft day age: 20 yr 11 mo

hometown: Jacksonville, fl

A native of Jacksonville, Florida, Witherspoon attended Northwest Florida State College before transferring to Oklahoma with his twin brother, Malachi. While Malachi boasts the louder pitch mix, Kyson excelled in a starter's role for the Sooners in 2024, striking out 90 batters in 80 innings to the tune of a 3.71 ERA. His arm action can get stabby and inconsistent, causing some command woes, but his FB/SL duo is dynamic. He's run the heater up to 98 MPH with hop at the top of the zone and the slider features solid bite and two-plane break in the upper-80s. He's also flashed a fading cambio to lefties in the upper-80s, missing a good amount of bats. A jump in command with a cleaner arm action bodes well for his potential.


30. 1B/OF Ethan Petry, South Carolina

height: 6’4

weight: 235

b/t: r/r

draft day age: 21 yr

hometown: Land O’ Lakes, fl

Petry burst onto the scene as a freshman at South Carolina, smashing 23 home runs and slashing .376/.471/.733 in 63 games. 2024 was much the same in the power department, as he hit 21 home runs in 61 games, but opposing pitching exploited some holes in Petry's swing, causing a drop in pure contact and a rise in strikeouts. He did walk at a higher clip, but he was susceptible to velocity up in the zone and spin. With that said, it's all-fields juice when he's on and if he can polish up the hit tool in 2025, the ceiling is sky-high offensively. Defensively, he's improved a bit in right field for the Gamecocks, but given his large frame and middling speed, he's bound to move back to the infield at first base. A return to his 2023 form will help his draft stock immensely in 2025.

Five Interesting Seniors For The 2024 MLB Draft

Most older college players sign for pennies on the dollar in the draft. It’s a bummer it has to be this way, as many of these players arguably need more money, given they’ll get less opportunity in professional ball, but it’s just the reality of the situation. Regardless, finding players who can be productive big leaguers out of this senior sign bunch is one of the best ways to find ROI in baseball. Even getting 1-2 WAR out of these players is a huge win for an MLB org. On top of that, it allows teams to take huge shots on tough-to-sign players, typically toolsy high schoolers, who otherwise wouldn’t sign. Below I list five seniors (in no particular order) who aren’t getting as much buzz as I think they deserve and have a chance to go on day two of the draft.


Hunter Cranton, RHRP, Kansas


Admittedly, Cranton is probably my favorite prospect on this list. He’s is one of the most MLB-ready college relief prospects I can remember. It’s been a meteoric rise for Cranton, whose fastball velocity jumped 4.2 MPH between 2023 and 2024, and has been up to 99.9 this season. Some of that can be credited to moving into a full-time relief role, but it looks like other offseason changes were made, particularly getting into his lower half more, and creating a quicker, more consistent arm path. On top of the velocity added, Cranton has improved his fastball shape. He’s added an inch of induced vertical break to his fastball, taking it from just outside of deadzone at 16 IVB, to now at 17.5 inches of IVB. While this number may not blow you away on its own when you take into effect that other fastballs from similar release height average around 15 inches of IVB, you get one of the most outlier fastballs in the country. On top of this, while he’s throwing about the same number of strikes with it, he’s locating it across the top of the zone much better in 2024. 


On top of these fastball improvements, Cranton has significantly altered his slider, adding 6 MPH of velocity to it, and allowing it to pair much better with his rising fastball. It now has a much tighter shape, sitting around 87 MPH with about five inches of sweep. This pitch will play much better off his fastball than the slurvy 82 MPH slider he threw in 2023. 


Cranton already has the looks of a big-league reliever. Thanks to these changes, his fastball and slider garnered a 37% and 44% whiff rate in 2024, respectively. Cranton right now looks like a good middle reliever in the big leagues, but potentially adding a third pitch, such as a splitter, could take him into higher leverage situations.

Drew Woodcox, LF, Texas Tech

Woodcox has had an up-and-down college career but finished his career strong in 2024 with a .321/.403/.642 slash line at Texas Tech. While Woodcox doesn’t have much defensive value, his bat took a huge step forward in 2024. It has the looks of plus raw power from the right side from Woodcox. His exit data is beautiful, not only does he have an average exit velo of 95 mph and a hard hit rate of 66%, but he consistently gets to his max exit velocities, with a 90th percentile EV of 108, just 3 MPH off from his max of 112. He keeps the ball off the ground and uses the whole field. However, most of his home runs have come to the pull side, so there may be some low-hanging fruit to tap into more pull-side power.


While Woodcox doesn’t make a crazy amount of contact (78%, 88% in zone, both hovering around average), but has a very selective approach. Just swinging 38% of the time, and chasing around 20%, these isn’t the type of swing decisions you’d expect to see from a power hitter like Woodcox. Additionally, he saw only 58% strikes this year, which ranked in the bottom 20% of hitters in D1 in 2024. It would be interesting to see what Woodcox can do if he sees more strikes and isn’t getting pitched around.

Woodcox is a below-average runner with solid instincts and a below-average arm in the outfield. He’s a solid athlete and will be fine out there, but most of his value comes at the plate. I like Woodcox in a soft-side platoon role.


Woody Hadeen, SS, UC Irvine


We go from a power-driven profile to one that lacks any real power but does everything else on the field well. Hadeen missed all of his draft-eligible 2023 season with a shoulder injury but has made up for this in his senior season in a big way. The switch hitter hit .362/.529/.420 in 2024 while walking more than he struck out. Hadeen is an on-base king, only chasing 8% of the time in 2024! This is the sixth lowest in all of D1. On top of his strike zone discipline, he runs an 89% contact rate, while posting above-average line drive rates. It’s a spray, all-fields approach, something you don’t typically see from a hitter with this type of strike zone discipline. While there isn’t much thump here (101 max EV, 98 MPH 90th), Hadeen’s selectivity and barrel control should allow for some doubles and high on-base percentages. 


Hadeen has also shown slick fielding ability in the field. It’s plus hands, footwork, and actions, and is incredibly smooth around the bag. While it’s likely only fringe arm strength, Hadeen can throw from different platforms and angles incredibly well. Take for example this slowly hit ball to his right, which he gets out of his glove incredibly quick, and throws off his right foot to nab a speedy runner. It’s not uncommon to see players add strength, let alone arm strength in professional baseball, so there’s likely the makings of an average arm strength that plays above average. This is a player who can play all three infield positions. 

RJ Gordon, RHP, Oregon


I wrote about Gordon when I caught the Ducks at Globe Life Field the first weekend of the season. He was filling up the zone with a 92-93 cut ride fastball, landing a big 12-6 breaker, and turning over an average changeup. I felt like his pitch mix was missing an out pitch vs right-handers, and that a sweeper would fit his arm slot and supination-heavy profile, as he was only throwing a low to mid 80’s cuttery slider. Well, it looks like before his March 15th start vs Cal, Gordon added a sweeper full-time and is throwing his cutter harder. Averaging 13 inches of sweep at 83 MPH, this sweeper has the makings of a true out pitch vs right handed hitters. 


However, there have been some struggles for Gordon learning this pitch, as it only has a 20% miss rate, but I would argue this is likely Gordon is still gaining feel for a pitch that’s tough to command, let alone learn in-season. This pitch will flash double plus, as the video below is one with positive IVB, almost 20 inches of sweep, and throw 84 MPH, but Gordon is still gaining feel for it. While the pitch shape averages are good, it’s been a bit more inconsistent than you’d like. It’s a pitch he leaves over the heart of the plate a bit too often, and while it may get some called strikes, in predictable counts hitters can sit on it and do damage as long as they see it out of the hand. I like Gordon’s pitch mix a lot. While the results haven’t fully been there, tinkering in season can be tough, especially for a guy who missed all of 2023 with an injury. On top of this, given the run-scoring environment in college baseball in 2024, Gordon has a solid set of skills that I believe should translate better than his baseball card numbers may indicate. I still think there’s a #5 starter upside here, especially if the right team gets ahold of him.


Cameron Leary, OF, Boston College


Leary is another patient power-hitting outfielder, this time from the ACC. With a 110 90th percentile EV and 114 max, Leary hits the snot out of the ball. Leary likes to pull the ball in the air, with a pull rate that’s 5% higher than the D1 average. With a free swinger, this isn’t a profile that would generally work for a long time, but I think with Leary’s level of patience, this should be able to transfer well to pro ball. His 16% chase rate is in the 88th percentile of college hitters, and he’s another guy who saw an incredibly low rate of strikes at 53%. He’s incredibly patient with a 37% swing rate overall, but his 68% in-zone swing rate is right at the D1 average, telling me he walks the line between selective and passive. While there are certainly swing-and-miss concerns, and Leary won’t be a player who hits for a high average, he should be able to walk and be selective enough to keep his profile afloat.

Defensively, Leary has some interesting attributes. As a 40-runner, he certainly has a home in the outfield. It’s a below-average arm, so he probably fits best in LF, but he did play 161 innings in center in 2024. While it’s not blazing speed out there, Leary gets good jobs and takes nice routes to balls. I’m not saying he’s an everyday centerfielder or even a defensive replacement out there, but the fact he’s able to hold it down at this level makes me like his chances to be an everyday left-fielder at the next level. 

Leary struggles a bit vs left-handers, hitting the ball a bit softer and on the ground more, often still trying to stay with his pull-side approach it appears. That being said, he makes the same amount of contact here and only chases a touch more vs southpaws, so maybe an approach change could be in play here. Regardless, I like Leary’s potential as a strong-side platoon option.

2024 MLB Draft Prospect Profile: RHP Connor Foley

2024 MLB Draft Prospect Profile: RHP Connor Foley

After pitching specifically out of the bullpen his freshman year, Indiana right-hander Connor Foley entered the starting rotation for the Hoosiers in 2024. It’s been a smooth transition for the right-hander, but it has come with some bumps in the road.

MLB Draft Prospects Out West | Part 1

College baseball out west might not have the sensational appeal that it does eastbound in the SEC & ACC but it’s still a massive hotbed for talent. We all know about Travis Bazzana, Malcolm Moore, and Rodney Green, among others, but there are dozens of other prospects out west with less acclaim to their name.

While most of the more enticing prospects are playing out the final season in the Pac-12, the West Coast Conference (WCC), Big West Conference, Mountain West Conference (MW), and Western Athletic Conference (WAC) will send along their share of signees into pro ball. In order to prioritize depth and breadth, this overview will be split into three parts with the Pac-12 and WAC to follow below, the Big West to follow on it’s own, and the WCC and MW coverage to bring up the rear.

With conference play coming to a close, draft stocks are becoming more solid, though plenty of change will happen between now and mid-July.

PAC-12

Aiden May, RHP, Oregon State

The first of a handful of Beavers that stand out, May checks key boxes with above-average velocity, feel for spin, and sharp command. The 6-foot-2 right-hander has sat 93-95, topping at 98 this year--with two distinct fastballs--a fringe-average four-seam with some run and a somewhat flat approach because of his low 3/4 release height and a steep sinker that profiles to be an above average pitch as it avoids barrels and induces weak contact.

May backs the fastballs up with a 2800+ RPM tailing slider featuring premium late break. It’s easily a plus pitch that sits 83-86, capable of missing plenty of pro bats. There isn’t another pitch May uses often, though he’s flashed an upper-80s split-changeup with healthy fade that has the makings of a plus pitch because of his ability to kill spin and get the pitch downhill.

Continued development of May’s changeup could help keep left-handers off of his fastball and allow May to start as a pro. Improved strike throwing this year mitigates the reliever risk and the Albuquerque native will get a chance to start as a mid-90s arm with a plus slider and promising changeup.

Jacob Kmatz, RHP, Oregon State

From the same Albuquerque high school as May, Kmatz brings a resume as a three-year member of the Oregon State rotation. Unlike May, Kmatz doesn’t bring big velocity but he does throw a multitude of pitches that make him a tough scout for hitters. Standing 6-foot-3 and likely physically maxed, Kmatz will reach up to grab 94 but he will sit 90-92 with plus carry and some run on his fastball from a high 3/4 slot.

It should be an average or better pitch, even with the low-end velocity but Kmatz can keep hitters off of it by throwing a cutter, slider, curveball, and changeup. Kmatz focuses on the curveball, sitting in the mid-70s with hammer 12:30-6:30 shape. Surprisingly, it doesn’t miss many bats but when executed, it’s a contact killer. The slider doesn’t stand out though Kmatz has feel for it and changes speeds and shapes with the cutter to create effectiveness. Finally, the changeup has the potential to be Kmatz’s best secondary. He kills spin and creates a very steep plane with his high slot.

Kmatz lives in the zone which can get him into trouble at times with less-than-premium stuff but he won’t issue many free passes and avoids barrels when he’s at his best. There’s absolutely backend starter potential here because of the pitchability and arsenal diversity.

Bridger Holmes, RHP, Oregon State

Transferred in from Feather River College in northern California, Holmes has some gaudy characteristics that will get him selected early in this year’s draft. The lanky 6-foot-4 righty is a true sidearmer that sits 90-93 with a very lively sinker. The sidearm slot allows him to buy into the pitch’s run and bury it to the armside or get underneath the baseball and throw the heater up in the zone with run. There’s a chance for a plus offering here, especially if he can more routinely sit 92-94.

What has cemented Holmes as a mid-round prospect is a 3,000 RPM slider that hitters don’t pick up on because of the arm slot. It works hard horizontally and in and under the hands of lefties, allowing Holmes to dominate left-handers. While he’s a reliever going forward, Holmes will be a priority for teams looking for a varied look, premium feel for spin, and some projectability & moldability.

Tanner Smith, C, Oregon State

In some ways, Smith is the straw that stirs the drink for a dangerous Oregon State team. He’s a three-year starter behind the dish for the Beavers with above-average defensive ability and a bat that’s finally taking the requisite steps to make him a rounded pro prospect. Smith has good hands that can exchange the ball fast and his arm is above average, allowing him to be one of the best catch and throw backstops in college baseball. Smith is also an above-average framer and athlete behind the plate, with few pitches getting past him.

At the plate, Smith has seen an uptick in raw power and he now profiles to have average or better raw power with a chance to see a dozen or so home runs a season in the pros. Smith has also noticeably improved his swing decisions and is getting on base far more often as a result. There’s still some excessive swing and miss in Smith’s game and he’ll likely never be an average overall hitter because of it, though the improved approach makes the bat playable. Look for Smith to go sometime late on day 2 or early on day 3 to satisfy the teams’ yearly need for catching depth.

Elijah Hainline, SS, Oregon State

Part of an Oregon State transfer class that’s moving the needle in Corvallis, Hainline has picked up where he left off at Washington State. Primarily the Beavers shortstop this year, Hainline has flashed excellent and vastly improved zone awareness and now projects to walk at an average or better rate. The traits that Hainline carried into this year still prevail. Hainline has ultra-fast hands that clear the zone quickly and generate quality bat speed. With his slight frame, Hainline may be able to add a tick more power but he currently projects for average power output. 

Given a chance to play shortstop more often than at Washington State, Hainline has proven himself to be an above-average defender at shortstop with quick feet and an intense motor. There’s impressive two-way ability here and Hainline may be in line for an early day 2 pick, though the bat-to-ball skills remain fringe-average.

Brock Moore, RHP, Oregon

One of the top pure relievers set to be selected in July’s draft, the 6-foot-6 Moore has stuff that dreams are made of. Moore sits 96-100 on his fastball, coming from a low slot with some carry to create a very flat approach angle. It’s one of the best fastballs in the entire class and could be a double-plus offering. Moore throws three other pitches, a slider, curveball, and changeup with the changeup profiling best for the next level.

Moore gets his changeup steep downhill by leveraging his big frame and the ball has plenty of spin-induced fade. It’s another plus pitch in Moore’s arsenal and gives him closer upside. Neither of Moore’s breaking balls are especially polished at this stage, but he can spin the ball with the best of them and if one of the breakers can take the next step, Moore could be confidently tried as a starter in the pros. Moore had issues with his control at times at the NAIA level but has thrown plenty of strikes this year and could fast track as a reliever.

Bennett Thompson, C, Oregon

A second notable catcher in the Pac-12, Thompson has a promising hit tool with an excellent feel for contact and above-average swing decisions. The Ducks’ backstop fares well against all pitch types, giving him a very rounded hitting profile and the potential to get on base at an above-average rate in the pros. Thompson has below-average power but his swing frequently creates loft, giving Thompson a chance to hit 5-7 homers a year as a pro.

In terms of framing and blocking, Thompson has work to do and his fringe arm paints a lackluster defensive profile. On the basepaths, Thompson is fringe-average as well. While Thompson has one pro-ready tool, it’s arguably the most important one and Thompson will get a chance to develop as a backup catcher.

Bryce Boettcher, OF, Oregon

Boettcher is a legit two-sport athlete, recording 37 tackles as an inside linebacker for the Ducks football team in 2023. The football instincts translate to Boettcher’s ability to roam centerfield. Boettcher is an average runner at best but there is a tangible knack for reading fly balls and taking efficient routes to them, giving him a legit shot to stick up the middle in the pros.

With the stick, Boettcher has excellent hands. It’s not the most aesthetic swing but Boettcher keeps his hands quiet and makes plenty of contact. Boettcher can be a bit aggressive but it’s still likely an average hit tool. Boettcher has a physically mature and large build, but the power is presently fringe-average. The defensive instincts and plus hands will get Boettcher to the pros and he’ll have a chance to blow up by pursuing solely baseball.

Jeffery Heard, OF, Oregon

Transferring in from Sac State, Heard has gone from a mid-major star to a power conference contributor. Heard has a very smooth swing that creates a ton of loft. While his raw power is below average, Heard hits the ball hard in the air giving him a chance for fringe-average power. Heard also profiles as an average or better hitter as his connected swing makes a lot of contact and he runs a mature approach. There have been some struggles handling secondaries with Heard expanding his zone a bit too often, inflating his swing and miss totals.

Heard is an average runner with better-than-average top speeds and he should be more than capable in an outfield corner. There might not be a ton of upside with Heard but he’s a safe bet to hit in the pros and might be able to infuse more power into his smooth swing.

RJ Gordon, RHP, Oregon

Gordon finally broke out in his first year as a full-time starter for Oregon. The 6-foot righty has a compact, efficient build with intriguing arm talent. Despite his smaller frame, Gordon has sat 91-94 this year, grabbing 97 once or twice. On top of the solid average velocity, Gordon gets 20.2 inches of induced vertical break which paired with his average release height creates a flat approach angle that misses bats. The heater is average though, as Gordon adds more mass, he might be able to more routinely sit in the mid-90s and push the envelope.

The rest of his arsenal is fair with a quality steep slider as his second pitch along with a fringy slider and promising fading changeup. The latter two pitches may never become regulars in his arsenal but Gordon’s fastball, curveball, and clean mechanics will likely get him a shot to start in the pros.

Toran O’Harran, RHP, Stanford

The Sacramento native O’Harran looks to add to the Stanford Cardinal pitching legacy that has produced Mike Mussina, Jack McDowell, and Jeremy Guthrie, among others. O’Harran’s calling card is his fastball shape; it’s got ideal modern heater characteristics. Sitting 91-94, O’Harran gets serious carry on the pitch, averaging 19.8 inches of IVB with a more upward release angle to create an extremely flat approach angle. As a result, O’Harran’s fastball runs a 28.9% whiff rate and profiles as an above-average and potentially plus pitch.

To back up the fastball, O’Harran throws a fringey slider with quality depth but limited glove-side movement. O’Harran will need to revamp the pitch’s shape in the pros and tap into his natural ability to generate spin. O’Harran’s changeup will help him move up the pro ladder. The velocity difference is a bit steep as his offspeed sits in the mid-to-upper-70s, but it’s an out pitch regardless of how it sequences with his fastball, bending to the armside with plenty of drop. Developing the slider will be key to establishing a third speed in O’Harran’s arsenal. If he can do that, along with the refinement of his overall feel, there’s a legit starter profile here headed by two borderline plus pitches, though he may be viewed more as a reliever in the meantime.

Jackson Kent, LHP, Arizona

Likely the highest-ranked draft-eligible southpaw in the conference, Kent mixes the pitchability you want from a low-90s lefty with the type of deep arsenal that indicates starting upside. Kent’s fastball may appear fringey on the surface but the 90-93 mph offering has a flat shape for similar reasons to O’Harran above; a flatter release angle and a lower-than-average release height. The pitch gets roughly average carry but can be a weapon up in the zone, especially because Kent locates it effectively. 

The lefty has three secondaries to mix in with an above-average changeup representing the best one. With a bit of a funky delivery, Kent creates plenty of deception and also tumbles the pitch hard downhill, making it a weak contact magnet. Kent will then spin either a 12-6 curve or a slider that he likes to bury down. The curveball has proven difficult to hit while the slider gets average results. All four of Kent’s pitches are reliable, giving him a prototypical low-octane 5th starter outlook with a swingman floor that should get him drafted somewhat early on day 2.

Clark Candiotti, RHP, Arizona

Pushing 24 years old, Candiotti is an unusual name to include, however, a year with Arizona has done wonders for the big righty’s future. After sitting 88-91 at Wichita State last year, Candiotti has seen a huge velo jump and now sits 92-94 with some run. It’s an average or better pitch that teams may jump on as a senior sign money saver versus hoping for a UDFA commitment.

Candiotti has a fringe-average mid-80s slider with average depth but limited sweep that he’s still developing feel for. The Scottsdale native has an intriguing curveball with above-average drop that could become an average pitch and create legit pro upside.

Ryan Campos, C, Arizona State

The lefty-swinging backstop will be one of the first catchers off the board in July. Campos combines a zone contact percentage over 90% with above-average swing decisions to make a comfortably above-average hit tool. Campos produces more power than you’d expect from his compact 5-foot-8, 190-pound frame with a 90th percentile exit velocity over 103 mph. He won’t produce average power output but the bat is well-rounded. Campos can get too aggressive against fastballs but his zone is extremely tight when he picks up a change in velocity or spin.

Defensively, Campos is fringey in about every way. His exchange times can be average but his arm is usually a tick below average and his smaller frame minimizes his ability to vacuum up pitches in the dirt. Campos is clearly a serviceable defender but his path to being an everyday catcher is narrow. Fortunately, there is athleticism here that has served Campos well in the outfield—though sparingly this year—giving him a fallback option should catching not work long-term.

Nick McLain, OF, Arizona State

The brother of two-time first-round pick Matt McLain and Dodgers prospect Sean, Nick doesn’t carry the same hype as his oldest brother but the switch hitter is a talented and versatile player in his own right. The youngest McLain works an advanced approach, especially against fastballs, though he presents an oddity of whiffing against heaters far more often than he does breaking balls. He still impacts fastballs well and profiles to see all pitch types well. McLain has average overall feel for contact, giving him a chance for above-average hitting output because of his approach.

The power projection is minimal here with a 90th percentile exit velocity of 102.9 mph. McLain elevates the baseball well with a backspin-inducing swing but he’s likely to settle with below-average power. Strictly an outfielder, McLain’s fringe-average speed limits his overall range but he’s an efficient route runner and will be average in a corner. McLain is a sum of several good parts but his lack of a standout trait may leave him on the board well into day 2.

Cody Schrier, SS, UCLA

Discussed as a top-2 round player out of JSerra (CA) in 2021, Schrier found himself a 3-year starter at UCLA instead. A consensus freshman All-American, Schrier stagnated following his first year, in part due to a labrum tear in 2023. This year, teams will be considering Schrier’s former elite prospect status as they weigh selecting him. The UCLA star isn’t an explosive bat, with his career 90th percentile exit velocity hovering around 103 mph, but when Schrier is at his best, he blends average contact skills with average swing decisions to create a solid overall profile.

Schrier hasn’t fully figured out secondaries at the collegiate level and will do most of his damage against fastballs. Additionally, since the shoulder injury, Schrier has changed his stance and finds himself opening up earlier and reaching more with his arms, pounding the ball into the ground more often. In some ways, teams will see low-hanging fruit if they feel they can reconnect Schrier’s swing and he might get selected more in line with his overall reputation rather than his 2024 performance. Schrier’s ability to play an average shortstop, boosted by above-average arm strength will help his cause. 

Duce Gourson, 2B, UCLA

Gourson is one of UCLA’s best recruits in recent years and he’s lived up to the hype with early day 2 potential. The lefty-swinging middle infielder has quiet hands and a beautifully efficient swing that generates impact thanks to his load that creates plenty of core explosion and great lower-body engagement. The raw power is roughly average--with a 90th percentile exit velocity just under 105 mph--matching Gourson’s average-sized frame, but his bat path creates leverage and gets the ball in the air enough for him to maximize the raw juice. 

The strength of Gourson’s profile, however, is an above-average hit tool. His swing decisions are sound with a 20% chase rate and his zone-contact rate of 88.3% showcases the precision Gourson executes with. His college production does not match the underlying skill metrics or his pure talent. Gourson slid off shortstop completely this year with Schrier healthy, a necessary move as Gourson’s average range and fringe-average arm profile better on the right side of the infield. Gourson is a strong candidate to be a draft bargain for a model team with his complete offensive toolset.

Luke Jewett, RHP, UCLA

The Bruins best pitcher during a down year for the program, Jewett has a few promising components that make him a late day 2 or early day 3 target. The 6-foot-4 righty has a lively low-90s fastball that peaks at 95 with some carry and run. Coming from a high overtop slot, he’s a tough read for hitters though Jewett won’t ever miss many bats.

His curveball and changeup are both developed pitches that give some real life to this profile. Jewett’s curveball gets late sweep and has plenty of drop, creating a really steep pitch that also runs away from righties. Jewett has below-average movement on his changeup but it’s a sequence-based pitch that tumbles late and is hard to barrel.

Austin Overn, OF, USC

One of the bigger fallers in this class relative to preseason expectations, Overn failed to build upon an extremely promising freshman campaign, though there are still positive takeaways. While Overn likely couldn’t establish the same rhythm in a weaker Trojan lineup, he did noticeably add strength to his slim-athletic frame, elevating his power from below average close to average with a 104.3 mph 90th percentile exit velocity.

Overn came into the year needing to sharpen his discipline at the plate but actually saw an increase in chase swings and fewer deep counts. The average bat-to-ball skills paired with that budding power make the offensive profile a more compelling match with Overn’s plus glove in center field and easy plus wheels. While he didn’t play himself into the back of the first round as was discussed prior to the year, Overn still has promising upside as a two-way outfielder and will likely find a suitor in the middle of day 2.

Cole Cramer, 3B, Washington State

A JUCO grinder, Cramer made the most of his deserved Power 5 opportunity, establishing himself as one of the best pure hitters in this year’s class. Cramer’s feel for contact is excellent from his compact swing with his zone contact rate hovering just below 95%. Cramer also showed a mature approach from the get-go with a great high for velocity and a fair ability to read spin.

Because his approach is so geared towards making solid contact consistently, Cramer is not a power player with well-below-average game power though it’s feasible he could tick up a grade with more physical maturation. Washington State’s primary third baseman this year, Cramer looks fringey at the hot corner but impressed in his brief time at second base and could emerge as average there. This looks like a classic late-day 2 underslot option for a team looking for a classic gamer type.

Peyton Schulze, 1B, California

An atypical smaller-build first baseman, Schulze slugs like he’s a whole 4 inches taller than his 6-foot-1 frame. Schulze has a clean undercut swing that elevates the ball around an average rate but always with some impact. Schulze’s pure power metrics jumped a fair amount this year with a 90th percentile exit velocity of 108.5 mph. He’s pretty easy to project for above-average power production in the pros with easy plus raw power.

Schulze’s bat-to-ball skills are impressive for a player of his archetype and few in this draft class have the raw power Schulze does with a zone contact rate above 88%. What Schulze does lack is his selectivity; he’s a fastball hunter and will cut some at-bats short by running a similar approach with one strike as he does with two. If Schulze can better control the zone, he’s got serious pro upside, even as a 1 B-only player.

WAC

Tyler Wilson, OF, GCU

Another Grand Canyon product from MLB bloodlines with the last name Wilson (unrelated to Jack & Jacob), Tyler won’t be a high first-rounder like Jacob, but figures to be in mid-day 2 range. The 6-foot-2 outfielder has a smooth swing that generates healthy backspin, helping to maximize his fringe-average raw power. Wilson has made a name for himself by picking up spin and running a tight zone, chasing just 18.8% of pitches out of the zone.

There’s more swing and miss than you’d like for a player with Wilson’s power and he gets beat low and away, but his bat still profiles to make an impact. Wilson is more than capable in the outfield and features an average arm.

Daniel Avitia, RHP, GCU

A softer thrower, averaging just 90.6 on his fastball, Avitita wins with finesse and deception. The lanky 6-foot-4 right-hander hides the ball well and drops to a low 3/4 slot that leaves same-side hitters fooled while the run on his fastball provides potential for an arsenal to compete with left-handed bats, though they’ve gotten the better of Avitia to this point. Avitia’s big frame helps him get well extended to the plate and kicks up his perceived velocity.

Avitia backs his heater up with a slider and changeup, both of which have been dominant offerings. The changeup is a legit plus pitch and one of the best offspeeds in this class, it gets ridiculous run and fade, moving like a breaking ball. Avitia’s slider isn’t close to plus but it’s a sweepy breaking ball that wipes out right-handers. The present inability to get lefties out places some reliever risk on Avitia’s profile, though he could be dynamic and unique from a pen role.

Brandon Downer, RHP, California Baptist

Downer will be a ball-of-clay pick for a team on day 3. The big 6-foot-5 right-hander has sat 92-95 all year with above-average extension and some carry on his fastball; it has the makings of an average offering. Downer has a well-developed arsenal to back up his heater with two breaking balls and a quality low-spin changeup. The changeup is deceptive and profiles as a fringe average second or third pitch while Downer’s curveball has one of the steepest approach angles of any pitch in the class.

Downer is still developing some feel and locates inconsistently but he’s got the requisite power and secondary characteristics to get teams interested in his development.

Mitch Mueller, RHP, Utah Valley

Mueller has a very whippy arm that drops into a lower 3/4 slot and brings some power. The 6-foot-5 righty sits 91-94 from a lower slot and leverages his frame for extension, getting his fastball some extra giddy-up and flatter shape. Teams will look at it as a pro-ready pitch.

Backing it up, Mueller’s changeup has shown promise and his curveball is an effective offering that he has good feel for. Mueller throws his changeup hard in the 85-88 range with a deceptive action though its movement is wholly inconsistent. Teams will buy the arm talent here and perhaps give Mueller a chance to start early in his career.

The West is full of talent that sometimes goes under the radar, especially in non-power conferences. Keep an eye on this crop to be selected and make a pro impact down the stretch this summer.

2024 MLB Draft: Top 300 Prospects

2024 MLB Draft: Top 300 Prospects

The Top 300 Prospects for the 2024 MLB Draft.

PA Prep Round Up - April

Over the past month and a half, I’ve been traveling all over eastern Pennsylvania watching the best of what prep baseball has to offer in this area. In this article, I’m going to do my best to describe my favorite players that I’ve seen so far.

Tegan Kuhns (RHP, Gettysburg Area - Tennessee)

Tegan Kuhns, member of the 2023 Team USA 18U team and our number 55 draft prospect for 2024, has solidified himself as the top prep draft prospect in PA. His arsenal which includes a fastball that reaches 96 mph, a sharp upper 70s slider, and a mid 80s splitter is built to make him a swing-and-miss machine. Standing at 6’3, 177lbs, he has room to fill out and increase his velocity even more.

Kuhns is a superb athlete on the mound. Combo his athleticism with his slender build, and you have the perfect example of projection. His long arms plus extension and his ability to elevate his fastball make that far and away his best strikeout pitch. His breaking ball is more of a true slider and he can throw it in any count. His release makes it look just like his fastball and it flies across the zone hard, generating a ton of chases. The splitter may be my favorite pitch of his. It’s hard and has the depth and arm-side movement that will get him plenty of ground balls and out of some tough situations.

He will turn 19 a couple of months before the draft, however, I don’t think that will affect his stock too much. There’s a lot to like about Kuhns and he has tons of room to grow and improve. I won’t be shocked if we hear his name called in the first couple of days of the draft.

Chase Harlan (3B, Central Bucks East - Clemson)

Chase Harlan, our number 159 draft prospect for 2024, is a strong and physical third-baseman. When I saw Harlan early into the spring, I immediately got the impression that he had the capabilities to stick at third base. He has good size, a plus arm, and a solid glove at the hot corner. Athletically, he has the quickness and reactions to stick at the position as well. Given his speed and arm, I do see a possibility that he could have a future at one of the corner outfield spots however, I think he will do just fine at third base.

At the plate this spring, Harlan has shown off his bat speed and power to all fields. When I saw him, he drove a double into the right-center field gap and the next at-bat was a double to left. Every at-bat I saw (outside of the intentional walks), Harlan put the bat on the ball in a productive way. Early on, there was both some swing-and-miss and some chase to his game, but I’ve been hearing that he has cleaned a lot of that up so, I am looking forward to checking him out again this spring.

Tague Davis (1B/LHP, Malvern Prep - Louisville)

Tague Davis, like the others here, has put on a strong performance so far this spring. He has a pro-ready body at 6’3, 205 lbs. In the three games I’ve seen him play, he has shown off his power at the plate every time. While there is some swing and miss to his profile right now, each time I’ve seen him play he has made better and better contact quality. The combination of his size, bat speed, and bat path built for loft always makes him a threat to go yard every time he comes to the plate.

I finally had the chance to watch Davis pitch last week and he had a strong game overall. He located his fastball well at 87-89 mph and his big breaking slider at 75-77 mph. He also featured a very deceptive changeup that looked identical to his fastball, only about 6-8 mph slower. So far this spring, Davis’ fastball has consistently been a couple of ticks higher in velocity but, when I saw him, he commanded the zone well and was getting tons of weak contact without the higher velocity. Also, he limited baserunners well, allowing only three hits and one walk through six innings of work. One thing I was hoping to see from him was to reach back and try to blow one by the hitter, but I never saw it. That’s not a knock on Davis, he just never had to because he was doing such a good job at missing barrels already.

Davis not only has the prototypical size to play first base, but he also defends the position very well. He’s a physical defender, not afraid to put his body in front of the ball. He is also quick enough to make plays away from his body and handles tough throws from infielders with ease. I look forward to tracking his progress throughout the rest of the spring and seeing if he can improve his stock more than he already has.

Dylan Hansen (RHP, Downingtown East - Coastal Carolina)

Dylan Hansen was a very fun watch for me. He has a strong frame at 6’3, 215 lbs and puts every bit of it into his pitches. When I saw Hansen, he featured a 92-94 mph fastball with good life, a 77-80 mph slurvy breaking ball, and an 82-85 mph tumbling changeup. He elevates his fastball well and commands his off-speed with it, making it tough to put the barrel on the ball. His long arms and legs made his low-mid 90s fastball look much faster than it was. Hansen was in constant attack mode, not shying away from anyone who stepped in the box. There was a lot of effort in his delivery, causing him to tire out a little quicker than you would hope. By the fifth inning, his velocity had fallen by about five mph on his fastball. However, he was still able to strike out his last batter on a 93 mph fastball above the zone. The Coastal Carolina commit has shown that he has a strong foundation and has the stuff to build on and become an excellent pitcher at the next level.

Kross Howarth (INF/RHP, Perkiomen School - Tulane)

Kross Howarth is a primary pitcher who thrives on attacking the zone and getting swings and misses. This spring, he has featured an 88-92 mph fastball, a big sweeping 75-77 mph slider, and an 82-85 mph changeup. His fastball has some sinker action and he can run it inside to right-handed batters with conviction. He combos it well with the slider and changeup and he’s able to throw all three pitches in any count. The one concern I have with Howarth is that he hasn’t gained much velocity from a year ago and he is already 19 years old. With his 6’5” 200 lb frame though, there is still room to get stronger and gain velocity.

At the plate, Howarth has a long, powerful swing. He has a strong base that can generate a lot of power. I worry about his consistency in making good contact with the ball and the results he will get once he faces higher velocities at the next level. Defensively, he has bounced all around the infield this year. I feel that given his strong arm and glove, but lesser range, he is a prime candidate to play third base at the next level and I believe he will be able to do it well. Howarth always brings intensity every time he goes onto the field and he is looking to build on his already strong spring.

Evan Jones (RHP, Methacton - Wake Forest)

Evan Jones is the only 2025 graduate I am including in this article. He is a tall, lanky Wake Forest commit that features a 90-93 mph fastball, 80-82 mph slider, and an upper 70’s changeup. He only pitched two innings when I saw him early into the season, but he was impressive nonetheless. He really gets into his lower half during his delivery, generating his velocity from the ground up. He hides the ball well and has a low three-quarter slot with a good amount of arm-side run to his fastball. The slider stays in the zone for a long time, getting him a lot of chases with it. It didn’t take much for me to understand why Wake Forest likes him so much and he’s going to be a fun pitcher to track the rest of this year and next.

Nathan Arterbridge (C, St. George’s Tech - Missouri State)

While I know this is all about the Pennsylvania prospects, I do want to talk about the Deleware prep catcher, Nathan Arterbridge. I saw Arterbridge pretty early into the spring and his physicality immediately stood out to me. I had his pop time at 2.08 secs and he did an excellent job at blocking every pitch in the dirt. He has good size at 6’1, 205 lbs, and is an excellent mover behind the plate. He also has very strong hands and presents the ball well. I enjoyed watching him catch and I don’t feel that there is any concern about how he will handle catching higher velocities.

At the plate, Arterbridge has above-average bat speed and the game power plays as well. Like a lot of younger players, he has some swing-and-miss. Despite that, he was quite picky in the box, rarely expanding his zone. He limits his movement at the plate using a quiet load and a low step so that he’s always ready to attack when he gets the pitch he wants. I look forward to seeing how he performs the rest of the spring, at Missouri State, and on.

Twitter/X: @JakeBarg

Live Looks: First Half of March

It’s been a hectic start to the season and while I racked up the flyer miles in February, March marked the start of conference play in North Carolina. Having some prior obligations taking center stage in life, this means that this Live Looks edition will be longer than most. I made stops at East Carolina, NC State, and Wake Forest/Duke to start off the month and there will be more ACC content as the month progresses.

As a disclaimer, I will see Duke two weeks in a row, so the players I selected for this piece will likely not be written up on the next piece. Players like Jonathan Santucci, who had a rough outing against Wake Forest, will be written up after the series against Clemson, but that will include notes from the Wake Forest series as a comparison to what I saw between the two outings.

East Carolina Pirates

RHP trey yesavage

DRAFT GRADE: Mid-First round (Picks 10-20)


NC State Wolfpack

c jacob cozart

draft grade: Back-end first round


Wake Forest Demon Deacons

ss/of sEAVER kING

DRAFT GRADE: Top ten


1B NICK KURTZ

DRAFT GRADE: Top ten


LHP JOSH HARTLE

DRAFT GRADE: second round


RHP CHASE BURNS

DRAFT GRADE: top five/ten


RHP MICHAEL MASSEY

DRAFT GRADE: Late second/early third


LHP HAIDEN LEFFEW

DRAFT GRADE: high follow (2026)


Duke Blue Devils

LHP Kyle Johnson

DRAFT GRADE: High follow (2026)


OF DEVIN OBEE

DRAFT GRADE: Mid day two


RHP CHARLIE BEILENSON

DRAFT GRADE: day 3 moneysaver


OF AJ GRACIA

DRAFT GRADE: high follow (2026)

Live Looks: Future Stars Showdown, Globe Life Field

Over the weekend I attended the Future Stars Series showdown at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. Playing in the event were five JUCO teams, New Mexico State, Blinn, Northwest Florida State, Navarro College, Odessa, and San Jac. In addition to these top-tier programs was a team of some top-tier high schoolers, who were split into two teams. Getting to see this much talent in one place is a great opportunity, and getting to see it on a big-league field adds some great perspective. Fly balls that are usually blown out at these players’ home parks are easy flyouts in this stadium. It puts into perspective how good professional players are. With all that being said, it’s important to remember the context of this event. It’s January, so a lot of these players aren’t close to the rhythm of the season yet, the scoreboard isn’t operational. It’s good to treat it as more of a spring training-like environment, and not too much weight into the results. Below are some players that caught my attention throughout the weekend.  

 

Slade Caldwell, OF, Future Stars

An ultra-twitchy, squatty outfielder, the Ole Miss commit impressed with his speed and athleticism. Busting multiple 70-grade run times on hard-hit ground balls, Caldwell’s speed allows him to cover plenty of ground in center field, as well. At the plate, Caldwell showed a mature approach, working multiple walks and showing a good feel for the strike zone. He didn’t flinch at secondaries and jumped on fastballs in his zone. Caldwell has a sweet swing and is an explosive rotator, putting out impressive bat speed for his stature. He shows great plate coverage and ability to manipulate the barrel, long story short, Caldwell is going to get on base a ton. While he may have below-average arm strength in center, his athleticism and range give him a good chance to stick there. Caldwell is a super exciting player with a high on-base and defensive floor, whose explosiveness may give him more power than you would expect from his stature. With a serious chance to go on Day 1 of the draft, he should be a fun player to follow this spring.

 

Brandon Arvidson, LHP, San Jac

After redshirting at Texas A&M in 2023, Arvidson headed South to San Jac. In this outing, the Texas commit was 91-94 MPH and touched 95 MPH a few times, throwing both two-seamers and four-seamers. Arvidson threw one 87 MPH slider to an LHH, but his main bread and butter was his 80-82 MPH curveball, which he was landing for strikes against right-handed hitters and left-handed hitters. With short 1-7 movement and coming from his over-the-top release, hitters had a hard time picking it up out of the hand, generating multiple whiffs. Arvidson also flashed a few changeups at 84-85 MPH. These had more fade than depth but were a good change of pace off of his fastball. I’d like to see him throw that high 80s slider more often, as it could be a missing weapon needed against left-handed hitters. Arvidson threw strikes but lacked consistent fastball command. His tilted shoulders and hips give him some reliever red flags, but he may throw just enough strikes to give him and his deep arsenal a chance to start at the college level should he make it to Austin.

 

Thomas Mangus, RHP, Navarro

Up to 94 MPH in the past, the physical Oklahoma commit Mangus was 89-92 MPH, touching 93 MPH in this outing. Mangus didn’t show crazy fastball shape, generating some ride and getting a few whiffs, but he was able to command it to both sides of the plate, from a high ¾ slot, and often elevated it late in counts. Mangus showed an interesting 80-82 MPH sweeping slider. Thrown to both RHH and LHH, this pitch generated whiffs in and out of the zone. Mangus threw it mostly late in counts, and it’s something I’d personally like to him throw it more often in the future. With an upper-half heavy delivery and two-pitch mix, Mangus looks like he’d be a good fit in the bullpen, but with the development of a third pitch, you may see him get a chance to start. Mangus looks like he'll be a reliable weapon out of the Navarro bullpen in 2023, and in Norman in 2024.

 

Sam Gerth, RHP, Navarro

Another physical RHP, the DBU commit Gerth features a higher effort rotational delivery, creating a three-quarters slot that allows him to get heavy sink on his 90-93, T94 MPH heater. His command may limit how this pitch plays, as the control over command profile put him behind in many counts. When he didn’t have a great feel for his heater, Gerth went to his best offering, his 80-83 MPH sweeper. One of the better breaking pitches of the tournament, Gerth threw this to both LHH and RHH, buckling the knees of both and garnering whiffs in the zone. While he didn’t throw any changeups, and elected sliders over changeups to LHH, his three-quarter slot gives him a chance to turn over a changeup in the future, though homing in his fastball sights might be higher on the priority list. Regardless, Gerth looks like he’ll get plenty of punchouts with this sinker/slider combo.

 

Tanner Reaves, MIF, Blinn

An LSU commit, Reaves is a steady force in the Blinn lineup and infield. At the plate, Reaves has a smooth, controlled swing. He covers the plate well and features a bit of loft geared for line drives, though did struggle to get to fastballs up in the zone. Reaves doesn’t have eye-popping bat speed, but enough to handle velocity and shoot gaps for doubles. He often looked up the middle and other way, but what impressed me most about Reaves was his approach and feel for the strike zone. Reaves consistently was patient and worked counts in his favor on multiple occasions and laid off secondaries looking to garner a chase. Reaves got innings at both second and short, not showing crazy range, but solid hands and average arm strength. He’s likely more suited for second, but at the college level, he could fill in at short in a pinch and could likely handle third if needed as well. Reaves isn’t a great runner or features any loud tools, but an all-around solid ball player with a good floor. There’s still some room for Reaves to add strength and explosiveness, so a team may take a chance on him on Day 3 of the draft, but should he make it to Baton Rouge, he’ll be a nice consistent player for the Tigers.

 

Brendan Sweeney, RHP, Blinn

At 6’6”, 200 lbs, Sweeney is an imposing force on the mound. With a tall and fall delivery and high three-quarters arm action, Sweeney creates a tough vertical angle on hitters. Pair this with his heavy sinker, and you have a ground ball specialist. Up to the mid-90s in the past, Sweeney was 90-91 MPH, and threw a ton of strikes with his fastball, keeping it low in the zone and commanding it well to both sides of the plate, especially the glove side. Sweeney’s best offering was his plus changeup in the low-80s. This pitch tunneled great with his fastball and produced whiffs to both lefties and righties. With more depth than fade, it completely fell off the table and was thrown at the same arm speed as his fastball. He threw some that had straight vertical movement, making me wonder if he was mixing a splitter in as well. Sweeney’s pronation bias has some drawbacks, as he struggled to find a consistent pitch moving to his glove side, throwing a gyro slider at 80 MPH, and an 11-5 curveball at 77 MPH. Sweeney still has room to fill out and has a good chance to throw harder in the future, raising his ceiling even higher. Should he make it to Columbia, he’ll be a great ground ball weapon to have out of the bullpen, with the capabilities of starting.

 

Bryce Hubbard, C, NWFS

The saying “the best catchers go unnoticed” didn’t apply much to Hubbard this weekend. With runners in scoring position, Hubbard made multiple big blocks on hard-breaking balls. On top of this, the Mississippi State transfer displayed an above-average arm to go with his 2.0 second pop time to nab a runner. A Georgia commit, Hubbard is ultra-physical and strong, and this goes on display in the box as well. With multiple hard contacts, Hubbard also showed great adjustability in his lower half, putting good swings on a few offspeed pitches. Hubbard’s reliability behind the plate should land him plenty of playing time in Athens in 2025, and his bat will be a reliable presence in the middle of the Northwest Florida lineup this season.

Mack Estrada, RHP, NWFS

A freshman at Northwest Florida, Estrada came out firing, sitting 90-94 MPH with a sinking fastball. His best weapon, however, was an 84-85 MPH slider. This pitch flashed plus, with good depth and average sweep. Coming from a high three-quarters slot, this pitch baffled right-handed hitters, generating whiffs in the zone. This pitch was having enough success that Estrada elected to go to it vs left-handed hitters over a changeup. Estrada has room to fill out still at 6’4. Right now, it’s a control over command profile, with a high-effort delivery that he had a hard time repeating. Estrada is still an uncommitted freshman and is only going to get better from here. If he gains consistency in his delivery and develops a reliable third pitch, he’ll have professional teams knocking at his door before he gets a chance to go to a four-year school.

Colin Linder, RHP NWFS

At 6’4”, Linder has a nice build and physicality, being big-chested and broad-shouldered. He did a good job repeating his compact, over-the-top delivery, which resulted in a ton of strikes. At 92-93 MPH, Linder dominated with his fastball. Featuring an intriguing cut ride shape, Linder got plenty of swings under this pitch, as well as called strikes. While the strikes weren’t perfect, he did show the ability to move his fastball to both sides of the plate. Linder’s dominance with his fastball mitigated a need for any secondaries in this outing, though the few he flashed were short, low-80s sliders. Linder, an Arizona State commit is a name to watch this spring. With his loud stuff, he's a bat-missing machine, giving him a chance to be taken on Day 3 of the draft. Should he make it to Tempe, he has a good chance to pitch out of the Sun Devil’s weekend rotation.

Robbie Demetree, 3B Future Stars

At 6’1, 190, Demetree had a solid weekend at Globe Life Field. Showing a solid approach and spitting on multiple secondaries, Demetree hunted fastballs. a few hard contacts, Demetree showed a good ability to not only time up some good fastballs but to also catch them out in front and pull them. While Demetree doesn’t have the best plate coverage, whiffing on some fastballs up in the zone, the power potential is real, putting multiple balls over the fence during BP. At third, Demetree has solid hands, and a plus arm, making throws from behind the bag and on the run. Demetree should put together a good college career at UCF, and with some refinement may hear his name called early in 2026.

Loic Guilmette, LHP, Future Stars

An LHP, FIU commit from Canada, Guilmette stands at 6’4” with plenty of room to fill out. Given his 2-way background (hit multiple HRs in BP), Guilmette had fairly good body control. He struggled to locate his high-80s fastball, but his sweeping slider missed bats against RHH & LHH. He was able to command it to both sides of the plate and threw it in all counts. His slider’s success mitigated a need for a changeup in this game, and the ones he threw weren’t competitive, running out of the zone and not getting any swings. Guilmette’s feel for his slider gives him nice upside, and his cold weather, two-way background gives scouts and coaches plenty to dream on.

 

Other Players of Note

Lucas Davenport, RHP, Blinn

Davenport was 89-91 MPH with his fastball and didn’t throw many secondaries, but the ones he did throw were excellent. The low-80s changeups he threw completely fell off the table and fooled hitters. He also threw a few sliders, generating whiffs from left-handed hitters. While the fastball doesn’t pop, Davenport’s secondaries should get him D1 looks, and maybe some professional looks.

Juan Villareal, LHP, Odessa

Villareal was only 89-91 MPH with his running fastball, but at 6’7”, showed impressive body control, with feel for a nice changeup and a slurvy breaking ball. There’s certainly more velocity in the tank here and looks like a guy who could be throwing mid-90s in the near future.

Tyler DeJune, INF, NWFS, Troy commit

DeJune played with his hair on fire, being ultra-aggressive, and even tried to steal home once. At the plate, DeJune has a smooth, calm swing and shot balls up the middle and the other way. DeJune is a steady player and a key cog to this NWFS lineup.

DJ Layton, INF, Future Stars

An athletic middle infielder, Layton showed an aggressive all-field approach at the plate. Hunting fastballs early, Layton got his hands to the ball quickly and shot the ball all over the field with a level swing from both sides of the plate. Defensively, he had solid actions and above-average arm strength. He even got an inning on the mound, sitting 90-91 MPH with a nice changeup. The Southern Miss commit will be a great addition to an always-loaded Golden Eagles roster.

Jackson Evers, RHP, NWFS

Evers was 89-91 MPH with a deceptive three-quarters delivery. He commanded his upshooting fastball well, allowing him to miss bats above the belt with it. He flashed a mid-80s slider with good sweep at its best, though its shape and feel were inconsistent. With an improved slider feel, Evers has the looks of a D1 bullpen arm.

Cade Clime, INF, Blinn

Clime has impressive bat speed and power from the right side of the plate. With a rotational swing, Clime had multiple hard contacts to the pull side. The physical third basemen showed solid range and arm strength, making some throws on the run, as well. Clime will be a staple in this Blinn lineup this spring and should get some D1 looks.

Coy DeFury, INF, NWFS, Texas State Commit

Another nice bat from the Blinn lineup, Defury has a sweet stroke from the left side. The Texas State commit showed a steady approach and feel for the strike zone. Defury timed up fastballs and had an XBH on Sunday, shooting a ball into the right-centerfield gap. Defury is a big part of this Blinn lineup and should be a nice addition for Texas State in 2024.

2024 MLB Draft: Top 100 College Prospects

Director’s Note: All Draft Day Ages for players are pinned to July 14, 2024, our guess as to when the MLB Draft will start. The league has not announced the dates for the 2024 MLB Draft and once revealed, we will adjust approximate ages to that date.

The 2024 Top 100 High School board can be found here. Once the season is in full bloom, we will begin to integrate a single list, starting off with 200 prospects. As always, our 2024 Prospect Footage can be found here.


1. 2B/SS JJ Wetherholt, West Virginia

Height: 5’10

Weight: 190

B/T: L/R

Draft Day Age: 21 yr 10 mo

Wetherholt's bat has a chance to be very special, as the mix of pure hit and power tools profile as one of the best in the entire country. Wetherholt posts elite contact rates and seldom whiffs with impressive feel for the barrel. It's a compact and powerful swing from the left side of the plate, showcasing very quick hands and loud bat speed. Wetherholt utilizes the whole field to his advantage and will punish the gaps with legitimate above-average to plus power, which also plays well to his pull side. It's a truly special bat. He's played at third base and second base the past two years, though he's been given a chance at shortstop this fall and the reports are promising. The range is there to handle the position, though the arm strength needs some improvement. He's a solid runner and knows how to be a menace on the basepaths, as well, recording 36 stolen bases in 2023.


2. 1B Nick Kurtz, Wake Forest

Height: 6’5

Weight: 235

B/T: L/L

Draft Day Age: 21 yr 4 mo


Coming in at 6'5, 235lbs, Nick Kurtz is a monster of a human being at the plate. The size, strength, and power Kurtz possesses is a scout's dream. The Wake Forest first baseman has a scary good offensive profile. He is going to draw his fair share of walks due to his patience at the plate while also hitting for massive power thanks to his near 70-grade pop. On top of that, he's got a well advanced approach at the plate and is able to use the entire field. Shockingly for his size, he is fairly athletic and can more than hold his own at first base. He's one of the best defenders at first base and easily grades as a plus defender. Kurtz is a likely frontrunner to be the 2024 ACC Player of the Year and should be providing plenty of offense as the anchor for the Demon Deacons lineup. He has the makings of becoming a force in a big league lineup and will likely be a fast riser through the minors.


3. 2B Travis Bazzana, Oregon State

Height: 6’0

Weight: 199

B/T: L/R

Draft Day Age: 21 yr 10 mo

An import from Australia, Bazzana's overall toolset is ridiculously impressive. He's put up incredible numbers in his two years at Oregon State, slashing .340/.463/.549 across two seasons in Corvallis with elite bat-to-ball skills and plate discipline. He's a really tough out at the plate, rarely expanding the zone and he's got an incredible eye, racking up walks aplenty. His spray chart is a thing of beauty, utilizing the entire field with a compact, line drive swing with a ton of bat speed that is meant to do serious damage. It's above-average juice at the present and most of it plays to his pull side, but he's shown an ability to hammer the ball to the opposite field gap. Bazzana is also an incredible runner, posting plus run times on a consistent basis. He's primarily been a second baseman up to this point, though there's a chance we see him at shortstop in 2024. He's got enough athleticism and twitch to have solid range there, though his arm is nothing more than average. Either way you draw it up, this is a potentially elite bat with suitable defense up the middle.


4. RHP Chase Burns, Wake Forest

Height: 6’4

Weight: 195

B/T: R/R

Draft Day Age: 21 yr 5 mo

Burns is an electric factory on the bump. The Wake Forest transfer is a bulldog type on the mound and he exudes all the confidence you want to see in a pitcher on the mound. He isn't afraid to go right after batters with his electric fastball. What is an elite two-pitch mix, he sits in the upper-90s with significant life to the fastball and pairs it with a diabolical upper-80s/low-90s slider that he can manipulate the shape of. He also isn't afraid to reach back on his fastball for a little extra and can get it up to 101-102 mph. He's been working on a curveball and a splitter, flashing potential, though he doesn't rely on either heavily. His command can waiver at times, but when he is locked in, he can paint a masterpiece. Even with the slight command woes, the stuff is elite and it will be interesting to see what the Wake Forest pitching lab can do to elevate his already incredible arsenal to the next level. He is the best arm in this class.


5. 1B/of Charlie Condon, Georgia

Height: 6’6

Weight: 211

B/T: R/R

Draft Day Age: 21 yr 3 mo


The reigning SEC Freshman of the Year, Condon's unexpected emergence was a welcome sight. After redshirting his first year on campus, Condon exploded onto the scene with a .386/.484/.800 slash line and 25 home runs in 56 games. Condon has a towering, physical frame at 6'6, 211 pounds with plenty of strength throughout his body and there's quite a bit of projection to it still. Condon has plus-plus raw power to all fields and got to it often in 2023, posting healthy exit velocities and even getting into the 110-115 MPH range. It's a ton of bat speed and very quick hands with the barrel exploding through the zone with little effort. There's some hitterish traits with Condon, as he has solid bat-to-ball skills, though he does have his struggles with spin. Defensively, Condon has enough speed and athleticism to handle a corner outfield spot, though if he outgrows the position, he can handle first base. The bat would have to continue to perform in that case and that's the selling point right now.


6. OF Vance Honeycutt, North Carolina

Height: 6’3

Weight: 205

B/T: R/R

Draft Day Age: 21 yr 1 mo


Finding guys with five tool potential is a tough task, but Honeycutt has the potential to be that type of player. Honeycutt showed plenty of improvements in the strikeout department in 2023, dropping the strikeout rate significantly, though that came with the price of production. Nonetheless, Honeycutt has game-changing tools. There's plenty of bat speed from the right side of the plate and there's potentially plus power that plays to his pull side and he'll hit the gaps to show off his blazing speed. The swing-and-miss has toned down and he rarely chases, which is promising for the hit tool. If everything comes together in 2024, there's potential for an above-average hit tool here. He's a lock to stick in center field long term, as his plus speed gives him exceptional range and he'll make highlight reel plays on a consistent basis. There's a strong arm here, as well. If everything clicks, there's serious 1-1 potential.


7. SS/OF Seaver King, Wake Forest

Height: 6’0

Weight: 190

B/T: R/R

Draft Day Age: 21 yr 2 mo

One of the funnest development stories to follow, Seaver King has made his way to Wake Forest after playing last year at Division II Wingate. He was quite undersized coming out of high school which only earned him the Wingate offer, but he's grown a bit since then and found his way into a gig with what might be one of the best college teams going into the 2024 season. King has a robust line-drive approach at the plate with tons of bat speed and has the ability to use the entire field to go along with very good exit velocities, getting up to 111 MPH this fall. King doesn't strikeout often and gets a lot of barrel to ball, but he also doesn't walk a ton either and the chase rates are a bit too high. If he can improve the discipline in 2024 and continue to blast the baseball, he'll be a certified top fifteen pick. He's rather twitchy in the field and can play a myriad of positions for Wake Forest this spring, including center field.


8. RHP Brody Brecht, Iowa

Height: 6’4

Weight: 225

B/T: R/R

Draft Day Age: 21 yr 9 mo


Brecht may have the highest upside of any arm in this loaded college class and he's lit up Stuff+ models with some of the loudest stuff in the college landscape. Brecht has undergone some mechanical tweaks since his high school days, most notably being a shortened arm action that has given him more deception. It's a very quick arm with excellent athleticism, as well. He's gotten up to 101 MPH during starts in 2023, holding upper-90s velocity well throughout his starts, accuring whiffs at a high rate despite suboptimal vertical carry. The slider is the real deal, showing true double-plus potential with hellacious bite. It'll display shorter break with late lateral movement and he's shown an ability to land it for strikes when the fastball command is out of whack. He's tinkered with a low-90s change-up and a low-80s curveball, but he's primarily just had to use the FB-SL combination thus far. The high walk rate and command woes have been the big thing holding Brecht back, though he did show improved fastball command down the stretch for the Hawkeyes. He's stepped away from football and will be focusing solely on pitching moving forward.


9. 1B/LHP Jac Caglianone, Florida

Height: 6’5

Weight: 245

B/T: L/L

Draft Day Age: 21 yr 5 mo

Dubbed the "Ohtani" of college baseball, Caglianone is one of the most well-known players at the amateur level with legitimate two-way potential. There's a bit of rawness to his game, but the power on both sides of the ball are rather impressive. We'll start with the bat, which might have the best power in this entire class. It's easy double-plus right now with extremely quick hand speed and torque, generating a ton of bat speed and all fields power. He's producing some of the loudest exit velocities in the country as a result. The hit tool could use some refinement, as he's rather aggressive and expands the zone frequently. On the defensive side, it's a first-base profile. As an arm, Caglianone has loud stuff, but the command holds him back. The fastball has flirted with triple digits with some life, paired with a bullet-esque slider with solid potential and a bigger bender. The change-up has excellent velocity separation and fading life, boasting a high whiff rate. He's tinkered with his mechanics, becoming more compact this fall, but time will tell how much this helps his command. The jury is still out on if he has to choose one or the other, but the upside on both sides is enticing.


10. OF Mike sirota, Northeastern

Height: 6’3

Weight: 188

B/T: R/R

Draft Day Age: 21 yr

Sirota is about as well-rounded of a hitter as you'll find in college baseball. The Northeastern outfielder possesses a rare combination of discipline, power, and hit ability that is hard to come by at the amateur level. Offensively, he lets the ball get deep in the zone, allowing him to stay back and drive the ball to all fields with authority. He rarely chases pitches out of the zone, drawing plenty of walks in the process. Though he occasionally gets knocked for playing at a mid-major, his performance against high-quality pitching over the last two summers in the Cape Cod League show he can excel with a competition jump and wood bat. His speed allows him to cover a ton of ground in center field, which is where he projects as plus long-term. Sirota's advanced bat combined with his athleticism are what make him a potential first-round pick.


2024 MLB Draft: Top 100 Prep Prospects

Director’s Note: All Draft Day Ages for players are pinned to July 14, 2024, our guess as to when the MLB Draft will start. The league has not announced the dates for the 2024 MLB Draft and once revealed, we will adjust approximate ages to that date.

The 2024 Top 100 College board will be released tomorrow. Once the season is in full bloom, we will begin to integrate a single list, starting off with 200 prospects. As always, our 2024 Prospect Footage can be found here.


1. OF/RHP Konnor Griffin, jackson Prep (MS)

Height: 6’4

Weight: 210

B/T: R/R

Commitment: Louisiana state

Draft Day age: 18 yr 2 mo

There may not be a more famous name in this class than Konnor Griffin, who reclassified from the 2025 ranks and has a chance to be the first prep player off the board next July. Given the reclassification, he projects to be one of the younger guys in this class, though you wouldn't know that with mix of physicality and projection. He's got two-way abilities, though most project him as a center fielder, where his athleticism, plus speed, and excellent range are on full display. He's got a very good arm and plenty of twitchiness, too. At the dish, it's a polished approach with a ton of bat speed and over-the-fence power, which projects as plus once he's fully developed. His overall contact has shown some inconsistencies this summer, though it's gotten better as the summer has progressed. All in all, Griffin has the potential to be rather special offensively. There's upside on the bump, as well, as he's already gotten into the mid-90s with his fastball and shows a promising breaking ball with swing-and-miss traits, too.


2. 1B/OF PJ Morlando, Summerville HS (SC)

Height: 6’3

Weight: 200

b/t: L/R

commitment: South Carolina

draft day age: 19 yr 1 mo

There's no mincing words here, Morlando projects as the biggest offensive threat in this year's prep class thanks to a loud combination of high contact rates, robust power, and mature plate discipline. Morlando has a quiet setup with a wide lower half, but he really explodes through the zone with quick hands and high-end bat speed. He's a patient hitter who knows the strike zone and isn't afraid to rack up the free passes, plus he'll utilize the whole field and keeps the whiffs to a minimum. The power potential with Morlando is sky high with the bat speed and leverage/loft he generates and he's already put on shows during batting practices in big league stadiums. It's easily plus right now. Defensively, he projects as a potential corner outfielder thanks to his athleticism and average speed/arm, which have improved over the years. There's still a chance that he moves to a first base role as he grows, though that's not set in stone just yet. The South Carolina commit will be a fun one to follow for years.


3. 3B Caleb Bonemer, Okemos HS (MI)

height: 6’1

weight: 195

B/T: R/R

COMMITMENT: Virginia

DRAFT DAY AGE: 18 yr 9 mo

Bonemer profiles as one of the biggest, if not the biggest, riser from the summer circuit, propelling himself to the top of the class with a loud toolset. It's a legitimate power/speed threat with a chance to be a solid defender on the left side of the dirt. There's not a ton of wasted energy with Bonemer's swing, as he stays very quiet through his load and short to the ball, displaying explosive bat speed from the right side and punishing baseballs in the process. Most of his power plays up the middle and to his pullside and he's already produced multiple exit velocities over 105 MPH. If there's anything to work on with Bonemer, it's polishing up his plate discipline, as he does run into some issues with whiffs and the chase rate is a bit higher than you'd want to see. Despite the physical nature of his frame, he's very athletic and produces plus or better run times. He's got a very good glove and could stay at shortstop, though given his size, a move to third base seems likely, where he'd be a potentially above-average or better defender.


4. RHP Levi Sterling, Notre Dame HS (CA)

Height: 6’4

Weight: 190

B/T: R/R

Commitment: Texas

Draft Day Age: 17 yr 10 mo

Sterling turned in a loud summer and has vaulted himself to the top of the class with a mix of loud stuff, pitchability, and projection. For starters, Sterling will be one of the youngest players in the entire class, as he won't turn 18 until September, which certainly helps him in team model runs. He projects as a starter with a buttery-smooth delivery on the mound and a legitimate four-pitch mix that is led by a fastball that's already in the low-90s with life and can easily get into the mid-90s with added strength to his long and lanky frame. His best secondary comes in the form of a low-mid 80s change-up, which has splitter-esque movement and dives hard away from lefties. He mixes in an upper-70s curveball that classifies more as a sweeper and a mid-80s cutter with tight spin to righties. He's got plenty of athleticism and he throws a large quantity of strikes as a result, showcasing potentially above-average command at best.


5. SS Carter Johnson, oxford HS (AL)

Height: 6’2

Weight: 180

B/T: L/R

Commitment: Alabama

Draft Day Age: 18 yr 4 mo


As a hitter, Johnson possesses almost everything you want to see in a swing from a prep prospect. His hands work quick, his hips fire, and there's plenty of bat speed. He has performed at every summer event that he has attended, and shows an ability to barrel up stuff, as well as taking what the pitcher gives him. Defensively, Johnson has the instincts and hands to stick on the dirt, but there are concerns about his foot speed at shortstop. A move to 2nd base or 3rd base could be made down the line, but Johnson has the prototypical long shortstop body to add strength and should be given every opportunity to prove that he can handle the speed and physicality of the position. Even if there is a future move to 2nd or 3rd base, Johnson has enough power and hitting ability to stick at those positions. He's a high follow for the Deep South region, and is the top prep prospect in the state of Alabama.


6. 1B/LHP Noah Franco, IMG Academy (FL)

Height: 6’3

Weight: 205

B/T: L/L

Commitment: TCU

Draft Day Age: 18 yr 2 mo

Another reclassified player from the 2025 class, Franco has some of the best two-way upside in this class. He's got a physical frame with very broad shoulders and plenty of athleticism that plays well on both sides of the ball, though there's a bit more upside with the bat. There is some swing-and-miss to his game, but he's not afraid to rack up walks and doesn't chase a ton, plus he's been able to hold his own in left-on-left matchups. There's plenty of bat speed present and he swings with serious intent, spraying the ball to all fields and showcasing solid power up the middle and to his pull-side. That'll get better as he becomes physically mature. He's likely limited to first base with his size, though don't let that fool you. He's rather mobile and shows quick twitch at the position, letting his athleticism shine. On the bump, he's been into the low-90s with easy, athletic mechanics and it's easy to project him into the mid-90s by next summer. He's got a high spin slider that has some teeth in the low-80s with late sweep, as well as feel for a change-up.


7. RHP Joey oakie, Ankeny centennial HS (IA)

Height: 6’3

Weight: 207

B/T: R/R

Commitment: iowa

Draft Day Age: 18 yr 2 mo

Another loud arm coming out of Ankeny, Iowa, Oakie has some of the loudest stuff in the entire class. Oakie generates a ton of scap load in his delivery with a big arm swing before driving down the mound with a whippy, near sidearm slot. He's already gotten into the mid-90s with the fastball, getting up to 97 MPH, with a ton of life and spin through the zone and plays up thanks to the low launch nature of his release. It wouldn't be a shock to see Oakie's velocity jump into the upper-90s when all is said and done, either. Oakie's sweeper might be the best pitch in the prep ranks, a diabolical pitch with a ton of sweep and hard biting action in the mid-80s and projects as plus. He's gotten up to 25 inches of horizontal break this summer and the pitch has insanely high spin rates, touching the 3,000 RPM barrier. He's got feel for a fading change-up that he throws hard in the mid-upper 80s that projects well, too. He'll need to iron out some command inconsistencies, but this is an enticing package overall.


8. RHP Owen Hall, Edmond north HS (OK)

Height: 6’3

Weight: 185

B/T: R/R

Commitment: Vanderbilt

Draft Day Age: 18 yr 8 mo

Hall is another big riser from the summer circuit, vaulting himself into the top ten with a mix of present stuff and starter traits. It's a fluid and athletic delivery on the bump with a lean frame that has plenty of projection remaining at 6'3, 185 pounds. Hall's fastball is rather explosive with a ton of late life, especially at the top of the zone, and he'll show a bit of a two-seam/sinker variant at the bottom of the zone. He throws plenty of strikes with the heater and he'll hold 92-95 MPH throughout outings, plus he's already been up to 98 MPH in shorter stints. It's a future plus pitch. He's got two breaking balls, a slider/cutter hybrid in the mid-80s that has good two-plane tilt and a curveball in the mid-to-upper-70s that has good depth, but lacks bite/conviction at times. He's developing a mid-80s splitter, as well. He'll need to develop consistency with his off-speed arsenal, but there's a ton to like with the Vanderbilt commit.


9. OF Slade Caldwell, valley view HS (AR)

Height: 5’9

Weight: 182

B/T: L/L

Commitment: Mississippi

Draft Day Age: 18 yr


The best way to describe Caldwell would be to call him a "menace." While he lacks premium physicality due to his shorter stature, Caldwell makes up for it with explosive athleticism and polish. It's a sweet swing from the left side of the plate and he's shown excellent plate discipline, rarely chasing and showcasing plenty of patience, drawing walks aplenty. There's solid barrel consistency in his swing and he utilizes the gaps often, prioritizing his plus-plus speed on the basepaths as a result. He's rather strong for his size and has been able to put the ball in the air more, though it's always going to be hit-over-power with Caldwell. His speed allows him to cover ground very well in center field, where he's a solid defender with great instincts. If there's anything to knock him on, it's the lack of a strong arm, which may push him to left field. With that said, he's got the tools to stick at the "eight" long term. He'll have plenty of fans come draft day.


10. RHP William Schmidt, Catholic HS (LA)

Height: 6’4

Weight: 180

b/t: R/R

COMMITMENT: Louisiana State

DRAFT DAY AGE: 18 yr 9 mo

In terms of raw stuff, Schmidt's one-two punch might be the best in this class. An above-average, if not better, athlete on the mound, Schmidt is a quick mover on the mound where his athleticism is explosive and there's a ton of projection with his long, lean frame. The fastball has seen a solid velocity uptick over the past year, now touching 95 MPH and holding 90-94 MPH consistently. There's plenty of riding life with the heater, as well as some cut, and given the projection, it's likely that he could get into the upper-90s soon. The true separator with Schmidt is an upper-70s curveball with a ton of upside. It's a true 12-6 hammer with tons of depth and extremely high spin rates, exceeding the 3,000 RPM threshold on occasion. There's plenty of bat-missing traits between those two pitches and he's developing an upper-70s change-up with plenty of fading life. Command comes and goes, but given the projection and pure stuff, this is a profile that can sneak into the first round with further development.


Deep(er) Drives: Alabama's Ben Hess

Deep(er) Drives is back and now that we’ve closed the book on the 2023 draft class, it’s time to start diving into some of the more interesting prospects in this year’s class. There are admittedly some questions left to be answered in this class, especially in the college arm demographic. There’s a lot of upside, especially in the upper echelon of this class. Here are the arms that I firmly believe are in that echelon:

  • RHP Chase Burns, Wake Forest

  • RHP Brody Brecht, Iowa

  • LHP Hagen Smith, Arkansas

Burns is the top arm for us and it’s easy to see why. It’s a loud one-two punch with very solid mechanics, though we’d like to see improvements in secondaries and how the stuff plays over lengthier starts. Brecht and Smith are hampered by command woes but have insanely loud metrics. They’ve both shown improvements this fall, with Brecht showcasing smoother mechanics and Smith adding more velocity, touching triple digits in Fayetteville. However, if there was another name that I could add to this tier, had they been fully healthy, it would be Alabama’s Ben Hess.

Maybe it’s a bit bold to say that, but what Hess was doing pre-injury was nothing short of extraordinary. Hess was having a breakout year through seven starts, posting a 3.22 ERA across 36.1 innings and recording a remarkable 49:8 K:BB ratio. Hess’s stuff took a significant uptick and was a big piece to the puzzle for his emergence, but there’s a lot more under the hood when you dive deeper into his profile. So what else led to Hess’ rise and what has to happen in 2024? Let’s dive in.


The uptick in strikes is the first thing that pops out when looking into Hess’ success. With his 2022 and 2023 seasons being a similar sample size, it’s a bit easier to note the difference. Between the seasons, here are the numbers:

Hess’ command was certainly a weak spot in 2022, but the jump in strikes that we saw in 2023 is quite underrated, particularly with the heater. At 62% in 2022, this resulted in the fastball not performing to the best of its ability. For reference, his fastball was in the zone just 51% of the time and there is a correlation between fastball performance and zone percentage. The higher the zone percentage, the better the fastball plays in the zone. This wasn’t the only change that occurred to the heater, and we’ll get to that later, but the results do speak for themselves. Here are those numbers:

Seeing a substantial jump like that in the zone certainly draws attention to you. In turn, Hess’ walk rate dropped to a minuscule 5.47%, dropping from the 13.48% mark he posted as a freshman. We'd like to see how the command plays over a full season, especially since Hess has yet to eclipse the 40-inning barrier, but we feel confident that the command will be roughly the same in 2024.

The next thing on the list to talk about is the fastball itself. Hess’ heater projects as a plus offering in our eyes, making it one of the best collegiate fastballs in the class. I’m a big fan of a heater that misses bats and that’s exactly what you get here. Missing bats at a 34% clip in his 36.1 inning sample this spring, Hess’ success has come as a result of tweaks at his release and his average velocity creeping into the mid-90s. As a freshman, Hess averaged 93.2 MPH and tickled 95 MPH, and given the size and athleticism, more was expected to come along. His velocity jumped forward as a sophomore, averaging 94.7 MPH and he brushed 99 MPH on a couple of occasions. At this point, he’s still in a recovery mode from his injury suffered in March, which we will touch on more later, but he’s already been up to 96 MPH in side sessions and there could be more in the tank this spring, but time will tell on that.

Credit: Ryan Ferron (@FerronRyan) on Twitter

One big change in the fastball metrics resides in the pitch’s Vertical Approach Angle, or VAA for short. VAA is the angle at which the pitch approaches the plate and it’s become a popular asset with pitch development. When it comes to four-seam fastballs, like Hess’, the average we look for is -5 degrees. Anything lower than that mark (i.e. -4.5 degrees) is optimal, as it gives the pitch a leg up at the top of the zone. Anything higher than that mark (i.e. -6 degrees) hampers four-seamers and will be more suitable for sinkers/two-seamers at the bottom of the zone. With Hess, his VAA dropped four-tenths of a degree from -5.1 to -4.7, and with the increase in velocity, the pitch began to perform at a higher degree. This was likely due to a slight tweak in wrist orientation at release, as that helps create a flatter plane to the plate.

In terms of shape, Hess features a pitch with slightly above-average carry, registering 17.4 inches, and a large amount of arm-side run, coming in at 13.5 inches. I’ve created a scatter chart with the fastball metrics of our Top 50 College arms to compare Hess’ shape (which is surrounded by a black circle) to others:

Hess traded half an inch of carry for half an inch of run in 2023, giving him the third-highest horizontal movement mark amongst our Top 50 College arms. Add high spin rates to the mix and you’ve got a recipe for success. There is a comparison I’d like to make, and maybe it’s a bold one to use, but I’ll do it anyway: Hess’ 2023 heater is comparable to Chase Dollander’s 2022 metrics.

I must add that this is strictly going off the pure movement metrics, as the sample size difference between the two is substantial (Dollander doubled Hess’ fastball total). Dollander’s 2022 fastball averaged ~17.6 inches of IVB and 12.4 inches of hMov, which isn’t too far off of what Hess had in 2023. Dollander has Hess beat in the VAA department, though, as Dollander’s VAA was half a degree lower and played a big role in his bat-missing stuff. Dollander’s heater tickled the 70-grade barrier before seeing some regression in the movement profile, and an argument can be made for Hess, too.

All in all, Hess’ heater is comfortably in the plus tier for me. There are not too many glaring flaws metrically and he passes the bat-missing test with flying colors. The 30% in-zone whiff rate and 29% chase rate are indicative of how successful the pitch has become and there’s no reason to think it won’t perform the same this upcoming spring unless something drastic occurs. I’d love to see how it plays over a full season.

Hess isn’t just fastball-reliant, though. He has three off-speed pitches that are at least average or better and at least one with legitimate plus potential. We’ll start with that pitch and it’s the upper-70s curveball that has true hammer potential. He only threw it 11% of the time in 2023, the least of his secondaries, but it racked up whiffs over 50% of the time. He averages over 2,600 RPMs with his spin rate and it can get a bit slurvy, though most of the time, it’ll feature an 11/5 shape. It averages over 13 inches of depth, which gives him roughly 31 inches of vertical separation between this and the heater. Sprinkle in 15 inches of sweep on average and you’ve got yourself a banger. He throws it hard with intent and it really snaps over the plate, allowing him to utilize it for chases out of the zone and he’s got feel to land it for strikes. He’s still learning to command it better, but this is a potential plus pitch with legitimate swing-and-miss traits.

The change-up is his third pitch behind the curveball, giving him a viable option against left-handed hitters. It has the potential to be a power change in the mid-80s with a ton of horizontal movement away from lefties, averaging close to 17 inches. He does kill a good amount of spin on the pitch, though you can still classify it as a high-spin offering with it being around the 1,950 RPM mark. He does a good job of selling it with similar arm speed and likes to throw it in the zone often. As he continues to gain confidence in the pitch, he’ll begin to throw it down and in to righties more. I’m confident in slapping an above-average grade for the time being, but there’s a legitimate chance it can become plus with time.

Lastly, we’ll talk about Hess’ slider, which profiles as his fourth-best offering. He throws it hard in the upper-80s with cutter-esque movement, though the spin metrics aren’t as sharp as the curveball. It’s his most used secondary and he likes to command it away from righties/in on lefties, though it lacks consistent bite and doesn’t generate a ton of chases with it. It’s a fine average offering for now, but refinement is needed at the next level. He may opt to ditch the slider in the minor leagues and lean more on his curveball, but for now, he’s comfortable throwing it.


Now that we’ve talked about the arsenal and command, let’s address the elephant in the room. Hess has been hampered by injuries during his collegiate career, limiting him to just 70 total innings. He missed the first three weeks of the 2022 season due to an injury and suffered a forearm strain during his start against Arkansas in late March, which ended his 2023 campaign. He’s been on the mend since, but when we spoke to Head Coach Rob Vaughn in October, Hess was throwing in side sessions and had a pitch count in a scrimmage against Florida State. The expectation is that Hess will slide into the Friday night role for the Crimson Tide.

Luckily for Hess, there’s been a bit less pushback from teams when it comes to elbow injuries. In the past few years, we’ve seen several highly regarded arms selected in the top 100 picks despite battling elbow ailments. Jaxon Wiggins and Teddy McGraw are two names that come to mind in last year’s class, as well as Dylan Lesko and Connor Prielipp in 2022. With that said, if Hess were to be a first-round selection this July, he’ll need a fully healthy spring. In the case that Hess suffers another injury, I still envision him being selected in the second or third round, especially with the weak prep class. Overall, this is a very talented arm that has shown that he has the stuff to be one of the best arms in the class. A plus heater that’s backed up by three average or better off-speed pitches and premium command is tough to come by in today’s game. Time will tell whether this becomes true or not, but expect Hess to make some noise come February.

Live Looks: Future Stars Series Main Event 2023

Live Looks: Future Stars Series Main Event 2023

The Future Stars Series Main Event returned to Fenway Park this fall and prep talent for the 2024 MLB draft was in abundance. Pep talent for the upcoming MLB draft was in abundance once again. Brian Recca highlights some top performers and names to know following his trip to Boston.

MLB Draft Day 1 Standouts/Winners

The first day of the MLB Draft has come and gone and man, what a night it was.

We saw plenty of history, including the first-ever teammates to go 1-2 in the draft, as well as the fewest amount of prep arms in the first round in quite some time. It was a relatively tame night, as well, as little chaos occurred, which is a change from what previous years have given us. But which classes and picks stand out the most from Day 1? That’s what I’m here to break down.

We’ll dive into six hauls and six individual picks that stood out and garnered my attention throughout the night, as well as give a bit of insight into what we could say on Day 2.

Best Team Hauls

San Francisco Giants

Picks: 1B/RHP Bryce Eldridge (16), SS Walker Martin (52), LHP Joe Whitman (69)

The Giants currently have the cream of the crop in terms of a haul this draft. Eldridge being selected as a two-way isn’t a shock, as that is likely the reason as to why he’s a first rounder to begin with. Unlike Crawford, I think Eldridge has a better chance to be a starter with the nature of his stuff, plus the bat is pretty underrated with plenty of power. He’ll be one interesting follow.

The Martin pick came as a bit of a shock admittedly, especially given the fact that he played with a back injury throughout the spring. However, I like the aggressiveness from the front office here. Martin’s bat is legit, as he’s got one of the better hit tools in the prep ranks, plus the power got better this spring. You can question where he fits defensively, he’s got the athleticism to start in the dirt with a move to a corner spot not out of the question. But the bat is the calling card here.

Lastly, Whitman is a phenomenal pick at 69. We thought he could find his way into the backend of the first and given the success the Giants pitching development team has seen the past few years, there’s plenty to like with Whitman’s profile. The fastball has potential, the slider is already a plus pitch, and the change-up is effective. The pick seems eerily similar to Carson Whisenhunt from a year ago.

Overall, it’s a pretty high risk, high reward class. I’m interested to see what the Giants do on Day 2, especially with under $10 million at their disposal in pool money. Maybe it’s a bit more of the college underslot demographic they go after, but I’d imagine Whitman may command a bit less and provide some savings.

Boston Red Sox

Picks: C Kyle Teel (14), SS Nazzan Zanetello (50)

If I were Boston, I’d of been incredibly giddy to have Kyle Teel fall into my lap like that. Teel was a consensus top-ten guy, even being the third-best collegiate bat on our board. It’s as legit of a bat as you can find in the country, winning the ACC Player of the Year and having a potentially plus hit tool with pretty robust power. He’s likely someone that will end up peppering the Green Monster in due time. While he isn’t your stereotypical catcher, he’s very athletic back there and deserves every chance to stick there. This could be an early candidate for the steal of the first round.

With Zanetello, you’re getting a freak athlete. He’s got legitimate five-tool potential in his profile. He’s hit everywhere he has gone and the mix of very quick hands/bat speed will give him a rather robust power profile once he’s physically mature. Let’s not forget the speed he has, which grades out as plus to potentially double-plus, and a very strong arm that has hit 98 MPH, and you’ve got a very solid prep player. He was drafted as a shortstop and he should be given every chance there, though I do believe he’s either a third baseman or a right fielder.

It might only be two picks, but I don’t think Boston could have done much better here.


Miami Marlins

Picks: RHP Noble Meyer (10), LHP Thomas White (35), OF Kemp Alderman (47)

Man, what the Marlins did with their first two picks was perfect.

We’ll start with Meyer, who was the lone prep arm to be selected in the first round. We’ll jump into this later on, but I absolutely love the fit here. He’s already got a robust pitch mix, but with the way the Marlins develop change-ups, it’s just such a fun idea to think about the potential here. With White, they double down on the prep demographic and they have the pool money to get him signed. White has long been a famous name and has excellent stuff, getting into the mid-90s with a lively heater and a robust secondary arsenal, though getting that delivery in sync and scattered command gave him some fits. The Marlins know their strengths here and I’m excited about it. There’s a ton of upside here.

Alderman is also a fun profile to dive into. He has some of the best power in the entire class, consistently having exit velocities get above the 110 MPH threshold. If Miami can get him to tone down the aggressive approach and improve the contact rates, there’s a ton to like with the bat. Defensively, he’s destined for a right field spot thanks to an absolute bazooka of a right arm.

Time will ultimately tell on how these guys develop, especially Meyer and White, but if I’m a Marlins fan, I couldn’t be any more excited about their picks.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Picks: INF Tommy Troy (12), INF LuJames “Gino” Groover III (48), LHP Caden Grice (64)

The Diamondbacks’ Day 1 class is insanely fun and screams upside, especially on the offensive front.

The selection of Troy was celebrated amongst the draft team here at the site. We think he’s one of the best bats in the class with a sound approach, robust power, as well as being able to handle velocity. He had zero whiffs against pitches above 95+ MPH in 2023, which while it is a smaller sample size, it’s quite impressive. Defensively, he might end up at second base, but I like the idea of starting him out on the left side of the infield. It’s a very fun profile.

Groover does provide a bit more questions regarding the defense, but there’s no questioning the offensive ability. Groover’s MO is hitting, utilizing the whole field with a short, compact swing and having excellent plate discipline. He managed to get more into his power in 2023 as well, which was very encouraging to see. He’s likely destined for either second base, first base, or even left field, but I’d imagine Arizona will let him man the hot corner for a bit.

Lastly, Grice being a P.O. is a fun pick. Arizona is quite progressive with their arms and while Grice does have 70-grade power, the hit tool was likely never going to materialize. He was very good down the stretch for Erik Bakich with a low-90s heater that has sink, as well as a solid breaking ball and change-up. He’s relatively fresh too, as he didn’t really pitch heavily until this season. I like the fit here.

Kansas city royals

Picks: C Blake Mitchell (8), RHP Blake Wolters (44), OF Carson Roccaforte (66)

Yes, you can scream at me all you want about the prep catching demographic and how risky it is, but at the end of the day, Mitchell felt like the one to buck that trend. It’s not often that you get someone of his caliber at the position and he’s viewed as reasonably safe offensively, as he has a robust hit/power combination. He won’t get a chance to pitch like he did in high school, but rather he’s going to stick behind the dish long-term. He’s athletic and agile back there, plus the cannon of an arm that he has garnered double-plus grades. There’s a ton to like with the profile he has and I’d be very interested to see the monetary figure he gets.

With Wolters, the Royals get a very solid arm. He came into his own this spring, turning into a legitimate power pitcher with a loud fastball that gets into the upper-90s with very solid life to it. The slider will need to be more consistent, but it flashes. At its best, it’ll be a power slider in the mid-80s with nasty bite and tilt, though it becomes a slurvy breaker with gradual break when he doesn’t execute. The change-up needs refinement, too. I do trust the Royals development team enough to work their magic here.

Lastly, Roccaforte is a fun pick in the second round. While the home run power wasn’t the same as what it was in 2022, Roccaforte’s batted ball profile is incredibly fun to dive into. It’s very easy power and while there’s some things to iron out with the swing, there’s a lot to like there. He’s an above-average runner that has a chance to stick at the eight with solid route running and great defense. He’s got high grades on models, too.

Detroit Tigers

Picks: OF Max Clark (3), INF Kevin McGonigle (37), INF Max Anderson (45)

Could this be a bit of a hot take? Maybe. It’s hard to pass up on a talented college bat in Wyatt Langford, but Max Clark is the kind of bat you feel comfortable passing on Langford for.

Clark’s offensive profile is a bit power limited when compared to the other names in the top five, he’s likely going to max out at average to above-average power when all is said and done. However, he’s a potentially plus hitter with a smooth left-handed swing that’s short to the ball and he can shoot the ball to all fields with ease, as well as having a pretty sound approach at the dish. What does give him the edge over someone like Walker Jenkins is the defensive upside here. He’s got a solid chance to stick in centerfield with very solid speed, route-running, and defense at the next level. Detroit did very well here.

McGonigle can be seen as a bit of a steal in the compensation round given the offensive upside and the first round grade we gave him. It’s pretty similar to what Clark’s bat is, a plus hitter with potentially above-average power when all is said and done. He has a lengthy track record of hitting everywhere he has gone and doesn’t strike out a ton against solid competition. If there’s anything to knock McGonigle on, it’s the fact that he’s likely limited to second base. He was drafted as a shortstop, but given the muscle he added and limited arm strength, a move seems likely down the line. But you can’t argue with an offensive-minded second baseman.

Lastly, Anderson had some helium in the last couple of weeks and felt destined to go higher than the ranking we gave him. Surely enough, here we are, as Anderson went 16 spots higher than our ranking. Anderson just flat-out hits, slashing .414/.461/.771 in the spring with Nebraska with very solid power output, particularly to the gaps. He does chase quite a bit and the walks aren’t where you’d want them to be, but he does a very good job of limiting the strikeouts. His defense is a question mark, though, given the lack of arm strength and range at second base. He’s likely a first baseman at the next level.

Honorable Mentions: Minnesota Twins, Cincinnati Reds, Tampa Bay Rays

favorite picks

Andrew Walters (no. 62/Cleveland)

I’ve seen a bit of scuttlebutt about Walters being a relief-only guy during his time at Miami, so I raise you this: he was one of the best closers in ACC history. Plus, given the electric nature of the fastball and the potential to move quickly as a bullpen ace in Cleveland’s system, I absolutely love the fit here. Walters has a unique fastball with a low release, flatter VAA, and excellent command. It was an incredibly dynamic pitch in college, and while you could say he’s a one-pitch pony, Walters has seen improvement in the breaking ball department, ditching the loopier curveball for a harder slider with solid bite. Cleveland’s pitching development is amazing, too. It’s hard not to love this pick.

Hurston Waldrep (No. 24/Braves)

Atlanta’s farm system is littered with a ton of arms, so why not add Waldrep to the fold? This feels like a steal given the nature of his stuff, particularly the off-speed, but I believe the Braves can be a development team that can fix his fastball. We already know how good the off-speed arsenal is, as the splitter is a legitimate 70-grade pitch and the curveball/slider are both above-average, but if Atlanta can fix his fastball command, this has the makings of another quick riser in that system. It’ll also help him live out his potential as a starter. If I’m Atlanta, I’m very happy that Waldrep fell this far.

Noble Meyer (No. 10/Marlins)

I know I’ve already touched on how much I like this pick and the upside, but it’s one of my favorite fits in the draft thus far. Miami knows how to develop pitching, there’s no question about that, and Meyer has one of the best pitch mixes in the class that’s led by his plus slider. But if there’s anything I’m excited about here, it’s the development of his change-up. We’ve covered it in Deep(er) Drives, but the one thing industry folks wanted to see was more change-up usage. Miami knows how to develop the pitch and given the fact that Meyer has already made some tweaks to the pitch over the past year, I like the potential here.

Colin Houck (NO. 32/Mets)

Houck sliding this far was not on my bingo card, especially given we had him mocked to the Diamondbacks at 12. Houck’s upside is tremendous and he’s incredibly athletic. It’s a very solid swing from the right side and with the projectable nature of his frame, the power potential is quite high. There’s also enough to suggest that he sticks at shortstop long term with his twitch, range, and arm strength. The Mets may have gotten a legitimate steal with their first pick here.

Chase Davis (no. 21/Cardinals)

Yeah, this was a match made in heaven. The Cardinals needed this kind of bat in their system and Davis fell right into their laps. He’s really evolved as a hitter in the past year, dropping the whiff and chase rates and shortening up the swing, all while keeping the robust power he’s always had. It’s likely that he gets a chance to start in center field, but in all likelihood, a move to a corner spot seems likely. I really, really like this fit.

Walker Jenkins (no. 5/Twins)

The Twins were big winners in the draft lottery back in December and they get someone who fits their M.O. perfectly. While the medical history pushed some teams away, the upside here is amazing. It’s a potential 60-hit/60-power bat with Jenkins, as he has robust bat speed and impressive bat-to-ball skills that you don’t find often in a prep bat. He’s likely a fit for right field instead of center moving forward, where his strong arm should play very well. He’s got the speed to handle center, but he likely outgrows the position. All in all, Minnesota likes their high-OBP and power guys and Jenkins fits that bill.