Taking a look at the top spring training prospect performances of the last week as we see if any timelines have been affected!
College Baseball Watch Guide: Week Four
The Hobby Digs The Long Ball: Checking in on some Power Prospect Price Points
Meet Marco Luciano, Baseball's Next Young Superstar
A's Prospects Likely to Debut in 2021
The Oakland A’s are the next AL West team on our Players Likely to Debut series. In case you missed it, we have already rolled out over two-thirds of the league.
AL East: Red Sox — Yankees — Orioles — Blue Jays — Rays
NL East: Marlins — Braves — Phillies — Mets — Nationals
AL Central: Tigers — Royals — White Sox — Twins — Cleveland
NL Central: Cardinals — Reds — Pirates — Cubs — Brewers
AL West: Mariners — Rangers — Angels
Below, you will find a list of three prospects from the respective organization. Each prospect will have a number score next to their name — this number will represent the estimated amount of time we anticipate that player seeing at the big-league level. Players that have already made their big-league debut will not be included on this list.
BREAKDOWN OF TIME ON ROSTER SCORES:
1 — September call-ups / guys that are likely to see less than 20-25 games on the roster
2 — 1/4 of the season (roughly 40 games on roster)
3 — 1/2 of the season (roughly 80 games on roster)
4 — 3/4 of the season (roughly 120 games on roster)
5 — Full season on the MLB roster
Position — Name (Time on Roster Score)
OF — Luis Barrera (4)
When Robbie Grossman signed a two-year contract with the Tigers, it left the opportunity for Barrera to make the roster in 2021 after a strong showing in alternate camp in 2020. He has plus speed and an arm that grades between 60 and 70. Injuries have derailed his progress but if he can hit for average, and continue to get on base at a high rate — as he did in Double-A in 2019 in which he posted a wRC+ of 139 — Barrera could make a sizable impact as early as this year. Plus, his ability to play any spot in the outfield increases his versatility.
OF — Greg Deichmann (1)
The 2017 second-round draft pick out of LSU had a strong AFL showing two seasons ago. Like Barrera, injuries have derailed his progress. The left-hander has power potential with a good arm that could play in the corners. The strikeout numbers are alarming but Oakland could call him up at some point to see what he is capable of.
RHP-Grant Holmes (2)
Holmes has four different types of pitch offerings which include a fastball, curve, changeup, and a slider that looks like more of a cutter according to reports. His biggest setbacks have been his control and command. His health concerns, and how Oakland used him in 2019, suggest he could be a middle reliever. Holmes has tremendous upside and some of the best stuff in the system when he is healthy — in addition to having some lengthy locks underneath his cap.
Notable
Brian Howard, Buddy Reed and Parker Dunshee are other names that could get consideration to make their debuts this season. Dunshee and Howard profile as backend starters.
Spring Training Week 1: Top Prospect Performers
College Baseball Watch Guide: Week Three - College Probables
College Baseball Watch Guide: Week Two
Angels Prospects Likely to Debut in 2021
The Los Angeles Angels are the next AL West team on our Players Likely to Debut series. In case you missed it, we have already rolled out over two-thirds of the league.
AL East: Red Sox — Yankees — Orioles — Blue Jays — Rays
NL East: Marlins — Braves — Phillies — Mets — Nationals
AL Central: Tigers — Royals — White Sox — Twins — Cleveland
NL Central: Cardinals — Reds — Pirates — Cubs — Brewers
Below, you will find a list of three prospects from the respective organization. Each prospect will have a number score next to their name — this number will represent the estimated amount of time we anticipate that player seeing at the big-league level. Players that have already made their big-league debut will not be included on this list.
BREAKDOWN OF TIME ON ROSTER SCORES:
1 — September call-ups / guys that are likely to see less than 20-25 games on the roster
2 — 1/4 of the season (roughly 40 games on roster)
3 — 1/2 of the season (roughly 80 games on roster)
4 — 3/4 of the season (roughly 120 games on roster)
5 — Full season on the MLB roster
LOS ANGELES ANGELS
Position — Name (Time on Roster Score)
OF — Brandon Marsh (2)
As noted by our own Ralph Lifshitz, a mid-2019 change in set-up has allowed Marsh to shorten his load and it has paid off. The shift has allowed Marsh to tap into his power without taking away from his great approach and feel for contact. Like recent Angel’s prospect graduate, Jo Adell, Marsh has shown always the tools and talent worth raving about and now that it is starting to click in games, he should be ready to join the big league team soon. Recent acquisition of veteran outfielder Dexter Fowler may delay things for a little while but it shouldn’t be long before both Marsh and Adell are enjoying roaming the outfield grass alongside Mr. Trout.
RHP — Chris Rodriguez (3)
After missing significant time in recent years due to injury, Rodriguez has found his way onto the Angel’s 40 man roster. There are some bullpen concerns due to the health issues but with all of the makings of a mid rotation arm, he could be a pitcher that the Angels intend to lean on this season if he proves capable this Spring. In fact, it is not far fetched to see him finding a spot sooner rather than later due to an Angel’s rotation filled of many names with notable injury history and/or lack of recent success.
LHP — Reid Detmers (1)
One of my most vivid memories from my time working as an analyst with the baseball team at Georgia Tech was watching a pitching duel between Xzavion Curry and Reid Detmers where Detmers racked up 16 K’s against us.
Now fresh out of the 2020 Draft, Detmers is the type of arm that should move rapidly through a system seemingly always in need of pitching help. Detmers works hitters primarily with a FB/CB mix each of which he has an incredible feel for. While the most likely outcome is a 2022 debut so that he can work on further developing a third offering, he is a big bodied lefty with two pitches capable of getting hitters out, so don’t be surprised if he gets a call just one year after being drafted.
NOTABLE
Currently on the 40-man roster, Jose Alberto Rivera and Hector Yan are two arms that could see some time in the Angels bullpen at some point this year. Yan in particular has the makings of an arm who could find himself pitching in some high leverage situations. One other name to follow is infielder, Jeremiah Jackson. The ability Jackson has to give multi positional value could allow him to get a chance at the big league level to fill out some depth in Anaheim.
Commissioner Lee to retire from Frontier League; Season announced
Rangers Prospects Likely to Debut in 2021
The Texas Rangers are the next AL West team on our Players Likely to Debut series. In case you missed it, we have already rolled over two-thirds of the league.
AL East: Red Sox — Yankees — Orioles — Blue Jays — Rays
NL East: Marlins — Braves — Phillies — Mets — Nationals
AL Central: Tigers — Royals — White Sox — Twins — Cleveland
NL Central: Cardinals — Reds — Pirates — Cubs — Brewers
AL West: Mariners
Below, you will find a list of three prospects from the respective organization. Each prospect will have a number score next to their name — this number will represent the estimated amount of time we anticipate that player seeing at the big-league level. Players that have already made their big-league debut will not be included on this list.
BREAKDOWN OF TIME ON ROSTER SCORES:
1 — September call-ups / guys that are likely to see less than 20-25 games on the roster
2 — 1/4 of the season (roughly 40 games on roster)
3 — 1/2 of the season (roughly 80 games on roster)
4 — 3/4 of the season (roughly 120 games on roster)
5 — Full season on the MLB roster
Texas Rangers
Position — Name (Time on Roster Score)
RHP — Hans Crouse (1)
Crouse was the type of arm that drew plenty of, both, excitement and curiosity coming out of the 2017 MLB Draft, given his fastball/breaking ball combo. Unfortunately, the lack of a clean injury history and a quirky delivery combine to leave a fair amount risk. Overall, Crouse has already shown that he’s capable of dominating right-handed batters, and his stuff would certainly play up in the bullpen should the Rangers decide to give him a look late in the season.
RHP — Yerry Rodriguez (2)
Analytically, Rodriguez looks like a top pitching prospect with elite spin rate and good velocity to go along with a great ability to pound the zone. However, the stuff has not dominated the way that one would expect, and a slew of injuries has resulted in a stall in development. The Rangers have included him on their 40-man roster heading into this season so they are clearly of the belief that he is close to making contributions in Texas. That said, I would expect him to spend a little bit more time marinating in the minors before being promoted later in the season.
RHP — Tyler Phillips (3)
Phillips is the type of pitcher that lacks an ability to overpower or dominate hitters, but has the makings of a back end rotation piece due to plus command of his four pitch arsenal coupled with a strong GB clip. The Rangers have rolled the dice with a few of their rotation acquisitions this off season so I wouldn’t be surprised to see them turn to a high floor type of arm like Phillips at some point if they are searching for someone to eat some innings.
NOTABLE
The second pick in the Rule 5 this year, Brett de Geus, looks poised to be in competition for a bullpen spot after coming over from the Dodgers. could see innings at some point this year. Another intriguing name to follow is Japanese right-hander Kohei Arihara. Already 28, Arihara doesn’t fit the typical bill for a prospect on these lists, but he should get an immediate spot in the rotation and it will be interesting following in his first action stateside.
Photo Credit: James Snook
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Mariners Prospects Likely to Debut in 2021
The Seattle Mariners the first AL West team on our Players Likely to Debut series. In case you missed it, we have already rolled out two-thirds of the league.
AL East: Red Sox — Yankees — Orioles — Blue Jays — Rays
NL East: Marlins — Braves — Phillies — Mets — Nationals
AL Central: Tigers — Royals — White Sox — Twins — Cleveland
NL Central: Cardinals — Reds — Pirates — Cubs — Brewers
Below, you will find a list of three prospects from the respective organization. Each prospect will have a number score next to their name — this number will represent the estimated amount of time we anticipate that player seeing at the big-league level. Players that have already made their big-league debut will not be included on this list.
BREAKDOWN OF TIME ON ROSTER SCORES:
1 — September call-ups / guys that are likely to see less than 20-25 games on the roster
2 — 1/4 of the season (roughly 40 games on roster)
3 — 1/2 of the season (roughly 80 games on roster)
4 — 3/4 of the season (roughly 120 games on roster)
5 — Full season on the MLB roster
Seattle Mariners
Position — Name (Time on Roster Score)
OF — Taylor Trammell (2)
It’s not often you see Top 100 prospects being traded multiple times prior to even making their big-league debut. However, that’s exactly where we are with Trammell. Fans of the Cincinnati Reds and San Diego Padres might be keeping tabs on him, while Mariners fans will be ripe with anticipation as the 23-year-old outfielder makes his MLB debut for Seattle.
The outfield scene in Seattle has become one of, if not the most exciting developments over the last 12 months. With Kyle Lewis entrenched for years to come, the Mariners are simply bidding time with veteran outfielders until the youth are ready to take over. Trammell will get his call in 2021 and if the club gets off to a nice start, they may decide to turn the outfield duties over to the youngsters.
RHP — Logan Gilbert (2)
Drafted ahead of arms like Brady Singer and Daniel Lynch, the latter of which is set to make his debut as well, there’s plenty of reason for you to be excited about Gilbert. The 6-foot-6 righty boasts a quality four-pitch mix (Fastball, Curveball, Slider, Changeup) that will play up due to his overall baseball acumen. Chris Flexen, recently acquired from the KBO on a two-year pact, is expected to see time in the Mariners rotation this season. Given that he has posted a 3-11 record with an 8.07 ERA over three seasons of big-league work prior to joining the KBO, there’s no reason to think that he’ll stand in the way of Gilbert, once he’s ready.
OF — Jarred Kelenic (2)
This is the name that you’ve been waiting for. Many of you laugh at the trade that the Chicago White Sox made with the San Diego Padres, sending Fernando Tatis Jr to Southern California. What if I told you that the New York Mets sending Kelenic and Justin Dunn to the Great Northwest might be just as laughable, would you believe me?
Unafraid to show off his development on social media, you’ve likely seen several of his talent exploits at this point. Perhaps nothing is more impressive than smashing a frisbee in mid flight by driving a liner into the centerfield — see for yourself.
Showing an equal balance of a plus-hit tool and plus-power, it’s no wonder that he’s being deemed by some to be the best prospect in all of baseball. The good news is that you’ll likely get to see both him and Wander Franco in 2021. Apologies to the White Sox, Braves, Nationals, Angels, and Dodgers, but it’s hard to image a more hyped outfield group than Kelenic, Lewis, Trammell, and Julio Rodriguez in Seattle. Not likely to be an issue in 2021 — it’ll be fascinating to see how the club manages those four guys moving forward?
Notable
Currently on the 40-man roster, bullpen options Sam Delaplane and Wyatt Mills could see innings at some point this year. Both of these guys were 2017 selections, Mills out of nearby Gonzaga University. There’s an off-chance that the club’s No. 6 prospect, George Kirby, gets a call at some point, although far less likely than any of the arms listed above.
College Baseball Watch Guide: Pitchers To Watch This Weekend
After the longest winter in history (12 months?) the college baseball season is upon us and we here at P=Live are estatic to catch-up on some of our favorite college pitching prospects this weekend. With a hunger for baseball across social media channels and a lot of “who should I watch?” and “How can I watch?” we thought it would be worthwhile to give you our recommended watch list this weekend and give you an idea of where to watch. A majority of games are carried by ESPN+ and the sheer volume of games each week makes this a worthwhile investment during the NCAA season (give me my racks ESPN!). While many mid-majors stream games through their website or their home conferences website. Obviously with more uncertainty than ever all of this is subject to change at a moment’s notice.
With all that said… Happy Watching!
Friday
Jordan Wicks, LHP, Kansas State @ 2:00 PM ET
Brant Hurter, LHP, Georgia Tech @ 2:00PM ET
Kevin Abel, RHP, Oregon State @ 2:00PM ET
Connor Prielipp, LHP, Alabama @ 4:00PM ET
Austin Love, RHP, UNC @ 3:00PM ET
Andrew Abbott, LHP, Virginia @ 3:00PM ET
Thomas Farr, RHP, South Carolina @ 4:00PM ET
Evan Shawver, LHP, Cincinnati @ 4:00PM ET
Davis Sharpe, RHP, Clemson @ 4:00PM ET
Ryan Cusick, RHP, Wake Forest @ 4:00PM ET
Tommy Mace, RHP, Florida @ 5:00PM ET
Cam Cowan, RHP, Campbell @ 5:00PM ET
Chase Silseth, RHP, Arizona @ 8:00PM ET
Saturday
Christian MacLeod, LHP, Mississippi State @ 12:00PM ET
Mason Pelio, RHP, Boston College @ 12:00PM ET
Brannon Jordan, RHP, South Carolina @ 1:00PM ET
Jack Leftwich, RHP, Florida @ 1:00PM ET
Alejandro Rosario, RHP, Miami @ 1:00PM ET
Glenn Albanese, RHP, Louisville @ 1:00PM ET
Jaden Hill, RHP, LSU @ 2:00PM ET
Max Carlson, RHP, UNC @ 2:00PM ET
Nick Stewart, RHP, James Madison @ 2:00PM ET
Christian Lothes, LHP, UNC-Charlotte @ 3:00PM ET
Richard Fitts, RHP, Auburn @ 3:00PM ET
Jesse Bergin, RHP, UCLA @ 5:00PM ET
Sunday
Carson Montgomery, RHP, Florida State, @ 11:00AM ET
Julian Bosnic, LHP, South Carolina @ 12:00PM ET
Will Bednar, RHP, Mississippi State @ 12:00PM ET
Hunter Barco, LHP, Florida @ 1:00PM ET
Victor Mederos, RHP, Miami @ 1:00PM ET
Caden Grice, LHP, Clemson @ 1:00PM ET
Bryce McGowan, RHP, UNC-Charlotte @ 1:00PM ET
Nick Nastrini, RHP, UCLA @ 6:00PM ET
Underrated Prospects & Potential Breakouts For 2021 College Baseball
With the college season upon us officially the draft and college baseball teams here at Prospects Live combined to highlight some of the more underappreciated talents throughout the collegiate landscape. These are players we feel are being ignored by the masses or players with a real opportunity to burst onto the national stage in the coming months. There’s a heavy bias toward pitchers showing improved stuff over the summer and fall, with several names showing increased velocity and movement. Others are long heralded talents in situations we feel will lead to success. Happy College Baseball New Year!
RHP Bryce McGowan - Tyler
UNC Charlotte
6-1 / 202 - R/R
McGowan, he’s gone from 90-92 MPH to 94-97 MPH this past fall, with loud data to boot. It’s a high spin offering with plenty of ride, topping out at 98 MPH, per reports. McGowan has a slider in the high-80’s that’s firm and has late bite to it, becoming a potential putaway pitch in his arsenal, as well as a new curveball and an improved change-up with promise. He’ll need to throw strikes, which has been an issue for McGowan in the past, but if he does, he’ll climb up draft boards.
LHP Christian Lothes
UNC Charlotte
6-2 / 220 - R/L
A second year freshmen, Christian Lothes has also shown improved stuff, with an electric heater reportedly touching 95 MPH at times this fall, primarily sitting 90-93 MPH. He possesses a slider that has gotten into the mid-80’s with serious sweep and a mid-80’s change-up with good sink. Lothes has only thrown 2.2 innings with the 49ers, but he will be a big contributor in their starting rotation this season.
RHP Peyton Pallette - Anthony
University of Arkansas
6-1 / 165 - R/R
Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn recently suggested (via the Log Cabin Democrat) Pallette will be a part of the Hogs’ weekend rotation, at least to start the season. As a weekend starter in the SEC, maybe he’s not a “sleeper” then, but I expect a big sophomore season that’ll put him among the top college arms in the 2022 class. Pallette worked a few innings out of the bullpen as a freshman and checks most of the boxes for a developmental pitching prospect. He’s physically projectable, loose and athletic, and already working 93-95 MPH. He has feel for spinning a curveball with good shape and bite. Now he’s seemingly in line for the opportunity to work multiple times in a game against the top lineups in the country.
RHP Gabe Shepard - Anthony
Southern Mississippi
5-10 / 210 - R/R
Shepard impressed as a freshman at Southern Miss in 2019 and got the ball for the first game of the Golden Eagles’ regional opener that season. There, he held a loaded Arizona State lineup to two runs over 5.2 innings (albeit with four strikeouts and three walks). More impressive than the box score numbers was the arm strength he showed. Shepard was consistently 93-96, touching 97 MPH, on the stadium gum. He’s on the shorter side but well-built and already throws sufficiently hard. Shepard’s the best prospect in what should be a very good Southern Miss rotation and will be a priority follow in the C-USA this spring.
RHP Cameron Weston - Ralph
University of Michigan
6-1 / 200 - R/R - Sophomore
After COVID shortened a stellar early showing out of the pen for the Freshman righthander there’s much anticipation around the draft eligible COVID Freshman in 2021. Weston’s arsenal is heavily dependent on his fastball+splitter combo that works primarily in the upper quadrants with the fastball, then burying the splitter low. He also mixes in a slider but he’s still learning to command the pitch. His fastball was reportedly up to 95 this off-season, and he’s shown an innate ability to drive groundballs with a 60% rate in 2020. Improving velocity, flyball suppression skills, and a go to secondary, Weston has the makings of a breakout.
RHP Jonathan Brand - Ralph
Miami University (OH)
5-9 / 197 - R/R - Junior
The stigma around shorter pitchers is going away, as more and more analysts in the public and private space seek lower release points and flat vertical approach angle fastballs. Brand fits this mold with a very low release point, and efficient shape that creates ride on his fastball. He lacks premium velocity at 89-92, but he’s was up to 95-96 in workouts this fall his pitch shape is desirable. Despite near 3000 rpm spin rates, Brand’s curveball is a heavy groundball driver and not a swing and miss offering. In fact last summer during 2020 Northwoods League play Brand’s curveball boasted a 75% groundball rate. Another intriguing arm from the Midwest with improving stuff and the ability to suppress hard contact.
LHP Brooks Gosswein - Ralph
Bradley University
6-2 / 205 - L/L - COVID Junior
A lefty arm with a big jump in velocity this fall. Gosswein averaged 87.5 mph with his fastball in 2020 before the shutdown. But emerged this fall throwing 93-95 mph with increased velocity on his fastball. The Bradley Junior struggled mightily in 2020 but looks poised to potentially make a big jump in 2021 with improved stuff. He mixes in a low 80s curveball with slurvy break. Across multiple sessions Gosswein has continued to flash improved stuff.
RHP Chase Silseth - Ralph
University of Arizona
6-0 / 200 - R/R - Junior
Silseth is in his third school in three years after transferring from the University of Southern Nevada after spending his Freshman season at Tennessee. The righthander has put up loud strikeout numbers. His fastball is nasty, sitting 92-94 mph, bumping 95 with ride and life at the top of the zone. The pitch generated a 45% whiff rate in 2020, and a 22% swinging strike. He mixes in a upper-70s curveball, a low-80s changeup, and a slider variant with more horizontal break than his curveball. With good shape on his fastball, and a changeup with a track record of missing bats Silseth looks poised to burst in 2021.
RHP Conor Angel - Ralph
University of Louisiana Lafayette
6-5 / 190 - R/R - COVID Freshman
The Freshman righthander out of Quebec performed admirably in the 2020 short season producing a 1-2 record, 3.74 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and a 10.8 K/9 across 21.2 IP. He’s extremely fastball heavy averaging an 85% usage number in 2020. There’s good reasoning behind this as well, the pitch drives an above-average amount of swings and misses, while boasting a 67% groundball rate. The pitch doesn’t boast huge velocity sitting 90-93 mph, but he does release from a deceptive low slot and generates some solid run and heavy sink. His curveball drops off a table and shows wild late break that almost seems to buckle before it dumps. An unheralded name with really good pitch movement.
RHP Zach Fruit - Ralph
Eastern Michigan
6-4 / 203 - R/R - Junior
Spent the first two years of his collegiate career at Lansing Community College before transferring to Eastern Michigan. Fruit has loud stuff with a fastball up to 96 mph in game. He’s tall, long limbed and gets excellent extension using his longer arms and arm action to effectively hide the ball. The fastball eats up in the zone. He pairs that with a slurvy slider that shows late sharp dump. He’s exclusively two pitches and there’s a lot of reliever risk at the next level, but he’s a very intriguing arm with velocity from a mid-major.
RHP Spencer Miles - Ralph
Missouri
6-2 / 185 - R/R - Sophomore
The righthander made quite the impression in 2020 Freshman campaign. Tossing a total of 15 innings and allowing just 17 men to reach base. He had some high points including a four inning start versus Texas where he punched out three. His slider is the jewel of his arsenal a slurvy pitch with two plane break he can manipulate the shape depending on where he wants to locate it. With sub-far fastball velocity, an uptick in fastball velocity could push Miles prospect status heading into the draft in 2021.
2B Dayton Dooney - Ian
Central Arizona College (JUCO)
6-0 / 190lb. • S/R • COVID Sophomore
Dooney is a University of Arizona transfer who does nothing but hit the baseball. From being a freshman All-American in 2019 where he hit .323/.427/.596 with 10 HR to finishing top 5 in nearly every offensive category in the San Diego summer league this past Summer, Dooney just puts numbers up. A compact swing from both sides of the plate, Dooney shows advanced barrel control throughout the zone and will handle velocity well. Shows the ability to reach all of his above average raw power consistently, and could find more pop as he continues to get stronger. A versatile defender who’s seen innings all over the diamond, Dooney gets a chance to start everyday at 2B at CAC, and should project as the long term landing spot for him. A University of Tennessee commit in the fall who is currently slugging .900 in his 8 games of the year is showing all of the signs of never making in Knoxville.
LHP Mo Hanley - Tom
Adrian College (D-III)
6-2 / 165 - L/L - COVID Junior
Hanley, a 6-2 lefty from Adrian College (Michigan). In the past division three hasn’t necessarily been a strong breeding ground of talent for the professional ranks. Although through recent draft picks like Nick Garcia last year from Chapman University (79th Overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates) and the success story of Tommy Parsons (who also went to Adrian), it seems that things might be starting to turn around. In the sense of both talent and scouting notoriety. Hanley was on my sightlines initially based on a strong 2020 but a recent bump of velo has him as a much more intriguing prospect. From sitting lower 90s with his fastball to reaching up to 96 while sitting 93-95 that moves well. Hanley features a sharp slider that breaks hard across the plate and can be a strong outpitch when needed. A bit more work needs to be done on his control as times it can get effectively wild. However, Hanley is the type of interesting arm that you can’t help but root for and keep on your shortest of shortlists.
OF Luis Vargas - Tom
Wayland Baptist (NAIA)
6-5 / 235 - R/R - COVID Junior
Another player to feature on this list from the lower ranks is the massive Luis Vargas. Currently, in the running for NAIA player of the year and Golden Spikes award watchlist, Vargas is absolutely raking. The COVID Junior is a strong 6’5” 235, with a build that reminds me of Washington slugger Joe Wainhouse but a bit more filled out. Vargas has been taking NAIA baseball by storm ever since finding his way to Wayland Baptist from Ranger College. Originally from the Dominican Republic by way of Boston, Vargas has had an insane past year of baseball, in his total 38 games at the NAIA level including the short 2020 and the already started NAIA season, Vargas slashed .500/.558/.1.221 with a massive 28 HRs. With a currently ongoing 8 HRs in 8 G, Vargas is a name that needs to be followed throughout the rest of the year. Although he has tons of power at the plate and such a large build, he isn’t a liability in the field as he can be a bit faster than expected and is solid in CF, giving him a better chance of a professional opportunity.
C Hayden Jones - Tom
Illinois State
6-0 / 215 - L/R - Redshirt Sophomore
Hayden Jones was a name that we in the midwest have been waiting on for well over a year. The former top prospect had a cup of coffee at Mississippi State in 2019, Jones had to sit out the shortened 2020 due to transferring to Illinois State following his single year in Starkville. Jones comes into the year following an intriguing fall and a full year of training ready to do damage on an experienced and ready-to-contend Redbirds team. Jones is solid behind the plate with a big powerful arm that will be able to gun down the best that the Missouri Valley has to offer. In addition to a beautiful left-handed swing that has a bit more pop than what he has previously shown. If Jones can make his debut in Bloomington as a one to remember, we could see yet another top prospect come out of the Redbirds system.
CF Luke Brown - Joe
Louisville
5-10 / 185 - L/R - Junior
Louisville top-of-the-order spark plug doesn’t get a ton of press because, well, he hits in front of a ton of All-Americans. That said, Brown worked all off-season on pumping up his exit velos in an effort to impact the ball for the Cardinals. Brown comfortably has double-plus speed, and he’s got a good hit tool. If the power pops in 2021 and he finds a way to leave the yard 7 or 8 times, brown could find his name in the 2nd or 3rd round of MLB Draft chatter. He’s a true centerfielder, so that up-the-middle trait will do wonders for his value.
SS Trey Sweeney - Joe
Eastern Illinois
6-3 / 210 - L/R - Junior
Eastern Illinois certainly isn’t known for producing big league talent, but Sweeney may buck that trand. A 6-foot,4-inch third basemen, Sweeney is a lefty slugger with plus raw juice and at least above average athleticism. He’s so talented, in fact, he’ll be the starting shortstop this spring for the Panthers. Sweeney is a good runner too who can steal a few bags for you. He’s a fringe Top 100 talent for me.
