As we have been for the last few months, today we pump out 50 more prospects in our lead up to the 2021 MLB Draft. Along with the addition of 50 new names, the new Top 350 will include our stock watch feature highlighting the current trajectory of every player. Each player will have an up or down arrow on their profile denoting where we currently have their stock moving in the last two months.
Keep in mind, if a players has moved down it does not mean we have actively moved them down our board. Any time we move one player up, say, 40 spots… 39 players will subsequently get a down arrow. Something to keep in mind…
This cycle focuses more heavily on our industry connections and conversations had over the past two months. Organized baseball effectively ended three weeks ago, though data and looks have continued to stream in from Fall scrimmages and elsewhere.
Some notable storylines from the past eight weeks:
This class seems to have more hard-throwing college arms than in years past. That’s a good sign for the overall health of the class, especially with three or four upper-tier arms at the head of the class.
Given all the information we’ve been provided, Wake Forest righty Ryan Cusick seems destined to go early in the draft. The data is excellent. The model characteristics are about perfect. The knowledge to pitch is there. So long as Cusick is throwing strikes this season, we’re confident he’ll be one of the first handful of arms off the board.
Sam Bachman’s meteoric rise seemed to pop just after our last update. He’s an electric arm with the potential for three above average pitches. Looking like a first round pick.
Although Louisville is chockfull of good arms, fifth year righty Glenn Albanese has really stood out from the crowd. Many guys on the team seem to agree he’s got the best stuff on the staff. He’s touched 98 this Fall and has showcased a potential plus breaking ball.
While Kansas State lefty Jordan Wicks is our consensus top southpaw in the college ranks right now, Cincinnati lefty Evan Shawver continues to push his way up boards. He’s got all the ingredients teams like to see. Full arsenal, fantastic pitch data, clean operation, track record of throwing strikes.
Indiana prep shortstop Colson Montgomery has really helped his stock at over the last few months, and scouts have really taken notice of the premium body, strong hit tool, and smooth actions on defense. He may ultimately end up at third base, but he could work his way into Top 50 consideration with a strong Spring.
Two-sport athletes have also dominated the headlines as Bubba Chandler, Lonnie White, Brody Brecht and Will Taylor have all staked their claim as high value picks in the 2021 class. Two other football stars, Luke Leto and Braylon Bishop, have seen their status dim a bit over the course of the summer. Both remain very much in-play in the Top 100.
Finally, NC State catcher Luca Tresh has seen a mammoth rise over the past two months after cementing himself as the starting catcher for the Wolfpack. Tresh replaces Patrick Bailey, but might be every bit the bat of his predecessor. Some scouts have thrown 60 grades on the power tool. Tresh may push Hunter Goodman as the second-best college catcher in the class, though for our money, Louisville backstop Henry Davis is in a league of his own thanks to top-of-the-scale athleticism behind the plate and 98th percentile exit velos, as well as outlandishly good walk and strikeout rates.