A week removed from watching the best class preps the class of 2022 has to offer, some players really separated themselves as high follows for the 2022 MLB Draft. The week-long event hosted at Tropicana Field in Tampa, Florida showcased top tier talent. Signs point toward this class being pretty special.
In this scenario, we wanted to highlight the guys who may have been flying a tad under the radar, but stood out as potential top-round picks this year.
From uncommitted players to Ivy League commits, there was no shortage of talent at the Trop, and these six names are just the tip of the iceberg. Better to get acquainted now.
OF Mason Neville - Basic (NV)
Neville showed up and instantly proved he was as tooled up as anyone in this class. The Las Vegas product started his workouts with plus to plus-plus speed and easy arm strength from the outfield. It’s a really projectable 6-foot-3-inch 190-pound frame. Neville really stood out at the plate.
Neville has a smooth left-handed swing that uses his lower half extremely well. He makes a point to get extended, getting out and attacking baseballs. His ability to control the barrel stood out to me. He was the only person to make contact off a Jackson Ferris fastball, with a broken-bat single over the shortstop’s head. He followed that with a couple more knocks as the week went on. It’s a very advanced approach at the plate that consistently looked in control of the at-bat. There’s some budding pop you can project here as he creates easy loft in his swing and was up to 99 off a tee with wood during testing. His athletic testing was elite, and you can see with his approach and raw strength, there is real impact in the bat on the way.
Neville has the tools to slot in anywhere in the outfield at the next level, but can stick in centerfield long term. It’s a similar profile to Connor Scott as a prep, but with more speed and possibly even more potential with the bat. Neville is uncommitted, but that shouldn’t be the case for long.
C Ross Highfill - Madison Central (MS)
The entire catching group at PG National was impressive, but Highfill made a point to stand out from the crowd. Highfill showed off a toolset that was comparable to Harry Ford a year ago, and that’s an awfully high bar. A 6.42 clocked 60-yard dash and impressive pop times with budding arm strength impressed scouts.
The bat stands out as well. He’s got a really strong frame that shows above average bat speed and some barrel whip into a long finish. Highfill showed the ability to drive the ball into the gaps with ease in BP, and uses impressive barrel control to drive a pitch below the zone for a triple to the deepest part of the park. There’s potential for plus power here as he continues to develop.
Highfill is a high school catcher and a very good one at that. The athleticism and overall tools suggest this Southern Miss commit may become a hot commodity among organizations over the next year.
RHP Jaden Noot - Sierra Canyon (CA)
The starting pitching was head and shoulders the best group of the week. You had all the usual suspects in Lesko, Ferris, Smith and Ritchie with loud outings, but Noot, an Oregon commit, really stood out.
Noot is a two-way talent with a really imposing, sturdy 6-foot-4-inch frame. He operates out of a low three-quarters slot on the mound. It’s a simple, repeatable delivery that’s low effort but features big arm speed. The fastball sat 92-94, touching 95 with some heaviness and tons of arm-side run. He showed the ability to command the pitch well at the top of the zone. It explodes out of his hand and got on hitters. He mixed in a mid-70s, slurvy curveball that maintained shape throughout and created some swing and miss. He commanded the pitch extremely well to the outside part of the plate. Noot was able to mix in a slider and changeup sparingly with the latter looking like it has the potential to be a solid third pitch.
Noot has an old school prototype starters build, and a pitch mix that looks to be improving quite rapidly. If he can continue to throw strikes this summer and as we go into next spring, there’s a chance he could ascend into being one of the top arms on the west coast.
OF Austin Overn - Foothill (CA)
Yet another west coast talent making the short list. Austin Overn is explosive. The USC commit started his week with a sub 6.2 60-yard dash. He followed that up with easy arm actions in the field, clocking 91mph with easy carry and accuracy, showcasing very efficient routes in the grass.
At the plate, Overn is a left handed hitter who uses a very quick and quirky leg trigger, repeated well, utilizing a flat bat path for an all fields approach. Overn peppered balls into the gaps with ease during BP, showing a touch of pull-side power. In game, Overn was able to take professional at-bats, working a couple walks and an RBI opposite field double.
The 6-foot, 175 pounds Overn checked so many boxes in regards to what you want to see in a long term centerfielder. He’s got a strong arm, covers a ton of ground efficiently, and even shows you top of the order tools at the plate. If Overn can continue to hit this summer, there’s a chance he could be into the elite tier of the prep outfield class.
LHP Alton Davis - Hueytown (AL)
Alton Davis is a lanky, high-waisted 6-foot-5 hurler with long limbs and plenty of body control.
Davis uses a simple rocker step into a high leg kick before creating huge extension down the mound. He showed a really whippy and loose arm that was consistently on time. It’s big time arm speed. The fastball lived in the upper 80s, touching 90 and he was able to command it anywhere in the zone. The athleticism and operation tells me there’s more velo coming here as he continues to grow into his frame. Supplementing the fastball is a low 70s curveball that Davis was able to manipulate into some slurvy shape. He commanded the bender very well. Only showed one changeup, but has had good feel for a low 80s cambio in the past.
Davis is a part of a very strong Alabama recruiting class, but if his velo continues to trend up, with his ability to throw three pitches for strikes, there’s a chance he’ll never be suiting up for Roll Tide.
C Beck Milner - Taft School (UT)
First thing’s first, it’s extremely rare to see a Yale commit at a National Showcase. Even more rare, Milner might have been the most impressive bat of the week. The Utah product was by far the biggest surprise for me.
Milner really jumped out early with an event-best 1.81 pop time and an above average arm with plenty of carry. Milner is really fluid and athletic behind the plate.
A right-handed hitter who operates out of a slightly crouched posture with extremely quiet hands, Milner showed top-of-the-class hand speed. He has an impressive ability to rotate to the ball, firing his lower half well, showing real impact to all fields when he barrels up. Milner was driving balls with force to the pull side during BP and didn’t need to sell out at all. It was his in-game swings though that were really impressive. He had two hard-hit base hits, turning around a mid-90s heater from Nazier Mule for a loud double. It’s a swing path that you can tell is optimized for future power combined with insane athletic data that gives you a ton to project going forward.
Milner is going to be one of the most followed players for me this summer after his performance in Tampa.
