*This article was written by Grant Carver and Cameron Emamian
This name should be no surprise to anyone who has followed along with the 2023 MLB draft. Ralphy Velazquez is widely considered the top prep guy in California for the 2023 class, especially in a year where it has been a bit underwhelming for guys with high expectations. He delivered repeatedly during the week, including a light tower shot to right field. He also blasted a double off the wall dead center field in the Championship game against Notre Dame, along with lots of other hits he collected during the week. The power is legit, and it shows in games, especially to center and his pull side but he has the ability to go the other way as well. He knows the strike zone very well and doesn’t try to do more than he knows he can, which makes him very difficult to pitch to. Defensively as a catcher, he has good hands for receiving and a strong and accurate throwing arm, which is what you need to see from a catcher, but the mobility and athletic lateral movements are lacking a bit, as the body is very mature already and it might push him to first base long term. Either way, this is a bat that has teams and scouts dreaming on, and he can anchor an offense, don’t be surprised if he sneaks into the top 25 picks.
There have, for the most part, been two 2023 guys performing this season, Ralphy, and Caraway. Caraway would be really big for a SS, it seems highly likely he ends up as 3B but he projects solidly as a corner guy. He moves surprisingly well for his frame but it seems likely he’ll add even more weight as he matures which is where the corner position really comes in. I’m not sure too many teams will worry about him as a 3B over SS when he hits the way he does. He has the ability to hammer baseballs but there are still some concerns here. He was exposed a few times to better fastballs for having a longer swing, which can sometimes come from big power bats. There is also a good amount of swing and miss but when he connects, it is hard contact and he has delivered more than almost any other bat so far.
‘23 SS/3B Trent Caraway (@BeaverBaseball commit) continues to hit in the Boras Classic, this time shooting a base hit to RF pic.twitter.com/WdreCud02A
— Cameron Emamian (@CameronEmamian) April 13, 2023
It’s hard not to be intrigued by a guy with the hit tool that Casey Borba has and he displayed that in the game I saw this week where he doubled and went deep for a home run. Borba has a really interesting swing that features a big leg kick and lots of bat movement. Within that swing is impressive bat control, and his approach impressed too. He was recognizing pitches and digging into counts extremely well, which pairs nicely with his ability to get the barrel to the zone and hammer the ball. He played third base in this one and was not tested very much on the dirt, but he is very much a corner profile. That kind of profile can get overlooked at this level for valid reasons, but Borba is very advanced at the plate and the production is hard to deny.
The only non-2023 to crack this list and for good reason. Sitting in the middle of a lineup that features Casey Borba and 2024 top talent Derek Curiel, Reiland still finds ways to stick out. While he’s a fairly wiry and undersized frame, he might have one of the better hit tools in the 2024 class. He features great bat control and quick hands that hit hard-line drives all around the diamond. He’s currently a corner outfielder and he doesn’t exactly profile there, he’s played some middle infield as well, where he could make sense as a 2nd baseman but more likely than not he’ll end up on campus in the Fall of 2024 at Oklahoma State, and he’ll be a great watch in his college career.
Bitonti just stands out of the crowd right away due to his combination of age and size alone. He is a legit 6’5 and is filled out on top of that, and the power was there because of it. In one of his plate appearances, Bitonti crushed a grand slam and showed off his plus raw power. It is hard contact when he connects thanks to his excellent bat speed, the question has been about the bat-to-ball skills. Still, in the game I saw him he was making contact with the ball, and that included the grand slam. In the dirt, Bitonti played a solid shortstop but he is probably a third baseman in the future. His lateral movement was a little slower than the ideal shortstop, which is not surprising given his size, and he did have a couple of mistakes with the leather. However, his hands were sound and his arm strength was impressive, making me believe in his ability to play the hot corner. Bitonti’s combination size, power, and bat speed were on full display during this one and all of those tools make him a real name to watch going forward.
‘23 eligible Eric Bitonti (#52 on @ProspectsLive top 400) with a tank of a grand slam early in this game. Legit combo of size & tools. pic.twitter.com/m0dn6qZuRa
— Grant (@GrantCarver32) April 11, 2023
Grant Gray has had a bunch of helium as a potential day one guy in this year's draft recently and it was pretty easy to see why. The tools he had were something scouts dream of. Gray is a plus-plus runner with a bunch of athleticism and is fluid in everything he does. He was moving super well at short and should be able to stay there as he gets more experience. The glove was a little raw and his arm accuracy was a problem, but the ball jumps out of his hand due to the arm strength he has. He has all the tools to be an above-average shortstop in the future. At the plate, the production was not really there in this one. He flashed his speed with an infield single, but that was about it. Still, the bat speed was there and the hit tool should improve with some swing refinements. His approach was average and needs time to improve as well. Gray is an extremely raw player for sure, but he is the type of two-sport athlete with all the tools and time he needs to really put it all together.
A new year, a new board and new ranks. The Top 300 is here. With the summer showcase circuit behind us and college fall ball in the rearview mirror, we’re ready to re-rank the 2023 draft class. Our team has taken in 9 showcase tournaments and been closely monitoring fall scrimmages. We’ve collected data and pitch metrics from guys showcasing their summer gains and, boy, do things look promising. Some guys are breaking out.
A new year, a new board and new ranks. The Top 300 is here. With the summer showcase circuit behind us and college fall ball in the rearview mirror, we’re ready to re-rank the 2023 draft class. Our team has taken in 9 showcase tournaments and been closely monitoring fall scrimmages. We’ve collected data and pitch metrics from guys showcasing their summer gains and, boy, do things look promising. Some guys are breaking out.
A new year, a new board and new ranks. With the summer showcase circuit behind us and college fall ball in full swing, we’re ready to re-rank the 2023 draft class. Our team has taken in 9 showcase tournaments and been closely monitoring fall scrimmages. Some guys are breaking out. As always, our boards are built on three pillars:
A few weeks, Tyler Jennings and Ian Smith attended the Perfect Game National Showcase at Tropicana Field in Tampa, Florida. It’s their fourth year attending the event, learning up on the 2023 high school class and the standouts that come along with it. Last week, they published part one of this review, chronicling four squads. This week, it’s four more. Both Tyler and Ian captured an immense amount of film. You can find that on the Prospects Live YouTube page soon. Here are their notes…
Drew Burress- Coming off of one of the loudest spring seasons in the country, Burress showed up to St. Pete and showed a very loud set of tools. Plus runner (6.46) with a near double plus arm (97 arm) combined with good outfield actions should keep him in centerfield. Flashed easy plus raw power in batting practice, essentially flicking balls over the left centerfield wall. It's a steep bat path with electric bat speed that will give you Dylan Crews vibes at first glance. If the Georgia Tech commit can show a strong hit tool this summer, then upside remains a day 1 pick.
Landon Maroudis - Another one of the Calvary Christian arms, Maroudis is one of the better two-way players in this class. There's a good chance he will continue to be one throughout this cycle, but I want to focus primarily on the pitching. There's projection to his slender frame, pitching with good mobility and from a three-quarters arm slot. There's some pitchability traits here, too. The fastball touched 94 MPH, routinely sitting 91-93 MPH early with some life before bumping down to 88-91 MPH in his second inning of work. He's shown an ability to pitch strictly off the change-up in the past, a low-mid 80's pitch that can be firm but dives away late in the zone. The slider has some decent spin and is short to the plate with some sweeping action. He did get hit a bit, but there's something to work with here. Maroudis is committed to NC State.
Hunter Dietz - Brother of current USF pitcher Tyler Dietz, Hunter has had a pretty darn good summer thus far after impressing at PDP. Dietz has a whippy arm from the left side, a higher arm slot that is near over-the-top, and a long, lean frame. Dietz's first inning was stellar, commanding a 92-94 MPH heater very well to the corners with explosive vertical break helping generate whiffs. The slider is short and he has shown an ability to pitch off it more to setup the heater, which he tried to do more in his second inning, though he got hit a bit in that inning. He flashed a high-spin change-up with some fading life away from righties, but only threw it a handful of times. There's a base to work with here should he continue to perform this way next spring. He is committed to USF.
Braden Holcomb-I’m not sure if there’s a more physical prep player in the 2023 class. Built like an NFL linebacker, Holcomb moves extremely well for his size, running an above-average 6.68 while looking comfortable in the dirt. Got up to 99 EV in batting practice while trying to put holes in the left field wall and squared a ball up in-game as well for a 95+ mph single. Huge bat speed and impressive separation combined with the XL frame give the Vanderbilt commit strong power potential.
Ethan McElvain - Brother of former Vanderbilt starter Chris, Ethan McElvain absolutely shoved in his start for Team Maroon. Easy operation from the left side with some deception, McElvain utilizes a high three-quarters arm slot and does a good job of separating his hips and shoulders when driving to home plate. His bread and butter was the fastball, almost exclusively pitching off it and pounding the zone with the pitch. It plays up from its 90-93 MPH velocity thanks to excellent riding action, with IVB reaching upwards of 23-24 inches. He'd flash a sweepy slider a couple of times, which sat 77-80, but the outing was mainly about the fastball. There are some things to work on, as everything is relatively low-spin and he did have some trouble with operating the heater to the armside, but all in all, a very efficient outing. Bulldog mentality, as well. McElvain is committed to pitch at Vanderbilt.
Zane Adams - Adams is a big-bodied, lanky southpaw hailing from the state of Texas. His delivery is up-tempo and he pitches from a higher slot, though not much in terms of extension. While there's not much spin to the heater itself, there's a ton of vertical break to it, getting up to 94 MPH and sitting 90-93 consistently. The breaking ball has sharp late break in the 78-82 MPH range with good spin and tilt, manipulating shape at times. The breaker was more of a slider at the start before becoming more of a curveball later on. He flashed a solid change-up that kills spin and dives away from righties, as well. A very smart kid in the classroom, Adams is committed to Alabama.
Samuel Stafura- Stafura is another Clemson commit who’s armed with a plus run tool at an up the middle position. High-level actions at shortstop with impressive range and soft hands, with a capable arm to make all needed. Likely the best defensive showing out of any SS at the event. Looked very composed at the plate with a simple right handed swing that creates easy leverage through the zone with good ability to find barrels.
Myles Naylor - Heavy barrels, St. Joan of Arc Catholic, and commit to Texas colleges, it’s just what the Naylor brothers do. Myles is the third high profile Naylor in recent years with both of his older brothers being first round picks in recent years. Huge present strength in the frame for the Texas Tech commit with an extremely heavy barrel that flashed plus raw power in both BP and in-game. Good actions in the dirt with some ability to move laterally with ease and an above-average arm, likely a corner infielder long term but chance to stick at 3B.
Max Kaufer - Kaufer stood out immediately with an advanced approach at the plate and abundance of strength in the frame. Really quick hands with present bat speed and good ability to tap into his lower half for above-average power that played up in-game. Arm didn’t get tested behind the plate over the week, but showed some quickness out of the crouch with a few sub 1.9 pop times. The IMG academy product out of New Jersey is committed to Texas A&M.
Antonio Anderson - One of the best switch-hitting preps in the 2023 class who will likely stick on the left side of the infield, Anderson uses a quiet load with loose wrists and a quick bat from both sides of the plate. Separates well and will flash plus raw power from the left side, but very hitterish from both sides overall and could be an above-average hit tool. Explosive first step with solid range laterally and a big arm (89 IF throw) to make all throws needed from short. Another Georgia Tech commit in a very strong 2023 recruiting class.
Bryce Eldridge - Eldridge brings about some of the best upside from a prep arm in this class. He's a long, lean build, standing in at 6'7", 220 pounds with projection remaining, throwing with a higher three-quarters slot from an easy delivery. He does a good job of repeating his delivery despite being as long as he is, which isn't too common amongst kids his age. He got up to 95 MPH, routinely sitting 91-94 MPH with some late life down in the zone and commanded well away from lefties to get whiffs. He primarily used his slider, a sweeping breaking ball in the low-80's with good spin rates and has an ability to backdoor it at times. He'll flash a more vertical curveball in the high-70's and the change-up has late diving action in the mid-80's. Eldridge is committed to Alabama.
Ryan Geraghty - Geraghty is certainly one of the more unique arms on the circuit this summer. There's some present strength to his frame, most notably in his lower half. He's got a near side-arm slot that can be tough to pick up at times, though the delivery itself needs some ironing out. The heater got up to 93 MPH, sitting 88-92 MPH throughout the outing, though the command of the pitch was a little suspect and he relied on his off-speed to help him out. The slider is incredibly tough on righties, breaking late with crazy amounts of sweeping action and high spin in the low-80's. He also had confidence in a change-up in the low-80's with some depth that he could throw in any count. Command will come as he syncs his body up better. Geraghty is committed to Wichita State.
AJ Gracia - One of the more promising bats from an Orange squad that was dominated by quality pitching performances. The Duke commit who’s a part of a strong Mid-Atlantic prep class for 2023, shows a ton of bat speed from the left side with barrel control to use the whole field. It’s mostly gap power, with some above-average raw power to the pull-side. Not incredibly toolsy in the outfield as an average runner with an average arm as well that plays best in left field. Chance for an above-average to plus hit down the road, and if the power keeps projecting, then it’s an impressive bat to build on.
Zander Mueth - Mueth has been long heralded as one of the top prep arms in this class, and after a pretty rough PDP performance, it was nice to see Mueth back to form at this event. Mueth has a very athletic delivery, moves well down the hill from a lower slot with some crossfire and deception. The fastball is a true sinker, not much spin associated with the pitch, but it's a bowling ball coming in at 93-95 MPH throughout with good command. He started off utilizing the change-up more, a fading pitch in the mid-80's that was a weapon against lefties, before going to the sweepy slider in the low-80's that showed good front-door command. He did miss a few times, especially commanding the slider away to righties. It'll be interesting to see how he progresses as we move closer to the spring. Mueth is committed to Ole Miss.
Charlee Soto - One of the youngest players in this class, Soto is becoming more of a household name as the summer has progressed. Tall, lean frame with more projection in the upper body, Soto has electric arm speed and hides the ball well in his delivery, pitching from a three-quarters arm slot with a shorter arm action. Soto was up to 96 MPH with his heater, sitting 93-95 MPH with some late life in the zone. The main star of the show was his split-change, a pitch that just falls off the table and he has great confidence in throwing the pitch. It sat in the mid-80's with good separation off the fastball and tumbles away from lefties, with more depth when throwing it to righties. He'll show a short slider with high spin and some sweep, too. There's some effort in the delivery, which has hampered his command slightly, but there's a ton to like about this arm. Soto is committed to UCF.
Garrett Baumann - It's not too often you run into a 6'8" prep arm on the summer circuit, but that's what you get in Baumann. He's got an XL frame with projection remaining to it, shows some athleticism in his delivery with a longer arm stroke throwing from a three-quarters slot. He ran the fastball up to 95 MPH with some vertical life, sitting 90-93 MPH throughout his outing and got some whiffs up. He has great feel for a fading change-up that he sells well in the mid-80's that was tough on both lefties and righties alike, flashing a slider with some sweeping action in the low-80's away from righties. He repeats his delivery well for his size, too. Baumann is committed to UCF, like Soto.
Adrian Santana - The lean, switch-hitting middle infielder hailing out of south Florida showed one of the strongest run tools in the class with a double-plus 6.16 in the 60. Easy actions in the infield with an above-average arm (88 mph) that’s plenty of carry across the diamond. Gap power from both sides of the plate with fringy raw power, but will use his legs frequently to create more opportunities. The Miami commit is a true plus athlete who’s still fairly young for the class with plenty of projection remaining.
Isaiah Drake - One of the most electric athletes we saw all week long. Flashed double-plus speed running an event-best 6.15 in the 60, showing an elite second gear. Plus arm strength in the outfield, clocking 93 and then proceeded to hit lasers in BP. Really quiet setup and load at the plate with present bat speed and high level bat-to-skills. Constant havoc on the base with his legs in both stolen bases and extra base hits. Drake presents a true top of the order profile and remains one of the top uncommitted players in the country.
Levi Jones - Oregon State loves to find hitterish athletes in the dirt, and Levi Jones fits that to a tee. Smooth lefty cut that utilizes impressive hands and barrel control to use the whole field with ease. Found a bunch of green throughout the week, and equally impressive in BP. Fluid actions across the infield, with an average arm that likely will play best at second base long term.
Aidan Keenan - A California native, Keenan had one of the more electric outings throughout the week, mainly due to the fact that his fastball was nearly untouchable. It's a lanky, projectable frame with a whippy arm, throwing from a side-arm slot with a long arm stroke and some crossfire in his delivery. The fastball was 92-95 MPH throughout the outing with plenty of late life that made it a nightmare for hitters to catch up to thanks to that low slot. In total, Keenan had nine whiffs on his fastball, which also sat in the 2,400-2,600 RPM range for spin. The primary breaker was a slurvy pitch that had a ton of horizontal movement in the mid-upper 70's, though he had trouble landing it for strikes early on before getting more feel in his second inning. He did flash a high-spin firm change-up, as well. He's committed to Stanford.
Eric Bitonti - Bitonti might be one of the youngest players in the class , but presents one of the most potent bats you’ll find in 2023. Constant barrels all week long for the Oregon commit who was over 95 EV on nearly every batted ball in-game. Operates out of a wide base with a strideless setup that’s extremely short to the baseball while creating leverage. Identified breaking balls well, and only had 2 total whiffs over the course of the week. Big frame that moves well on the left side of the infield with a plus arm to match. It’s a well rounded profile that has a chance to emerge as the top 3B prospect in the class.
Will Gasparino - If you’re looking for a tool shed to dream on in the 2023 class, then look no further than Will Gasparino. Long, projectable frame at 6-6, 205 and hailing from the prestigious Harvard-Westlake academy, Gasparino is a plus runner with one of the best first steps in the class (1.49 10yd. split) that covers a ton of ground in center field and brings an above-average arm to only strengthen the long term staying power. Simple right handed swing is shorter to the ball then you’d think for his long levers and shows above-average bat speed. Found barrels all week long, and produced the highest exit velocity of the week, turning around a Zander Mueth fastball for a 104 MPH single.
Raffaele Velazquez - The Arizona State commit made his presence felt quickly with some easy raw power in BP, with two of the longest home runs of the week, nearly hitting the back wall off the stadium in right field. Above-average bat speed combined with easy loft and overall strength in the frame allow Velazquez to turn on balls with ease, generating consistent triple digit exit velocities. Finished the week with a loud home run in-game that left the bat at 98. Plus arm strength behind the plate clocking 87 MPH with athleticism to get out of the crouch and block as well.
A new year, a new board and new ranks. With Prospect Development Pipeline and the Perfect Game National Showcase in the books, we’re prepared to release our Top 100 prospect. These will shift in the coming months after Area Code Games, East Coast Pro and World Wood Bat Championships, but we’re feeling pretty good about where things currently lay.
We’ve finally reached draft week for the 2022 class, which means we will finally be able to dive deep into the 2023 class in short order. But, with the overlap between the classes, we’ve gotten a head-start, as the PDP League ran through the holiday weekend.
100 of the top prep players in the country flocked to Cary, North Carolina for a week-long four team series in front of a plethora of scouts to display their skillsets and tools as their summer circuit is in full gear. In this piece, I’ll cover twelve players who performed well throughout the week, including some lower ranked players who could see a bump in their stock as the summer continues.
You are more than likely looking at the best hit tool in this prep class in McGonigle. He’s got a smaller frame with some strength to it at 5’11”, 185 pounds and has plenty of athleticism and twitch, as well.
He attacks early in the count and often, recording multiple first pitch singles throughout the week, including three in his first game of the week. He stays short to the ball and has incredible bat speed and does not miss the barrel often. He’s also got some pop to his bat, showcasing good power in batting practice, as well. He has the makings of a potential plus hitter moving forward. In the field, he’s as smooth as they come. A fluid defender up the middle, McGonigle has good range and a solid arm and likely profiles at shortstop as he gets older. All in all, it’s an enticing package of tools that should allow the Auburn commit to hear his name called early next summer.
Kevin McGonigle (PA) has just flat out hit all week. Quick lefty bat, attacks pitches in the zone early in at-bats and uses all fields to hit. Has versatility to him, smooth defender up the middle. Committed to Auburn. pic.twitter.com/U7AUJQ71Q5
— Tyler Jennings (@TylerJennings24) July 5, 2022
I had a hard time debating about who had the best pitching performances throughout the week, but ultimately, I settled for Oregon’s Noble Meyer. Hailing from the same school as 2020 first rounder Mick Abel, Meyer displayed excellent stuff throughout the week.
Meyer has the stereotypical projectable body type, long limbs attached to a slender frame at 6’5”, 195 pounds. He throws from a near side-arm slot and has a quick right arm from a relatively effortless delivery. In his first outing, Meyer sat in the 90-94 MPH range with the fastball, showcasing good life up in the zone, pairing it with a sweepy, high-spin slider in the low-mid 80’s and a change-up with depth. However, the second outing of the week proved to be the head-turner. Meyer topped out at 98 MPH, sitting 95-97 MPH with the same life on the fastball, excellent late biting sweep on the slider in the 84-88 MPH, and the change-up was in the mid-80’s, as well. Meyer’s control and command were solid, too. All in all, the week Meyer had brought a glimpse as to what he is capable of in the future, and if there’s more outings like that, expect the Oregon recruit to rise quickly in this draft class.
Well, hello Noble Meyer.
— Tyler Jennings (@TylerJennings24) July 5, 2022
Near sidearm slot, electric arm speed. Got up to 98, sat 95-97 with serious life up. SL had late sweep/bite in the 84-88 MPH range, spin has been up to 2,750 RPM's this week. Flashed solid CH at 86 with some depth to it. Oregon commit. pic.twitter.com/XLgQPIGR2c
Sykora likely will slot in as the best right-handed prep pitcher in this class once all is said and done. At 6’6”, 220 pounds, he has quite a bit of projection remaining to his strong frame and utilizes a rock-and-fire delivery with good hip/shoulder separation. Oh, and the stuff is pretty loud, as well.
He’s touched 99 MPH in the past with his heater, though on this day, Sykora was primarily 93-96 MPH and topped out at 97 MPH with late life that is tough to pick up out of the hand. Sykora does a great job of hiding the ball throughout his delivery, with it only becoming visible as his arm stroke comes around with the shoulders. He utilizes a tight-spinning slider with bite in the mid-80’s that has good depth to it and a split-change with tumbling action and sits in the mid-80’s. He’s able to tunnel those pitches well from a three-quarters arm slot and has good feel/command of all three. There’s a lot of upside to tap into here and the Texas recruit has a bright future ahead of him.
Good morning, Travis Sykora.
— Tyler Jennings (@TylerJennings24) July 2, 2022
Big-bodied Texan has been impressive so far. 93-96 T97 on heater with late life, CH at 85-87 has great separation and is catching guys out in front. Flashing SL, as well. Four strikeouts already. pic.twitter.com/RRcVXUNQk0
“Speed….I am speed. - Lightning McQueen” - Kendall George…..probably.
George follows the same type of mold as Georgia Tech infielder Chandler Simpson. There’s not that much power to George’s game, he’s mainly a slap hitter that produces line drives to all fields and will use his speed to his advantage with bunts on a regular basis. Defenses will be rushed when he is running down the line, as he clocked numerous sub-4.00 times on his home-to-first runs throughout the week. His speed allows him to track balls in centerfield with ease, as well. He’s the kind of top-of-the-order threat that teams have nightmares about. George is committed to play at Arkansas.
Really liked OF Kendall George in BP with his loose, twitchy hands. Translated to game play this week. Barreled a few balls. And any ball in play, defense has less than 4 seconds to throw him out. Elite speed. 6-for-9 in 3 G.@PBR_Texas | @prepbaseball | @ShooterHunt pic.twitter.com/CXuI2uoXiD
— Nathan Rode (@NathanRode) July 2, 2022
Charlee Soto has really implemented himself as a standout arm in this prep pitching class, as he’s got an insane amount of upside to tap into. Being young for the class (Soto will be 17 on draft day in 2023), Soto brings about a very projectable frame, plenty of athleticism, and an electric arm to the table for scouts to enjoy.
Soto has an easy delivery, utilizing a three-quarters arm slot with a short arm stroke and hides the ball well. While there’s some violence at release, Soto has electric arm speed and does an excellent job of separating his hips/shoulders on the mound. There’s some times where he can be erratic with throwing strikes, but he’s gotten up to 98 MPH with the fastball, usually sitting in the 92-96 MPH range with serious late life and run. He primarily used a tumbling change-up that he commanded away from lefties well in the mid-80’s, as well as using a short-biting slider in the 86-88 MPH range mainly against righties. It would not shock me to see Soto go relatively early next summer in the draft. He is committed to UCF.
Got more Charlee Soto and man, that's a fun arm.
— Tyler Jennings (@TylerJennings24) July 6, 2022
Came out pumping 95-98 MPH heaters with good sinking action down in the zone, getting a couple whiffs. Main secondary was a change-up with big tumbling action in the high-80's that he commanded arm-side well. Flashed a SL @ 88. pic.twitter.com/W2vBWqkSUJ
White has been long heralded as the top prep arm in the 2023 class and it’s not hard to see why he’s had that title attached to his name. The stuff itself plays very well, even if there’s some questions marks that I have after viewing him twice at PDP.
White’s fastball got upwards of 96 MPH, sitting in the 90-94 MPH range in both outings with good life up in the zone and almost exclusively pitched off of it. He did have a tendency to miss arm-side and up in the zone, likely due to his delivery not being in-sync. His delivery is relatively easy, but it’s a long arm stroke and there’s times where he struggles to get on time. He did begin to throw his mid-70’s curveball more often as the outings progressed, a high-spin breaker with nasty sweep and bite that lefties had trouble touching. He flashed a change-up with good separation to the fastball and had hard diving action to it, which was saved primarily for righties. The package and arsenal are there for White to be a top name, now it’s just a matter of ironing out his delivery issues and improving the control and command.
First look at Thomas White (MA) and like the stuff. FB topped at 96, sat 92-95 early before 90-92 late w/ high spin. Snapped off some good CB 75-78 w/ sweep and spin near 2600 RPM's. Flashed some good CH with diving action 81-83. FB control was sporadic late. pic.twitter.com/O2VWjMmSqO
— Tyler Jennings (@TylerJennings24) July 1, 2022
While I have an extremely large urge to make a “Walker, Texas Ranger” pun here, I’ll just dive right in about how much I enjoyed Jenkins at PDP this week.
Jenkins has a strong, physical frame with plenty of athleticism and room to add muscle, as well. He’s every part of a top tier prep outfielder, as well. There’s plenty of bat speed and power in the stick, showcasing all fields power and utilizing the gaps often. He did have five strikeouts to zero walks, but he’s shown good patience and strike zone awareness in the past. The speed certainly stands out, as well. He can turn on the burners when the ball hits the gap, gliding around the bases with ease and solid home-to-first times. This helps him in center field with his range, though he likely profiles more in a corner outfield spot with a strong arm and very solid defense. The UNC commit will be a very fun profile to cover as we inch closer to his draft day.
Walker Jenkins looked a lot better today than he has the past two days. Laced a triple into the pull-side gap and showed off the speed in first AB, then nearly left the yard here with a long flyout. One of the top prep OF in 2023's class. UNC recruit. pic.twitter.com/EmAr7Rkaft
— Tyler Jennings (@TylerJennings24) July 2, 2022
Emerson was one of the best bats at the entire event, hitting a pair of triples amongst the six hits that he tallied throughout the week. The Ohio native is, like Soto, one of the youngest players in this class, as he won’t be turning 17 until just after this year’s draft.
Emerson is long and lean with projection to the frame to add weight and long levers. He’s a tough out at the plate, as he stays short to the ball with some bat speed and covers the plate well against fastballs and breaking balls. He’ll utilize gap-to-gap power and has average speed on the basepaths. In the field, he’s a smooth defender at shortstop currently, with good range and a decent arm. However, he likely profiles better at second base moving forward. He has the profile of a hit-over-power player that can play a respectable second base for a team in the future. Emerson is committed to Auburn.
2 RBI triple laced into left center for @Colt_emerson pads on the lead for Team Navy! #PDPLeague22 pic.twitter.com/X6JTwCBoIU
— MLB/USA Baseball PDP (@BaseballPDP) July 5, 2022
We are covering the Auburn recruiting class very well in this piece.
Tilly is another Tiger commit that raised his stock at the event. He only had one outing throughout the week, where he sat 88-91 MPH on the fastball and topped out at 92 MPH. He was pumping strikes early, getting some whiffs up in the zone with some decent ride to the pitch. However, the star of the show was his slider. It’s a high-70’s/low-80’s offering with two-plane break that has the potential of a legit out pitch. It has serious late bite that hitters struggled against and had high spin rates, getting upwards of 3,000 RPM’s on occasion. He flashed a splitter, but it lags behind the fastball/slider combo. The lone mistake he made throughout the outing was leaving a hanging slider to Riley Jackson, who promptly launched it over the left field fence for a home run. He’s one to keep an eye on throughout this cycle, especially if he can add some velocity.
Cameron Tilly did a great job starting for Team Red. FB sat 88-91 T92 with some ride, tunneled sharp SL with high spin and late sweeping bite in the 77-82 that he had great command of. Flashed mid-80's splitter, as well. Auburn commit from Indiana. pic.twitter.com/2TjcFjiXsN
— Tyler Jennings (@TylerJennings24) June 30, 2022
Eldridge enters the cycle as one of the best two-way prospects in the class. He’s a long, lanky specimen with plenty of projection, coming in at 6’7”, 220 pounds.
On the mound, Eldridge got up to 95 MPH, ranging from 91-94 MPH with the heater with some late life to it. His breaking ball has two different forms, a high-70’s curveball with big depth and a more lateral slider in the low-80’s with average spin rates. They can morph at times, but he’ll predominantly throw the curveball as it flashes better than the slider. He has feel for a solid change-up, as well. He’s got plenty of power potential at the dish, using all fields and even recorded an opposite field double in a pinch-hitting appearance. There’s a solid chance he goes high in this class with the stuff and the frame. He’s committed to Alabama.
Got Bryce Eldridge (VA) for the final inning. FB sat 92-94 with some late life, showed sharp breaking CB w/ depth in the high-70’s, more lateral SL in low-80's w/ average spin rates. Showed good command overall. Long, lean frame at 6'7, 220 pounds. Alabama commit. pic.twitter.com/pmYMheWt31
— Tyler Jennings (@TylerJennings24) July 1, 2022
The brother of 2021 prep pitcher Tyler Dietz, Hunter Dietz had one of the best pitching lines of the week, striking out seven and walking none across two outings.
He’s got a large, imposing frame at 6’6”, 230 pounds with great pitch-ability. The fastball sat in the low-90’s with heavy bore inside, reaching back for 95 MPH multiple times. He’d pitch backwards off a hard breaking slider in the low-80’s to set up the heater, as well as getting some ugly swings from both sides of the plate. He’d flash a firm change-up at times, but he really found success with the fastball/slider combo throughout. He pumped plenty of strikes, as well. He’s currently committed to play at South Florida and likely could be a potential sleeper in this class.
Hunter Dietz (FL) has been fun this week. Touched 95 the other day, routinely low-90's with bore inside. Sets up the batter with a high-70's slider that he's pitched backwards off of with sweep and has been nasty low in the zone. Flashed CH, as well. South Florida commit. pic.twitter.com/YwpccCtj6A
— Tyler Jennings (@TylerJennings24) July 5, 2022
It’s not too often that you find a prep hitter that has a stan account, but alas here we are.
The Nebraska native showed out at PDP, batting .500 across the event with a home run. He put together plenty of competitive at-bats, utilizing all fields at the plate with good zone coverage. There’s some projection remaining to his frame, with present strength and has solid pop to all fields, taking Zander Mueth deep to the opposite field on a hanging slider that caught too much of the plate. He also had exit velocities that got up to 103 MPH, as well. He ranged well at shortstop, showcasing a good arm and soft hands, though he likely moves to second base in the future. A Vanderbilt commit, Kozeal will definitely reap the rewards of a solid week in Cary as the summer continues.
Camden Kozeal (NE) has been raking all week. Using all fields with the hit tool, he taps into his power here, taking Zander Mueth to the opposite field for a home run. Solid defender in the dirt, as well. Kozeal is committed to Vanderbilt. pic.twitter.com/1QLR464Dts
— Tyler Jennings (@TylerJennings24) July 6, 2022
Honorable Mentions: Max Clark (IN), Eric Bitonti (CA), Jonny Farmelo (VA), Justin LeGuernic (NY), Brandon Winokur (CA), Cameron Johnson (MD), Blake Mitchell (TX), Jake Brown (LA), Andrew Wiggins (IN), Blake Dickerson (VA)
As we await the start of the spring season, USA Baseball and Major League Baseball announced the initial 25 players that will participate in this year’s Prospect Development Pipeline League. This year’s event will return to the USA Baseball Training Complex, located in Cary, North Carolina, from June 29th-July 6th.
