As of writing this piece, tryouts for the 2024 high school baseball season have begun, and players are starting to get ramped up for the upcoming Prep Baseball Season in the Ohio Valley. For our readers in the Ohio Valley and Midwest who are battling through the up-and-down weather and weekly snow squalls, I have decided each week until the varsity season begins to provide a pre-season deep dive of some 2024 prep prospects throughout the Ohio Valley to keep an eye on that are either guys I can envision getting their name called this July or potential impact college players in the near future. At the end of the prep season, I will re-evaluate and include dudes who have jumped this spring.
For the avid readers of my upcoming content, nearly all of my content will be focused on either the prep or collegiate baseball within the Ohio Valley (the Ohio Valley in my content will pertain to the states of OH, MI, IN, KY, and sometimes WV) with some content focused on the higher level dudes outside of this region projected to go really high. Additionally, when we get into the summer months, I'll transition into breaking down some outstanding impact guys within the MLB Draft League, Prospects League, and Great Lakes League.
After straying from the subject matter, we are starting this week with the RHP prep baseball players to watch for this spring. When diving into the pitching prospects of the Ohio Valley, the state of Indiana is loaded (no, seriously, Indiana may lead the scorecard in July for most high schoolers getting their name called in the Ohio Valley region). High school pitching in this region has seen a meteoric rise this winter and will start to get more attention when the playing season begins. Let's get down to business!
| Brayden Krenzel, Dublin Jerome HS (OH) |
#54 - Prospect Live 2024 MLB DRAFT: TOP 100 PREP PROSPECTS 01/11/24
| 6-foot-3 | 195 - pounds | Commit: Tennessee | Draft Day Age: 18 yr. 6 mo. |
Probably the most well-known and premier arm out of the Ohio Valley. A coined term that has been used a lot around Krenzel in the previous calendar year has been the word “intriguing” by many scouts. On the mound presents a smooth operation, a super clean arm, and displays natural deception within his delivery. A low-three-quarter arm slot that shows a lower release and exhibits a more extended whippy arm action. Further, he pitches with a “Hunter Greene-like” calming composure and confidence when on the mound.
On the bump, he brings a 3-pitch mix of a fastball (FB), a slider (SL), and a changeup (CH). The FB usually sits low-90s, touching 94 MPH, showing arm-side run and occasional heavy sink. Regarding future projections, he still has enough in the tank to fill out and add to the FB velo with the expectation that it can sit in the mid-90s due to his projectable and physical frame/size. Subsequently, his slider is arguably one of the best in this prep class overall and is a typical go-to pitch that wipes out hitters in the box and locates very well down in the zone (a regular nightmare for RHHs). SL usually operates in the low-80s and has a sweeping shape that tunnels out of the hand very well with his CH. Works well on either side of the dish, and in recent outings and showcase appearances, the SL has made a recent jump in metrics. Lastly, the CH sits in the low-80s and is a little more fringy than you look for with higher projected pitching prospects and probably will be average at best moving forward, but with how it tunnels with the SL and how Krenzel mixes his arsenal, it will play.
Overall, Krenzel has a good feel for all of his pitches, isn’t afraid to pitch any of them, and frequently throws strikes. In previous live looks, he has been a usual tough at-bat that creates S/M for even the best hitters in Ohio and within the summer circuit to face. If the velo takes a jump this spring and holds well, we can see an arm in the Buckeye State that could get his name called early during All-Star Week.
Preseason Draft Grade: Top 100 selection (third - sixth round)
| Cameron Sullivan, Mount Vernon HS (IN) |
| 6-foot-2 | 200 - pounds | Commit: Notre Dame | Draft Day Age: 18 yr. 3 mo. |
Probably the most electrifying arm in the Ohio Valley and an arm with the most helium going into the prep baseball season in the region. Recently, came off of Prep Baseball’s Super 60 event and impressed scouts in a showcase setting by dialing up the FB nearly to 97 mph and over 2600 RPMs of spin. Putting his name on draft boards and making it tough to find a seat at Mount Vernon games this spring.
Sullivan, on the mound, operates with a 3-pitch mix of a fastball (FB), a slider (SL), and a changeup (CH). The FB is a plus pitch that sits mid-90s that carries with life through the zone, and is frequently thrown for strikes. The off-speed/breaking-ball pitches are what I feel are going to separate him from the rest of this prep baseball class in the nation. The SL is an upper-80s breaking ball that touches 90 MPH that has sharp tilt and looks firm with high spin rates (upper 2800). Further, in the box, the slider displays a late lateral break that is disgusting to even go against, creating S/M. From a metrics standpoint, the pitch is enticing, but if he can show better command and hit his spots this spring against live ABs with the SL, he could jump further in the draft. Lastly, he delivers a low-90s CH that is firm and has shown occasional sink, which from a metric standpoint is a really good pitch (over 15 inches of separate and HM hitting over 20 inches) but does seem fringy at times in-game.
Overall, Cameron has a good feel for his pitches and pitches with a mission on the mound. Operates with a good tempo and a repeatable delivery. Further, he performs with a high leg kick, a high three-quarters arm slot, a short, quick arm action, and pitches with deception. The ball jumps out of his hand well. An obvious athlete on the mound and is a superb pitching talent. I easily envision him being a top 100 draft prospect and top 30 prep arm for this draft class in our next rankings update, and it is not an unrealistic projection that he jumps Krenzel by the end of the spring as the best RHP in the Ohio Valley. His draft status highly depends on his control and command this spring.
Preseason Draft Grade: Top 100 selection (current ceiling of Compensation A round draft pick while sitting as a second - fifth round grade).
| Jack Brown, Fishers HS (IN) |
| 6-foot-1 | 205 - pounds | Commit: Louisville | Draft Day Age: 18 yr. 9 mo. |
A dude who has been a prominent arm out of Indiana for a little while. Brown is a productive and efficient arm out of Noblesville, IN, who has accumulated over 190 Ks to 57 BB and under a 2.00 ERA during his Fishers HS career so far. An arm that reminds me of a current Louisville Cardinal, Colton Hartman, who is a premier talent on the bump and accumulates many praises for being a workhorse, but their athleticism isn’t limited to just the mound as there is two-way potential in them, as both in their HS career have displayed the ability to do damage in the box (for the sake of this article we are going to focus on the arm).
When on the bump, Brown operates with a smooth delivery with some up-tempo, a high leg kick, and when pitching does show some effort at release. Additionally, relies heavily on creating energy from the lower half that works until heel strike. The arm works out of a three-quarters slot that has quick action. Uber-athlete on the mound with physical and projectable traits. Overall, I would like to see the mechanics cleaned up to become more efficient and repeatable.
Brown, on the mound, operates with a 4-pitch mix of a fastball (4-SM and a 2-SM Sinker), a slider (SL), and a changeup (CH). Both FBs work in the low-90s, topping out around 95 MPH with arm-side run. Both FBs have been the primary pitches in his arsenal early on in counts he relies on the most, pitching low in the zone and inducing a high rate of groundballs. Next, he has a tight slider that displays some late slurvy action. The SL has become a solid and reliable put-away pitch for Brown, generating whiffs on both righties and lefties that step into the box. His SL is interesting as it bounces from different actions (sometimes 11/5 and other times 10/4) with improving metrics (roughly up to 2500 spin). In recent winter bullpen sessions, he has bumped the velocity up into the mid-80s T87. It's an offering within his arsenal that scouts will want to see this spring, as he's added roughly 6-8 MPH over the offseason. Lastly, Brown has a contentious CH from outing to outing, creating S/M. The CH operates in the mid-80s and works well with the FB. It shows some fade and downward movement, with an arm-side run. Brown has shown confidence in the CH and has demonstrated the ability to add/subtract velo with it, which can create issues for hitters. Across the board, Brown has a good feel for his arsenal, throws strikes, and has shown solid pitch ability against RHHs and LHHs. Additionally, he has the stuff and dedication to be developed into a high-level starting pitcher. Like Hartman last year, we can envision him being drafted, but he is probably a hard sign to get him out of his Cards commitment.
Preseason Draft Grade: Day 2 grade but probably going to school.
| Jake Hanley, William Mason HS (OH) |
| 6-foot-6 | 230 - pounds | Commit: Indiana | Draft Day Age: 18 yr. 11 mo. |
The most polarizing, intriguing, and tooled-up athlete in the Midwest of this class goes to the Cincinnati native. Once seen as only a projectable 1B prospect who has been more physical and stronger than most in his class for some time, is now unknown whether he will be a hitter, a pitcher, or both in the future. Being known for blasting baseballs into orbit and grabbing eye-popping metrics in showcase settings in the box, Hanley has made some serious strides as an RHP since the beginning of his junior year. Earlier this winter, just like Sullivan, Hanley came off of Prep Baseball's Super 60 event and impressed scouts in a showcase setting by dialing up the FB to nearly 95 MPH, appearing effortless and having room to further develop into an RHP. I will talk about his offensive abilities another day, but his pitching potential has skyrocketed within the last 16-18 months and lands him as one of the arms to see for the spring.
On the bump, Hanley operates with a three-pitch mix of a fastball (FB), a slider (SL), and a changeup (CH). The FB works with life in the low to mid-90s and carries into the zone. Hanely has displayed the ability to work inside on hitters and through any quadrant he pleases for strikes. The FB has shown plus signs of high spin but needs to be more consistent. Overall, scouts would like to see more movement, rise, or hop with his FB as, at times, it gets a little flat or dead zone, a troubling issue for pitching at the next level. Next, he works with an upper-70s and low-80s SL with average spin and some late 11/5 tilt towards the plate, creating S/M. Lastly, he has an average CH, which works in the low to mid-80s.
Hanley operates with a smooth, effortless delivery and excellent athleticism. Exhibits a short loose arm action out of a three-quarter slot with some deception. Hanley towards the plate doesn't get much extension and works heavily on the upper body with "Brody Brecht-like mechanics." All the pieces are there for a program or team to work with him as a premium pitching project. As an underclassman, he has been given opportunities to pitch. Yet, many were short outings, leaving a potential stigma of him being an RP at the next level (total of 44 innings pitched in HS varsity). Cincinnati's Alpha Baseball has done another great job developing a premium athlete and a potential star pitcher for the next level. Ultimately, it goes down to Hanley being able to impress scouts this spring with his advances on the bump against quality ABs and for longer outings. If his name isn't called in July, the Hoosiers may get another steal from Cincinnati as they did with Devin Taylor.
Preseason Draft Grade: Top 100 HS player; Day 2 grade but probably going to school.
| Kellan Klosterman, Archbishop Moeller HS (OH) |
| 6-foot-1 | 175 - pounds | Commit: Notre Dame | Draft Day Age: 18 yr. 10 mo. |
A helium prep arm from the summer of 2022 for the Ohio 2024 class, Klosterman has become one of the top arms in the region after displaying his stuff at Prep Baseball’s Top Prospect Games in Ohio, dominating in PG's WWBA and, being a member of the highly touted Moeller Crusaders rotation that won a state title in 2023, who's looking to repeat. Kellan is an arm that may not get the serious MLB looks like the other four above will, but is an arm that, if he ends up in ND, will be a workhorse for their pitching staff with possible weekend upside and could further develop into being a dude getting their name called in 2027. If I'm an ND baseball fan, I'm ecstatic over this signing.
Klosterman works with an advanced four-pitch mix of a fastball (FB), a slider (SL), a curveball (CB), and a changeup (CH). The FB works in the upper-80s and low-90s, displaying heavy sink and lower spin (1800). FB comes out of the hand with ease, and velocity is very effortless with more in the tank for future higher velocity. Kellan works the FB as a typical duo with his SL that tunnels well together. The SL is an upper-70s breaking ball (11/5 shape) with wipe-out abilities that have shown traits of being heavy with tight spin and tilt (roughly 2400 - 2500 spin), a true put-away pitch against hitters; with further development, this pitch can become a plus offering. Next, he brings an upper-70s CB, a pitch he doesn't display much, but it creates over 11 inches of HB and spins it very well (roughly 2300 - 2400 spin). Lastly, he delivers a CH that sits in the mid-80s with intriguing traits. CH has fading/depth action, creating over 17 inches of HM and bringing powerful features to the plate. Overall, he is consistent when on the mound. He has a good feel for most of his pitches, lands strikes, and has solid control.
On the mound, he works with an easy repeatable operation of a smooth & controlled delivery at a good tempo, with no effort in a calm/cool presence. Operates with a high leg kick, a snapping explosive quick arm, and a large extension towards the plate—pitches out of a ¾ arm slot that is loose with longer action. Everything mechanically on Klosterman is polished, fluid, and efficient and is probably one of the best in this category behind Krenzel. Physically, I like what ND is working with here, as there's room for him to grow out and add muscle with further stuff in the arsenal. Overall, the stuff is the real deal for Kellan to be an impactful starter at the college level that potentially will garner him looks for the professional level; only time will tell for Klosterman, but, at the moment, he is a fun arm to watch at the prep level.
Preseason Draft Grade: N/A - future college arm
| Honorable Mentions |
| Brendin Oliver, Mooresville HS (IN) |
| 6-foot-4 | 195 - pounds | Commit: Cincinnati | Draft Age: 18 yr. 10 mo. |
| Bryce Brannon, William Mason HS (OH) |
| 6-foot-3 | 205 - pounds | Commit: Duke | Draft Age: 18 yr. 8 mo. |
| Carson Rhodes, Salem HS (OH) |
| 6-foot-2 | 190 - pounds | Commit: Virginia Tech | Draft Age: 18 yr. 2 mo. |
| Carson Van Haaren, Tates Creek HS (KY) |
| 6-foot-1 | 200 - pounds | Commit: Eastern Kentucky | Draft Age: 18 yr. 10 mo. |
| Griffin Tobias, Lake Central HS (IN) |
| 5-foot-11 | 190 - pounds | Commit: Indiana | Draft Age: approximately 19 yr. 0 mo. |
| Maximus McCellan , St. Edwards HS (OH) |
| 6-foot-7 | 215 - pounds | Commit: South Carolina | Draft Age: 18 yr. 3 mo. |
| Nash Wagner, Zionsville HS (IN) |
| 6-foot-5 | 215 - pounds | Commit: Alabama | Draft Age: 18 yr. 9 mo. |
| Nick Heitman, Mount Vernon (IN) |
| 6-foot-3 | 190 - pounds | Commit: Iowa | Draft Age: 18 yr. 10 mo. |
| Noah LaFine, Archbishop Hoban HS (OH) |
| 5-foot-11 | 175 - pounds | Commit: Vanderbilt | Draft Age: 18 yr. 11 mo. |
| Zakery Spurrier, Central Hardin (KY) |
| 6-foot-2 | 230 - pounds | Commit: Kentucky | Draft Age: 18 yr. 4 mo. |
