Continuing on our series of analyzing pre-season 2024 prep prospects throughout the Ohio Valley to keep an eye on this spring. We now jump into the left-handed pitchers (LHP) in the region this week. As outlined in the first article last week, the State of Indiana has some of the most stout arms in the country, and it resumes with the southpaws. The State of Michigan may have the most polarizing lefty in the draft class in Joey Broughton and also features some solid future college arms to keep an eye on garnering Power 5 attention. Lastly, the Buckeye State, after producing three intriguing left-handed pitchers last season out of the 2023 class (Colton Hartman - Louisville, Titus Lotz - Bowling Green, and Blaine Albright - Indiana), is shutout in this week's article as their 2024 class currently lacks the projectable velocity for the MLB Draft and many of their arms are more college projects than day one contributors at the Power 5 level.
Next week, we will dive into the infield dudes making noise heading into the spring. With that said, what LHP prospects should we pay attention to this spring that can create momentum heading into July? Let's dive into the lefties making noise leading into the varsity baseball season.
| Brayton Thomas, Bishop Dwenger HS (IN) |
| 6-foot-4 | 236 - pounds | Commit: Indiana | Draft Day Age: 19 yr. |
One of the most polished arms out of the Ohio Valley and arguably one of the top southpaws you will see from the nation's 2024 class. Thomas is an uber-physical southpaw who displays projectable front-of-the-rotation stuff on the mound and has punched out over 150 batters in less than 86 innings at Bishop Dewinger HS.
On the mound, Thomas has a tall, durable XL frame with a barrel chest and mature features for his age. When operating on the bump, Thomas works with a prototypical drop-and-drive delivery that is repeatable from a low ¾ arm slot, quick arm action, natural deception, and a high leg kick. There is some effort in the arm, but nothing too alarming. Overall, he has clean mechanics. At Prep Baseball's All-American Games, Thomas recorded up to 7 feet of extension working downhill towards the plate (for perspective, Spencer Strider and Shane McClanahan both create 7 feet of extension working towards the plate. Across the board, it's excellent that makes their stuff play up and gives hitters less time to react). Thomas displays good calm composure, presence, and tempo on the mound and has looked unfazed against all high school hitters who have stepped into the box against him so far.
Diving into the arsenal, Thomas brings a 4-pitch mix of a fastball (FB), a slider (SL), a curveball (CB), and a changeup (CH). The fastball is a true rising four-seamer with backspin, which operates in the low 90s, topping out at 93, exhibiting life through the zone, and is frequently thrown for strikes. The fastball shows solid rise and run action with some natural cut and above-average spin rates (over 2400). Also, the FB tunnels well with the off-speed (SL) that he usually locates well in the lower half or inside on both LHHs & RHHs. Next, the SL will be Thomas's bread and butter pitch that will make him some money. The SL works in the upper 70s with good tilt and adequate spin (around 2300 – 2400) that displays tight and downward action into the zone towards batters with advanced feel; It's a real-deal weapon that Thomas often uses as a put-away pitch. Scouts continue to see consistent S/M out of the SL, leading to plus pitch potential going into the draft. Thomas also works with a CH that operates in the low 80s with good fade and some feel. Lastly, Thomas has been operating with a CB as a fourth option to build more into his starter profile. CB works in the low 70s with good movement and sufficient spin (around 2200 - 2350).
Overall, there is lots to like about Thomas moving forward, with room still in the tank for further advancements on the mound. Between his advanced feel on the bump, pro ball size/athleticism, and good pitchability; there is a chance for his name to get called this summer. The real question lies in his commitment to the in-state school of Indiana and whether going to school will benefit him more in the long run. Presently, I see day two upside in Thomas, but if he goes to school, there is easy Friday night starting stuff here (sooner rather than later) with the upside of his name getting called in the first or second round in the 2027 draft. My gut is leaning toward that if we see a velocity jump this spring with him sitting in his mid-90s and topping out around 95-96, he will not be heading to Bloomington in the fall. Just like Kosterman last week, the stuff is the real deal, and only time will tell, but, at the moment, he is an entertaining arm to watch at the prep level out of the Hoosier State.
Preseason Draft Grade: Top 100 HS player; Day 2 grade with intriguing chance of going to school.
| Joey Broughton, Northville HS (MI) |
| 6-foot-2 | 200 - pounds | Commit: Pittsburgh | Draft Day Age: 18 yr 7 mo |
Probably the most compelling LHP coming out of the Ohio Valley and an arm with the most helium metrics going into the prep baseball season in the nation. Lately, he came off of Prep Baseball's Super 60 event in February and impressed scouts at the event by heating up the fastball to nearly 95 mph and setting a new bar for the rest of the class by capturing the highest average fastball spin rate ever produced in the history of the Super 60 event (2646 avg and 2746 max spin) and further positioning his name on MLB draft boards as a must-watch prep arm this spring.
On the bump, he works with a repeatable athletic delivery, a high leg kick, and a closed finish. The arm works out of a high ¾ arm slot with a quick arm action and solid tempo. Mechanically, some fine-tuning needs to be done, but everything moves clean and effortlessly on the mound. Physically, Broughton displays a great projectable frame with a durable lower half. He oozes subtle confidence on the mound with good pose and has a competitive mentality to dominate the zone and throw strikes.
Now, diving into the fun stuff of Broughton, he operates with a 3-pitch mix of a fastball (FB), a curveball (CB), and a changeup (CH) that all have outstanding metrics. The FB has seen a jump over the last calendar year as it now sits in the low 90s and tops at 95 with ludicrous spin sitting around 2550 - 2650 with it topping out north of 2700. Further, the FB shows outstanding movement, and he can develop extraordinary spin on the ball, getting 24 + inches of Horizontal Movement (HB), 6 + inches of Induced Vertical Break (IVB), 18 + inches of separation, and a spin efficiency of 89% (IVB and avg. HB were number 1 at the Super 60 event). The FB displays rising and jumping traits into the zone with arm-side running action. Broughton has an outstanding feel for the heater as it is a strike-throwing pitch in his arsenal, landing in the zone roughly ¾s of the time. The fastball alone will make player development departments around MLB salivate and pound the table for their team to draft Broughton this July, as it's a plus pitch. During their evaluation process, scouts will need to see if the bullpen session control and command from the winter translates to in-game well and grades out as the plus pitch we believe it can be.
Diving into the offspeed pitches, Broughton also brings a hammer curveball into the mix as it operates in the upper 70s with high spins touching nearly 3000 RPMs (averages around 2800). The CB displays excellent depth and bite, working with an average of 16 inches of HM that can top out over 20 inches. In addition, the CB works with a 2/7 shape out of the hand. Also, he has shown the ability to land the breaker into the zone consistently for strikes as well. Overall, the CB is a good pitch that supplements the FB, keeping hitters off-balance. Lastly, Broughton brings in a CH that works in the mid-upper 80s and works well within the other pitches of his arsenal. It shows firmness and fading downward movement, with arm-side run. Further, he has shown confidence and feel in the CH and has demonstrated the ability to add/subtract spin, which causes bedlam for hitters in the box.
All-around, Broughton will be one of the most seen arms in the Ohio Valley this spring as the plus metrics show the workhorse ability he projects to become with a chance of breaking out with a "Jackson Jobe" like senior year due to the plus data metric arsenals. He has a good feel and confidence to use any of the three pitches in his arsenal. His arm has some real front-of-the-rotation starting profile and projection with elite spin rates, superior movement, an advanced three-pitch package, and projectable size that could make Broughton into a big helium riser going into the summer. I do not see any limitations in his game where he couldn't add another pitch in the arsenal during his development time in the minors, further pushing his projection as a top-of-the-rotation arm (I would love to see him develop a cutter or splitter in the arsenal; Game Over!). His draft status highly depends on his control, command, and ability to work in longer outings this spring. If everything looks good this spring without any hiccups for him, I see it as unlikely that he will end up in college baseball next season. The upside is too enticing for a club to pass up on, and I believe the metrics will lure a team into paying the man.
Draft Grade: Top 200 selection (current ceiling of a late second-round draft pick while sitting as a third - eighth round grade).
| Caden McCoy, Bloomington North HS (IN) |
| 6-foot-2 | 226 - pounds | Commit: Texas A&M | Draft Day Age: 18 yr 5 mo |
A helium prep arm out of the Hoosier 2024 class, McCoy has become one of the top arms in the region after displaying his stuff when he hopped onto the mound at the National Program Invitational (NPI) and PBR Future Games in the summer of 2022 that led to a near-instantaneous offer from the Aggies. Since then, he has been on everyone's radar out of the Hoosier State and is another arm out of Indiana that has the chance to hear their name get called during All-Star Week.
On the mound, McCoy is a physical pitcher who displays a thicker, stronger frame with durability. When working on the bump, he displays smooth clean operations from an athletic delivery that is repeatable from a high ¾ arm slot, a high leg kick, and a closed finish. His arm is quick with minimal effort; when watching him pitch, the ball darts out of his hand quickly and into the zone. Scouts are bullish on his competitiveness and high-energy demeanor on the bump.
McCoy works with an advanced four-pitch mix of a fastball (FB), a slider (SL), a curveball (CB), and a changeup (CH). The FB is firm that works in the upper 80s and low 90s, topping out at 92, with good arm-side run and plus control. So far, the FB has been the primary pitch in his arsenal that works away on RHHs, inside on LHHs, and, on occasion, living up in the zone. Further, the FB is a data-darling pitch in his arsenal that has produced over 19 inches of IVB, and 12 inches of HB and produces ridiculous spin rates (sits north of 2500 and touches over 2620) that creates frequent S/M against the opposition. The FB on the mound hasn't shown any traits of tapping out, and scouts/coaches genuinely believe there will be another velocity bump in the tank shortly. Overall, the FB is an enticing pitch for any pitching coach to work with that displays promising metrics; however, McCoy this spring would be better off in front of MLB scouts displaying better command with the heater as he periodically will miss his spots driving up his pitch count and show that he can pitch in long outings (holding velo) as a rotation guy so he doesn't get clumped into a reliever category on draft boards due to his burly size.
Next, McCoy works with a pair of breaking balls of a CB and a SL. The CB is a sharp 1/7 - action breaking ball in the upper 70s with average spin rates (2400). The CB displays big breaking motion downward into RHHs that freezes hitters in their shoes and cause them to get rung up on occasion. Next, the SL is the pitch he often uses as the knock-out blow on batters, bringing out the ugly stick as batters record hideous swings and misses. His SL, is a tight slurvy two-plane breaking ball that works in the low 80s with spin that sits between 2200 - 2400 and has touched over 2500 in previous bullpen sessions. He has a great feel for his SL, and it works with the FB as a typical duo that tunnels well together, a legitimate one-two combo. Lastly, he operates with an upper-70s changeup that has flashed quality stuff that, with future development, can become a plus pitch. The CH exhibits fading downward movement with arm-side action and a good feel, creating over 12 inches of HM and 14 inches of IVB that flashes upside. Like the SL, the CH tunnels well with the FB, causing issues for hitters in the box.
Overall, McCoy has the strength, durability, and size to be a starter at the next level, but due to his burly size, he could be pushed into a bullpen role. I envision pro scouts seeing McCoy in a similar light to Sal Romano coming out of HS, who also had a similar size and arsenal (when coming out of HS, Romano's FB sat at the same velo as McCoy and darted up to 93-98 mph T100 in the Reds farm system). Depending on the organization, McCoy may be stretched out to be the starting arm or may look to build him to be a prospective lock-down closer. Ultimately, it goes down to if scouts want to take the chance early on McCoy and they feel they can develop him into something they can imagine. If not drafted this summer, then he will become an enticing project in College Station and a potential electric arm for the Aggies to play with.
Preseason Draft Grade: Dart-throw day three grade with outstanding upside for the college level.
| Honorable Mentions |
| Ethan Lund, Hamilton Southeastern HS (IN) |
| 6-foot-5 | 212 - pounds | Commit: Oklahoma State | Draft Age: 18 yr 10 mo |
| Leighton Harris, Frederick Douglass HS (KY) |
| 6-foot-3 | 210 - pounds | Commit: Kentucky | Draft Age: 18 yr 11 mo |
| Brendon Bennett, Novi HS (MI) |
| 6-foot-2 | 210 - pounds | Commit: Clemson | Draft Age: 18 yr 4 mo |
| Kael Gahan, Lake Orion HS (MI) |
| 6-foot-2 | 180 - pounds | Commit: Duke | Draft Age: 17 yr 9 mo |