Happy draft week! It’s time to put the ribbon on west coast draft coverage and present the top players set to be drafted from the West Coast Conference and the Mountain West Conference. The West Coast Conference boasts a handful of arms that should become solid professionals with a couple of positional players mixed in.
West Coast Conference
Blake Shepardson, RHP, San Francisco
Shepardson didn’t have a strong year, battling fits of control and inconsistency. Still, the raw tools here are undeniable. Shepardson touched 100 this year and typically sits 95-97 with his fastballs. Shepardson can either throw a flatter 4-seam with some run or a less effective 2-seam. Shepardson’s 4-seam fastball is easily plus because of its velocity and above-average run, though the pitch needs to be spotted better.
The 6-foot-5 righty backs his fastballs up with a power slider in the mid-80s, usually 84-86, with a devastating two-plane break. The slider is another easy plus pitch that gives Shepardson substantial pro upside. Expect a team to find themselves a promising relief prospect late on day 2; with development, there’s legit late-inning potential here.
Sam Stuhr, RHP, Portland
With a case as the conference’s best arm, Stuhr features a powerful arsenal capable of dominating games. Though his frame is on the smaller end, Stuhr sits 93-96--touching 98--and gets some low launch on his fastball to make it an above-average offering. Where he’s going to make his money in July is with two average or better breakers. While the slider doesn’t break a ton, it sits 86-89 and can be an overpowering pitch.
Stuhr’s curveball has the upside of being his best pitch. It’s a true north-south breaking ball with limited glove-side break that can get up to 83. The curveball unlocks the ability to better attack left-handed bats and create starter upside. Overall, the arm talent here is great, and it’s fair to assume Stuhr could eventually sit a tick higher with his fastball and the two solid-breaking balls. He may find a taker early on day 2.
Nick Brink, RHP, Portland
As the true leader of the Portland pitching staff, Brink may be a better pro than Stuhr despite less flashy stuff. The 6-foot-2 righty will be 23 later this season and won’t land as highly in the draft, but his developed 4-pitch arsenal gives him legitimate backend upside. Brink sits 91-94 with a metrically standard fastball. It looks like an average offering, but his command of the pitch allows it to be very effective.
Backing it up, Brink’s slider misses a ton of bats as a tight mid-80s offering that he pinpoints away to hitters, and his ability to command the pitch to both sides of the zone is advanced. There’s also a promising curveball here with good drop, but Brink’s changeup ties the profile together and makes him a nightmare for left-handed bats. It’s a super deceptive pitch with excellent arm action and just subtle fade to get plenty of weak contact and mistimed swings. A sum of several quality parts, Brink will surely rise through an organization as a starter.
Spencer Scott, 2B, Portland
Offering one of the best contact (92.6% z-contact rate) and plate discipline (12.2% chase rate) combos in this class, Scott, with his line-drive approach, is sure to contribute in the pros. He’s a well-below-average power guy and a below-average runner, which throws a wrench into the equation, but Scott will be an average defender either at the hot corner or second base.
Likely a day-three option, Scott is sure to run low strikeout rates and quality walk rates and provide good depth to a minor-league lineup with true utility upside.
Dalton Mashore, OF, Saint Mary’s
Mashore is a box checker with few flaws. There’s above-average raw power (106.2 mph 90th EV), swing decisions, and a feel for contact. He’s got it all on the offensive side. Throw in above-average speed, legit capability in center field, and solid twitch in his swing, and the upside is very apparent with Mashore.
Digging for flaws, his swing can get a bit like a chop without much flexibility in his wrists. While his bat path is primed for generating backspin, his barrel accuracy leaves some to be desired, and he frequently gets on top of the baseball. There are also concerns about his ability to handle velocity. All in all, potential 5-tool centerfielders don’t grow on trees, and Mashore profiles to be average or better across the board.
Josh Randall, RHP, San Diego
Likely to be the WCC’s highest-drafted player this year, Randall offers a unique look and profile that assures interest. Throwing from what’s a sidearm slot, Randall sits 92-96 with a pair of fastballs; his primary is a quality sinker with a heavy run that can gear up to 98, while he also throws a 4-seamer with one of the flattest approach angles in the class because of his slot. Both are above-average offerings and will allow Randall to be somewhat splits-proof.
Randall also has a pair of above-average secondaries. The pitch he leans on most heavily is a slider with a heavy drop that can touch 89. He throws a potentially plus power changeup to help him truly dominate left-handed hitters. It’s an upper 80s to low 90s offering with a plus run and some fade that’s difficult to pick up because of his low slot. Having 4 legitimate offerings, pitchabilty, and a low slot makes Randall truly one of a kind in this year’s class and the mix of traits could get him to the back of day 1.
Ariel Armas, C, San Diego
Armas can catch. The 6-foot backstop is agile behind the dish, serving as a premium blocker (credited with 0 passed balls in 2024) with good framing ability and very quick exchanges behind the dish--I’ve clocked low 1.7 pop times. This looks like a plus defender already.
To help his case, Armas brings a capable bat with an 89.5 zone contact rate and a rock-solid 18.4 chase rate. His swing is very compact and short, giving him some certainty as he enters the pros. Armas reads spin and velocity excellently, though he’s not a great fastball hitter. Armas also has real power with a 104.4 90th percentile EV, equating to fringe-average pop. When you least expect it, Armas can get up the line in under 4.3 seconds, giving him a legit average or better speed. It would be shocking if Armas isn’t a solid pro, and there’s legitimate backup catcher potential here or more.
Drake Frize, RHP, San Diego
Frize is uniquely effective despite his limited power and otherwise traditional delivery. Hitters managed just a .559 OPS all year against Frize and his low-power arsenal. His fastball sits 88-91, though it features elite carry to deceive hitters’ eyes. The 23-year-old backs the heater up with a mid-70s curveball and a low-80s changeup.
Frize’s curveball gets an enormous drop and is thrown with intention, making it a solid average pitch. His changeup is a prototypical tempo killer, as he throws it with deception through hard downhill and with a 10 mph difference from his fastball. Frize also reaps the benefits of above-average command and could be a unique senior-sign middle relief prospect because of his three usable pitches and command.
Owen Hackman, RHP, Loyola Marymount
Hackman carries multiple tools to entice clubs with a carrying fastball that gets 21.4 IVB from a 91-93 mph range. It’s an average or better pitch that will keep him afloat in the pros. However, Hackman’s pair of solid breaking balls propel this profile into legit prospect territory.
Hackman’s slider features above-average power, sitting 84-87, topping at 89 with good depth, while his low-80s curveball is a bat-missing north-south offering. There’s a sneaky budding changeup here that has touched 90 with quality fade that should push Hackman to the beginning of day 3.
Seamus Barrett, RHP, Loyola Marymount
Barrett threatens Randall and Stuhr as one of the best arms in this conference, though as a 23-year-old senior sign, he’ll likely slide into the beginning or middle of day 3. It’s a legit mid-90s arm, sitting 93-95 with quality run from his massive 6-foot-7 frame. That pitch will get Barrett drafted because of the unique look.
Barrett stacks a strong profile with his above-average 12-6 curveball. His frame allows him to get great leverage on the pitch, and it’s been unhittable when executed. There’s also a sub-1000 RPM splitter in the mix that misses many bats, though Barrett needs to develop a better feel for the offspeed. A few uncommon characteristics are packed into one prospect here, and Barrett will be one of the more sought-after senior signs.
Other WCC names to keep an eye on:
Preston Howey, RHP, Saint Mary’s
Howey is a reliever at the next level with an average fastball that sits 92-95, touching 97 from a lower slot. He also throws an average slider with depth in the mid-80s. Howey throws strikes and will be one of the first pure relievers off the board.
Brian Duroff, OF, Saint Mary’s
Duroff is a solid, though unspectacular, all-around outfielder. He’s fringe-average or a touch better in most key areas, though he’s a below-average runner and may eventually have to move from the grass.
Austin Smith, OF, San Diego
A well-below-average power player with defensive limitations seems like an odd pro fit, but Smith approaches everything with a solid approach and maximizes his limited power.
Jordan Hamberg, OF, Gonzaga
Currently, a two-way player, Hamburg will only hit at the next level with plus swing decisions and fringe-average power. There’s a potential 1B/DH snag, but he’s a worthy day three prospect.
Sam Biller, OF, Loyola Marymount
Another solid floor, though very low ceiling outfielder, Biller is an above-average defender with above-average speed and enough impact in his bat to get by in the pros, though the hit tool needs refinement.
Blake Hammond, RHP, Santa Clara
Hammond is a rounded pitcher with pitchability as his guiding tool. He mixes three pitches well and can grab 93 with his fastball. It’s his manipulatable breaking ball--sometimes a mid-80s pitch with less drop but more often a low-80s traditional curveball--that makes him a viable pro prospect. Both variations miss bats and barrels.
Mountain West Conference
Dayne Pengelly, RHP, New Mexico
A Pima Community College product, the Albuquerque native returned to his hometown, UNM, for what will be his final collegiate season. The 6-foot-3 throws from a funky low slot and quality pitch characteristics. Pengelly mixes two different fastballs that generate a ton of ground balls by working hard to the armside, especially his 4-seam fastball, relative to what’s typical.
Neither the four-seam or two-seam are particularly effective pitches now because of inconsistent location, but both can get up to 97 and usually sit 92-95. Pengelly throws an average slider with quality depth to back the heaters up. Pengelly has flashed a changeup that could be a tunneling weapon with his fastballs but will require more feel—Pengelly profiles as a day three relief target.
Tommy Hopfe, 1B/OF Fresno State
A switch-hitter with a plus feel for contact from both sides and solid average power, Hopfe is an intriguing day-two option. Hopfe has a muscular build that lends itself to enough raw power to threaten for 15+ homers in the pros and possibly more if he can add more loft to his swing. His zone contact rate of 94.2% will jump out in models, though a chase rate of 28.8%--with extra proclivity to chase secondaries--bring Hopfe’s profile down a notch.
Additionally, Hopfe likely plays first base in the pros, though teams may be willing to try the fringe-average athlete in a corner, where his low-90s arm on the mound may offer additional value.
Brendan O’Sullivan, SS, UNLV
O’Sullivan’s calling card is his defensive prowess at shortstop. His actions are quick and smooth, with extremely polished footwork and above-average range. The glove will carry O’Sullivan through the pros, though he’s no slouch offensively.
O’Sullivan’s 104.1 mph 90th percentile exit velocity indicates he’s a genuine threat to leave the yard, especially considering his quality bat control and lofty right-handed swing with a high handset. O’Sullivan also has a sound offensive approach with average swing decisions and sees spin extremely well. However, O’Sullivan has some issues catching up to velocity. As a slick-fielding shortstop with a capable bat, the UNLV product will attract attention from late day 2 and early day 3.
Michael Ball, 2B/SS, Nevada
See ball, hit ball is the name of the Nevada infielder’s game. Ball ran a stellar 93.5% zone contact rate this year, and his short bat path indicates that he will continue in the pros. Ball is one of the more aggressive hitters in the class and will not walk much in the pros--he runs extremely high swing rates against secondary offerings. There is legit fringe-average pop here and lift that could manifest in 10-15 homers a year.
Ball also handles both middle infield positions, though his fringe average speed is noticeable at shortstop, where his abilities are somewhat limited. Teams looking for a hitter with a feel for contact and some power will make Ball a day 3 target.
JR Freethy, OF, Nevada
The switch-hitting Freethy is the most complete pure hitter in the conference with plus feel for contact and plus swing decisions. Freethy’s swing is compact and a bit whippy with solid bat speed. He has a slighter 6-foot frame that doesn’t lend much power though Freethy’s 103.1 mph 90th percentile exit velocity is still respectable.
There is average speed here, and Freethy has played center field, although he’s best suited for a corner spot.
Other MW names to keep an eye on:
Jake Holland, C, New Mexico
As a 5th year player, Holland is exclusively a money saver, a very late day three pick, or a priority UDFA. There’s a real backup catcher upside here with average pop, a swing built for pull-side lift, and solid hands behind the plate.
Austin Kryszczuk, 1B, UNLV
Kryszczuk’s performance history makes him a legit pro prospect. He’s not above average in any way, with average swing decisions, a feel for contact, and fringe-average raw power, but Kryszczuk hits fastballs with the best of them.
Jadon Bercovich, RHP, San Diego State
The SDSU right-hander's results this year (8.24 ERA) were truly unsightly, but his 2800 rpm two-plane slider is a weapon that misses bats. With some tweaks to his fastball usage, he will play in a bullpen.
This wraps the three-part coverage of draft prospects out west. Keep a close eye on the West Coast Conference’s top prospects as solid-upside big leaguers with some intriguing names to emerge from the WCC’s depth along with the Mountain West.
