The Top 20 Washington Nationals prospects headlined by Dylan Crews
The Top 20 New York Mets prospects headlined by Brandon Sproat
Chase Burns was obviously the best arms I saw during live looks this year. We are basically at the point where we are running out of words to describe how good Burns is. He’s at least the top two, if not the top, arm in the 2024 MLB Draft. It’s been a fun battle between him and Arkansas lefty Hagen Smith.
Most older college players sign for pennies on the dollar in the draft. It’s a bummer it has to be this way, as many of these players arguably need more money, given they’ll get less opportunity in professional ball, but it’s just the reality of the situation. Regardless, finding players who can be productive big leaguers out of this senior sign bunch is one of the best ways to find ROI in baseball. Even getting 1-2 WAR out of these players is a huge win for an MLB org. On top of that, it allows teams to take huge shots on tough-to-sign players, typically toolsy high schoolers, who otherwise wouldn’t sign. Below I list five seniors (in no particular order) who aren’t getting as much buzz as I think they deserve and have a chance to go on day two of the draft.
Admittedly, Cranton is probably my favorite prospect on this list. He’s is one of the most MLB-ready college relief prospects I can remember. It’s been a meteoric rise for Cranton, whose fastball velocity jumped 4.2 MPH between 2023 and 2024, and has been up to 99.9 this season. Some of that can be credited to moving into a full-time relief role, but it looks like other offseason changes were made, particularly getting into his lower half more, and creating a quicker, more consistent arm path. On top of the velocity added, Cranton has improved his fastball shape. He’s added an inch of induced vertical break to his fastball, taking it from just outside of deadzone at 16 IVB, to now at 17.5 inches of IVB. While this number may not blow you away on its own when you take into effect that other fastballs from similar release height average around 15 inches of IVB, you get one of the most outlier fastballs in the country. On top of this, while he’s throwing about the same number of strikes with it, he’s locating it across the top of the zone much better in 2024.
On top of these fastball improvements, Cranton has significantly altered his slider, adding 6 MPH of velocity to it, and allowing it to pair much better with his rising fastball. It now has a much tighter shape, sitting around 87 MPH with about five inches of sweep. This pitch will play much better off his fastball than the slurvy 82 MPH slider he threw in 2023.
Cranton already has the looks of a big-league reliever. Thanks to these changes, his fastball and slider garnered a 37% and 44% whiff rate in 2024, respectively. Cranton right now looks like a good middle reliever in the big leagues, but potentially adding a third pitch, such as a splitter, could take him into higher leverage situations.
Woodcox has had an up-and-down college career but finished his career strong in 2024 with a .321/.403/.642 slash line at Texas Tech. While Woodcox doesn’t have much defensive value, his bat took a huge step forward in 2024. It has the looks of plus raw power from the right side from Woodcox. His exit data is beautiful, not only does he have an average exit velo of 95 mph and a hard hit rate of 66%, but he consistently gets to his max exit velocities, with a 90th percentile EV of 108, just 3 MPH off from his max of 112. He keeps the ball off the ground and uses the whole field. However, most of his home runs have come to the pull side, so there may be some low-hanging fruit to tap into more pull-side power.
While Woodcox doesn’t make a crazy amount of contact (78%, 88% in zone, both hovering around average), but has a very selective approach. Just swinging 38% of the time, and chasing around 20%, these isn’t the type of swing decisions you’d expect to see from a power hitter like Woodcox. Additionally, he saw only 58% strikes this year, which ranked in the bottom 20% of hitters in D1 in 2024. It would be interesting to see what Woodcox can do if he sees more strikes and isn’t getting pitched around.
Woodcox is a below-average runner with solid instincts and a below-average arm in the outfield. He’s a solid athlete and will be fine out there, but most of his value comes at the plate. I like Woodcox in a soft-side platoon role.
We go from a power-driven profile to one that lacks any real power but does everything else on the field well. Hadeen missed all of his draft-eligible 2023 season with a shoulder injury but has made up for this in his senior season in a big way. The switch hitter hit .362/.529/.420 in 2024 while walking more than he struck out. Hadeen is an on-base king, only chasing 8% of the time in 2024! This is the sixth lowest in all of D1. On top of his strike zone discipline, he runs an 89% contact rate, while posting above-average line drive rates. It’s a spray, all-fields approach, something you don’t typically see from a hitter with this type of strike zone discipline. While there isn’t much thump here (101 max EV, 98 MPH 90th), Hadeen’s selectivity and barrel control should allow for some doubles and high on-base percentages.
Hadeen has also shown slick fielding ability in the field. It’s plus hands, footwork, and actions, and is incredibly smooth around the bag. While it’s likely only fringe arm strength, Hadeen can throw from different platforms and angles incredibly well. Take for example this slowly hit ball to his right, which he gets out of his glove incredibly quick, and throws off his right foot to nab a speedy runner. It’s not uncommon to see players add strength, let alone arm strength in professional baseball, so there’s likely the makings of an average arm strength that plays above average. This is a player who can play all three infield positions.
I wrote about Gordon when I caught the Ducks at Globe Life Field the first weekend of the season. He was filling up the zone with a 92-93 cut ride fastball, landing a big 12-6 breaker, and turning over an average changeup. I felt like his pitch mix was missing an out pitch vs right-handers, and that a sweeper would fit his arm slot and supination-heavy profile, as he was only throwing a low to mid 80’s cuttery slider. Well, it looks like before his March 15th start vs Cal, Gordon added a sweeper full-time and is throwing his cutter harder. Averaging 13 inches of sweep at 83 MPH, this sweeper has the makings of a true out pitch vs right handed hitters.
However, there have been some struggles for Gordon learning this pitch, as it only has a 20% miss rate, but I would argue this is likely Gordon is still gaining feel for a pitch that’s tough to command, let alone learn in-season. This pitch will flash double plus, as the video below is one with positive IVB, almost 20 inches of sweep, and throw 84 MPH, but Gordon is still gaining feel for it. While the pitch shape averages are good, it’s been a bit more inconsistent than you’d like. It’s a pitch he leaves over the heart of the plate a bit too often, and while it may get some called strikes, in predictable counts hitters can sit on it and do damage as long as they see it out of the hand. I like Gordon’s pitch mix a lot. While the results haven’t fully been there, tinkering in season can be tough, especially for a guy who missed all of 2023 with an injury. On top of this, given the run-scoring environment in college baseball in 2024, Gordon has a solid set of skills that I believe should translate better than his baseball card numbers may indicate. I still think there’s a #5 starter upside here, especially if the right team gets ahold of him.
Leary is another patient power-hitting outfielder, this time from the ACC. With a 110 90th percentile EV and 114 max, Leary hits the snot out of the ball. Leary likes to pull the ball in the air, with a pull rate that’s 5% higher than the D1 average. With a free swinger, this isn’t a profile that would generally work for a long time, but I think with Leary’s level of patience, this should be able to transfer well to pro ball. His 16% chase rate is in the 88th percentile of college hitters, and he’s another guy who saw an incredibly low rate of strikes at 53%. He’s incredibly patient with a 37% swing rate overall, but his 68% in-zone swing rate is right at the D1 average, telling me he walks the line between selective and passive. While there are certainly swing-and-miss concerns, and Leary won’t be a player who hits for a high average, he should be able to walk and be selective enough to keep his profile afloat.
Defensively, Leary has some interesting attributes. As a 40-runner, he certainly has a home in the outfield. It’s a below-average arm, so he probably fits best in LF, but he did play 161 innings in center in 2024. While it’s not blazing speed out there, Leary gets good jobs and takes nice routes to balls. I’m not saying he’s an everyday centerfielder or even a defensive replacement out there, but the fact he’s able to hold it down at this level makes me like his chances to be an everyday left-fielder at the next level.
Leary struggles a bit vs left-handers, hitting the ball a bit softer and on the ground more, often still trying to stay with his pull-side approach it appears. That being said, he makes the same amount of contact here and only chases a touch more vs southpaws, so maybe an approach change could be in play here. Regardless, I like Leary’s potential as a strong-side platoon option.
College baseball out west might not have the sensational appeal that it does eastbound in the SEC & ACC but it’s still a massive hotbed for talent. We all know about Travis Bazzana, Malcolm Moore, and Rodney Green, among others, but there are dozens of other prospects out west with less acclaim to their name.
While most of the more enticing prospects are playing out the final season in the Pac-12, the West Coast Conference (WCC), Big West Conference, Mountain West Conference (MW), and Western Athletic Conference (WAC) will send along their share of signees into pro ball. In order to prioritize depth and breadth, this overview will be split into three parts with the Pac-12 and WAC to follow below, the Big West to follow on it’s own, and the WCC and MW coverage to bring up the rear.
With conference play coming to a close, draft stocks are becoming more solid, though plenty of change will happen between now and mid-July.
The first of a handful of Beavers that stand out, May checks key boxes with above-average velocity, feel for spin, and sharp command. The 6-foot-2 right-hander has sat 93-95, topping at 98 this year--with two distinct fastballs--a fringe-average four-seam with some run and a somewhat flat approach because of his low 3/4 release height and a steep sinker that profiles to be an above average pitch as it avoids barrels and induces weak contact.
May backs the fastballs up with a 2800+ RPM tailing slider featuring premium late break. It’s easily a plus pitch that sits 83-86, capable of missing plenty of pro bats. There isn’t another pitch May uses often, though he’s flashed an upper-80s split-changeup with healthy fade that has the makings of a plus pitch because of his ability to kill spin and get the pitch downhill.
Continued development of May’s changeup could help keep left-handers off of his fastball and allow May to start as a pro. Improved strike throwing this year mitigates the reliever risk and the Albuquerque native will get a chance to start as a mid-90s arm with a plus slider and promising changeup.
From the same Albuquerque high school as May, Kmatz brings a resume as a three-year member of the Oregon State rotation. Unlike May, Kmatz doesn’t bring big velocity but he does throw a multitude of pitches that make him a tough scout for hitters. Standing 6-foot-3 and likely physically maxed, Kmatz will reach up to grab 94 but he will sit 90-92 with plus carry and some run on his fastball from a high 3/4 slot.
It should be an average or better pitch, even with the low-end velocity but Kmatz can keep hitters off of it by throwing a cutter, slider, curveball, and changeup. Kmatz focuses on the curveball, sitting in the mid-70s with hammer 12:30-6:30 shape. Surprisingly, it doesn’t miss many bats but when executed, it’s a contact killer. The slider doesn’t stand out though Kmatz has feel for it and changes speeds and shapes with the cutter to create effectiveness. Finally, the changeup has the potential to be Kmatz’s best secondary. He kills spin and creates a very steep plane with his high slot.
Kmatz lives in the zone which can get him into trouble at times with less-than-premium stuff but he won’t issue many free passes and avoids barrels when he’s at his best. There’s absolutely backend starter potential here because of the pitchability and arsenal diversity.
Transferred in from Feather River College in northern California, Holmes has some gaudy characteristics that will get him selected early in this year’s draft. The lanky 6-foot-4 righty is a true sidearmer that sits 90-93 with a very lively sinker. The sidearm slot allows him to buy into the pitch’s run and bury it to the armside or get underneath the baseball and throw the heater up in the zone with run. There’s a chance for a plus offering here, especially if he can more routinely sit 92-94.
What has cemented Holmes as a mid-round prospect is a 3,000 RPM slider that hitters don’t pick up on because of the arm slot. It works hard horizontally and in and under the hands of lefties, allowing Holmes to dominate left-handers. While he’s a reliever going forward, Holmes will be a priority for teams looking for a varied look, premium feel for spin, and some projectability & moldability.
In some ways, Smith is the straw that stirs the drink for a dangerous Oregon State team. He’s a three-year starter behind the dish for the Beavers with above-average defensive ability and a bat that’s finally taking the requisite steps to make him a rounded pro prospect. Smith has good hands that can exchange the ball fast and his arm is above average, allowing him to be one of the best catch and throw backstops in college baseball. Smith is also an above-average framer and athlete behind the plate, with few pitches getting past him.
At the plate, Smith has seen an uptick in raw power and he now profiles to have average or better raw power with a chance to see a dozen or so home runs a season in the pros. Smith has also noticeably improved his swing decisions and is getting on base far more often as a result. There’s still some excessive swing and miss in Smith’s game and he’ll likely never be an average overall hitter because of it, though the improved approach makes the bat playable. Look for Smith to go sometime late on day 2 or early on day 3 to satisfy the teams’ yearly need for catching depth.
Part of an Oregon State transfer class that’s moving the needle in Corvallis, Hainline has picked up where he left off at Washington State. Primarily the Beavers shortstop this year, Hainline has flashed excellent and vastly improved zone awareness and now projects to walk at an average or better rate. The traits that Hainline carried into this year still prevail. Hainline has ultra-fast hands that clear the zone quickly and generate quality bat speed. With his slight frame, Hainline may be able to add a tick more power but he currently projects for average power output.
Given a chance to play shortstop more often than at Washington State, Hainline has proven himself to be an above-average defender at shortstop with quick feet and an intense motor. There’s impressive two-way ability here and Hainline may be in line for an early day 2 pick, though the bat-to-ball skills remain fringe-average.
One of the top pure relievers set to be selected in July’s draft, the 6-foot-6 Moore has stuff that dreams are made of. Moore sits 96-100 on his fastball, coming from a low slot with some carry to create a very flat approach angle. It’s one of the best fastballs in the entire class and could be a double-plus offering. Moore throws three other pitches, a slider, curveball, and changeup with the changeup profiling best for the next level.
Moore gets his changeup steep downhill by leveraging his big frame and the ball has plenty of spin-induced fade. It’s another plus pitch in Moore’s arsenal and gives him closer upside. Neither of Moore’s breaking balls are especially polished at this stage, but he can spin the ball with the best of them and if one of the breakers can take the next step, Moore could be confidently tried as a starter in the pros. Moore had issues with his control at times at the NAIA level but has thrown plenty of strikes this year and could fast track as a reliever.
A second notable catcher in the Pac-12, Thompson has a promising hit tool with an excellent feel for contact and above-average swing decisions. The Ducks’ backstop fares well against all pitch types, giving him a very rounded hitting profile and the potential to get on base at an above-average rate in the pros. Thompson has below-average power but his swing frequently creates loft, giving Thompson a chance to hit 5-7 homers a year as a pro.
In terms of framing and blocking, Thompson has work to do and his fringe arm paints a lackluster defensive profile. On the basepaths, Thompson is fringe-average as well. While Thompson has one pro-ready tool, it’s arguably the most important one and Thompson will get a chance to develop as a backup catcher.
Boettcher is a legit two-sport athlete, recording 37 tackles as an inside linebacker for the Ducks football team in 2023. The football instincts translate to Boettcher’s ability to roam centerfield. Boettcher is an average runner at best but there is a tangible knack for reading fly balls and taking efficient routes to them, giving him a legit shot to stick up the middle in the pros.
With the stick, Boettcher has excellent hands. It’s not the most aesthetic swing but Boettcher keeps his hands quiet and makes plenty of contact. Boettcher can be a bit aggressive but it’s still likely an average hit tool. Boettcher has a physically mature and large build, but the power is presently fringe-average. The defensive instincts and plus hands will get Boettcher to the pros and he’ll have a chance to blow up by pursuing solely baseball.
Transferring in from Sac State, Heard has gone from a mid-major star to a power conference contributor. Heard has a very smooth swing that creates a ton of loft. While his raw power is below average, Heard hits the ball hard in the air giving him a chance for fringe-average power. Heard also profiles as an average or better hitter as his connected swing makes a lot of contact and he runs a mature approach. There have been some struggles handling secondaries with Heard expanding his zone a bit too often, inflating his swing and miss totals.
Heard is an average runner with better-than-average top speeds and he should be more than capable in an outfield corner. There might not be a ton of upside with Heard but he’s a safe bet to hit in the pros and might be able to infuse more power into his smooth swing.
Gordon finally broke out in his first year as a full-time starter for Oregon. The 6-foot righty has a compact, efficient build with intriguing arm talent. Despite his smaller frame, Gordon has sat 91-94 this year, grabbing 97 once or twice. On top of the solid average velocity, Gordon gets 20.2 inches of induced vertical break which paired with his average release height creates a flat approach angle that misses bats. The heater is average though, as Gordon adds more mass, he might be able to more routinely sit in the mid-90s and push the envelope.
The rest of his arsenal is fair with a quality steep slider as his second pitch along with a fringy slider and promising fading changeup. The latter two pitches may never become regulars in his arsenal but Gordon’s fastball, curveball, and clean mechanics will likely get him a shot to start in the pros.
The Sacramento native O’Harran looks to add to the Stanford Cardinal pitching legacy that has produced Mike Mussina, Jack McDowell, and Jeremy Guthrie, among others. O’Harran’s calling card is his fastball shape; it’s got ideal modern heater characteristics. Sitting 91-94, O’Harran gets serious carry on the pitch, averaging 19.8 inches of IVB with a more upward release angle to create an extremely flat approach angle. As a result, O’Harran’s fastball runs a 28.9% whiff rate and profiles as an above-average and potentially plus pitch.
To back up the fastball, O’Harran throws a fringey slider with quality depth but limited glove-side movement. O’Harran will need to revamp the pitch’s shape in the pros and tap into his natural ability to generate spin. O’Harran’s changeup will help him move up the pro ladder. The velocity difference is a bit steep as his offspeed sits in the mid-to-upper-70s, but it’s an out pitch regardless of how it sequences with his fastball, bending to the armside with plenty of drop. Developing the slider will be key to establishing a third speed in O’Harran’s arsenal. If he can do that, along with the refinement of his overall feel, there’s a legit starter profile here headed by two borderline plus pitches, though he may be viewed more as a reliever in the meantime.
Likely the highest-ranked draft-eligible southpaw in the conference, Kent mixes the pitchability you want from a low-90s lefty with the type of deep arsenal that indicates starting upside. Kent’s fastball may appear fringey on the surface but the 90-93 mph offering has a flat shape for similar reasons to O’Harran above; a flatter release angle and a lower-than-average release height. The pitch gets roughly average carry but can be a weapon up in the zone, especially because Kent locates it effectively.
The lefty has three secondaries to mix in with an above-average changeup representing the best one. With a bit of a funky delivery, Kent creates plenty of deception and also tumbles the pitch hard downhill, making it a weak contact magnet. Kent will then spin either a 12-6 curve or a slider that he likes to bury down. The curveball has proven difficult to hit while the slider gets average results. All four of Kent’s pitches are reliable, giving him a prototypical low-octane 5th starter outlook with a swingman floor that should get him drafted somewhat early on day 2.
Pushing 24 years old, Candiotti is an unusual name to include, however, a year with Arizona has done wonders for the big righty’s future. After sitting 88-91 at Wichita State last year, Candiotti has seen a huge velo jump and now sits 92-94 with some run. It’s an average or better pitch that teams may jump on as a senior sign money saver versus hoping for a UDFA commitment.
Candiotti has a fringe-average mid-80s slider with average depth but limited sweep that he’s still developing feel for. The Scottsdale native has an intriguing curveball with above-average drop that could become an average pitch and create legit pro upside.
The lefty-swinging backstop will be one of the first catchers off the board in July. Campos combines a zone contact percentage over 90% with above-average swing decisions to make a comfortably above-average hit tool. Campos produces more power than you’d expect from his compact 5-foot-8, 190-pound frame with a 90th percentile exit velocity over 103 mph. He won’t produce average power output but the bat is well-rounded. Campos can get too aggressive against fastballs but his zone is extremely tight when he picks up a change in velocity or spin.
Defensively, Campos is fringey in about every way. His exchange times can be average but his arm is usually a tick below average and his smaller frame minimizes his ability to vacuum up pitches in the dirt. Campos is clearly a serviceable defender but his path to being an everyday catcher is narrow. Fortunately, there is athleticism here that has served Campos well in the outfield—though sparingly this year—giving him a fallback option should catching not work long-term.
The brother of two-time first-round pick Matt McLain and Dodgers prospect Sean, Nick doesn’t carry the same hype as his oldest brother but the switch hitter is a talented and versatile player in his own right. The youngest McLain works an advanced approach, especially against fastballs, though he presents an oddity of whiffing against heaters far more often than he does breaking balls. He still impacts fastballs well and profiles to see all pitch types well. McLain has average overall feel for contact, giving him a chance for above-average hitting output because of his approach.
The power projection is minimal here with a 90th percentile exit velocity of 102.9 mph. McLain elevates the baseball well with a backspin-inducing swing but he’s likely to settle with below-average power. Strictly an outfielder, McLain’s fringe-average speed limits his overall range but he’s an efficient route runner and will be average in a corner. McLain is a sum of several good parts but his lack of a standout trait may leave him on the board well into day 2.
Discussed as a top-2 round player out of JSerra (CA) in 2021, Schrier found himself a 3-year starter at UCLA instead. A consensus freshman All-American, Schrier stagnated following his first year, in part due to a labrum tear in 2023. This year, teams will be considering Schrier’s former elite prospect status as they weigh selecting him. The UCLA star isn’t an explosive bat, with his career 90th percentile exit velocity hovering around 103 mph, but when Schrier is at his best, he blends average contact skills with average swing decisions to create a solid overall profile.
Schrier hasn’t fully figured out secondaries at the collegiate level and will do most of his damage against fastballs. Additionally, since the shoulder injury, Schrier has changed his stance and finds himself opening up earlier and reaching more with his arms, pounding the ball into the ground more often. In some ways, teams will see low-hanging fruit if they feel they can reconnect Schrier’s swing and he might get selected more in line with his overall reputation rather than his 2024 performance. Schrier’s ability to play an average shortstop, boosted by above-average arm strength will help his cause.
Gourson is one of UCLA’s best recruits in recent years and he’s lived up to the hype with early day 2 potential. The lefty-swinging middle infielder has quiet hands and a beautifully efficient swing that generates impact thanks to his load that creates plenty of core explosion and great lower-body engagement. The raw power is roughly average--with a 90th percentile exit velocity just under 105 mph--matching Gourson’s average-sized frame, but his bat path creates leverage and gets the ball in the air enough for him to maximize the raw juice.
The strength of Gourson’s profile, however, is an above-average hit tool. His swing decisions are sound with a 20% chase rate and his zone-contact rate of 88.3% showcases the precision Gourson executes with. His college production does not match the underlying skill metrics or his pure talent. Gourson slid off shortstop completely this year with Schrier healthy, a necessary move as Gourson’s average range and fringe-average arm profile better on the right side of the infield. Gourson is a strong candidate to be a draft bargain for a model team with his complete offensive toolset.
The Bruins best pitcher during a down year for the program, Jewett has a few promising components that make him a late day 2 or early day 3 target. The 6-foot-4 righty has a lively low-90s fastball that peaks at 95 with some carry and run. Coming from a high overtop slot, he’s a tough read for hitters though Jewett won’t ever miss many bats.
His curveball and changeup are both developed pitches that give some real life to this profile. Jewett’s curveball gets late sweep and has plenty of drop, creating a really steep pitch that also runs away from righties. Jewett has below-average movement on his changeup but it’s a sequence-based pitch that tumbles late and is hard to barrel.
One of the bigger fallers in this class relative to preseason expectations, Overn failed to build upon an extremely promising freshman campaign, though there are still positive takeaways. While Overn likely couldn’t establish the same rhythm in a weaker Trojan lineup, he did noticeably add strength to his slim-athletic frame, elevating his power from below average close to average with a 104.3 mph 90th percentile exit velocity.
Overn came into the year needing to sharpen his discipline at the plate but actually saw an increase in chase swings and fewer deep counts. The average bat-to-ball skills paired with that budding power make the offensive profile a more compelling match with Overn’s plus glove in center field and easy plus wheels. While he didn’t play himself into the back of the first round as was discussed prior to the year, Overn still has promising upside as a two-way outfielder and will likely find a suitor in the middle of day 2.
A JUCO grinder, Cramer made the most of his deserved Power 5 opportunity, establishing himself as one of the best pure hitters in this year’s class. Cramer’s feel for contact is excellent from his compact swing with his zone contact rate hovering just below 95%. Cramer also showed a mature approach from the get-go with a great high for velocity and a fair ability to read spin.
Because his approach is so geared towards making solid contact consistently, Cramer is not a power player with well-below-average game power though it’s feasible he could tick up a grade with more physical maturation. Washington State’s primary third baseman this year, Cramer looks fringey at the hot corner but impressed in his brief time at second base and could emerge as average there. This looks like a classic late-day 2 underslot option for a team looking for a classic gamer type.
An atypical smaller-build first baseman, Schulze slugs like he’s a whole 4 inches taller than his 6-foot-1 frame. Schulze has a clean undercut swing that elevates the ball around an average rate but always with some impact. Schulze’s pure power metrics jumped a fair amount this year with a 90th percentile exit velocity of 108.5 mph. He’s pretty easy to project for above-average power production in the pros with easy plus raw power.
Schulze’s bat-to-ball skills are impressive for a player of his archetype and few in this draft class have the raw power Schulze does with a zone contact rate above 88%. What Schulze does lack is his selectivity; he’s a fastball hunter and will cut some at-bats short by running a similar approach with one strike as he does with two. If Schulze can better control the zone, he’s got serious pro upside, even as a 1 B-only player.
Another Grand Canyon product from MLB bloodlines with the last name Wilson (unrelated to Jack & Jacob), Tyler won’t be a high first-rounder like Jacob, but figures to be in mid-day 2 range. The 6-foot-2 outfielder has a smooth swing that generates healthy backspin, helping to maximize his fringe-average raw power. Wilson has made a name for himself by picking up spin and running a tight zone, chasing just 18.8% of pitches out of the zone.
There’s more swing and miss than you’d like for a player with Wilson’s power and he gets beat low and away, but his bat still profiles to make an impact. Wilson is more than capable in the outfield and features an average arm.
A softer thrower, averaging just 90.6 on his fastball, Avitita wins with finesse and deception. The lanky 6-foot-4 right-hander hides the ball well and drops to a low 3/4 slot that leaves same-side hitters fooled while the run on his fastball provides potential for an arsenal to compete with left-handed bats, though they’ve gotten the better of Avitia to this point. Avitia’s big frame helps him get well extended to the plate and kicks up his perceived velocity.
Avitia backs his heater up with a slider and changeup, both of which have been dominant offerings. The changeup is a legit plus pitch and one of the best offspeeds in this class, it gets ridiculous run and fade, moving like a breaking ball. Avitia’s slider isn’t close to plus but it’s a sweepy breaking ball that wipes out right-handers. The present inability to get lefties out places some reliever risk on Avitia’s profile, though he could be dynamic and unique from a pen role.
Downer will be a ball-of-clay pick for a team on day 3. The big 6-foot-5 right-hander has sat 92-95 all year with above-average extension and some carry on his fastball; it has the makings of an average offering. Downer has a well-developed arsenal to back up his heater with two breaking balls and a quality low-spin changeup. The changeup is deceptive and profiles as a fringe average second or third pitch while Downer’s curveball has one of the steepest approach angles of any pitch in the class.
Downer is still developing some feel and locates inconsistently but he’s got the requisite power and secondary characteristics to get teams interested in his development.
Mueller has a very whippy arm that drops into a lower 3/4 slot and brings some power. The 6-foot-5 righty sits 91-94 from a lower slot and leverages his frame for extension, getting his fastball some extra giddy-up and flatter shape. Teams will look at it as a pro-ready pitch.
Backing it up, Mueller’s changeup has shown promise and his curveball is an effective offering that he has good feel for. Mueller throws his changeup hard in the 85-88 range with a deceptive action though its movement is wholly inconsistent. Teams will buy the arm talent here and perhaps give Mueller a chance to start early in his career.
The West is full of talent that sometimes goes under the radar, especially in non-power conferences. Keep an eye on this crop to be selected and make a pro impact down the stretch this summer.
Over the past month and a half, I’ve been traveling all over eastern Pennsylvania watching the best of what prep baseball has to offer in this area. In this article, I’m going to do my best to describe my favorite players that I’ve seen so far.
Tegan Kuhns, member of the 2023 Team USA 18U team and our number 55 draft prospect for 2024, has solidified himself as the top prep draft prospect in PA. His arsenal which includes a fastball that reaches 96 mph, a sharp upper 70s slider, and a mid 80s splitter is built to make him a swing-and-miss machine. Standing at 6’3, 177lbs, he has room to fill out and increase his velocity even more.
Kuhns is a superb athlete on the mound. Combo his athleticism with his slender build, and you have the perfect example of projection. His long arms plus extension and his ability to elevate his fastball make that far and away his best strikeout pitch. His breaking ball is more of a true slider and he can throw it in any count. His release makes it look just like his fastball and it flies across the zone hard, generating a ton of chases. The splitter may be my favorite pitch of his. It’s hard and has the depth and arm-side movement that will get him plenty of ground balls and out of some tough situations.
He will turn 19 a couple of months before the draft, however, I don’t think that will affect his stock too much. There’s a lot to like about Kuhns and he has tons of room to grow and improve. I won’t be shocked if we hear his name called in the first couple of days of the draft.
Chase Harlan, our number 159 draft prospect for 2024, is a strong and physical third-baseman. When I saw Harlan early into the spring, I immediately got the impression that he had the capabilities to stick at third base. He has good size, a plus arm, and a solid glove at the hot corner. Athletically, he has the quickness and reactions to stick at the position as well. Given his speed and arm, I do see a possibility that he could have a future at one of the corner outfield spots however, I think he will do just fine at third base.
At the plate this spring, Harlan has shown off his bat speed and power to all fields. When I saw him, he drove a double into the right-center field gap and the next at-bat was a double to left. Every at-bat I saw (outside of the intentional walks), Harlan put the bat on the ball in a productive way. Early on, there was both some swing-and-miss and some chase to his game, but I’ve been hearing that he has cleaned a lot of that up so, I am looking forward to checking him out again this spring.
Tague Davis, like the others here, has put on a strong performance so far this spring. He has a pro-ready body at 6’3, 205 lbs. In the three games I’ve seen him play, he has shown off his power at the plate every time. While there is some swing and miss to his profile right now, each time I’ve seen him play he has made better and better contact quality. The combination of his size, bat speed, and bat path built for loft always makes him a threat to go yard every time he comes to the plate.
I finally had the chance to watch Davis pitch last week and he had a strong game overall. He located his fastball well at 87-89 mph and his big breaking slider at 75-77 mph. He also featured a very deceptive changeup that looked identical to his fastball, only about 6-8 mph slower. So far this spring, Davis’ fastball has consistently been a couple of ticks higher in velocity but, when I saw him, he commanded the zone well and was getting tons of weak contact without the higher velocity. Also, he limited baserunners well, allowing only three hits and one walk through six innings of work. One thing I was hoping to see from him was to reach back and try to blow one by the hitter, but I never saw it. That’s not a knock on Davis, he just never had to because he was doing such a good job at missing barrels already.
Davis not only has the prototypical size to play first base, but he also defends the position very well. He’s a physical defender, not afraid to put his body in front of the ball. He is also quick enough to make plays away from his body and handles tough throws from infielders with ease. I look forward to tracking his progress throughout the rest of the spring and seeing if he can improve his stock more than he already has.
Dylan Hansen was a very fun watch for me. He has a strong frame at 6’3, 215 lbs and puts every bit of it into his pitches. When I saw Hansen, he featured a 92-94 mph fastball with good life, a 77-80 mph slurvy breaking ball, and an 82-85 mph tumbling changeup. He elevates his fastball well and commands his off-speed with it, making it tough to put the barrel on the ball. His long arms and legs made his low-mid 90s fastball look much faster than it was. Hansen was in constant attack mode, not shying away from anyone who stepped in the box. There was a lot of effort in his delivery, causing him to tire out a little quicker than you would hope. By the fifth inning, his velocity had fallen by about five mph on his fastball. However, he was still able to strike out his last batter on a 93 mph fastball above the zone. The Coastal Carolina commit has shown that he has a strong foundation and has the stuff to build on and become an excellent pitcher at the next level.
Kross Howarth is a primary pitcher who thrives on attacking the zone and getting swings and misses. This spring, he has featured an 88-92 mph fastball, a big sweeping 75-77 mph slider, and an 82-85 mph changeup. His fastball has some sinker action and he can run it inside to right-handed batters with conviction. He combos it well with the slider and changeup and he’s able to throw all three pitches in any count. The one concern I have with Howarth is that he hasn’t gained much velocity from a year ago and he is already 19 years old. With his 6’5” 200 lb frame though, there is still room to get stronger and gain velocity.
At the plate, Howarth has a long, powerful swing. He has a strong base that can generate a lot of power. I worry about his consistency in making good contact with the ball and the results he will get once he faces higher velocities at the next level. Defensively, he has bounced all around the infield this year. I feel that given his strong arm and glove, but lesser range, he is a prime candidate to play third base at the next level and I believe he will be able to do it well. Howarth always brings intensity every time he goes onto the field and he is looking to build on his already strong spring.
Evan Jones is the only 2025 graduate I am including in this article. He is a tall, lanky Wake Forest commit that features a 90-93 mph fastball, 80-82 mph slider, and an upper 70’s changeup. He only pitched two innings when I saw him early into the season, but he was impressive nonetheless. He really gets into his lower half during his delivery, generating his velocity from the ground up. He hides the ball well and has a low three-quarter slot with a good amount of arm-side run to his fastball. The slider stays in the zone for a long time, getting him a lot of chases with it. It didn’t take much for me to understand why Wake Forest likes him so much and he’s going to be a fun pitcher to track the rest of this year and next.
While I know this is all about the Pennsylvania prospects, I do want to talk about the Deleware prep catcher, Nathan Arterbridge. I saw Arterbridge pretty early into the spring and his physicality immediately stood out to me. I had his pop time at 2.08 secs and he did an excellent job at blocking every pitch in the dirt. He has good size at 6’1, 205 lbs, and is an excellent mover behind the plate. He also has very strong hands and presents the ball well. I enjoyed watching him catch and I don’t feel that there is any concern about how he will handle catching higher velocities.
At the plate, Arterbridge has above-average bat speed and the game power plays as well. Like a lot of younger players, he has some swing-and-miss. Despite that, he was quite picky in the box, rarely expanding his zone. He limits his movement at the plate using a quiet load and a low step so that he’s always ready to attack when he gets the pitch he wants. I look forward to seeing how he performs the rest of the spring, at Missouri State, and on.
Twitter/X: @JakeBarg
Over the weekend, I made my way down to College Station to see two top ten picks face off in Charlie Condon and Braden Montgomery. It was a firework-filled weekend, with the wind blowing out 30 MPH both days, and there was plenty of offense on display. Below are some players that I liked.
Condon is one of the best fastball hitters I can remember. The list of power hitters who can cover the top of the zone as well as Condon does is incredibly short, and it includes names like Corey Seager, Manny Machado, and JD Martinez. It’s an incredibly flat bat path that is geared to hit the bottom of four-seamers with authority. It’s double plus raw power that he gets to in-game consistently, and Condon is consistently hitting balls 100 MPH+, with what feels like a 110+ a few times a week. He saw more spin vs the Aggies than he did vs any team this season. He didn’t chase much, but there was some swing and miss in the zone, specifically on same-handed changeups and stuff coming toward him. Alas, he adjusted and punished a right-handed slider off the scoreboard to extend the Dawgs lead in game three. I’d imagine he’ll continue to get spun and see less and less pitches to hit after this weekend and would expect him to adjust.
Condon played third every game this weekend. It looks a little clunky, but he’s a good enough athlete to make it work. He’s got solid hands and a nice first step, but the footwork and ability to throw from different arm angles is the question mark here. If I was the team drafting him, I’d throw him in right field to get his bat to the bigs as soon as possible. He’s an average runner at his top speed, but he looks more like a fringe runner going forward.
Great day of baseball ahead, so get it started with a Charlie Condon moonshot from last night.
— Patrick Bauer (@patrickbauer26) April 27, 2024
27th of the year. 108 EV, 445 FT
Game 1 of a doubleheader today between @BaseballUGA and @AggieBaseball set to kick off at 1 PM. pic.twitter.com/XWtNvoGwoQ
Montgomery has had top-ten pick buzz since he got on campus at Stanford. Since transferring to Texas A&M, it looks like he has an even better chance to go top five, and maybe sneak into the top three. His swing looks much more connected (especially from the left side) and he’s making better swing decisions. There isn’t much adjustability in his swing, so there’s some swing-and-miss on soft stuff away, but he gets really good plate coverage and will hammer just about everything else. Like a lot of switch hitters, Montgomery has more loft and ability to pull from the left side, and more opposite field and contact driven from the right. His double plus raw power was on display this weekend, hitting a single 116 MPH, and hitting a homer 450 feet. There’s some swing and miss here, specifically soft away, but he’s hammering everything else.
Defensively, Montgomery is passable, but his bat carries his profile. He doesn’t get great reads or take great routes, but he makes the plays he needs to. Alas, he does possess double plus arm strength, but usually it takes a long wind up for him to get to it. He’s a below average runner, sp he should have a home in right long term.
Catching up on video from the weekend.
— Patrick Bauer (@patrickbauer26) April 29, 2024
Braden Montgomery gets on top of this up-and-away fastball and launches it out to right center.
For how explosive of a rotator Montgomery is, it's really impressive plate coverage.
108 MPH EV, 450 feet. pic.twitter.com/KJn3EcYPlu
The left-hander Prager isn’t a guy that lights up a radar gun or TrackMan dashboard, but he’s incredibly deceptive. His funky over the top delivery creates a tough angle to go with his cutting and riding fastball that he commands incredibly well. His go-to secondary is a high-70s splitter that falls off the table when combined with the steep plane his arm slot creates.
His breaking balls play now and should be at the lower levels of the minors, but eventually, I think some refinement will be necessary. Right now, he only throws short, sometimes gyro, low-80s slider. It plays well thanks to his feel for it, but going forward, I’d like to see him throw it in the mid-80s. I also think adding a curveball would do him well, especially given his high arm slot, perhaps even the trending “Death Ball”. Prager is a fun crafty lefty who looks like he’ll go in the 4th to 5th round.
Cortez has had an electric right arm since he got to College Station, but there was inconsistency not only in command and mechanics, but he often had a hard time repeating his fastball shape and even velocity. Now, Cortez looks like the guy we’ve been waiting for. He pitched twice over the weekend, sitting 98-100 MPH, touching 101, with consistent plus sink and above-average run. His slider was in the mid-80s with above-average sweep.
Cortez is a smaller guy with a lot of effort and without a track record of strike-throwing. It’s possible a team could try him as a starter but sticking him in the bullpen should fast track him to the bigs. I do have some questions about his bat-missing ability once he gets into pro ball. He lacks the high, over-the-top arm slot you see a lot of bat-missing sinker ballers have and his feel for his slider isn’t great, getting a little too big at times. This isn’t to say he can’t be successful, but it’s more so I think he's a 6th or 7th inning pitcher as opposed to a setup guy or closer. It’s reminiscent of Brusdar Grateral to me. I like him to go in the 3rd to 5th round.
Alford is a pretty typical power hitter at the plate. Burly, physical player who possesses plus bat speed and a steep bat path. While there is some swing and miss here, my bigger question is regards to his load. It’s very long and left him late on some normally hittable fastballs. Alford chases a good bit but has an all-fields approach and hits the ball really hard.
Defensively, Alford has moved around between second and third primarily and stayed at second this weekend. His range is limited, and he’s got solid hands, and has an average arm, but the accuracy is the question mark here. If he can show consistency in his throws across the diamond, he should have a home at third.
Camarillo’s calling card is his defensive prowess. It’s plus hands and actions, above-average range, and really nice footwork. His arm strength is above average, but he shows great arm utility, throwing from multiple angles as well as from both feet. From the right side of the plate, Camarillo makes pretty good decisions and shows nice bat-to-ball skills. It’s an opposite field-driven approach with the ability to turn on inside pitches if he recognizes it. There isn’t much bat speed or impact, and the swing is pretty handsy so there are certainly some questions about his ability to hit high level pitching, but the glove should keep him on the field. He has the looks of an early day 3 pick.
A draft-eligible sophomore, the Baylor transfer is the everyday shortstop for the Dawgs. Branch has solid range going to his left and right, along with above-average hands and actions. It’s fringy arm strength, which holds him back from making plays deep in the hole, but really nice arm utility going to his left and coming in. He’s likely suited best for second base, but could certainly play shortstop in a pinch.
At the plate, Branch has a fairly rotational uphill swing from the right side. There’s some swing-and-miss here but he doesn’t chase much and covers the outer third pretty well. Given his size, Branch hits the ball hard consistently, and his ability to pull the ball in the air should help his power play up a half-grade or so. He looks like a late day two or early day three guy, depending on his price.
Gonzalez doesn’t have much impact at the plate, but he’s really solid behind the dish. He’s a nice blocker, an above average receiver, and has gotten rave reviews for how he handles pitchers. In an age where catchers are hard to come by, Gonzalez might have a place in pro ball.
Mracna came in and closed out the final game of the series for Georgia. The right hander blew riding fastballs at 92-94 MPH by the heart of the Aggies order and flashed a nice top spinning changeup. It’s a three-quarters delivery and combine that with his riding fastball and extension and you get a dude that’s going to miss a ton of bats up in the zone.
Side note: There was a lot of talk after the game about Mracna going to his glove in between pitches, assuming for sticky stuff of some kind, Chris Cortez was going to his belt in between pitches too. Plenty of pitchers are using sticky stuff at this level, and I hope this shallow finger pointing at pitchers who are simply trying to get consistent grip on inconsistent baseballs doesn’t make its way to college baseball.
Collins was injured for a lot of his draft year and it resulted in him coming back. He’s been healthy this year and is mashing. He features a compact rotational swing with easy bat speed and loft from the left side and not much chase. He’s not catching anymore and mostly DHing and playing 1st. Add in some swing and miss concerns and he’s likely a day three pick.
Zeldin is a right-handed Penn transfer with a wide array of quality pitches coming from a high three quarters slot. He features a low-90s riding fastball, high-80s gyro slider, high-80s changeup, low-80s sweeper, and 79-81 MPH curveball. He’s struggled with control in this game but was also asked to come in in the first inning, something he isn’t used to.
Laviolette is a guy who catches your eye as he walks off the bus. At 6’5”, he’s an imposing presence in the box and there’s plenty of power to go with it. It’s double plus raw power and easy bat speed, and you’ll see shades of Matt Olsen. When his swing is on, he has lightning quick hands and is able to cover most parts of the plate, including the inner third, something you wouldn’t expect given his long limbs. However, Georgia pitched him incredibly well and got his swing out of whack, staying soft away and forcing his swing to get handsy. He sees the ball incredibly well and hardly chases. The next step for him will be swinging at better pitches in the zone, and/or making more contact without sacrificing power.
Defensively, Laviolette gets great jumps and reads in centerfield. He’s also an above-average runner and really glides around the outfield. Whether he stays in centerfield or not will depend on how much he fills out and is able to maintain his speed, if not, his average arm likely puts him in left field. Laviolette is a hell of a player, and for my money is the best in the 2025 class right now.
Grahovic is the leadoff hitter for A&M’s three headed monster of likely first rounders at the top of the lineup. Grahovic’s rotational right-handed swing creates plus raw power that he gets to in game. He’s shown the ability to pull the ball in the air and hit it hard consistently. There’s some swing and miss, but that’s to be expected from a freshman playing every day. For a freshman, he’s shown nice plate skills that will continue to grow with age. Defensively, he has a great first step and has really nice range. It’s a below-average arm but good utility. I’d be curious if he gets some looks at shortstop next fall, he is an above average runner after all.
Sdao came out firing from the left side on Saturday for the Aggies, sitting 93-96 T97 MPH with good carry from a three-quarters slot. His slider flashed plus, with nice sharp sweep at 79-82 MPH, and was average more times than not. He also flashed some changeups with good depth and good separation from his fastball. He threw plenty of strikes and put his fastball in good spots. Sdao has a starter mix and has started 3 games in his career, but Coach Schlossnagle has said he’s had more success out of the ‘pen. It will be interesting to see what role he slides into for his draft year next year.
Smith started the final game of the series for Georgia and did not disappoint. He held mid-90s into the 6th inning, and showed feel for 3 offspeed pitches. His fastball gets good shape coming from a high three-quarters arm slot and it played up in the zone. His go-to secondary was a low-80s sweeper, that he would manipulate to have a more curveball shape at times. It gave a unique look to hitters and forced them to pick a shape when picking that velo range. He also flashed a high-80s gyro slider that showed more sweep than the traditional gyro slider. He turned over some high-80s changeups as well, featuring nice top-down movement while maintaining fade. Smith looks like a steady piece for the Bulldogs’ rotation in 2024, with a chance to in the first five rounds in the draft.
Finley started Friday night for Georgia and came out holding mid-90s for five innings and 90 pitches. It didn’t have great shape but his three-quarters arm slot allowed it to play. His best pitch was a top-spinning upper-80s changeup. He showed good feel for this pitch and it gave left-handed hitters fits. He also flashed a 78-81 MPH sweeper. It was a bit easy to see out of the hand and got a little too big at times, but it flashed plus. He didn’t have a great feel for it, so having something a little harder that moves to his glove side could help it play more, even if it’s not always in the strike zone. Finley looks like another solid piece for the Bulldogs rotation in 2024, and should have a good chance of going of going in the first five rounds of the draft.
Lamkin is a crafty left-hander who slings it from a low three-quarters slot. His fastball is 89-92 MPH with good, running two-seam action. He shows solid command of it, especially to his glove side and up in the zone, where it plays thanks to his slot. He mixes in his tight spinning, low-80s gyro slider to both right-handers and left-handers. It plays for now thanks to how good of feel he has for it, but I’d like to see him add some velocity to it. He’ll also turn over a solid 81-84 MPH changeup that has more tumble than fade. Lampkin has a really nice foundation right now, with feel for three quality pitches. If he adds a tick or two of velocity, which isn’t unrealistic given how good A&M has shown they can develop, watch for him to go in the top 100 next year.
UConn vs. Georgetown was a matchup of two better teams in the Big East. UConn came into town and ended up sweeping the Hoyas. I attended the Sunday game featuring Georgetown left-hander Everett Catlett, an intriguing draft prospect for the 2024 MLB Draft. Here are a few names that stuck out and could gain some interest on draft day.
Well, life happens, right?
I’ve been boarded up with a ton of school in recent weeks and it’s been tough to find time to write up reports and clip together film for these. With that said, it’s still a goal to post these reports and film for readers, so while it’s late, you still get to enjoy it! This edition features players from the Duke/Clemson series and the UNC/Georgia Tech series that I scouted in middle/late March. The UVA bats and players from the Texas A&M/South Carolina series will be posted at a later date, hopefully as soon as possible.
Last weekend, I traveled to Bethlehem, PA to see two of the top Patriot League teams in action, Lehigh University and Army. Lehigh was able to take game one in extras and Army pitchers dominated games two and three. While there is a lot of good talent on both sides, I am going to be highlighting what I saw from Lehigh third baseman Rafe Perich, Lehigh right-handed pitcher Cole Leaman, Army catcher Derek Berg, and Army right-handed pitcher Mike Ruggieri.
Rafe Perich - 3B, Lehigh
3-12, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 Sac Fly
Perich, overall, had an uneventful weekend against Army. In game one, he went 0 for 3 with a walk-off sacrifice fly on a deep line drive to right center. In game two, Perich was 1 for 4 with a double laced into the left center field gap. In game three, he went 2 for 5 with a relief pitching appearance, although having to leave the game early with an arm injury in the ninth inning.
While Perich may have had a quiet weekend, his 2024 season has been anything but quiet. So far he has started all 27 games for the Mountain Hawks, posting a .335 average, .528 slugging, and a .496 on-base percentage (1.131 OPS). Those numbers are currently ranked 2nd, 4th, and 3rd in the Patriot League, respectively. Also on the season, he has tied his career high in home runs with 6 while recording a 16.5% walk rate and an 11% k rate.
The ‘24 draft-eligible junior stands at 6’2” with a strong, athletic base. He’s a decent runner on the bases and is very quick at the hot corner. He’s a smooth defender with an effortless, strong arm that is playable at the next level. While he has the athleticism to play the outfield, I don’t see why he couldn’t stick at third base. He has a level swing path allowing him to hit to all fields. Perich likely projects as a 2025 draft pick and will be a player to watch for both the remainder of this season and next as well.
Cole Leaman - RHP, Lehigh
4 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO
Leaman started game 1 of the weekend for Lehigh. This is only his second start after suffering a groin injury a couple of weeks ago. He was taken out of the game in the top of the fifth inning after throwing 75 pitches. Leaman’s fastball was in the 91-93 mph range topping out at 95 with arm side run. He was also able to get plenty of swings and misses with his 80-83 mph sweeping slider. He also featured a mid-80’s changeup as well as a mid-70’s curveball.
So far this year, Leaman has made five starts, not including the injury where he faced only one batter. In those five starts, he has pitched 19 innings with 25 k’s, 10 walks, and a 1.90 ERA. The combination of his massive uptick in velocity from a year ago and his easy, repeatable delivery will earn himself a lot of attention as the year goes on. The ‘25 eligible sophomore is looking to build on his strong start to 2024 and solidify himself in the draft conversation next year.
Derek Berg - C/1B, Army
2-12, 2 R, 1 RBI, 2 2B
Berg, like Perich, had a pretty quiet weekend. While he only had 2 hits, one of them came at a very opportune time. In the seventh inning of game three, the game tied up at 2, Berg drove a double that scored one and broke the tie. Army would go on to win game three by the score of 6-4. While the offense wasn’t quite there for him this weekend, he stood out more to me at catcher. He allowed zero past balls in the two games he was behind the plate and showed off his good framing skills as well. He is a good athlete and he has the arm to match (2.00-2.05 pop).
On the season, Berg has been playing both catcher and first base. He is hitting for a .275 average, .510 slugging, and a .378 on-base percentage with 5 home runs and a team-leading 9 stolen bases. The senior has proven his leadership on the field and has been a mainstay in this Army lineup since he arrived at West Point as a freshman in 2020. He was on the first team all-Patriot League team a year ago and was a preseason all-conference player this season as well as preseason defensive player of the year.
Mike Ruggieri - RHP, Army
5 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 5 K, 2 BB
Ruggieri started game 3 for the Black Knights and was effective from the moment he stepped on the mound, allowing zero runs through the first 3.2 innings of work. His fastball ranged between 90 and 92 mph topping out at 94. He also featured an 84-86 mph sweeping slider and a disappearing 83-84 mph splitter. He was able to command all three pitches Sunday, getting nearly all weak contact through his 5 innings pitched.
Ruggieri is a senior who stands at a towering 6’6”, 267 lbs. He has so far struck out 37 batters on the year allowing 17 walks in his 35.1 innings of work. He was on the first-team all-Patriot League team last season and was a preseason all-Patriot League pitcher entering this season. He has been a key component of this experienced Army team this season and will look to build on this strong performance as the season goes on.
Other player notes
Lehigh Fr. RHP Julio Ermigiotti
Ermigiotti has appeared for the Mountain Hawks as both a starter and reliever. The young arm has a fastball that can get into the low-90s with a mid-70s slider and changeup. So far on the year, he has struck out 14 and walked only 4 through 20 innings of work. There is a good case to be made for Ermigiotti to find himself firmly in the weekend rotation as early as this season.
Lehigh Fr. 2B Raffaele Rogers
Rogers is an outstanding defensive second baseman. He also has the potential to be a high on-base percentage player with his patient approach at the plate and solid speed. I would like to see him make more solid contact than he has so far, but he is young and has lots of room for growth.
Army So. OF William Parker
Parker is putting together a very nice sophomore season, hitting .327 (6th in the Patriot League) with a .942 OPS and 36 RBIs, which ranks 2nd in the Patriot League. Parker covers a lot of ground in left field for the Black Knights and is a key hitter in the middle of their order.
Army Sr. 3B Sam Ruta
Ruta has a lot of experience at the hot corner. He has been a starter all four years he’s been at West Point. He is having his best year yet, batting .319 with a .713 slugging and a .472 on base. He also has 9 homers and 27 RBIs. He has a good arm, but the glove has been shaky at times during his career. I see him becoming a corner outfielder at the next level. He has cut down on his swing and misses this year and become a more patient hitter and the result has been, as you’d expect, more power and fewer strikeouts.
X: @JakeBarg
High school baseball is upon us, with Kentucky baseball starting last week and Michigan's baseball season already underway as this article is being posted. Early looks of the Kentucky season have shown positive signs for the few arms mentioned prior, as they are already flying with a great start to the season. This upcoming Saturday (March 25th), Ohio baseball season begins with many touted matchups that will be must-sees for the avid baseball lover in the Ohio area. If the weather cooperates, I will be in the fields watching the OHSAA (Ohio High School Athletic Association) Division-I reigning champions Archbishop Moeller start their season against Strongsville and will provide a live look later next week on the matchup.
Part three of our series continues here, analyzing the region's infield prospects. The Ohio Valley continues the trend from the last few years of us being spoiled with a few top-tier and toolsy prospects following the footsteps of Ohio Valley infielders Colt Emerson, Colston Montgomery, Henry Kaczmar, and Alex Mooney, who displayed their advanced baseball skills at the variety level to either hear their name called in July out of high school or became a high-level dude walking onto campus in the fall and fought for a spot in the lineup out of the gate. Further, we have one SS who could hear his name called early on day one this year.
The 2024 class for this prep baseball season is stacked with dudes who possess future major-league tools and who will have huge impacts on their respective college programs or clubs next season. All of these guys with future breakdowns are dudes I can see getting their names called in July or dudes to keep noted as potential future high-round selections in 2027. The honorable mention group of dudes is in the next tier of guys who I can see get their names called sometime in the 2027 or 2028 draft after some seasoning versus better competition or added time with maturity to grow their pro tools.
| 3B/SS Caleb Bonemer, Okemos HS (MI) |
| 6-foot-1 | 195 - pounds | Commit: Virginia | B/T: R/R | Draft Day Age: 18 yr 9 mo |
SS Caleb Bonemer (MI) is a ⭐️ in the 2024 class.
— Ian Smith (@IanSmittyGA) August 17, 2023
Slo-mo look into his load and swing.
Front foot down. Strong lower half. Back hip to the baseball. Barrels.
Minimal wasted effort with massive bat speed. @UVABaseball commit. @ShooterHunt // @PBRMIScout // @PBR_DraftHQ pic.twitter.com/FWEFbiXELQ
Bonemer enters the 2024 draft cycle as the top high school infield prospect in the class due to his impressive combo of physicality, explosive tools, and massive stock bump from the 2023 prep showcase and summer circuit. Bonemer is the most prolific infielder we have seen in a hot minute to come out of the prep ranks in Michigan. Further, Bonemer has the chance of joining highly touted infielders like Colston Mongomery and Colton Emerson of being Ohio Valley infielders drafted in the first round in recent years - in short, save your seats now for Okemos high school baseball games this spring as there will not an open seat if you wait till Michigan's season to start with scouts soaring to Michigan with anticipation to watch him play.
Caleb Bonemer (24 MI) 103 EXIT VELO for the exclamation point! Another no-doubt homer! Enjoy the crack of the bat. #PGNational https://t.co/eWyAo5ZyDx pic.twitter.com/PGxWKXkuer
— PG Showcases (@PGShowcases) July 13, 2023
Bonemer is a physical athletic specimen on the diamond with a muscular build that oozes projectable strength with strong hands, wrists, and quads/lower half. In the box, everything works in sync with a quiet load, a small front-foot-striking stride, and a shorter compact swing displaying minimal wasted effort attacking the baseball with eye-popping explosive bat speeds, triple-digit exit velocities, and barreling nearly everything he attacks. When he punishes baseball, he is typically pull-side happy with the power but has shown the ability to exhibit XBHs up the middle on occasion. Contact-wise, he can hit all over the zone and spray hits anywhere throughout the field. Due to previous looks, scouts this spring would like to see him lower the whiffs in the game from inferior competition (a similar issue we saw in the 2021 varsity season from a similar comp SS in Brady House).
‘24 SS Caleb Bonemer (MI) gets things going for the West with a 2B down the line off 96. Huge offensive riser this year, so explosive & strong. #UVA commit. #PGAAC @PG_OhioValley pic.twitter.com/yfw89bcfqD
— Dick’s Sporting Goods All-American Classic (@PGAllAmerican) August 21, 2023
In the field, Bonemer is a very athletic and projectable infielder with a high likely chance to stay on the left side of the dirt with his soft hands, smooth fluid feet/motions towards the baseball, plus range, plus field awareness/baseball IQ, strong arm, good reactions, impressive composure/body control, and quick reactions to the baseball. Further, Bonemer allows his athleticism to play throughout his game without any hiccups (even during the challenging plays). Similar to Brady House, he is massive for his size. So, scouts will need to determine if the size will make him shift out of the middle and slide over to 3B or corner OF in the future when he hits physical maturity.
Overall, Bonemer has shown everything that scouts typically look for from prep position players during the draft process and is a very polished high school prospect. So far, he has made a solid case to be considered a top 15 or even top 10 selection in the draft with his very high ceiling. Due to the strong college class this season, he could fall down the boards with teams looking for more maturity and quicker to show talent. If Bonemer has an eye-popping spring as he did over the summer, he may force the hand of an organization to take him higher than most rankings and mock drafts have him before the Michigan prep season.
Preseason Draft Grade: Top 5 HS player & Top 25 overall draft talent; First-round grade w/ top 10 upside
| 1B/RHP Jake Hanley, William Mason HS |
| 6-foot-6 | 230 - pounds | Commit: Indiana | B/T: L/R | Draft Day Age: 18 yrs 11 mo |
1B/RHP Jake Hanley (OH)@IndianaBase recruit
— Shooter Hunt (@ShooterHunt) February 4, 2024
6-foot-6, 225 pounds#Super60 || #MLBDraft pic.twitter.com/w9OknXNYnM
Presumably, the most prominent and premier prep baseball athlete out of the Ohio Valley, Hanley early this year, attended the Prep Baseball's Super 60 event and impressed scouts in a showcase setting by blasting baseballs nearly 400 feet and recording triple-digit exit velocities (103.5 mph). Hanley physically stands out from the typical high school hitter with a 6-foot-5, 235-pound XL frame with loud upside tools and an even higher ceiling. Hanley has been a consistent workhorse out of a prolific baseball program at William Mason High School, which in recent years, has produced professional players in Nicholas Northcut and former first-round selection T.J Zeuch.
A few weeks back, we mentioned the pitching upside Hanley has made over the last calendar season, making him a difficult profile to project between being an offensive middle-of-the-order bat, a future high-velocity arm, or the unicorn of both. This week, we will dive into what we have seen since his early prep years as an uber-physical middle-of-the-order first baseman.
If you want to go back and see his pitching profile going into the Ohio prep season, you can see it Here
After a great piece of hitting going oppo in his first AB, 2024 1B/RHP Jacob Hanley (OH) hits an absolute missile 2B here into RCF.
— Ian Smith (@IanSmittyGA) August 9, 2023
101 off the bat. Substantial juice in the 6-foot-6, 225lb. frame. @IndianaBase commit. #PBRinSD // @ShooterHunt // @PBROhioScout pic.twitter.com/sU7bPa6rNs
As mentioned above, Hanley is a large physical frame athlete who shows premium projectable upside as a professional ball player with muscular proportions and strength throughout his body. Hanley displays very simple and smooth operations at the dish, exhibiting an athletic balanced stance with a smooth load, quiet leg kick, soft stride, whippy hands, and a controlled barrel. When he attacks baseballs, his natural strength is loud, exhibiting a mixed lofty/upward violent swing that produces thunderous hard contact every time he puts the ball in play (92.9% hard-hit rate and an average of roughly 97 mph or more EVs). Further, he possesses violent bat speed (76 mph bat speed average), allowing his tall lefty frame to get into triple-digit exit velocities. The projection for him to stay as a middle-of-the-order bat is sustainable. However, Hanley will need to exhibit his lofty/upward violent swing more often and produce more XBHs in-game as too frequently, his hitting ability against tougher pitching competition leans more into straight line drives and hard ground balls due to his occasional neutral attack angle (or insufficiency of displaying on-plane efficiency) and his bat path becoming flat in his swing versus better competition from his need in making up for timing issues in his load and his lengthy bat path (all fixable attributes in his game). On the bases, Hanley is an average runner at best overall.
‘24 1B Jake Hanley (OH)
— Shooter Hunt (@ShooterHunt) August 8, 2023
6’6” 225#MLBDraft24 || @PrepBaseballOH @PBR_DraftHQ || #PBRinSD pic.twitter.com/YCfUPTzPTn
Depending on the scout(s) you speak with, there are some who believe that the two-way potential is real within Hanley, and when he breaks through the next ceiling within his development, it will be more apparent. There is no question that the hit tool and the metrics that come with it are impressive, with above-average potential projections attached throughout. However, suppose Hanley would get drafted in July. In that case, it is more likely that he will be drafted because of the toolsy upside in his hitting abilities that he displayed over the winter showcase setting, a positive offensive spring performance, and an imaginable combine invite (with the off-the-field element of the money being right). Suppose Hanley gets the chance to go to Bloomington in the fall. In that case, the coaching staff will definitely tinker with his pitching potential and get him out on the mound next spring (I'm highly assuming Risedorph, Sinnard, and Foley are drafted this year and not coming back) while giving him at-bats in fall ball and early in the spring.
In conclusion, I love to see players get their ability to achieve their dreams and get their money from the hard work they have put into baseball. Nevertheless, my selfish side would love to see him go to college and try the two-way ability out, as I can see him evolving into a Big Ten/Midwest version of Jac Caglianone or Brendon McKay because of the upside he has in his tools, both ways. Additionally, he wouldn't be the first Cincinnati native to pass on big money, double down, and prove themselves in college for a bigger payday if he did (Andrew Benintendi was drafted in the 31st round by the Cincinnati Reds in 2013 and then was a top 10 overall selection in 2015 by the Boston Red Sox. Further, Zeuch went down a similar route before being drafted 21st overall by the Toronto Blue Jays). Thus, seeing the hoops and challenging tasks for scouts to determine the future for the most polarizing, intriguing, and tooled-up athlete in the Midwest of this class in Hanley.
Preseason Draft Grade: Top 100 HS player; Day 2 grade but probably going to school.
| C Hogan Denny, Mooresville HS (IN) |
| 6-foot-0 | 190 - pounds | Commit: Indiana | B/T: R/R | Draft Day Age: 18 yr 8 mo |
C Hogan Denny (IN)@IndianaBase recruit
— Shooter Hunt (@ShooterHunt) February 4, 2024
6-foot, 190 pounds#Super60 || #MLBDraft pic.twitter.com/tqKYEYNUhY
A decorated multi-sport athlete from the Hoosier State, Denny is a two-time All-State backstop who has shown his physical athleticism from the diamond to the gridiron as his school's star quarterback (as an underclassman showed some advanced athleticism as a wide receiver for the football team). Denny is by far the best prep catcher in the region who has a strong accurate arm behind the dish and has displayed desirable power traits in the box. Like many others on these lists, Denny was a Prep Baseball Super 60 invitee and, during the event, displayed some of the most power in the country by blasting baseballs over 106 mph and demonstrating some of the most explosive bat speeds you will see slightly over 86 mph. Further, outside of being a star catcher for Mooresville HS and being arguably the most productive offensive juggernaut in Indiana prep baseball, Denny has displayed stuff on the mound by recording over 100 strikeouts as a lights-out reliever guiding his varsity squad as a year-in and year-out state championship contender. His current projection for his future is staying behind the dish, so below, we will stick with his offensive and defensive upside as a catcher.
In the box, Denny displays a sturdy physical build that shows strength throughout his frame. His advanced athleticism could be considered sneaky due to his build, but he is a tremendous athlete overall (he has swiped 67 stolen bases in varsity baseball and has made some appearances at SS). Operating in the box, Hogan now works with an athletic balanced stance where, in the past, he had a wide stance, but he has tinkered with his approach at the plate to harness more into his power profile. Further, he is a simple mover from the right side, displaying quick hands, a quiet controlled load, and a leg lift stride that blasts the barrel into the zone with oozing power from his lower half from a shorter swing. A very confident and good poised hitter. His swing/hands occasionally can get a little too early, but overall, it is on time with the barrel being in the zone for a long time at a linear level with intent. When watching him, many scouts have used the scouting vocabulary of Hogan having an “advanced approach and very disciplined.” If you are a nit-picky individual, you can say that he needs to be more rotational to generate more power. However, with this offensive profile, he already has enough natural strength to generate the long ball when needed (explains the change in stance). Overall, the power he has is ridiculous, with still more in the tank. In addition, his offensive profile is more of a gap-to-gap approach with XBH upside and the ability to spray it all over the field. Additionally, the bat works well in-game and outside of a contained environment (at the varsity level, he has produced over 35 XBHs and 19 long balls entering his senior year). His projection shows that he can stay in that middle-of-the-order stop in the lineup with a floor of a six-hole hitter.
Defensively, behind the dish, Hogan's clear best attribute is his strong and accurate arm, recording arm speeds in the low 80s. Overall, he is an advanced catcher with pop times in the upper 1.80s and low 1.90s while displaying quick reactions, soft hands, strong lower half/knees, a quick release out of a short compact ¾ arm slot, exemplary athletic footwork, fast transfer abilities, and a high baseball IQ. The quarterback background comes into play with his ability to read the field/basepaths and make decisions on the fly very well in a quick process. He shows good field general qualities to stay behind the dish at the next level or even transition to the corner infield if needed.
Hogan may get some scouts' looks this spring due to his decorated athleticism, track record of offensive production at the varsity level, and participation in previous high-level baseball events (Prep Baseball Super 60 and PG Nationals). I can easily see him being in the running for Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Indiana and be a strong candidate for the Johnny Bench Award (an award given to the top catcher at the high school level from the Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and West Virginia region). Overall, I envision Hogan as a high-follow prospect from the Hoosier State with more 2027 MLB Draft upside than this summer. Henceforth, I see Hogan going to college this fall to better himself versus good Big Ten competition and making an impact behind the dish as a backup catcher his true freshman year before breaking out as the main dude behind the plate for the Hoosiers moving forward. Suppose the power potential makes a further jump in the near future, and his offensive profile translates at the college level. In that case, the Hoosiers may have another high-level athletic power profile backstop as they did nearly a decade ago with Kyle Schwarber.
Preseason Draft Grade: N/A - Future college backstop
| Honorable Mentions |
| SS/OF Alex Koelling, William Mason HS (OH) |
| 6-foot-1 | 170 - pounds | Commit: Ohio State | B/T: L/R | Draft Age: 18 yr 1 mo |
| SS/3B Alex Martin, Boyd County (KY) |
| 6-foot-3 | 195 - pounds | Commit: Xavier | B/T: R/R | Draft Age: approximately 18 yr 0 mo |
| SS/3B Issac VanderWoude, Illiana Christian HS (IN) |
| 5-foot-11 | 188 - pounds | Commit: Virginia | B/T: L/R | Draft Age: approximately 19 yr 0 mo |
| 3B/RHP Jackson Frasure, Chaminade-Julienne (OH) |
| 6-foot-2 | 225 - pounds | Commit: Akron | B/T: R/R | Draft Age: approximately 19 yr 0 mo |
| SS Parker Brzustewicz, St. Mary’s HS (MI) |
| 6-foot-3 | 185 - pounds | Commit: Notre Dame | B/T: R/R | Draft Age: 19 yr 6 mo |
| SS/C/2B Parker Corbin, Cincinnati Country Day (OH) |
| 5-foot-9 | 180 - pounds | Commit: Maryland | B/T: L/R | Draft Age: 18 yr 11 mo |
| SS Ryder Kirtley, Troy HS (OH) |
| 6-foot-0 | 185 - pounds | Commit: Virginia Tech | B/T: R/R | Draft Age: 18 yr 10 mo |
| 1B/RHP Sawyer Solitaria, Saint Ignatius (OH) |
| 6-foot-3 | 230 - pounds | Commit: Kent State | B/T: R/R | Draft Age: 18 yr 2 mo |
Earlier this month, I was invited to a private workout featuring a handful of talented prep players from across the northeast region. This was a first for me. It was a moment in my career that felt important, a milestone of sorts. It was also a phenomenal opportunity to check out a large group of players at once, many of whom I intended on seeing at some point this spring.
An event such as this is helpful when putting the finishing touches on your priority list. You can only be in one place at a time, which means you are constantly being forced to choose between seeing one player (or group of players) over another player each day leading up to the draft. Strengthening that priority list ahead of the season helps an area scout maximize their limited amount of time. It’s not a perfect setting for a thorough evaluation, but you can gather a surprising amount of valuable information in a short window of time. This was a nice preview for the weeks, months, and years ahead. Below, you can find three players who made a strong impression and piqued my curiosity, followed by a handful of players who I’ll be tracking closely as prep baseball kicks into gear in my neck of the woods.
alex ramos | ‘24
RHP | GOSHEN CENTRAL, NY
FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL COMMIT
One of the stronger locales for the northeast 2024 prep class will be the Hudson Valley area of New York. Alex Ramos, a Hudson Valley righty at Goshen Central, is an arm that area scouts will be eager to check out this spring. He was someone who stood out to me after seeing some short clips of him on social media with the look of someone who was just starting to blossom as a pitcher. That feeling was confirmed after seeing Ramos fire off consistent 93-95 MPH heat during his pen. Ramos is a quality athlete with a projectable, long-levered frame (6’3-190) suited for the mound. It’s a bit of a longer arm action, but Ramos was able to sync the operation effectively thanks to his above-average arm speed. Ramos releases from a high, almost over-the-top arm slot and extends well during his delivery. This gives the fastball good hop, and at this velocity, it’s a power pitch that projects well at the next level. There’s some head movement on release that could use some cleaning up to improve command, but the overall development to date is highly impressive. Ramos also featured a 74-76 MPH overhand curveball that had good shape at times and a changeup in the mid-80s. Between the two, I preferred the curve. It’s probably fringy presently, but I see the makings of a legitimate weapon as he develops and starts using it more.
Overall, Ramos profiles as a projection righty, but one who has more present velocity than similar arms in the prep and college classes. He has made significant gains over the past several months and is on an upward trajectory. If the stuff he showed in this pen translates to game action this spring, Ramos could leapfrog a good chunk of the prep pitching class in the region.
connor lane
CATCHER/RHP | OLD SAYBROOK SENIOR, CT
UCONN COMMIT
Connor Lane challenged Alex Ramos for the biggest surprise of the day. After showing off some good pop during BP, Lane jumped on the bump and caught the attention of every scout in attendance. Lane’s cannon arm is well-known to evaluators in the area, but now Lane has begun converting that arm talent behind the dish to the pitcher’s mound. He made a promising short appearance out of the bullpen in October during the WWBA tournament in Jupiter and has since taken things to another level. Lane has a physical 6’2-205 build, with immense arm strength. There was some variation to the arm action and delivery during this pen, but considering his experience level as a pitcher, it exceeded my expectations. The arm action is very short, at times resembling Texas Tech freshman Mac Heuer, though Lane releases from a higher slot. Lane sat in the 91-92 MPH range with his heater, with a few fastballs registering at 93-94 MPH (at least one scout in attendance had a 95 reading). The fastball had arm-side movement, with a few flashing good, late action. He complimented the fastball with a slider that had surprising polish. An upper 70s pitch, Lane showed feel for locating the breaker to his glove side. A couple had some “hump” coming out of the hand which made them easier to pick up, but the foundation for a solid secondary is present.
Because Lane is both an integral piece behind the plate for his high school squad and a legitimate catching prospect, it remains to be seen how many opportunities he’ll receive on the mound in the months ahead. He showed enough in this look to suggest he has a real shot at “coming out” as an arm this spring, especially as he focuses more on pitching and accrues experience on the mound.
JC Pacheco | ‘26
SHORTSTOP | DEPAUL CATHOLIC, NJ
UNCOMMITTED
The 2026 high school class in New Jersey has a chance to be special. Based on this brief look, JC Pacheco is a name that belongs in the upper echelon of prep talents for 2026. Playing for Jersey powerhouse DePaul Catholic, Pacheco made a great first impression with the potential for a plus arm on the dirt and both contact and power in the box. Pacheco has good physicality for his age at 5’10-170 and is likely to grow in the years ahead. He showed a quiet swing with good barrel whip during his rounds of BP with the potential for both above average (or better) hand/bat speed as he matures. Pacheco was able to produce quality contact in all directions, and his knack for making hard, elevated contact up the middle and to the opposite field was noticeable.
Obviously, we are a long way from the 2026 draft cycle, and a lot can change over that time. We’ll need to see if the offensive tools he showed in this look will translate to live pitching. That said, Pacheco is someone I’m eager to track over the next few years as he shares the field with a slew of fellow draft talents at DePaul Catholic. Pacheco remains uncommitted, but he is sure to be a high priority for recruiters moving forward.
I was glad to get another opportunity to see shortstop Julius Rosado before the high school season started. Once again, Rosado was cool, calm, and collected on both sides of the ball. He has well-defined strength while remaining smooth and nimble. We’ll see if he can stick at short long-term, but he checks a lot of the necessary boxes to play on the left side of the infield at the next level. He’s a confident hitter in the box with a swing that’s geared for explosive power to his pull side. It’s a swing that will be put to the test as he faces better, more consistent stuff, but he’s a kid that I expect will put in the work to make adjustments as he moves up the ladder. He would be a huge recruiting win for head coach Steve Owens and recruiting coordinator Brendan Monaghan should he reach campus.
I’ve now seen a good amount of Hofstra recruits up close and personal this winter and I’ve come away impressed. There’s been a clear, positive shift for Hofstra’s baseball program with skipper Frank Catalanatto at the helm. Like Rosado, this was my second look at Tyler Castrataro who serves as a good example of Hofstra’s enhanced recruiting thrust. A wiry, quick-twitch athlete Castrataro plays bigger than his listed 5’10-160 size. He’s an above-average runner and athlete who takes some ferocious cuts in the box. Castrataro’s ability to hammer the baseball is rare for someone his size. The violence in his swing is a big factor in that ability which, in theory, could impact his ability to make contact during live ABs. Regardless, Castrataro has plenty of raw tools to develop further and is the type of athlete that schools like Hofstra should be looking to work with.
Out of the two Pennsylvania arms, Hansen showed the “louder” stuff but he also had more violence to the delivery. Hansen has good length and remaining projection at 6’3-205 with a strong, quick arm. The strikes were a bit scattered on this day, but Hansen displayed three quality offerings with a 91-93 MPH fastball, a slider between 78-80 MPH, and some decent. nascent feel for a changeup. Hansen is committed to Coastal Carolina, a school that has done a fantastic job developing players from the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions in recent years.
As with Dylan Hansen, Kross Howarth has the same kind of long, projectable build (6’4-205) that will fill up a jersey while providing teams with something to dream on. The Tulane commit has legitimate two-way ability with an ideal power bat/power arm skillset for the hot corner. There’s plenty to like as an offensive prospect, but I paid extra attention to him on the mound. I really liked how effortlessly he filled the zone with his deceptive delivery. He stays closed for an extended period of time with a crossfire delivery and a low ¾ arm slot. I think this opens up a lot of developmental and pitch-shaping opportunities with his fastball moving forward. His fastball had good sinking action at the bottom of the zone, but I could see the pitch acting as a “hybrid” fastball that induces grounders at a high rate but can also miss a healthy amount of bats. Logan Webb and Marcus Stroman are good examples of this. He sat in the 90-91 MPH range but has lived in the 90-93 MPH (t94) range multiple times, dating back to the summer. Howarth also flashed some really good sliders (79-82 MPH). There weren’t any batters, obviously, but I imagine that his best sliders would release from behind a right-handed hitter before sweeping across the zone to the outer edge of the plate. He also threw a curve (74-76), which traded some sweep for additional vertical action as well as a changeup at 84 MPH.
It can be a challenge for a pitcher to maintain a consistent release point with a delivery such as Howarth’s, but it clearly wasn’t an issue on this day. Howarth is going to get dinged in draft models because he’s already 19 and will be closer to 20 years old than 19 years old on draft day. But this is the type of arm I love to watch and track because there are outlier characteristics that could really “pop” if everything comes together. I hope to get a second look at Howarth this spring to see if he can do what he did in this pen over a full outing. If I don’t get the opportunity to see him myself, I know Pennsylvania-based evaluator Jake Bargery (who lives near Perkiomen) is ready to see him live during the high school season. Unfortunately, I didn’t get any video of Howarth on the mound, but you can check out some swings below.
Cespedes popped up this past summer/fall and is a big body (6’4-220) righty who sat in the 91-92 (t93) MPH range with a low 80s curveball and a mid-80s changeup. The mechanics need to be ironed out, but it’s a nice, short arm action from a high ¾ release with some deception. He’s raw as a pitcher, but I could see him taking off at Maryland. The size and ability to touch 94 mph with the fastball will draw scouts this spring.
Lollin was the most “complete” pitcher of the four mentioned in this section. He has a strong, filled-out frame at 6’1-210 that looks ready for the next level of competition. His stuff was noticeably firmer with a four-pitch mix highlighted by a fastball in the 91-94 MPH range. He also threw a sinking fastball with running action that he threw down and to his arm side in the 88-90 MPH range. The slider featured two-plane action at 79-82 MPH, which was tight at times, and he completed his repertoire with a promising changeup in the low-80s with fade. This was my first time seeing Lollin and he looked much better than I expected. He moved up my priority list for the spring following this brief outing. Stock up.
It’s been a hectic start to the season and while I racked up the flyer miles in February, March marked the start of conference play in North Carolina. Having some prior obligations taking center stage in life, this means that this Live Looks edition will be longer than most. I made stops at East Carolina, NC State, and Wake Forest/Duke to start off the month and there will be more ACC content as the month progresses.
As a disclaimer, I will see Duke two weeks in a row, so the players I selected for this piece will likely not be written up on the next piece. Players like Jonathan Santucci, who had a rough outing against Wake Forest, will be written up after the series against Clemson, but that will include notes from the Wake Forest series as a comparison to what I saw between the two outings.
