2025 MLB Draft Risers: Top prep hitters whose stock keeps rising

This past summer was the most significant summer so far for the 2025 prep class. It served as one of their last chances to play against elite competition, get in front of scouts, and raise their draft stock as the focus shifts to the 2025 draft that’ll take place next summer. Some late risers always rush on the scene during the spring high school seasons, but at this point, we do generally have a solid understanding of this prep class as a whole. Here, we’ll be looking at some prep hitters that caught my attention and cemented themselves as top-of-the-class players this past summer.

Carson Brumbaugh, MIF/RHP, Uncommitted

Brumbaugh played in minimal events this summer due to an injury, but he took full advantage of his time on the diamond. He has a strong 6’2” 190lb frame with noticeable strength already present in the lower half. There’s a lot going on with the swing with a medium leg kick and active hands, but this doesn’t stop him from consistently getting the barrel to the ball. He shows an excellent feel at the plate with impressive barrel dexterity that allows him to cover all parts of the zone and impact the baseball with authority to all parts of the field. He comfortably possesses an above-average hit tool with present average raw power that could blossom into an above-average tool. In the field, he showed rhythmic feet and soft hands, indicating that he could handle the six spot at the highest level. In the one event that he did play, he was recovering from an arm injury and only played second base, but there is very real arm strength present here as well, as he was running it up into the mid-90s on the mound prior to this injury. Brumbaugh is an absolute toolshed with present, innate feel for the barrel who should continue to rise up boards as the 2025 draft creeps closer.

Carson Brumbaugh (25 OK) smokes a single the other way. Really stays behind the ball well before exploding with the hands. #Elite #Vols commit @USAPrimeNat https://t.co/BgeVp50cwx pic.twitter.com/xA0EMF4l2h

— Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) July 19, 2024

Eric Hines, OF/3B, Alabama recruit

Hines burst onto the scene this summer, most notably when he hit a ball 114mph during batting practice (!!) at the Perfect Game National Showcase. Standing at a physically imposing 6’3” 210lbs, Hines possesses top-of-the-scale raw power that can go toe to toe with anyone in this 2025 prep class. In the box, he sets up with a fairly neutral stance and a minimal, repeatable load. He presents his back foot to be slightly open and keeps most of his weight over his backside throughout the swing. This shifts the spine angle as he rotates through to ball strike and allows for a bat path geared to loft the baseball consistently. On top of this, he has impressive hand strength that he uses to create some electric bat speed. He can run into a bit of trouble in the box when he stays on his back leg too long, as this causes the barrel and bat path to come through the hitting zone at an approach angle that is too steep. This can cause pop-ups, rollovers, and swing and miss which Hines showed issues with at times throughout the summer. But, the physical tools are simply too much to ignore here, and when his swing is on and “balanced”, very few players can impact the baseball in the fashion that Hines can. In the field, Hines profiles as a corner outfielder as he’s shown average speed and a decent arm that should continue to progress. There’s certainly a chance that he ends up at first base due to the frame, but if he can stick in the outfield, his value will only be that much higher for organizations next summer.

Eric Hines (‘25 AL) gets into this ball driving it on a line through the LCF gap for a RBI 2B. @PG_eepSouth #NatElite #RollTide commit pic.twitter.com/3jPHrXjgK5

— Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) July 9, 2024

Omar Serna, C/CIF, LSU recruit

Next up in a long line of high-level catching prospects to commit to Jay Johnson’s Tigers, Serna offers an elite set of tools on both sides of the ball. He put on an excellent performance at the Area Code games towards the end of the summer, going 4-9 with two home runs, a double, and a triple in gameplay. Serna utilizes his lower half well in the box, sinking into it as he begins his forward move. He uses a medium leg kick as a timing mechanism, and when everything is synched up, the swing is a thing of beauty. However, he can occasionally run into timing issues, especially against spin, when he gets his front foot down too early. This impacts the fluidity of the swing at times, but he has strong enough hands and enough bat speed to get off a competitive swing still when he is not on time. The bat path is geared for loft, and he has no issue getting the ball in the air with authority and consistency. Behind the plate, Serna has outlier athleticism and arm strength which give him, potentially, the best catch and throw skills in the 25 class of catchers. He’s shown the ability to handle high-level arms with solid receiving and blocking throughout the summer circuit. For me, this is a power over hit catcher that will provide plenty of value behind the plate defensively.

2025 C Omar Serna @_omarserna26 | @_LSABaseball

Headed down to Houston last night to watch the Dodgers Scout Team. Serna was impressive in the box all night. Had a couple hits including a loud 2B to LC. Easy power from the @LSUbaseball recruit and it plays in game. #mlbdraft… pic.twitter.com/5mIUNV53Ec

— Brandon Gowins (@PBRGowins) September 18, 2024

Ty Peeples, OF, UGA Recruit

In my opinion, Peeples is the best left-handed swing in the class. It’s a similar swing to that of Xavier Neyens, but much more controlled throughout. This summer, he showed an excellent ability to control the strike zone and not expand. Couple that with his propensity for getting his best swing off, and you have an extremely dangerous hitter with a high ceiling. He sets up in a reasonably neutral, taller stance before going into a medium leg kick as he begins his load. Peeples does a great job of controlling his forward move throughout the swing, which allows him to consistently get his best swing off and put the ball in play in the air. He showed above-average bat speed on the summer circuit with advanced hit and power tools to boot. It’s a enticing offensive skillset that should continue to get scouts’ attention as we work through the fall and spring. In the outfield, Peeples has solid speed and average arm strength. It’s a prototypical corner outfield profile, and as he continues to fill out his slim 6’2” 185lb frame, the arm strength and power outputs should keep improving.

Ty Peeples (‘25 GA)- with a double to deep LCF from the #GoDawgs commit. Nice flowing swing from No. 1 ranked player in the GA class. #WWBA pic.twitter.com/haOyofCehy

— Perfect Game Georgia (@PG_Georgia) June 16, 2024

On The Clock: Interview with 2025 MLB Draft Prospect Ike Irish

In this episode of On the Clock, Jared and Tyler interview Ike Irish, a standout player from Auburn Tigers baseball and a top 2025 MLB Draft prospect. Ike shares his journey from middle school to playing for Auburn, starting with his days on the Motor City Hit Dogs, a travel team full of talent. His amateur career saw him visiting colleges early on, but it wasn’t until he found his way to Auburn that he truly felt at home. He speaks fondly of his time at Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, a Michigan prep school where he honed his skills alongside future Division I players, which he believes set him up for success at the collegiate level.

Ike talks about the ups and downs of his freshman year at Auburn, from battling mono to finding his stride at the plate. His summer playing in the Cape Cod League helped refine his game, particularly focusing on hitting the ball to the pull side and adjusting his stance. Ike also opens up about overcoming injuries, including a wrist issue that plagued him during his sophomore season, and how he worked through those challenges with the support of his coaches and teammates.

In the end, we shift to his outlook on the future; Ike emphasizes his desire to improve defensively, particularly in receiving low pitches as a catcher, and his goal to steal more bases. Reflecting on his development, he expresses gratitude for the Auburn coaching staff, noting how much they’ve contributed to his growth. We conclude with fun rapid-fire questions, where Ike talks about his favorite home run, his walk-up song choices, and his love for bowling and golfing as ways to decompress from the intensity of baseball.

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/2025-mlb-draft-c-ike-irish-auburn-tigers/id1733326436?i=1000670596056

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/68tlVfrC7yIr1x0IW43H2d?si=qfMiuNLfR_y1xI4em0lYDQ

2024 DSL Top 50 Prospects Age 17 and Under

Juicy back here with my yearly top 50 DSL performers age 17 and under. Easily my favorite piece I do each year and the one where I learn the most from start to finish. Very interesting crop this year and the far less obvious rankings at the top than usual. Much more open-ended performances. Important to note, this list Is ranked by subjective performance metrics, not in order of prospect status. I hope you enjoy.

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Below are the first 5 of Juicy Jensen’s DSL Top 50 Prospects Age 18 and Under. The rest of the top 50 is on our Patreon under the $5 /mo tier called “The 55”. We know you’ll enjoy it more than a $5 cup of coffee. Thank you for supporting the site and our writers who are compensated for their work.

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1. Rainiel Rodriguez, C, Cardinals

5’10 200 R/R DR

I don’t think there’s any real question who the top performer amongst sub 18-year-olds in the DSL was this year. Rodriguez was an absolute monster with underlying stats even more impressive. Signed for $300,000 out of the DR (but spending a big chunk of his life in Pennsylvania) Rodriguez looks like an absolute steal. It’s a plus approach with good feel for the zone, but he is more of a fastball hunter right now and he will need to prove himself against quality spin still. As such, what looks like a plus hit tool from a metrics standpoint grades out closer to average for me with some risk. Power is no risk. Rodriguez reportedly hit a ball 475 feet in a game this year and consistently produced monster Ev numbers. It’s easy plus power potential and he gets the ball in the air at a truly elite rate, results in 10 HR and 25 XBH in just 142 AB. Bonkers. It’s just overwhelmingly consistent hard contact. Rodriguez is not fast and won’t be getting faster. The body is a bit husky and he will have to work hard to maintain a healthy weight and composition. It’s a C or 1B profile. Defensively, Rodriguez is a bit raw but with a very strong arm. While I have my concerns about the Cardinals current hitting dev, their defensive catcher development is up there with the best and I’m bullish on his ability to stick behind the plate. There’s a chance for an average hit, plus power that perhaps even plays up in game catcher who can hit 25-30 HR a year. That’ll play. I view Rodriguez very similar to how I viewed Phillies prospect Eduardo Tait last year and there’s a case to be made that Rodriguez is further along. High risk profile, but IMO this was the best player in the DSL and a prospect who should very much be on fantasy and real life radars, albeit not the top pure prospect of this list. 

2. Luis Pena, SS, Brewers

5’11 185 R/R DR

Signed for $800,000 Pena has a case for the best prospect on the best team in the DSL this year. When watching Pena, the twitch and explosion immediately stand out. Pena has big time bat speed, big time foot speed, natural instincts and a cannon for an arm. Pena has a solid 5’11 frame that looks capable of holding 200-205 pounds of good weight at maturity. At the plate, it’s more of an old-school, contact/LD oriented bat path with major hip and wrist explosion that leads to plus bat speed. In terms of pure bat-to-ball skills, Pena is up there with anyone in the class. He catches up to velo in all quadrants and picks up spin well, and the swing has barrel adjustability and he uses his slightly smaller frame to limit the length while swinging hard. It’s 70 grade contact potential safely, but the approach is more raw. Pena comes up looking to hit and looking to swing. He gets away with it due to the pure contact skills and had a miniscule K rate, but there were glimpses of soft contact due to swinging and connecting with pitches out of the zone and he will have to learn more discipline to reach his ceiling. There’s plus raw power here in the frame and bat speed and despite the bat path, Pena has managed to get the ball airborne with consistency, albeit with more pop up type contact than I’d like. As a runner, Pena has the more functional to baseball short stride movements like an NFL RB that let’s his speed play up on the bases and on the infield. This is a player who could genuinely steal 30+ bases a year. Defensively, Pena is a bit raw but shows plus actions at SS and a high defensive ceiling. He has a plus or better arm and with his speed, a fallback of CF feels safe. Overall Pena has drawn comps to a young Javier Baez, which is fair but right now, he looks more like the prime, Cubs era Javy and I think there is super star upside here that rivals any player on this list. It is worth noting that Pena dealt with injuries that sapped his stats to end the year and players as twitched up as this often deal with a heavier dose of injury risk. This could be the case with Pena. There’s also risk that Pena’s natural abilities will allow him to get away with and develop bad habits that don’t show up until the upper levels, which could slow development and lead to some hiccups at times. All of that said, Pena has the potential to become a true 5 tool player if his approach ticks up and 60 hit, 60 power, 70 run and a 70 arm at SS or CF is within the realm of realistic possibility. That would be a genuine super star, but it’s worth noting he comes with a hefty dose of risk. For now, Pena projects most as a higher ceiling version of recents Nats first round pick Seaver King. I really like this player and am in on him, despite him being a profile I generally avoid. Immense ceiling. 

3. Santiago Camacho, C, Giants

5’11 175 S/R VZ

It’s hard to have much of a better season than this. Camacho may not have the raw tools of some of the other players at the top of this list, but he is as polished as they come. Camacho, who signed for $277,500 out of Venezuela has clean swing mechanics from both sides and a nice blend of contact and damage. It’s a gap shooting approach at the plate, but Camacho has flashed average raw power with the ability to lift and square up the ball with consistency, leading to 14 XBH in just 102 AB. More than just pop, Camacho’s swing mechanics stand out. It’s a clean, wrist and hips geared swing with a clean path and feel for the barrel with a high adjustability ceiling. Pair that with plus swing decisions and an extreme lack of soft contact and you have the ingredients for a plus hit tool. Behind the plate, Camacho is a polished receiver but has fringey arm strength. Camacho is a pretty good athlete by teen catcher standards and while he won’t be a speed demon, won’t clog the bases either. Overall, Camacho is probably the second best catching prospect in the class for me right now, with a chance for a plus hit tool, average game power and a chance to stick behind the plate. That’s a recipe for a top 100 prospect and valuable player down the line, but as always, I’d exercise caution with teen catchers, especially ones that lack standout power. 

4. Jesus Made, SS, Brewers

6’2 200 S/R DR

Sans Leo De Vries, Made is likely the consensus number one prospect in this INT class at the moment, with a potential genuine five tool skillset, some pedigree and exceptional performance. Made has a big and athletic 6’2 frame with twitchy actions. A switch-hitter, Made has easy plus bat speed from both sides and a slightly upper-cut bat path from both sides of the plate. Made has a bit of a noisy set up with some moving parts and I do worry a bit about how well he will handle better pitching. I do expect the soft contact and swing and miss to tick up a bit, but luckily Made makes very good swing decisions and has thus far mitigated swing and miss, so he can afford that slight uptick. There’s plus raw power potential and while he does make some soft contact, he evens it out with a high rate of hard contact in game. A plus runner now, Made will likely slow down just a tick as he fills out his big 6’2 frame but should stay above average in his early to mid 20’s. There’s an outside chance Made sticks at SS, although 3B or OF feels a bit more likely given the frame and somewhat raw actions at SS. 3B in particular makes sense as Made’s best tool is likely his arm. Overall, I could see Made winding up a 40 hit, 60 pop, 55 run bat with an above average approach and plus defensive at 3B with a genuine 70 arm. It’s star upside, but I tend to be a bit more wait-and-see with the hit tool than many. Made might be a top 100 prospect now, but if he can continue to perform like this, he could skyrocket up that list.

5. Emil Morales, SS, Dodgers

6’4 195 R/R DR

While technically born in Spain, Morales trained in the DR and signed for $1,897,500 as the Dodgers top signing in the 2024 class. Coming into the year, Morales received easily the most rave reviews of any prospect outside of De Vries in the class. He started the season slowly, but when he started to acclimate…he went OFF! Morales has some swing and miss in his 6’4 long-levered frame, but the power here is absurd. It’s easily a 70-grade power projection and could be plus raw now. He pairs that with the ability to put everything in the air and he makes for a very scary at bat. I think he will wind up closer to a 40-45 hitter than initially expected, but that’s more than fine when paired with 70 grade in-game power. Defensively, Morales isn’t a SS and is more likely a 3B/RF projection. At the end of the day, I realistically expect Morales to become the next Coby Mayo…and I love Coby Mayo. Very good prospect and perhaps the Dodgers best INT signing in recent memory. 

Switz Report: Recap 2024 Cape Cod "Top Performers" Heading into the 2025 Draft

As promised in my last article, I come back this week to deliver some of the top performers that were seen on the Cape this year. To clear any confusion that may develop, some of the guys that you see below I would even classify as dudes that could’ve been in the last article of the best dudes and talent overall in the league like Aiva Arquette and vice versa as many of guys in the last article were the headliners and statistical leaders of the summer. 

Nonetheless, the dudes last time around are guys that I feel very confident that they will end up getting their name called on the first day and have little risk of falling out of the first round and CB-A unless drastic measures occur. This week, there are guys that caught fire this year in some capacity and really turned it on where they could develop the rumblings of being drafted early. 

As mentioned in last week’s article, the pitching on the Cape this year was underwhelming, and thus again, this week we are shut out with arms that really grabbed attention. I will highlight some of the pitchers who did well and have some early draft upside on a later day. However, the position players again take the prize of being recognized this week and I’m excited to highlight a backstop that has garnered attention during the 2024 baseball calendar (When given the opportunity to highlight catcher’s I love to give that attention as many get overlooked for the flashy web-gem play’s and flamethrowing arms in the sport.). 

Below are five dudes that I saw on the Cape that developed some breakout performances and numbers over the summer where they proved they belong to be mentioned with the top college dudes eligible in next year's draft. Many of these guys showed some struggles or absences sometime during their first two seasons of college baseball but developed helium strides with a good 2024 college season and Cape this summer. 

| INF Aiva Arquette | Oregon St. | Draft Eligible: 2025 |

Cape Numbers: .291/.357/.437 (.794), 4 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 21 RBI, 15 R, 2 SB, 8 BB, 28 K (23.9%)

In his first at-bat since being named a CCBL All-Star, Aiva Arquette crushes a ball deep to right center field, skipping over the wall for a ground rule double.

🎙️@AndrewSelover pic.twitter.com/3lk0emNDe6

— Chatham Anglers (@ChathamAnglers) July 20, 2024

Switz’s Notes: Last time before publishing the first Cape article, I went back and forth if I wanted to add Arquette. However, I wanted to keep a five-prospect structure to my article series and omitted him. Nevertheless, he easily could've been added to the "Best of the Best" as he grabbed the eyes of anyone who attended Chatham games over the summer, from his 6 '4 size at short to his ability to make an impact on nearly every play, which led to an easy All-Star selection in the middle of July that was rightfully deserved.

When evaluating draft prospects and heading into each July, I love it when the industry has the ability to highlight an individual coming out of the island(s) of Hawaii as they rightly deserve more recognition and a spotlight that doesn't come their way. This is the same case for a guy like Arquette, who came off the island as a toolsy prospect and now is making a name for himself on the West Coast after a robust performance this summer that grabbed the attention of all college baseball and headlined many transfer portal big boards. This ushers him with the ability and potential argument to be the best college position player in next year's draft and even the highest Hawaiian ever drafted during the annual Rule 4 Draft in MLB history.

Arquette manned the middle of the order during his tenure with Washington before jumping to Oregon State and played second base for the Huskies. While he excelled up the middle at second, over the summer, he proved that moving forward he should be on the left side of the dirt as he was one of the best defensive shortstops seen by scouts over the summer on the Cape. Many scouts, evaluators, and talking baseball heads on the internet go back and forth with where Arquette’s long-term position is at the pro level: whether he stays at short or moves over to third base to match his lengthy size and arm strength. Which I do agree that either third base or even right field would match his profile better. However, he showed me enough over the summer that he could play shortstop and would take an elite SS defender to move him off the position for me to relocate him on the diamond. 

When seeing these talks about Arquette moving to the corner or even the outfield, it gives me flashback vibes when they told Carlos Correa coming out of high school and even Troy Tulowitzki coming out of Long Beach that due to the length at the six-hole, they would not be able to play shortstop at the next level. However, even as tall players for the position, they showed their athleticism and defensive prowess to stay up the middle at shortstop and evolve into a cornerstone franchise player at the premium position, a pattern Arquette could follow.

Aiva Arquette backhands a sizzling ground ball and delivers a jump throw from the outfield grass to end the top of the third inning.

🎙️@AndrewSelover pic.twitter.com/5VmiPhtyfI

— Chatham Anglers (@ChathamAnglers) July 27, 2024

Outside of displaying his abilities on the dirt, Arquette also balled out with the bat and showed that he can impact the game in many ways regardless of how the coach constructs their lineup by exhibiting RBI producer traits and XBHs at the dish (In 22 games generated 45 total bases and 21 RBIs which was T12 in the league). Further, a standout tool that sells me on Arquette for the next level is a data drop highlighted and outlined by former Prospects Live Analyst Joe Doyle below of Aiva's ability to hit the ball hard in the zone consistently within the same past precedence as many top draft selections and prospects have. This trait of Arquette's was very apparent on the Cape, and he further displayed a unique skill from over the spring: hardly chasing and whiffing in the zone. In my opinion, these traits are substantial reasons for the helium that you will see out of Arquette in the next calendar year going into the 2025 draft. If he has a monster 2025 where he can consistently lift the ball more and see further development within his raw pop, he can become a top 10 selection in July. 

As we look forward toward the 2025 Draft, here are three hitters who excel at hitting the ball a lot and hitting the ball hard a LOT. Usually a very good predictor of Draft value.@AivaArquette @_henryford_9 @TrePhelps1 pic.twitter.com/6S6MfY8CjM

— Joe Doyle (@JoeDoyleMiLB) August 26, 2024

Additionally, Arquette has a true gift on the diamond and plays the game uniquely, so it is hard to give him a true MLB comp. He plays very lanky and athletic, which makes me want to compare him to the Cruz's in the NL Central; however, they are true unicorns of the game with far better tools and athleticism than Arquette. At times, he gives Brandon Crawford-like vibes at SS, with his defense standing out, but I believe Arquette's power potential and offensive production will surpass Crawford when he truly develops on his raw power. So, for the readers, the best MLB comp I can give Arquette that I have thought of is him developing into a Troy Tulowizki-like dude, as I mentioned multiple times in my report. Two dudes that coming out of the draft, have an MLB-ready body and have all the tools that will be close to big league-ready when drafted (Tulo came up 14 months after he was drafted, and I can see Arquette following the same path if he has a monster spring as everything seems to come to him quickly within the game of baseball). Both are good defenders with a sound internal clock and the game doesn't get too fast for them. However, despite their good athleticism on the dirt and strong arm, they will likely be labeled offensive SS at the next level due to their RBI production and HR potential. 

Aiva Arquette with a leadoff single to start the second for the Chatham Anglers. Aggressive approach at the plate, jumped on the first FB he saw and good extension through the swing @ChathamAnglers @UW_Baseball #PGCape pic.twitter.com/QRK0soedrr

— PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) June 25, 2024

Overall, the Hawaiian sold me on the product he is selling, which has upside bat-to-ball skills with all field contact, emerging robust pop, and defense/athleticism to stay at the premium six on the diamond. Not to sound like a true homer on the guy, but he is currently number one on my preferred list and 2025 draft big board going into fall ball and displays to me potential five-tool and annual All-Star upside. The sky's the limit for this dude and going into a draft where there seems to be lots of swing-and-miss in many draft profiles, I would bet on his in-zone contact, bat-to-ball skills, and athleticism over anyone else if I were an amateur scouting director. He should be an exciting draft prospect for the 2025 draft for us to watch next spring and follow moving forward. 

| OF/INF RJ Austin | Vanderbilt | Draft Eligible: 2025 |

Cape Numbers: .321/.361/.536 (.896), 6 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 10 R, 6 SB, 3 BB, 12 K (19.3%)

*Played in only 15 contests

Sneak Peek👀 @RjAustin14 HR! pic.twitter.com/l0xD6P0xcV

— Summerball: Cape Cod (@summerballtv) July 16, 2024

RJ Austin (@VandyBoys) ROBS a home run ❌❌

🎙️: @lukewestpoley pic.twitter.com/PcGT1sk23v

— Y-D Red Sox (@YD_RedSox) July 20, 2024

Switz’s Notes: Austin was a late arrival on the Cape this summer after starting his summer campaign with Team USA in Cary. However, the former big-time prep star who passed on the opportunity of getting his name called in 2022 to go to Vandy made some noise over the summer by showing his athleticism more than the first base landlock that he was given over the spring and further displaying more soundness in his bat by hitting over .300, spraying hard contact everywhere. Anyone who watches Austin play sees the tools and high baseball IQ upside that he brings to the table for a pro team if selected. During the summer, Austin even showed some of his developing pop in his game with triple-digit EVs for XBHs. He even exhibited pull-side power to touch all the bases periodically in the summer without needing the turbo footspeed he provides. After back-to-back years on the Cape, exhibiting quality results with the wood, further indicates that outside of getting one of the best athletes in the draft, he has a quality hit tool that appears to get discounted at times. Austin further proved outside chatter wrong on the substantial question mark he had coming out of high school regarding his hitting/contact abilities. 

RJ Austin is such a dynamic player, has carried a strong spring at @VandyBoys over to the summer for @YD_RedSox, standout athlete, 5-tool upside, obvious bat + foot speed, premium 2025 #MLBDraft prospect

Watch him turn on the jets after ripping this ball down the LF line ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/wiqA2YJ0At

— Patrick Ebert (@PatrickEbert44) July 16, 2024

In the box, since coming to Vandy, he has changed his approach and has consistently tinkered with many things during ABs. The first thing that usually stands out within Austin is that he added more uphillness in his swing to tap into more XBH and HR pop. He’s also shuffled around, incorporating bigger leg kicks for better timing, lowering his hands, being a little more open, taking bigger strides, etc. He has shown the desire to improve his game and become the best version of himself at the plate possible and uses his time on the Cape to practice these in live AB settings. Seeing these things come together matched with his player profile and work ethic; this clicked the idea in my head of his player comp being similar to Ketel Marte (I know he is a switch-hitter; however, he didn’t hit double-digit HRs until he made changes to his swings) as he was a dude that went down the same path of a toolsy athlete, always looking to hit, and flashes the leather on occasion that makes being on the field for defense look easy. However, to be a more desirable and well-rounded ballplayer, they needed to tap more into their pop and produce HRs, which Marte did and has become a cornerstone player for Arizona. 

“THIS IS DRILLED” 🧨🧨

RJ Austin (@VandyBoys) with a HOME RUN

Score after the first inning:
Y-D: 1
Cotuit: 1

🎙️: @lukewestpoley pic.twitter.com/E4wwlTBJFB

— Y-D Red Sox (@YD_RedSox) July 15, 2024

Many of you may be asking and reading all this word salad, "ok why are you bringing this up?". I bring this to the limelight because after watching RJ's game over the summer and getting an eye on his metrics, it seems like Austin is getting towards the end of the road with his tinkering needed to be able to produce the necessary pop that Marte needed to break out at a young age as Austin is learning to simplify it down more at the plate, trust his core rotation, and getting more out of his energy from his back hip to drive the baseball deeper than before. With everything that Austin has worked on over the last two years with the Red Sox on the Cape and back in Nashville, and to quote that annoying Costco guy from TikTok, I think we are going to see either a big "boom or doom" season for Austin in a similar light as Mike Sirtoa in the 2023-2024 calendar where it is a strong contact numbers hitter with toolsy traits and athleticism that is trying to maximize themselves as a ballplayer for the next level by tinkering at the plate to see if they can summon more pop and HR production into their game. For Sirota, it didn't work out during the spring before the draft, and he fell from a potential top-15 player in the draft to the third round. I like Austin's chances a lot more than Sirota's due to his metrics and mechanics at the plate, which align more for the long ball than Sirota's, as he displayed more line drive pop than uphill-ness for the long ball. 

THE RJ AUSTIN SHOW 🧨

Austin (@VandyBoys) with a HOME RUN to tie up the game in the bottom of the seventh.

Y-D: 7
Falmouth: 7

🎙️: @benstrobermedia pic.twitter.com/ht6sTrl5Y6

— Y-D Red Sox (@YD_RedSox) July 20, 2024

Overall, going into this spring and next year's draft, Austin is going to be a violent, high-risk, and high-reward prospect that is hard for anyone to project for July. Since he was an HS prospect, Austin has always had the speed, athleticism, competitive instinct, and makeup for the next level. However, it was always about projecting what the hit tool and future value of the bat can provide. For Austin, after two years in college and on the Cape, it can be shown that he has the contact tool for the next level and the ingredients to be an everyday start for the pro level. However, the ability to tap into his HR pop within his elevation approach will be a deciding factor for his longevity in professional baseball. A strong spring that shows the pop that I expect should place him somewhere within that first round with college arms, last-minute helium guys, and the HS crop possibly passing him up. If he produces a season where the pop isn't made and doesn't align with the hard contact displayed over the 2024 calendar year, then a fall into early day two is possible like it did for Mike Sirota. Regardless of how the pop plays out, Austin has substantial contact tools for the next level and should hold his own even during this launch angle era baseball is currently in. 

| 3B Trent Caraway | Oregon St. | Draft Eligible: 2025 |

Cape Numbers: .276/.362/.449 (.811), 5 2B, 4 HR, 21 RBI, 17 R, 5 SB, 13 BB, 21 K (18.1%)

CARAWAY CRUISER🔥 for a solo HR🙌

T3 | FAL 5 - WAR 3 #rolldores @TrentCaraway @BeaverBaseball pic.twitter.com/OwwUndEgKr

— Falmouth Commodores (@FalCommodores) August 4, 2024

Switz’s Notes: Another Beaver from Oregon St makes this list of top performers from the summer on the Cape. Rewinding to the 2023 season, Caraway was one of the big surprises from that prep class who decided to take his talents to college over being selected in the draft (even with his mature athletic traits and advances in the box). He was a prospect and incoming freshman that many in the Pac-12 were excited to see play over the spring; however, his season was shortened to 18 games due to an injury with a broken finger. During his time over the spring and summer, he showed flashes with the bat by consistently producing hard contact and video game-like exit velocities. However, the ability to deliver these hard contact hits into HRs and XBHs is where he needs to pick up his game with little results so far and show more production versus movement outside of having the ability to bang FBs all over the park when pitched middle-middle. A consistent issue seen over his time on the Cape was him falling into being a victim of GDP (ground into double plays) due to his undesirable knack of hitting ground balls and not getting enough loft on the ball when hitting spin (an issue that carried over from the spring into his time with Falmouth).

Due to these tendencies, many teams picked this up in their advanced scouting reports in the league and started to pitch more spin and movement when he was at the dish down the stretch this summer. Even returning to his short stint in the spring, he produced a nasty 53% groundball rate. Over the summer, I believe he toiled on this issue and emphasized ironing out these issues seen in spring 2024 and minimizing them going into spring 2025 by displaying more line drive contact later on the Cape season. The issue I would like to see more from him in the spring is the ability to hit spin and give the Beaver fans what they want and for him to be productive. 

Trent Caraway with an RBI single to open scoring!😎

T1 | FAL 1 - WAR 0 #rolldores @TrentCaraway @BeaverBaseball pic.twitter.com/AzMlMmIIG0

— Falmouth Commodores (@FalCommodores) August 4, 2024

Regardless, I believe he has the tools and ability to turn all this around and take his rough 2024 baseball campaign and flip it 180 degrees in 2025, as before the injury struck him, he was a force to be reckoned with at the plate and was a front runner to be Freshman of the Year in his conference. Further, I see him getting some minor stuff worked out in the box where he can tap into the power for production more often and become a powerful home run hitter. He has smooth and fluid operation in the box, which I love in his game, and he has very polished movements and mechanics.

Liftoff for Trent Caraway with this two run 💣. Shows effortless pop off the barrel to send this HR deep to left and continues to flash some of the biggest power on the Cape @FalCommodores @BeaverBaseball #PGCape pic.twitter.com/cBx42q3YA2

— PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) July 17, 2024

On the defensive side of the ball, he did show some struggles with Falmouth on the left side of the dirt, which even led to the point that he got benched for a game for his mistakes. At the pro level and the end of the road for Caraway, I think teams will have him match the power profile he delivers and move to 1st base with him putting more emphasis and energy into his offensive side of the ball. With him being a former high school prospect who was highly desired coming out of school, I think the floor is high for him going into the draft. A good season at the dish could skyrocket him into the first half of Day 1. However, I do not see him falling out of the top 50 - 60 unless some significant red flags or college influence motivates him to stay (cough….cough…NIL). A healthy Caraway next spring should be an exciting show to watch, and I believe that with the potent lineup that the Beavers will have, he should be able to carve a significant role at the plate with many RBI-producing opportunities and be a highly talked-about name in scouting circles. 

| OF Brandon Compton | Arizona St. | Draft Eligible: 2025 |

Cape Numbers: .331/.414/.489 (.903), 3 2B, 6 HR, 30 RBI, 26 R, 2 SB, 21 BB, 26K (16.6%)

Sweetness pic.twitter.com/APjYwZNprr

— Cotuit Kettleers (@CotuitKettleers) July 23, 2024

Switz’s Notes: If you ask who took the opportunity to grab the "brass rings" during the 2023 - 2024 college baseball calendar, many would answer Charlie Condon, Hagen Smith; some might answer Braden Montgomery or even Christian Moore. However, I would answer with Brandon Compton!

Compton was an under-the-radar two-way prospect who worked his way to Tempe over the summer of 2022 with the Sun Devils coaching staff with big expectations for him even with being ranked outside of the top 300 on PBR and not even given a grade on Perfect game as the coaching staff saw something in his game. Compton missed his true freshman season in 2023 after undergoing Tommy John Surgery, which regulated him to being a bat-only profile. Thus, he came back into the fold for the Sun Devils in the last year of the traditional Pac-12 conference and blew the doors off the competition at the dish, leading him to take the Pac-12 Conference Freshman of the Year award as a redshirt. After a strong spring for ASU, he continued his monster 2024 campaign by being a consistent offensive key for the Kettleers this summer, producing an impressive slash line of .331/.414/.489  and creating his own spotlight within the Cotuit lineup with eventual first-round talent Devin Taylor. Compton did have the opportunity last summer to get some reps within the Northwoods League. There, he first displayed that his bat isn't a joke with the wood by hammering .320/.423/.563 with 21 long balls and 71 RBIs (maybe one of the best productive seasons you may ever find from a college summer ball player). 

Brandon Compton sends one STRAIGHT OUTTA HERE

The @ASU_Baseball star gets us back in the game

EV: 102 mph
📏 415 ft

Bot 8
Y-D 9
Cotuit 6#HeyCotuit pic.twitter.com/jDdcXQNdC0

— Cotuit Kettleers (@CotuitKettleers) June 18, 2024

However, even with the impressive resume in the last calendar year, during his time on the Cape, and even going into next spring, Compton has some stuff to clean up offensively to remain a coveted prospect and continue the hype he has created in his 2024 breakout. First, he strikes out way too much (near a 25% clip) and needs to get that down (as most of his K's come from whiffs and chase on movement/offspeed). On the Cape, he helped himself by only striking out 16.5% in a small summer sample size, but he still has that chip on his shoulder from scouts that he needs to prove more versus movement. Which I get from a scout's perspective that with Compton only really providing an offensive profile with him being an underwhelming defender; they really need to make sure (some would add the pun and say "hit it out of the park") that the offensive profile will play for the next level. Next, having the ability to draw walks is a key ability that Compton needs to improve on after producing a BB rate of 10.8% last spring and roughly 13.3% on the Cape. When you go back and look at some of the best hitters coming out of college and getting selected early on Day 1 of the draft, most, if not all, have the ability to draw walks; a surge in this department next spring will boost his stock and value for next July. 

Brandon Compton launches a 2R HR to right field. Strong and smooth swing and showing tons of easy power in his game. @CotuitKettleers @ASU_Baseball #PGCape pic.twitter.com/p5YQ2EjIeg

— PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) August 10, 2024

Over on Baseball America, former Prospects Live analyst and founder Geoff Pontes made a great comparison between Brandon Compton and recent first-round draft pick James Tibbs III, which is a great comp to have on the Sun Devil prospect currently. Many evaluators and scouts projected Tibbs mainly as an offensive profile player in college. Similarly, he had below-average defense, some swing-and-miss within his younger years (needed to lower his K%), and needed to display a boost in his walk rates to get his respectable draft stock up. 

You can put it on the boooooooard… Yes!

Brandon Compton (@ASU_Baseball) absolutely turns on a breaking ball to put us in the run column.

EV: 95 mph
📏 409 ft

Bot 3
Bourne 7
Cotuit 1 pic.twitter.com/2roiF6xdvi

— Cotuit Kettleers (@CotuitKettleers) August 4, 2024

Thus, going into his draft-eligible season, Tibbs went to work. During his junior year at FSU and during his time within the Cape for Brewster the summer prior, he continued to impress with his contact tools and loud power potential, and it showed statistically. Coming off his freshman season into his upperclass years, he steadily climbed in home runs, WRC+, OPS, and batting average to finish his three-year college career. Tibbs ended college, lowering his K% to roughly 10% and boosting a respectable 18% BB rate to be selected in the first round. 

Brandon Compton continues to show great speed through the swing here, lines another one up for a single and stays inside it well @CotuitKettleers @ASU_Baseball #PGCape pic.twitter.com/ebGNSJDvPl

— PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) August 4, 2024

Granted, Tibbs did this in three years at FSU, and Compton just came off his first year of college ball healthy. However, for Compton to garner that first-round status that Tibbs achieved going into his first draft-eligible college season, he will need to build off his freshman year and grow/develop further as a hitter Tibbs did. The helium is there for Compton, who is no longer in the shadows as an unknown hitter. The attention is now on him, and if he wants to get his name called on Day 1 next July, he will need to iron out his weakness and provide a substantial offensive performance next spring. As of right now, I like him within the latter half of the top 100 prospects when you factor in the HS dudes and I presently see him as an early day two prospect within the second or third round (picks if selected, may be too tempting for him to pass regarding the offered pool even with another two years of eligibility remaining).

| C Easton Carmichael | Oklahoma | Draft Eligible: 2025 |

Cape Numbers: .299/.372/.496 (.868), 10 2B, 5 HR, 23 RBI, 22 R, 6 SB,13 BB, 26K (17.8%)

Starting off strong 🔥🔥

Easton Carmichael (@OU_Baseball) with a 3-run home run to start off tonight’s game at Veteran’s Field.

Y-D: 3
Chatham: 0

🎥: @ChathamAnglers pic.twitter.com/AmxzG0oyY1

— Y-D Red Sox (@YD_RedSox) July 26, 2024

Switz’s Notes:  An emerging offensive star out of Oklahoma who bears a keen eye and impressive ability to make contact to all fields at the plate. Carmichael carried that success from back-to-back springs in the Big-12 onto the Cape this summer and continued to display his bat-to-ball skills in front of MLB scouts. I believe the bat can play for the next level, and it is the best tool at his disposal. It should translate to solid contact and batting average production in the pros. He’s improved as a hitter every spring by lowering his K% and gradually improving the free passes. The Cape gave him a different feel and level of competition this summer, yet he held his own. However, there really isn’t any future value regarding the power and home run department in his profile, which hurts him in many phases of the game (especially with him making a possible move to 1st base) and looks to be more of a hard contact doubles hitter that could sneak some pop over the wall in smaller ballparks. Advanced metrics and analytical teams that value ballpark factors in their amateur evaluation and roster construction process may roll the dice of putting him in the lineup and trusting he can muster the pop needed for run production (similar to how the Reds implemented Kyle Farmer in their infielder with his hard contact abilities and RBI producing upside. An example I used in my report of giving him a Kyle Farmer power comp.). 

Easton Carmichael with the first of his two doubles this evening. The sophomore, playing DH for the Y-D Red Sox tonight, keeps his hands inside this down and in pitch and shows off his powerful swing to send this ball deep to CF for two bases @YD_RedSox @OU_Baseball #PGCape pic.twitter.com/oD2KAIzb74

— PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) June 21, 2024

5. Easton Carmichael@3aston_11 @OU_Baseball @YD_RedSox pic.twitter.com/FyV7koS7Q2

— Quinn Booth (@QuinnmBooth) August 26, 2024

That said, Carmichael needs to make further strides behind the dish to become a better catcher for the next level and match his bat profile. When watching Carmichael, he is proficient at the advanced traits and skills behind the dish teams desire (framing and blocking) and shows some strain in the fundamental level tasks (arm strength and receiving). I do believe there's time for him to be able to fix these issues, as we have seen other household college catchers who have gone pro having the same issues (Ex. Zach Collins, 1st round White Sox 2016). Thus, it gives me the feeling that if he goes to a team that has a strong player development and catching development program, he can develop into being a catcher at the major league level that had athletic traits but some warts in their game behind the dish like the example from my report of Lucroy, coming out of the draft and through development. 

EASTON CARMICHAEL (@OU_Baseball) WITH THE GAME-TYING HOME RUN IN THE BOTTOM OF THE NINTH ⚾️

🎙️: @benstrobermedia pic.twitter.com/Zs01jvWwDU

— Y-D Red Sox (@YD_RedSox) July 11, 2024

The only red flag in Carmichael's game going into the spring that worries me that he cannot control is where he is played when the lineup card is turned in and is a point of emphasis during fall ball that will control his destiny for the spring. Over the summer for YD, in most of the games I saw with Carmichael, he was either chicken scratched in at DH or first base for the Red Sox. Last spring, Oklahoma used him primarily as a DH in their lineup down the stretch (roughly 64% of contests in the 2024 spring) due to his inability to control the running game and weaker arm strength. If college and summer ball coaches are already emphasizing moving him off catcher for the next level, it doesn't give a good sign of confidence that scouts and minor league staff will give him a chance behind the dish. Nonetheless, suppose Carmichael takes the reins in fall ball to establish himself as "the catcher" for the Sooners in 2025. In that case, he has a decent shot at staying behind the dish for the early beginnings of his pro-level career (especially with this next year's catching class looking more top-heavy than depth). If Carmichael creates mystery, loses the battle, or creates platoon work behind the dish for 2025 and gets regulated back to DH/1B duties. Then, it wouldn't give strong signs for him going into next year's draft without some further power established in his game.

Next time I’ll have full reports and notes on some of the guys that grabbed my eye over the summer on the Cape that little are talking about.

Deep Drives: Devin Obee Commits to Georgia

While the summer transfer portal has closed, that doesn’t mean that the movement within the college landscape stops. On Tuesday, ex-Duke outfielder Devin Obee, who received significant draft interest this past summer, made his commitment to Wes Johnson’s Georgia squad, beefing up an already impressive transfer class for the second-year skipper.

With the news of the transfer now public, I felt it was a good time to try something a bit different. Since Obee was a guy that I saw on plenty of occasions this past spring, it only feels right to write about the player and how the profile will translate to the SEC. It may be a tough transition, but Obee is the kind of bat that can be a middle-of-the-order thumper for a team that just lost Charlie Condon and his BBCOR HR record to Colorado. So, what is the toolset like? What are the expectations in Athens, and what does Duke do to replace such a power threat in their lineup? Let’s dive in.

Devin Obee’s Profile

As mentioned in the introduction, Obee had substantial draft interest and turned down a significant sum of money to complete his degree and enter the portal in August. Obee was ranked 229th on our final Top 300 board that dropped just before the draft. He’s still eligible to play in the 2025 campaign as a result of this late entry, unlike situations like Wake Forest RHP Luke Schmolke, who couldn’t pitch in 2024 after a late transfer from Georgia Tech.

Overall, Obee is one of the more gifted athletes in the country. He’s a physical brute at 6’2, 215 pounds and features a ton of strength throughout his frame. Despite his size, Obee is an incredible athlete and figures to handle center field for the Bulldogs in 2025. Obee made plenty of highlight reel plays at the “eight” for the Blue Devils and features above-average speed and average or better defense. It’s not Vance Honeycutt good, but it’s enough for me to believe that he’ll be tough to push off the position if he enters a professional organization. His route-running is very solid and he’ll cover plenty of ground with that speed. Obee only committed one error and posted a .991 fielding percentage in 2024, giving him a track record of consistency at the position.

With that said, 2024 was his only full season in a starting role at Duke. Obee saw some meaningful playing time in his first two years on campus, playing in 87 total games, but he only recorded a total of 184 plate appearances. That changed in 2024, as he secured a starting role and began the year on an impressive hot streak, posting a .476 batting average in non-conference play. As the ACC slate began, Obee began to be exploited a bit by more impressive pitching, though he’d finish the year with a .309/.399/.599 slash line and sixteen home runs. During Duke’s run to the ACC title in Charlotte, Obee recorded three multi-hit games and three home runs, earning Tournament MVP honors in the process.

Obee’s swing is a bit grooved and stiff, which has led to contact concerns. Obee posted a contact rate of 68% in 2024, which is well below-average in comparison to the rest of college baseball (the average is 77.3%). Obee struggled a ton with both velocity and spin, recording a whiff rate of 27% on heaters and a rate of 40% on sliders alone. This led to his inflated strikeout numbers, as he recorded sixty punchouts this spring, though Obee kept his chase rate near the average clip for college baseball, posting a 22.5% chase rate in 2024 (the average is 23.4%). This kept his walk rate to a respectable clip on the season and while his speed wasn’t utilized a ton on the bases, scouts raved about the power in the swing.

In the clip above, you can see what helps Obee generate a ton of his power. He’s a violent rotator with tons of bat speed and there’s natural loft to his swing, allowing him to lift the ball with ease. It’s legitimate all-fields power with Obee, grading out as above-average to plus with hefty exit velocities. Obee jumped the 110 MPH echelon on numerous occasions, maxing out at 111.3 MPH with one of his ACC Tournament home runs. It’s the calling card of his offensive profile and will be a valuable asset in the age of the long ball in college baseball.

While Obee is a college graduate, he will still be on the younger side of the upperclass bats in this year’s class. He was only 20 years and 9 months old on July 14th and won’t turn 22 years old until September 20, 2025, which bodes well for model-friendly teams. If there’s a solid performance against tougher competition in 2025, there’s a good chance that teams will view him somewhere in the latter half of Day Two, similar to the case this past summer.

Outcomes for Georgia and Duke

For Georgia, the outcome of this commitment is pretty cut and dry. Obee fills a hole not only in the outfield, but also in the power department offensively. Of the 151 home runs hit as a team in 2024, 66 of them were hit by players taken in the draft (Condon, Corey Collins, and Fernando Gonzalez). Georgia’s portal additions help ease the pain of these losses, as Robbie Burnett, Ryland Zaborowski, and Daniel Jackson all recorded double-digit home run totals in 2024, plus Kolby Branch, Slate Alford, and Tre Phelps all return to Athens, too. There’s a chance that the 2025 team could outslug the 2024 squad, especially with the way the ball continues to fly out of the ballpark at an infinite clip. The pitching looks to be on the stronger side, as well. This is a team with Omaha aspirations after a campaign that fell one game short of that goal in 2024.

As for Duke, replacing Obee’s leadership and power will be a tough task. Duke was poached on the pitching side of the draft and while Alex Stone signed with Toronto, there’s a hefty amount of bats returning to campus in Durham. There won’t be any Zac Morris, but Ben Miller went undrafted and the likes of Macon Winslow, AJ Gracia, and Kyle Johnson will step foot in Jack Coombs in 2025. Two outfielders from the Northeast will travel south to Durham, as well, as Jake Hyde and Ben Rounds will test their tools in the ACC this spring. In the power department, Duke will be eager to get Sam Harris valuable playing time. Coaches have raved about Harris’ raw power and there’s a good chance that a healthy spring will equate to hefty power numbers from the sophomore from Iowa. This won’t be a team to sleep on and much like Georgia, the lofty expectations of Omaha may well and truly become reality.

Live Looks: High-A Spokane Indians at Everett AquaSox

This week marked the final week in the 2024 regular season for Advanced A-ball. As such, it was my last chance to catch a couple of high-profile prospects in Everett. With the Indians in town, that gave me a chance to see the 2024 third-overall pick, Charlie Condon. Also in the mix were Colt Emerson, Cole Carrigg, and Michael Arroyo. The AquaSox got out to an early 3-0 lead by the top of the fifth inning, but Spokane stormed back. A foul-tip non-call plated a run in what turned into a three-run inning for the Indians. From there, they never looked back. Spokane scored again in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings en route to an 8-4 victory over Everett. Notable prospects playing for the Indians included Charlie Condon (Rockies no. 1), Cole Carrigg (Rockies no. 7), Dyan Jorge (Rockies no. 15), and Kyle Karros (Rockies no. 18). LHP Welinton Herrera also made an appearance. He’s unranked but was featured in our underrated National League prospects earlier this month.

For the AquaSox, top prospects in this one included Colt Emerson (Mariners no. 1), Lazaro Montes (Mariners no. 3), Michael Arroyo (Mariners no. 12), and Jared Sundstrom (Mariners no. 30). It was a prospect-heavy matchup with plenty of takeaways to be found.

OF Charlie Condon (Rockies no. 1): 0/4, BB

It’s been far from smooth sailing for this year’s third-overall pick. None of that changed in the season’s final week, or in the game I attended on Wednesday. Condon failed to make any real hard contact on the night. Even the contact he made was stock full of pop-ups and weak foul balls. At one point, he entered the game with the bases loaded and one out. It was a key, clutch situation that saw Condon ground into an inning ending double play. Condon was visually frustrated most of the night, and it’s clear that he’s beginning to press a bit too much at the plate. An offseason will do him well. After the double-play groundout, Condon slammed his helmet to the dirt just past first base. Following a pop out to the catcher in another at-bat, Condon stood at the plate for an extra moment in clear frustration.

Much of Condon’s struggles at the plate looked to stem from a lack of confidence. On numerous occasions early, Condon would check his swing on hittable pitches. It seemed as if he was having a hard time with pitch recognition. More often, he’s simply swinging for elevation too much. Condon’s swing path could be straighter to the baseball. Instead, on his groundouts, Condon would swing upward and ahead of the pitch. It’s a poor swing plane that simply isn’t working right now. An offseason adjustment and some time off would suit the Rockies’ top prospect well. The talent is still clear for next season and beyond.

SS Colt Emerson (Mariners no. 1): 1/4, BB

Emerson has had a slow start since moving up to High-A earlier this season. Despite those struggles, he looks the part. Emerson has posted an excellent 83.8% zone contact rate with the AquaSox. His 19.4% whiff rate is among the best in the league and he rarely chases at just 17.4%. All of those things point to much better things to come from Emerson. In his lone hit on the night, Emerson got around quickly on a hittable pitch, lining a grounder into the outfield for a hit. His swing path is excellent and great bat speed really shines. Emerson passes the eye test on the diamond as well. His movement at shortstop is fluid with great footwork and a strong arm. The arm is accurate as well. He very well might grow into a third base profile, but he has the makings of an All-Star shortstop if he sticks there.

OF Cole Carrigg (Rockies no. 7): 1/4, HR, BB, 2 RBI

Carrigg had one of the best swings of the night. In the top of the eighth, Carrigg connected on a breaking ball, lifting it deep to right-center for a home run. His swing looks long at times, but his bat speed more than makes up for that. He put together a quality plate appearance every time he went to the plate in this one. Defensively, there weren’t many opportunities for Carrigg’s elite arm to factor in. He looked good in the field when given the chance to make a play and has the makings of a good big league center fielder. Despite the home run, Carrigg’s hit tool remains ahead of his power at this stage and should be good enough to carry the offensive profile. He also stole two bags on the night to help keep the runs coming for the Indians. That speed and defense provide an excellent floor for Carrigg as he continues to develop.

OF Lazaro Montes (Mariners no. 3): 0/5, SO

It was a difficult night at the plate for Montes. Beyond just the results, he simply didn’t put together many solid plate appearances. He worked the count in his first at-bat, eventually grounding out. His next two at-bats were balls in play for an out, swinging at the first pitch. He followed those two up with a three-pitch strikeout swinging. Montes was the final out of the game in his fifth plate appearance of the night, grounding out on — you guessed it — the very first pitch he saw. That makes five plate appearances for Montes and a grand total of 12 pitches seen. Six of those came in his first at-bat of the game. The outstanding raw power is evident at times, but the current focus on Montes has to be better pitch recognition and plate discipline. His whiff rate has ballooned to 35.3% with the AquaSox and he’s struggling to make contact. Until those things change, Montes may potentially offer a 30-grade hit tool that’ll make it difficult to get to his immense raw power.

2b Michael Arroyo (Mariners no. 12): 0/4, K

Michael Arroyo was uber-aggressive at the plate as well, much like Montes. He swung at the first pitch he saw to open the game with a quick groundout. Arroyo was able to get on base by hit-by-pitch in his next appearance but was picked off on the basepaths between second and third. His next plate appearance was a groundout on the second pitch. Arroyo’s final two at-bats of the evening featured a flyout on the first pitch, followed by a four-pitch strikeout. The season stat line for Arroyo has been great so far and he makes a lot of contact at the plate. Unfortunately, on nights like this one, that doesn’t always result in good contact. There’s a solid hit tool with Arroyo, but it’s unlikely he’ll add much power, and both fundamentally and defensively it can be rough. Arroyo committed one error and accompanied that with a handful of errant throws. He did make one excellent diving stop at one point, but the arm is difficult to trust at this point in his development.

3B Kyle Karros (Rockies no. 18): 2/4, RBI, BB

Cole Carrigg had the most standout performance of the game, but Kyle Karros wasn’t terribly far behind. He manned the hot corner and notched two hits. He got on base three times with sound swing mechanics. Karros put together quite a few gritty plate appearances. He has a great approach at the plate and regularly works a count well. He saw an average of seven pitches per plate appearance in this one. In the field, Karros also made an excellent diving stop with a strong throw to first to beat the runner. Long-term, it doesn’t appear that Karros offers the power profile needed to stick at third base. His hit tool should be at least average, and he has a strong enough arm to move to a corner outfield spot where his lack of power may be more suitable.

2025 MLB Draft: Top Draft Prospect Transfers

The transfer portal and NIL have created the notion that we expect lots of change each college baseball offseason. It has also significantly changed the recruiting process and how teams approach the MLB Draft. Regardless of your opinion on the matter, this is where the current landscape stands. 

The 2025 college baseball transfer portal saw a lot of high-end talent on the move, with many expected to be potential top draft picks for the 2025 MLB Draft. Here are a few names you should be watching. Rankings of the transfer portal players are thanks to our friends over at 64 Analytics: www.64analytics.com 

HITTERS

3B/OF ANDREW FISCHER (OLE MISS TO TENNESSEE)

64 Analytics Portal Rank: #2

The Tennessee Volunteers were quiet on the transfer portal, and then, all of a sudden, they landed two of the top bats in the entire transfer class in Fischer and Kilen. We will start with Fischer, who provided some serious pop for Ole Miss. Fischer began his collegiate career at Duke in 2023 before transferring to Ole Miss for his sophomore year. Fischer is a bat-first prospect who generates a ton of power, as he’s seen max EVs up to 113 mph. Fischer generates most of his power to the pull side. He couples that with decent barrel-to-ball skills and the ability to get on base, as he sports a near 14% BB rate. Defensively, Fischer’s home is a bit unknown because he’s a bit clunky at third base, but has the arm strength to handle the position if he can improve there. He should fill in nicely in the heart of the Volunteers lineup.

SS GAVIN KILEN (LOUISVILLE TO TENNESSEE)

64 Analytics Portal Rank: #4

The Volunteers lost a ton of bats in the MLB Draft, but hit the transfer portal hard and should be able to stave off some of those missing pieces. Kilen will play a major role in that. He produced some of the best contact rates in the NCAA last year, posting some insane contact and in-zone contact rates. He’s a bit aggressive, which led to a high chase rate, but that didn’t lead to significant Whiff or an increase in strikeouts, he has put up pretty good numbers in both categories. The big thing about Kilen’s offensive game is he saw a rise in pull-side power, with his max exit velocity getting up to 111 mph. Defensively, Killen has solid range at shortstop and enough arm strength to stick at the position. His quick reaction time helps him get to the ball with ease. He should be a solid contributor to the Volunteers looking to be repeat National Champions.

Tennessee doesn't just rebuild, they reload.

Welcome to Rocky Top, Gavin Kilen. pic.twitter.com/XvEJ8o5bvD

— Vol Report (@AllVolReport) July 4, 2024

OF KANE KEPLEY (LIBERTY TO NORTH CAROLINA)

64 Analytics Portal Rank: #8

The Tar Heels are getting one of the best contact hitters in the transfer portal. At Liberty, Kepley made some insane numbers contact wise. It doesn’t matter where you throw it, there is a good chance that Kepley will hit it. He utilizes the opposite field quite a bit as well.  The 5’8, 170lb outfielder doesn’t possess much raw power but still puts up decent overall exit velos. He’s a plus runner who can track a ball down decently in the outfield. That speed has also led to 20+ steals in one season at Liberty and two summer ball seasons. The lack of power, as mentioned, limits his ceiling, but he has a very safe floor due to his speed, defensive ability, and ability to make contact.

INF AIVA ARQUETTE (WASHINGTON TO OREGON STATE)

64 Analytics Portal Rank: #10

The Washington Huskies saw many players enter the portal, with Head Coach Jason Kelly leaving for Texas A&M. Arquette was definitely one of the top players to leave the Huskies and a massive get for Oregon State. Arquette put on a show in his second year with the Huskies, showcasing a solid combination of power and bat-to-ball skills at the plate. He continued that this summer in the Cape Cod League, where he slashed .291/.357/.437 with a .793 OPS. Most of his power came pull side, but he did showcase the ability to drive the ball the other way as he hit about five home runs to centerfield or right. Arquette also has incredible plate coverage and does a fantastic job getting balls down and away. He can sometimes be aggressive, which leads to increased chase rates. Defensively, he plays a good second base, but given his 6’4, 220lb frame, there is a good chance he will make his way to the hot corner in the long term. In the Cape, he played most of his games at shortstop, with a few at third base. He’s definitely one to watch in 2025, as his already solid toolset and projection could have him skyrocketing. 

C BRADY NEAL (LSU TO ALABAMA)

64 Analytics Portal Rank: #13

A significant loss for LSU, Neal was a force behind the dish for the Tigers, slashing .276/.409/.578 with a .986 OPS. Neal heads to Alabama, where he will give Head Coach Rob Vaughn a solid contributor and consistent leader behind the dish and in the lineup. Neal possesses extreme raw power from the left side and hits the ball very hard to the right side of the field, and has pretty good exit velo numbers to the poolside. Neal needs to improve his ability to make consistent contact so he can tap more into that raw power. He strikes out at a higher clip than you’d like to see. He offsets some of those issues with a fairly decent walk rate. Regardless, the 5’10, 193lb Neal can stick behind the plate thanks to his strong arm and athleticism. The upside with the bat is what you want to say for a potential catcher in the draft, regardless of some of the swing-and-miss concerns.

INF RYAN BLACK (UT ARLINGTON TO GEORGIA)

64 Analytics Portal Rank: #15

Hits the ball hard. That about sums it up. Line drives are the name of the game for Black. He had some decent exit velocities and put his name on the map as a mid-major hitter. Black can generate hard contact with all parts of the field and has most of his hits to the right side. He couples that with very low Chase and Whiff rates. It’s an excellent approach at the plate, and he will be tough out for pitchers. Black should easily stick at second base because he is quick and makes plays. He lacks some range and has average arm strength, which likely limits him to second. He’s not the fastest runner and it’s average at best so his ceiling on the basepaths is limited. He’ll have the opportunity to face some much tougher pitching as he joins Georgia and the SEC.

INF DANIEL DICKINSON (UTAH VALLEY TO LSU)

64 Analytics Portal Rank: #16

LSU, as always, had a time with the transfer portal. Daniel Dickinson may have been one of their best grabs this portal season. Like Ryan Black, Dickinson has some of the most insane contact rates in the country. His Whiff rates are off the charts well, and he struck out less than 10% of the time at Utah Valley. He’s been tapping into his power more, thanks to his quick hands and ability to get barrel-to-ball. It still taps out about fringe-average, but he could improve on that. He couples that with the ability to hit the ball hard. He did run into some struggles this summer in the Cape, but he maintained his elite approach at the plate, boasting excellent walk and strikeout rates, leaving me less concerned. However, he will be tested by some of the best arms in the nation in the SEC. Dickinson seems slated to be a second baseman due to his solid range and quick feet, but his arm will hold him back from playing on the left side of the diamond. 

More major transfer news: First Team All-WAC and Third Team All-American 2B Daniel Dickinson has entered the portal. Slashed .367/.469/.661 with 14 2B, 18 HR, 53 RBIs, and 32 stolen bases. Legit MIF body, day 1 upside in 2025. Currently with team USA. pic.twitter.com/JlcvjM5Pnm

— Peter Flaherty III (@PeterGFlaherty) June 28, 2024

OF ETHAN CONRAD (MARIST TO WAKE FOREST)

64 Analytics Portal Rank: #169

.388/.433/.486/.920. That’s one hell of a Cape Cod League slash line. Yes, I know it is fairly hitter-heavy in college summer leagues, but that’s still impressive for a guy who was at Marist last year. Conrad has been a force for the Red Foxes for the last two years and will take his talents to a Wake Forest team that needs some offensive pop. It’s a really fun and beautiful left-handed swing that has a good amount of raw pop. He chases quite a bit due to his aggressiveness on the plate, but he takes advantage of mistaken pitches when he connects. Despite his aggressiveness, he tends to have a very good feel for the strike zone. He’ll be tested in the SEC, but as mentioned earlier he has shown in a small sample size he can keep up with better arms. He pairs that solid ability at the plate with plus speed and had double-digit steals over the last two seasons at Marist. He’s a fringe-average defender with a strong arm who could be a very solid right fielder at the next level.

PITCHERS

LHP CADE FISHER (FLORIDA TO AUBURN) 

64 Analytics Portal Rank: #1

Cade Fisher was easily one of the most exciting names to enter the transfer portal this offseason and is a massive get for the Auburn Tigers. Pitching Coach Everett Teaford must be stoked to add him to that rotation. The former Florida Gator has a solid three-pitch mix that includes a fastball in the low-90s but has seen a max velo of 95 mph. He has some really good carry to that pitch. He pairs that with a slider and changeup. His slider has a ton of horizontal movement and absolutely fools hitters when he’s on with his command and control. The changeup plays well off his fastball and is a pretty good second secondary for him. Fisher comes at hitters with a low slot arm angle, creating some deception on his pitches. After a strong 2023, some command issues hurt Fisher in 2024, and his overall numbers took a step back. Fisher’s release point would vary, and the combination of walks and giving up hard contact led to him giving up quite a bit of runs. Fisher had a small sample size of three games in the Cape Cod League and flashed more success there in a hitter-friendly league. He opens up as a favorite to be in the rotation for the Auburn Tigers. 

LHP ZACH ROOT (ECU TO ARKANSAS)

64 Analytics Portal Rank: #3

A massive loss for ECU is a huge gain for the Arkansas Razorbacks who will have some stacked pitching going into 2025. Root found a ton of success during his tenure at ECU, pitching to the tune of a 3.82 ERA with 69 strikeouts in 63.2 innings for the Pirates. Root has a pretty well-filled out lower half that’s paired with quick arm actions. It’s a somewhat funky delivery that helps him get some deception. His fastball sits in the in the low-90s, but has been up to 97 mph. His secondaries are really what make him a threat on the mound. He goes to his change-up the most often as he’s willing to utilize it in any account tude to his good feel and command of the pitch. He hides the ball well with his funky delivery and the pitch drops away and out of the zone on hitters. His other secondary he goes to often is a slider, which has some cutter action to it at times, has some serious bite to it and he’s generated a ton of Whiff and Chase on this pitch as well. He rounds out the arsenal with a sweepy curveball. It’s a fun arm on it’s way to Fayetteville and a very successful season will boe well for the rising junior.

TRANSFER: East Carolina LHP Zach Root is committing to the University of Arkansas. @ChoateMason had it.

Root threw 68.1 IP in 2024 punching 76 tickets + walking just 21. Up to 96. Slider can be 'plus'.

Root currently ranks as the no. 63 prospect for the 2025 Draft at @FSS_PLUS pic.twitter.com/d8XXdB1t17

— Joe Doyle (@JoeDoyleMiLB) July 1, 2024

LHP LANDON BEIDELSCHIES (OHIO STATE TO ARKANSAS)

64 Analytics Portal Rank: #5

Another big arm heading to Arkansas. You’ll see that’s a common theme in this article on the pitching side. The Razorbacks snag one of the best starters in the BIG10. The 6’3, 225lb Beidelschies is a physical presence on the mound, and he isn’t afraid to attack hitters with his fastball/slider combo. Beidelschies fastball has been in the 90-94 MPH range and has even topped at 98 mph. It’s his go-to pitch, as he utilized it nearly 60% of the time and missed bats with it a ton. As mentioned earlier, he pairs that fastball with a very nasty slider, which he goes to just over 30% of the time. Its sharp bite helps him get some decent Chase and Whiff on the pitch. He also has a change-up and curveball, which he’s utilized much less frequently, but both have the makings of rounding out a solid four-pitch arsenal. There is some relief risk if he doesn’t polish up those other secondaries, but the projection is there and he will look to find success against some of the toughest bats in the SEC. 

RHP EVAN CHREST (JACKSONVILLE TO FLORIDA STATE)

64 Analytics Portal Rank: #9

Chrest isn’t as highly ranked as the other arms, but there is plenty of intrigue. The numbers in the stat sheet aren’t the prettiest, but the data behind them will interest most teams. His slider clocks in well above 2800 RPMs and induces a ton of chase. He’s got a developing fastball that sits in the low-90s and has topped out at 95 MPH. The two-pitch combo has helped him generate decent strikeout numbers, as he’s punched out 74 batters over 68.2 innings. He commands the slider decently as well. His changeup rounds out his three-pitch mix nicely, generating some decent Whiff on the pitch. He’s a bit undersized, coming in at 6’0, 180lbs and heading into his junior year, there might not be as much projectability left. But the already decent three-pitch mix and decent command for all of them will have teams interested on draft day. 

LHP LIAM DOYLE (OLE MISS TO TENNESSEE)

64 Analytics Portal Rank: #11

Doyle joins his Ole Miss teammate Andrew Fischer in making his way to Tennesee, giving the Volunteers a high strikeout rate arm to add to their rotation. Doyle has put up some insane strikeout numbers between Coastal Carolina and Ole Miss the past two seasons, striking out 153 batters in 111.1 innings. Doyle’s fastball ranges from 90 to 94 and has topped at 96 MPH. The metrics behind it make it an electric fastball that gets by hitters. The pitch averages over 20 inches of vertical carry, and he has decent extension on the pitch. His secondaries are a bit behind his fastball, but he has two secondaries in slider/sweeper and cutter. The slider is in the low-80s, and he’s still working on commanding the pitch better, as he is with most of his secondaries. He also has a splitter he’s flashed but hasn’t thrown nearly as much as the pitch still needs quite a bit of development. The 6’2, 220lb lefty is a presence on the mound and while there might not be a ton of room for growth, there is still lots of projection left in his arsenal that he will look to continue to build on at Tennessee. 

Tennessee just landed a DUDE in Ole Miss LHP Liam Doyle. 😤 pic.twitter.com/MwjtIQcpyd

— Vol Report (@AllVolReport) July 10, 2024

RHP JACOB MAYERS (NICHOLLS TO LSU)

64 Analytics Portal Rank: #12

Prospects Live Draft Rank: 

LSU lost a few arms to the MLB Draft as expected, but they still have plenty of incoming talent, including Jakob Mayers, who makes his way to campus from Nicholls. His fastball is explosive as it has a ton of spin, giving it lots of carry in the zone. It’s averaged 91-95 MPH, but has topped out at 97 MPH. He utilized his fastball at extremely high rates last year, but still generated a decent amount of Whiff with it and put in insane strikeout numbers as he punched out 106 batters in 70.2 innings. He did the same thing in his freshman year, striking out 105 batters in 75.2 innings. The next step for Mayers is going to be really developing his secondary pitches to give him more weapons. He’s flashed a decent slider that with some polish could be a very good second pitch for Mayers. 

Who's Hot and Who's Not? Digging into Initial Data for 2024 First Round Hitters

It’s hard to believe, but we’re two months out from the 2024 MLB Draft. The class was bouyed by a strong college hitting demographic, with many picks having made their debuts, giving us a glimpse into the type of hitters they may be as professionals, their assets, and limitations. In the next few weeks at Prospects Live, we’ll be checking in on some of the data tied to first round bats. All of these reports and write ups draw on relatively small sample sizes, many of them for prospects playing by far their most grueling year of baseball to date, so temper any significant conclusions drawn.

NOTE: All data for prospects was pulled prior to games on 09.05.24

Travis Bazzana, 1st Overall, Guardians, A+

Slash Line: .231/.364/.407 (.770)

25.5 K%, 13.6 BB%

78.5% Contact%

.343 xWOBA

.170/.276/.280 (.556) versus LHP

The Guardians were the biggest beneficiary of the draft lottery this cycle, moving up to number one to pick Travis Bazzana, fresh off an outstanding college season with Oregon State. After quickly assigning him to A+ Lake County, Bazzana is off to a solid, if unspectacular, start. Bazzana’s disciplined approach is on display. He’s seeing a whopping 4.36 P/PA (that’s near top of the scale for A ball), and walking at a healthy 13.6% clip. The bat-to-ball skills have shown up, too, as Bazzana is running a 78.5% Contact% through 25 games. Bazzana hasn’t clicked into high gear yet, and he’s been susceptible to left-handed pitching, managing just a .556 OPS against southpaws.

TRAVIS BAZZANA GRAND SLAM

pic.twitter.com/loVRzVJ4Py

— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) July 31, 2024

Charlie Condon, 3rd Overall, Rockies, A+

Slash Line: .184/.253/.276 (.528)

31.6 K%, 3.2 BB%

63.9% Contact%

.239 xWOBA

The Rockies assigned Charlie Condon to A+ Spokane after giving him a record-tying bonus, selecting him third overall. It’s been an extremely slow start for the prospect coming off a historic season at Georgia. Condon has shown some bat-to-ball concerns in his first 22 games, managing a 63.9 Contact% (~7% below average for the level). The approach has been rough, too, with a 10.00 K/BB thus far. It’s still very early for Condon as a professional, but it’s been a slow start.

Struggles continue for Charlie Condon (#Rockies no. 1). Finished tonight 0/4 with a walk, including this GIDP with the bases loaded. Pressing a bit too much at the plate and chased out of the zone a bit much. pic.twitter.com/trMt70m2zr

— Preston Farr (@royalsminors) September 5, 2024

Nick Kurtz, 5th Overall, Athletics, AA

Slash Line: .368/.520/.763 (1.283)

20 K%, 24 BB%

77.5% Contact%

.526 xWOBA

It’s extremely early for Kurtz, who the Athletics signed to an underslot deal to sign at number five overall. He’s played just 12 professional games but laid waste to Low A Stockton. Kurtz managed a 1.531 OPS in his first seven games and slugged four home runs and three doubles. The Athletics moved him to AA, where he’s off to a solid start (.785 OPS in five games). Kurtz displays patience and selectivity at the plate, seeing 4.24 P/PA and swinging just 37.7% of the time. While he’s shown some vulnerability striking out at a high clip against left-handed pitching, crucially, he’s maintaining his excellent approach against them, keeping a consistent platoon-neutral on base percentage. Kurtz is off to one of the best starts of any first-round hitter.

Nick Kurtz, demolisher of California League pitching 🚀

Four homers in his first six pro games for the @WakeBaseball standout.@stocktonports | @Athletics pic.twitter.com/PBxeAZnYaD

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) August 18, 2024

Jac Caglianone, 6th Overall, Royals, A+

Slash Line: .250/.318/.420 (.738)

21.8 K%, 6.4 BB%

74.1% Contact%

56.3% Swing%

.317 xWOBA

Caglianone was one of the most intriguing bats in the first round. Significant improvements in his strikeout rate and out of zone contact rate in his final year at Florida were offset by extreme chase rates, all coupled with monster raw power. How would this translate to professional baseball? Solidly, thus far. Caglianone is an aggressive hitter, with a swing rate close to 10% above MLB average. His improved bat-to-ball skills have carried over into professional baseball. He’s producing at a solid rate for the level despite running an 81.8% ground ball rate against left-handed pitchers.

Jac Caglianone's power is so easy. Dude just swats this changeup down and away 107 mph into the pull side gap. Next swing was a 113 mph triple the other way.

Last 12 High-A games: .302/.327/.528, 16% K-rate. 20 batted balls 100+ mph. pic.twitter.com/ySFs0i7rAy

— Aram Leighton (@AramLeighton8) September 1, 2024

JJ Wetherholt, 7th Overall, Cardinals, A

Slash Line: .235/.365/.306 (.671)

10.6 K%, 14.4 BB%

80.7% Contact%

13.6% Chase%

.340 xWOBA

104.1 mph 90thExitVel

53.3% Hit95+%

In the conversation for the number one overall pick coming into the 2024 cycle, Wetherholt missed significant time due to soft tissue injuries at West Virginia, eventually being selected at number seven overall by the Cardinals. While Wetherholt’s slash line is unspectacular, I’d argue that some of his under the hood numbers should have Cardinals fans encouraged. The bat to ball skills are as advertised, as Wetherholt is maintaining a Contact% ~10% above average for the level. He doesn’t chase much, and is walking more than he is striking out through his first 25 games as a professional. Wetherholt is crushing his batted balls, with 53.3% hit 95 mph or harder. That’s third best in A ball among prospects who have played at least 20 games. He’s been a victim of some bad batted ball luck thus far.

JJ Wetherholt with an absolute laser beam!

The @Cardinals top-ranked prospect and 2024 1st-rounder rockets his 2nd professional homer 109.2 mph for the Single-A @GoPBCardinals. pic.twitter.com/hDrdlRHFL1

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) September 6, 2024

Christian Moore, 8th Overall, Angels, AA

Slash Line: .330/.381/.567 (.948)

26.7 K%, 7.6 BB%

65.2% Contact%

.403 xWOBA

The Angels continued their predictable tendency of drafting prospects they believe can make short work of the minor leagues and make an immediate impact with the big league roster. This year it was Tennessee slugger Christian Moore, who they signed underslot at 8th overall. Moore passed the test of stepping into the batter's box at A ball before being moved up to AA, where he went on an immediate heater. After slugging five home runs in his first six games for Rocket City, he was sidelined by a meniscus injury. Moore was maximizing his batted ball events before his injury (high line drive and pull percentages). Long term, the potential obstacles may be his bat to ball skills against higher caliber pitching, as he was managing a 65.2% Contact% prior to his injury. Undeniably though, Moore was off to the hot start the Angels hoped for. There’s no current timeline for his return to on-field action.

Christian Moore HR

105 mph EV
408 ft pic.twitter.com/xooTTqvIey

— AngelsMiLB (@AngelsMiLB) August 10, 2024

One Underrated Prospect from Every National League Organization

There are just a handful of weeks remaining in the 2024 minor league season. Every team has added draft picks and potentially even trade deadline acquisitions to their system. Every organization has the “usual suspects” in the farm system that fans of the team have come to know. They follow these players because they’re covered in detail by the media and fans alike. Beyond those top prospects, however, is often where next year’s top prospects tend to start out. Take 2023 for example, when Royals prospects Austin Charles and Javier Vaz were relatively unknown prospects. A year later, each is a consensus top prospect in that system.

The fun in minor league baseball isn’t just following the top names that everyone else tells you to keep tabs on. More fun comes from finding those diamonds in the rough players. Not every prospect is going to be an ace or MVP, but there are plenty of Whit Merrifield-esque prospects out there who can come from nowhere to really shine in the Major Leagues. The Royals fan in me will stop throwing in references to Kansas City now, but here’s a look at one underrated prospect from every organization in the National League.

National League East

Philadelphia Phillies - LHP Mavis Graves

Graves was a sixth-round selection by Philadelphia back in 2022. He was a projectable lefty at the time but struggled to a 7.68 ERA in his Complex League sample last season. Those fortunes turned around (and then some) in 2024, and Graves looks like one of the best young pitching prospects in the organization. Much of that comes behind elite strikeout numbers. Graves has 18 appearances under his belt this season — 16 starts — with a 31.8% strikeout rate. He’s limited the walks well enough, en route to a 22.0% K-BB%. The arsenal is outstanding, featuring a five-pitch mix. Graves throws a four-seamer, cutter, slider, changeup, and sinker. He’s still just 20 years old but spins the ball extremely well, sitting in the low 90s for velocity. That velocity should trend upward some, and once it does, his elite whiff rate will only get that much better. He offers frontline starter upside, with a more likely mid-rotation projection.

Atlanta Braves - RHP Patrick Halligan

A 13th-round pick by the Royals in 2021, it’s taken Halligan some time to get going as a professional. He was a JuCo product at the time and struggled until Kansas City released him in March 2023. Since joining the Braves system, it’s been much different for Halligan. In seven appearances for Double-A Rome in 2023, Halligan posted a 31.4% strikeout rate. That jumped to 34.7% in 33 relief appearances this season. Not only that, but Halligan limits walks well also. His K-BB% finished at 26.3% by the time he was promoted to Triple-A this summer. He throws with a high release point, leaning heavily on movement and deception instead of velocity. Halligan’s four-seamer averages just 92 mph. He pairs it with two potentially above-average pitches, in a slider and a splitter. Halligan has posted a 50.0% Whiff% with the splitter since moving up to Triple-A but will need to find ways to miss more bats with his slider to find lasting success at the upper levels.

New York Mets - RHP Jose Guevara

The Mets signed Guevara in September out of Paraguatan, Venezuela. The 19-year-old has a typical 6-1 frame and has flashed impressive strikeout stuff in just his first professional season. He combined for a perfect game back on June 17 and owns a SO/9 north of ten in the DSL so far. In 44 innings of work, Guevara has 52 strikeouts while surrendering just 12 walks. All that has combined for a solid 1.64 ERA. He’s yet to allow a home run either. He will likely get a chance to test the Complex League in 2025 where we will get more eyes on his stuff and how well it might play in the affiliated ranks.

Washington Nationals - RHP Carlos Romero

Carlos Romero has flown through the system in 2024 and could be in the big leagues to open the 2025 season. Romero debuted in 2024 with High-A Wilmington. He then made 16 appearances with Double-A Harrisburg before making his way to Triple-A Rochester to wrap up the season. Perhaps more impressive than his quick rise through the system has been his success at each level. It culminated in a 2.05 ERA between all three levels with 61 strikeouts in 52.2 IP. Romero is an imposing figure on the mound. His 6-6 frame helps him to generate excellent extension, making his stuff play up despite low velocity. He averages just 92 mph on his four-seam fastball and sinker. He pairs those two offerings with an excellent 60-grade changeup, an above-average slider, and a curveball. The slider has generated a 42.9% whiff rate so far at Triple-A. His changeup averages 86 mph and generates excellent chase rates. It’s a traditional three-quarter release point, but Romero throws with whippy arm action on the release to generate movement in his arsenal.

Miami Marlins - RHP Eliazar Dishmey

Dishmey won’t stand out to many if you simply peruse the stats page on FanGraphs. He reached affiliated ball for the first time this season, making 15 appearances for Low-A Jupiter. In 59.1 innings of work, he’s mustered a 5.31 ERA and allowed six home runs. It’s clear that the 19-year-old has some work to do, but the pure stuff in his arsenal offers an excellent foundation to do so. Dishmey was the Florida State League Pitcher of the Week twice this season — the first Marlin minor leaguer to accomplish that feat since Eury Pérez did so in 2022. He throws a five-pitch mix, featuring a four-seamer, sinker, curveball, slider, and changeup. He averages 94 mph on his heater, with room to add there at just 19 years old. He spins the baseball well, averaging north of 2300 rpm with both fastballs. Mix all that with above-average extension and Dishmey generates above-average whiff rates. There’s a lot to love in the profile, with the potential for two plus fastballs. With an offseason to continue refining the arsenal, Dishmey could level up his breaking ball to really move up the prospect rankings quickly.

National League Central

Milwaukee Brewers - SS/3B Jesus Made

A 17-year-old switch-hitting infielder with a .223 ISO? Sign me up. Made made his professional debut this season after signing with the Brewers last winter. He’s been among the best hitters in the entire DSL in 2024, slashing .331/.458/.554. Made has 21 extra-base hits, 39 walks, and 28 strikeouts. It’s an impressive blend of discipline at the plate, power when making contact, and an ability to limit strikeouts. To top it all off, Made also has 28 steals in 51 games. It’s still just the DSL, but Made is quickly putting himself on the map as a true prospect. He entered August with a 104 mph 90th-percentile Exit Velocity and a 44% hard-hit rate. His swing is fluid and impressive, taking the baseball to all fields with authority. At just 17 years old, he’s a name to watch, not just for Milwaukee, but the entire minor leagues.

Chicago Cubs - RHP Juan Bello

Bello signed with Chicago out of Cartagena, Colombia back in 2022. He’s pitched at a level each season since, making the Complex League last season and spending all of 2024 with Myrtle Beach. Now 20 years old, Bello has made 21 starts with Low-A Myrtle Beach so far pitching to a 3.42 FIP. His 25.1% strikeout rate isn’t all that impressive alone, but he’s paired it with a low walk rate (7.8%) and a low average against (.229). He leans heavily on a fastball/curveball combination, but also mixes in a changeup sparingly. Bello mixes in some Johnny Cueto-esque hesitation in his delivery at times. He throws from a high-three-quarter release point and has good carry on his fastball. The curveball is Bello’s best pitch, offering great 1-7 movement with whip out of the hand. It’s a great foundational profile that still needs a bit more refinement.

St Louis Cardinals - RHP Luis Gastelum

It took an offseason and a second stint at Low-A, but Gastelum has really leveled up his stuff so far in 2024. He made his debut in 2023 with Palm Beach striking out just 14.0% of batters. He rarely walks batters but needed more strikeout stuff than that. The strikeout stuff arrived in 2024, resulting in a 28.9% K-BB%. Although his velocity still averages 92mph at best, Gastelum throws three above-average pitches with a potentially plus changeup leading the way. He generates great extension, spinning the ball extremely well and generating elite whiff rates. His changeup especially excels there, with a 56.8% Whiff% this season, but his Sinker has reached 20.4% in that regard as well. It’s currently a four-pitch mix, also featuring a four-seam fastball and a slider. Gastelum’s slider has a solid profile, but he misses the zone with it far too much currently to really take advantage. If there’s a knock on Gastelum, it’s age. He’s already 22 years old after getting a late start to his career. The stuff has traits to play in the upper levels, but he’ll need to shoot through the system in 2025 to maintain true prospect status.

Cincinnati Reds - RHP Anyer Laureano

Unfortunately, injury has sidelined Laureano on the back end of 2024, but not before he put together a solid Low-A Debut. He made 29 appearances with Daytona, striking out 81 batters in just 54.0 innings of work. That’s an impressive 35.5% strikeout rate, helping him to overcome a rather high walk rate. The result was a 3.00 ERA, with a 4.01 FIP that better represents his command issues. Laureano has an electric arsenal, led by an upper 90s fastball. His four-seamer averages 96.6 mph, spun at more than 2600 rpm on average. He pairs that with a cutter, slider, and changeup. It all comes together in a 47.9% whiff rate this season. All four pitches feature elite whiff rates and the four-seamer and slider alone have the stuff to make Laureano a high-leverage back-end bullpen prospect.

Pittsburgh Pirates - LHP Inmer Lobo

Inmer Lobo signed with the Red Sox back in 2022 out of Venezuela. He made his way rather quickly to the Pirates organization in November 2022. He was traded by Boston in exchange for infielder Hoy Park and has continued to pitch to impressive results ever since. Lobo, still just 20 years old, made his way to Low-A for the first time this season. Now 15 starts into his season, he’s pitched to a 1.65 ERA. Although his strikeout rate has dipped noticeably, there’s still a lot of potential to like in the profile. Lobo struck out 39.6% of batters in the Complex League to open 2024, but that mark dipped to 24.2% in his sample in A ball. His arsenal features a fastball, changeup, and slider. The fastball averages just 87.1 mph, but there’s hope he can add there as he continues to fill out his frame. Despite the low velocity, the pitch has a near-elite 19.3 inches of induced vertical break (iVB), making it quite a bit more effective than you’d expect. All three of his pitches generate healthy whiff rates, with his slider and changeup both sitting above 30%. It’s projection here more than anything, but there’s a sound foundation should the velocity start to tick upward.

National League west

Los Angeles Dodgers - RHP Jose Rodriguez

After signing with the Dodgers as a 19-year-old in 2019, Rodriguez didn’t pitch officially for the organization until 2021. The Oaxaca, Mexico native debuted with mixed results, and those up-and-down trends have continued throughout his minor league career thus far. Now in his fourth professional season, Rodriguez has finally made his way to Advanced-A ball and continues to rack up strikeouts at an elite rate. Much of that stems from an 88th percentile whiff rate (36.5%). In all, he’s struck out 121 batters in just 84.2 IP between A and High-A this season. He throws a fastball, changeup, and slider. The changeup sits in the mid-80s with solid fading action, and the slider is a potentially plus pitch in the 86-88mph range. Rodriguez throws his fastball in the mid-90s and the pitch plays up nicely thanks to some deception in his delivery. He has hip-twist mechanics, turning his back fully to the batter’s box before showing the baseball at the last moment in his delivery. There’s some late-inning reliever upside, but more likely he profiles as a solid bullpen piece that provides middle-innings relief.

Arizona Diamondbacks - OF Angel Ortiz

Outfielder Angel Ortiz signed with Arizona out of the Dominican Republic back in July 2019. Between the canceled 2020 season and an injury last season, Ortiz has only just now reached 86 games played in Low-A. Ortiz landed on the injured list in March 2023 and went on to miss the full season. Now, into 2024, he’s spent all but two games this season with the Visalia Rawhide. In 83 games, he’s slashed .303/.385/.466, limiting his strikeout totals nicely while walking around ten percent. Ortiz swings with a fairly compact operation which helps him take the ball to all fields. At still just 21 years old, time remains for Ortiz to cement himself as a notable prospect within the organization. The ceiling isn’t sky-high, as his 6-0 frame doesn’t leave much projection for more power, but it’s an intriguing profile nonetheless.

San Diego Padres - 1B Romeo Sanabria

An 18th-round first baseman doesn’t seem like a demographic that rarely turns in notable prospects. That may just be the case for Sanabria, who’s shot through the Padres system with authority this summer. After starting the season with 59 games for Low-A Elsinore, Sanabria made a pit stop in Fort Wayne. From there, he has finished his season with Double-A San Antonio. The sample in 22 games has been solid so far. He’s slashed .338/.441/.405 with the Missions. Unfortunately, that success has come with a serious drop in power. After posting a .183 ISO at Low-A, he’s been much lower at .068 since moving to Double-A. As a first base prospect, the Padres will need more power than that. However, Sanabria’s 6-3, 200-pound frame certainly offers the potential for more. He’s 22 years old at Double-A, sporting an excellent 20.6% chase rate alongside an 82.1% zone contact rate. It’s a razor-thin profile heavily dependent on more power, but worth monitoring regardless.

San Francisco Giants - LHP Dylan Carmouche

Carmouche was a 15th-round selection by San Francisco in last year’s Amateur Draft. He showcased strikeout potential in the college ranks, but that didn’t quite show itself in his professional debut this season. Carmouche struck out 24.0% of batters with Low-A San Jose, sporting a sound 2.74 ERA. That showing earned Carmouche a mid-season promotion and he’s posted a 29.0% strikeout rate with High-A Eugene. He throws from a high over-hand release point. The pitch mix features a fastball, curveball, and changeup. All three pitches offer swing-and-miss upside, but the changeup is the true lead offering within Carmouche’s arsenal. It offers excellent fading action and works well off of his 12-6 curveball.

Colorado Rockies - LHP Welinton Herrera

The Rockies scouted Herrera in the Dominican Republic at just 15 years old. He signed with the organization a year later at age 16. Now 20 years old, Herrera made a full-season debut, splitting the year between both levels of A Ball. The immediate returns for Low-A Fresno were absurd. Herrera made 23 appearances for Fresno this season, striking out 62 batters in just 34.0 innings of work. The math on that shakes out to an asinine 44.6% strikeout rate. Part of that success lies in a very low three-quarter arm slot. He pairs that low arm slot with an upper-90s heater that flies past bats up in the strikezone. He also mixes in a mid-80s slider but leans heavily on the fastball. And why not? Between the velocity, arm slot, and vertical break, the pitch is nearly impossible for hitters to do damage on. He’s allowed just three home runs as a professional, dating back to his first season in the Dominican Summer League. The results have dipped some since a mid-season promotion to High-A Spokane, but the fastball provides an excellent foundation for a future back-end bullpen piece.

Switz Report: Recap Cape Cod "Best of the Best" Prospects

Summer baseball is in our rearview mirror, and we are a few weeks away from the start of fall ball for college baseball, with athletes returning to school and ramping back up for the next season. It’s been a while since I have contributed to the site. A large portion of that is due to my commitment over the summer to the Cape Cod Baseball League, as I was given the privilege and honor of helping the league this summer (an opportunity that I was unaware of when I first started Prospects Live and a change in course I had to make regarding previous promises I had made with readers earlier in my articles). Due to this, the inevitable occurred, and I had the time to watch a lot of college baseball over the 10-week Cape season. During my time up in the Cape, I had the ability to keep a close eye and get some early live looks for the upcoming 2025 draft class and top dudes eligible for the 2026 and 2027 classes.

For the next few weeks, I look forward to treating many of you to my views and evaluation process of some of the buzzing names in college baseball who participated in the Cape this summer. In doing so, I will provide full baseball scouting reports from dudes who grabbed my eye during the season and detailed prospect analysis with 20-80 scale grading, projected round selection, and brief overall summaries of the prospects. 

Further, these grades are based on my evaluation and rumblings that I heard while on the Cape and are not full or final summaries from the Prospects Live draft team or myself, as the next draft is (*checks watch), not for another ten months. Everyone sees prospects differently, even at the MLB level during draft day or for incoming prospects (Ex. There were people in baseball who thought Ohtani's bat wouldn't translate to MLB. Now, he's easy money to hit 30+ HR's each season). So, things can change regarding these prospects from the Cape season to next spring or draft.

Back to the topic at hand; early looks for next July are panning towards the 2025 class to be front-loaded with college-hitting prospects, and it seems to be anyone’s game to be selected inside the top 10 or even first round within a pool of 15-20 college hitters (with some teams getting the premium luck of possibly grabbing two or more of these guys next summer when adding in college arms and prep talent to the field). I do not see any Dylan Crews or Adley Rutschman-like prospects in this draft. However, there are desirable quality tools that project well for the next level, premium athleticism up the middle that we haven’t seen in a while for draft day, and future MLB starters that will become household names down the road.

Additionally, like back in the spring and carried into the Cape this summer, the general opinion and analysis in scouting circles regarding college pitching is that the talent is still down compared to years past. There are some outliers, but the overall crop of pitching talent is down. 

Now, to stop digressing from the article material at hand, below are five dudes that I believe were the top guys who grabbed scouts' eyes, balled out, and truly made themselves money over the summer.

| OF Brendan Summerhill | Arizona | Draft Eligible: 2025 |

Cape Numbers: .286/.358/.441 (.798), 5 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 14 RBI, 19 R, 12 SB, 9 BB (9.47 BB%), 15 K (15.78 K%)

OF Brendan Summerhill (@ArizonaBaseball): Long & lanky athlete with fun raw tools. Summerhill captured attention in college baseball in the last calendar year, starting with his outstanding summer in 2023 at Rockford (Northwoods League) that translating into Arizona this spring… pic.twitter.com/E3CMTH4Muo

— Brian Switzer II (@BrianSwitzerII) June 24, 2024

Brendan Summerhill picks up another knock. Smooth lefty stroke has been barreling up balls all summer, continues tonight with this LD up the middle @WarehamGatemen @ArizonaBaseball #PGCape pic.twitter.com/JffCbqp5mA

— PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) July 24, 2024

Switz’s Notes: Summerhill was among the first dudes that grabbed my attention in the west division over the summer. He has easy-to-see athletic traits, a desirable hit tool still maturing, and straight-up ballplayer talent to be selected early next summer. If you are a person who likes dudes who know the strike zone well with great poise, then Summerhill may be one of the best in this draft cycle from his advanced approach and batter eye. From his first game in the Cape till his final game, Summerhill played the game hard, running out infield base hits and making spectacular catches in CF. I’m a big fan of his and hope the best for him moving forward, as he is just a fun player to watch. If the in-game power develops and he still maintains that plus speed tool in his game, he could pan out to be a video game-like player at the MLB level.

| OF Ethan Conrad | Wake Forest | Draft Eligible: 2025 |

Cape Numbers: .385/.433 /.486 (.919), 5 2B, 2 HR, 19 RBI, 27 R, 19 SB, 8 BB 6.7 BB%), 18 K (15.0 K%)

Ethan Conrad flashing some big bat speed and loud contact tonight, this LD the other way part of a 2-for-3 night + an RBI sac fly @BourneBraves @WakeBaseball #PGCape pic.twitter.com/AkriTHUNnv

— PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) July 5, 2024

Switz’s Notes: I have to admit, regarding Ethan Conrad, which was no secret for anyone who talked to me during the summer, I have a massive admiration and man crush on Conrad’s game. This is the type of dude; if I were a Crosschecker for a team, I would fight to draft this guy until the last second is on the clock on draft night if available. This dude is a very special ballplayer that’s easy to root for in this draft cycle. I will acknowledge that he has some stuff he needs to iron out (especially contact vs offspeed/movement), but he’s got a tremendous ceiling if he can grab the brass rings at the next level of his development. Conrad is a superb athlete, and I’m willing to lay it out with the hot take that Conrad may have been the best athlete any scout saw during the summer wood-bat circuit in college baseball and even in the 2025 draft cycle. If he balls out next spring for Wake, he has the profile to be a potential lottery or top 10 selection in the draft to the already helium Conrad has on his draft stock. 

Our own Brian Recca had the ability to get a live look on Conrad at Marist over the spring Here.

| OF Devin Taylor | Indiana | Draft Eligible: 2025 |

Cape Numbers: .296/.397/.510 (.907), 4 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 16 RBI, 18 R, 2 SB, 17 BB (14.7 BB%), 29 K (25.0 K%)

Hey @OfficialCCBL, are you accepting late applications for the Home Run Contest?

Devin Taylor (@IndianaBase) launches a BOMB to right field to open the scoring

EV: 98 mph
📏 401 ft

Mid 2
Cotuit 2
Hyannis 0 pic.twitter.com/QO5W7z9Gmg

— Cotuit Kettleers (@CotuitKettleers) July 23, 2024

Devin Taylor ➡️ Dead Center

The @IndianaBase Hoosier provides a big 3-run shot with 2 outs to put us in front

EV: 99 mph
📏 396 ft

Mid 3
Cotuit 4
Chatham 1 pic.twitter.com/4PLPBcMzeL

— Cotuit Kettleers (@CotuitKettleers) July 20, 2024

Switz’s Notes: Between being a standout ballplayer at LaSalle High School and becoming a blow-away Freshman Player of the Year in the Big Ten two springs ago for Indiana, Devin Taylor has become one of the most talked about prospects in the Ohio Valley for some time at the college level and rightfully so. When looking at Taylor’s summer, he started six games for Cotuit before leaving for Cary, NC. During that time, Taylor showed off his bread-and-butter of getting on base by any means necessary by hitting over .300 and accumulating a handful of walks. On the downside, within his first six games, he struck out more than any scout in attendance wanted to see, with 8 Ks through 16 ABs. However, when he arrived for Team USA in Cary, NC, Taylor found a different gear where he exploded during the primetime events for the red, white, and blue. Taylor came back and took that success from USA Baseball to carve out a successful season for the Cotuit Kettleers by producing a near .300 batting average, .907 OPS, and 5 HRs in 29 games with a wood bat. 

Taylor showed he belongs within the top 10 conversations going into the spring of 2025 over the summer. However, the 25% K rate in the Cape isn’t very appealing for major league scouts, with murkiness around the pitching talent and quality within the Big Ten going into next spring. Taylor, in 2025, will need to bounce back in this department and continue his declining K rate that he was showing at Indiana (roughly 19% in 2023 and 13% in 2024) before his time on the Cape. 

Going into the spring, I would like to see him take that next step into locking down that top 5 (maybe even top 10) status that early evaluations and industry talking heads are labeling him. In doing so, I would love to see him improve his defense and display more athleticism in the field while showing that I’m dead wrong on his 45 FV as a defender with current signs showing he may be playing CF next spring for the Hoosiers. When he added the 25 lbs of mass over the last calendar year to tap into more power, he lost some of the defensiveness and athleticism that made him look so appealing in his freshman year. 

Also, he can improve his stock on his hit tool by cleaning up his issues with + velo and offspeed while boosting his batting average into the .400s, and continuing a contact rate over 80%. Lastly, he can even do the fun route and just club everything he sees for HRs next college season like Condon and Cags did last spring that got them selected into the top 10 in July (granted, both these dudes also hit .400 while crushing everything to the moon). Overall, as outlined in the scouting report, Taylor is a future premium hit tool player and should be one of the quickest dudes to the MLB. However, it seems he is already losing some steam early in the 2025 draft cycle and will need to find a way to stay afloat at the top if he wants to be taken within the top 10 with the rise of so many helium dudes coming off of the summer season as right now it seems he is starting to meddle into the middle of the first round territory as a 10 - 15 overall selection. 

Lastly: Tyler Jennings caught him at USA Baseball during the summer with some video if you want to see more on Taylor Here. 

If you want to see Taylor from last Spring, you can check out Perkins' live look of Taylor at Maryland Here. 

| OF/1B Ethan Petry | South Carolina | Draft Eligible: 2025 |

Cape Numbers: .360/.480/.760 (1.240), 7 2B, 11 HR, 25 RBI, 26 R, 16 BB (12.8 BB%), 26 K (20.8 K%)

Ethan Petry comes up huge with this loud PS drive that brings in two runs. Easy, compact, and physical swing, bat explodes through the zone to pick up the hit @YD_RedSox @GamecockBasebll #PGCape pic.twitter.com/rMVEmsFz3m

— PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) July 25, 2024

Ethan Petry officially takes the LEAD in @OfficialCCBL home runs 🥇

Petry (@GamecockBasebll) pushes Y-D into a 7-3 lead against Chatham in the bottom of the fifth.

🎙️: @benstrobermedia pic.twitter.com/tpspNVis9U

— Y-D Red Sox (@YD_RedSox) August 2, 2024

Switz’s Notes: Petry is one of the biggest imposing dudes on the Cape this summer and is possibly one of the most extensively debated bat profile’s when trying to project him. He’s done and accomplished a lot within his short college career so far between being a career .300 hitter, having a career OPS over 1.100, hitting 20+ bombs in each of his first two college years, taking home the Cape Cod Baseball League MVP, the Robert A. McNeese Most Outstanding Pro Prospect Award, and Cape Cod Baseball League Home Run Derby title in the process. The dude hits the ball hard, and it is easy to see the offensive potential in his game. Nevertheless, even with his offensive upside, some limitations in his game are easy to see, such as his defense, athleticism, and eye at the plate. I strongly feel that teams will overlook his limitations and focus on the terms of the power and RBI-producing upside he has. Offensively, I see it being black and white: either he fixes these issues and becomes a freak for the next level, or they continue to haunt him, and it is a blemish that teams will have to work around in his game at the plate. As stated in the scouting report, with the universal DH being in play, I think he’s in a better boat as a prospect than he would be 5 - 10 years ago when scouts in the NL would have to project and find a defensive role for him. 

In giving him an Adam Dunn comparison, if the National League had the DH as they do now, I strongly feel that you would never have seen Dunn in the OF, and he would've been a straight DH with him playing 1B when Griffey Jr. was healthy and in the lineup. Like Dunn, I see Petry being that type of middle-of-the-order bat that teams are betting for HRs and RBI-producing abilities with the sacrifice of strikeouts coming within it. I do not see it being Joey Gallo-like bad where it is a career .195 hitter, and it's either K or HR with every swing. But, I think Dunn is a realistic comp with a ceiling batting average being a .255 - .265 hitter, crushing north of 35 + bombs a season with some triple-digit RBI abilities, and taking on the burden of having north of 25% strikeouts to go with it. However, with pitching movement and velo being the best baseball has ever seen (two things Petry does struggle with, unfortunately), I think the batting average and offensive production can easily fall into Kyle Schwarber-like territory as a floor or a readjusted comp later down the road if Petry does not fix these issues at the plate. 

| SS Marek Houston | Wake Forest | Draft Eligible: 2025 |

Cape Numbers: .306/.465/.329 (.794), 2 2B, 8 RBIs, 17 Rs, 7 SB, 26 BB (22.8 BB%), 21 K

(18.4 K%)

MAREK HOUSTON (@WakeBaseball) ARE YOU KIDDING‼️‼️

1 more out…

Top 9 | 7-4 Bourne pic.twitter.com/1HKv82KK16

— Bourne Braves (@BourneBraves) August 9, 2024

Houston, I see no problem…

Just an RBI single from Marek Houston (@WakeBaseball)!!!! 🫡💪

Chris Stanfield (@LSUbaseball) heads home & Ethan Conrad (@WakeBaseball) is at 2nd!

Bot 3 | 1-0 Bourne pic.twitter.com/FQPzsEUr8L

— Bourne Braves (@BourneBraves) August 8, 2024

Switz’s Notes: From the first time I watched Bourne over the summer, my eyes were glued to watching Houston in the field. He is a natural athlete on the diamond and is one of the guys who has a higher ceiling than most in the 2025 draft. This year, he was a key contributor for the Bourne franchise to make another appearance in the Cape Cod Championship game with his run-producing abilities at leadoff and stellar defense. Nightly, over the summer, Houston produced web gem-after-web gem defensive plays that showed that he can stay on the left side of the diamond for the next level. Many other talking heads will criticize his bat for the next level due to it not producing the batted ball metrics that the new-age fans and gurus want to see.  However, it isn’t as bad as this crowd wants to voice as he displayed a good feel for the zone and protects anything inside his hands (a skill many hitters over the summer seemed to lack that is desired by scouts). Further, he showed good abilities to hit to all fields and not let the Cape’s BABIP inflation dictate his hitting abilities while taking walks and not forcing a play to be made when nothing was there. To quote Aaron Rodgers, the new age fans and gurus need to “relax” regarding Houston’s bat profile because Houston has advanced intangibles that metrics cannot measure and should be alright. 

When drawing up a projection on Houston, it is tough to forecast what he will become. At first, I thought he might be a glove-first dude with below-average pop that he currently shows and could build into being a Dansby Swanson-like SS. However, when watching him play and looking at his build, there is more growth left in him as he has an unorthodox build of a large upper body frame and a smaller lower half. Between working on his mechanics in rookie development to add bat speed and going to the weight room for him to add muscle, I think there's a chance he could surpass the average 15 - 20 HRs (which is upside 45 FV and fringy 50 FV grades that vary based on organization grading and modeling) that Swanson averages each year (I know that Swanson crushed over that between 2021 - 2024 but, I see that as a too small of a sample size to call Swanson a genuine 55-60 grade power guy). 

One of my 2025 draft crushes: Wake Forest SS Marek Houston.

He's not known for his power, but he gets all of this for a no-doubt bomb off the scoreboard. 101.8 EV, 405 feet. Really good contact skills with great defensive instincts at SS. He'll be on our initial 2025 rankings. pic.twitter.com/91CEuTIbHK

— Tyler Jennings (@TylerJennings24) May 22, 2024

Next, I took the approach of thinking he may be a Trea Turner-like athlete whose arm is strong, where there is 25 HR + pop if he can tap into it, and he oozes athleticism all over the diamond. However, Turner plays at a lower weight than Houston, and he fills out nicely for the 185 lbs he is. Thus, it left me to think and draw up the athletic comparison that Houston has a similar athletic body type to young Manny Machado coming out of high school (I’m not drawing the idea he is the next Machado, so don’t go down that rabbit hole of conclusion). Granted, you shouldn’t compare a 17-18-year-old player to a 20-year-old prospect in college athletically. However, when looking at the current state of college athletics, where there is limited time given for development from the Power 5 level, and it’s a state of just “get up and go” mentality within their constructed rosters, Houston’s athleticism has carried him into a starting spot with his defense being an essential tool. 

Nonetheless, there is still time for Houston, where he is still a projectable and moldable athlete, and a franchise can build him into what they want him to become, as I outlined in my report. Returning to Machado, when coming out of Brito Miami, he displayed a tall, slim, lean, athletic large frame that appeared boxy with large square shoulders (similar characteristics of Houston). At a young age, Machado easily displayed his fluid movements and defense on the dirt with a good feel for the barrel (same Houston has done with Bourne and at Wake). In the development of Machado in the Orioles system, Manny went from the skinny 180 lb size that he was drafted and grew into a 210- 215 lb size when he appeared in the major leagues roughly two years later, displaying his bat speed and strength to generate pop for the pros. 

If a team wants Houston to stay light on his feet and is not concerned about tapping into the power, they can take the approach of him being that 1980s and 1990s style SS where it's less than 15 HR pop with contact and defense being the essential tools. If this route is taken, he should be a quick-to-the-show type draft pick. Yet, suppose Houston gets drafted by a strong development organization, and they work with him on improving his internal strength and bat speed, which are his clear blemishes. In that case, there is upside four to five-tool potential (he has the speed for SB’s but, hasn’t displayed the production for it to be a real tool at his disposal) at the end of the road where we can see that pop come into play on a nightly basis like many of the premium SS display in today's baseball style.  

Overall, Houston's defense and superb athleticism will overshadow his complete toolset. However, Houston has a solid bat and advanced approach at the plate that shouldn't turn scouts and franchises away when turning in his name next summer. As I harped in the paragraphs before, I still believe and see lots of projection within Houston's game, and he is a late bloomer within the power department than most in college. Houston has a solid chance to hear his name early in next year's draft, and he could be the first SS off the board. A lot of this ease in decision-making for teams regarding Houston comes from his limitless ceiling and the high athletic floor that he possesses. Houston should be a fun follow this upcoming spring and moving forward in his pro career; he is a non-stop defensive highlight reel and potential offensive threat in the making. 

Earlier in the spring, Jared Perkins had the opportunity to catch Wake Forest for some live looks and saw Marek Houston Here.

Next time I’ll have full reports and notes on some of the top performers that popped over the summer on the Cape.

One Underrated Prospect from Every American League Organization

There are just a handful of weeks remaining in the 2024 minor league season. Every team has added draft picks and potentially even trade deadline acquisitions to their system. Every organization has the “usual suspects” in the farm system that fans of the team have come to know. They follow these players because they’re covered in detail by the media and fans alike. Beyond those top prospects, however, is often where next year’s top prospects tend to start out. Take 2023 for example, when Royals prospects Austin Charles and Javier Vaz were relatively unknown prospects. A year later, each is a consensus top prospect in that system.

The fun in minor league baseball isn’t just following the top names that everyone else tells you to keep tabs on. More fun comes from finding those diamonds in the rough players. Not every prospect is going to be an ace or MVP, but there are plenty of Whit Merrifield-esque prospects out there who can come from nowhere to really shine in the Major Leagues. The Royals fan in me will stop throwing in references to Kansas City now, but here’s a look at one underrated prospect from every organization in the American League.

American League East

Boston Red Sox - RHP Jedixson Paez

Paez is a 20-year-old RHP from Tinaquillo, Venezuela. He was named the organization’s 2021 Latin Program Pitcher of the Year and has been dominant this season for High-A Greenville. He throws a sinker, changeup, and a good sweeping slider. Paez locates all three pitches for strikes. He generates healthy whiff rates, especially on his changeup. His 31.5% strikeout rate at High-A this season ranks 87th percentile. Much of that comes from a 78th percentile whiff rate (33.5%) and excellent command. Paez has a walk rate under four percent and has maintained that throughout his professional career thus far. At still just 20 years old, there’s hope that Paez’s low-90s heater can continue to add velocity, giving him an even higher ceiling as a starter. He’s an intriguing name with plenty of upside left to uncover.

New York Yankees - RHP Luis Serna

It’s much easier to see Serna’s 6.07 ERA this season and discount him as a non-prospect. Looking closer, the story isn’t quite the same. He throws a low-90s fastball, a curveball, and a vicious changeup that hitters struggle to square up. He’s put together above-average marks this season for whiff rate, CSW%, and K-BB%. Although hitters tend to get their share of hits off of Serna — he’s allowed opposing hitters to hit .250 against him this season — he commands the zone well and misses a healthy amount of bats. The result is a sub-4.00 FIP that better shows what he’s done on the mound this season. 82 strikeouts and 24 walks in less than 70 innings of work is nothing to shrug at. He’s a young arm with excellent pitchability that could skyrocket up the system in 2025 and beyond.

Toronto Blue jays - of Victor arias

Arias is a 20-year-old outfielder who spent most of this season with Low-A Dunedin. He generates loud exit velocity despite his smaller 5-9 frame. He’s maxed out at 113 mph this season, sitting at 104.5 mph 90th percentile EV. There’s more than enough swing-and-miss in his game, but despite that, he does a solid job limiting strikeout totals. In 76 games for Low-A Dunedin this season, Arias slashed .279/.386/.454 with a .175 ISO. Defensively, he’s split time between left and center, but probably shifts to a corner full time as he continues to fill out his frame. The swing is electric but gets a bit long at times. As long as he continues to generate in-zone contact rates around 80% as he’s done this season, there’s a lot to love in his overall profile.

Tampa Bay Rays - RHP Ty Johnson

Ty Johnson joined the Rays system at this year’s deadline in the Isaac Paredes deal. His velocity has seen a steady increase since being drafted in 2023 by Chicago. Now post-trade, that velocity uptick has continued further. Johnson has worked his fastball up to 97 mph. The pitch was already above average at 93-95 mph due to excellent spin rates and extension. The pitch jumps out of the hand with a sharp arm side whip giving way to excellent carry up in the strike zone. He’s a swing-and-miss darling, posting a 37.3% (92nd percentile) whiff rate so far this season at High-A. It’s a much smaller sample, but since joining the Rays system, Johnson has struck out 16 batters in just 9.2 innings of work. He seems like an excellent fit for the organization and the needle continues to point straight up for his future.

Baltimore orioles - RHP Kevin Velasco

As much firepower as the Orioles have had in their farm system of late, it seems easier than anywhere else for names to slide under the radar. Kevin Velasco signed with the organization out of Venezuela in 2023 and has looked electric in 2024. He’s 18 years old and should get a chance to pitch stateside for the first time in 2025. So far this season in the Dominican Summer League, Velasco has struck out 52 batters in 40.0 IP. He’s walked just ten in that span, pitching to an impressive 1.13 ERA. Perhaps even more impressive than the command of the strikezone has been his ability to limit hard contact. Velasco hasn’t allowed a home run all season while peppering the strikezone consistently. 

American League Central

Kansas City Royals - RHP Steven Zobac

Steven Zobac is already rising quickly out there, so it may be a bit late to truly include him as an “under-the-radar” type of prospect. Regardless, I’ll include him anyway. Zobac, a fourth-round pick in 2022, has moved quickly through the system this season. Since arriving at Double-A earlier this season, he owns a 35.8% strikeout rate and a 31.3% K-BB%. He’s dominant with the fastball. The pitch sits in the mid-90s, operating mostly in the 93-95mph range. He spins the ball well, commands it on the black consistently, and misses bats at elite levels. His 35.6% whiff rate at the level ranks 90th percentile this season. He rounds out the pitch mix with a slider and changeup. The slider can sometimes be good, but inconsistent shape limits it sometimes. Despite that, the margin for error is rather wide due to how exceptional the fastball has been.

Cleveland Guardians - LHP Matt Wilkinson

The Guardians selected Matt Wilkinson in the 10th round of the 2023 MLB Draft. He signed for just $110,000 after spending much of his college career at Central Arizona Community College. Wilkinson made just one official appearance in 2023, striking out the side in one inning of work. The 21-year-old debuted in 2024 in A Ball, quickly moving his way up to High-A Lake County. Since the promotion, Wilkinson has made 13 starts. He’s struck out an impressive 33.9% of batters. “Tugboat” as he’s known, throws a low-90s fastball, an excellent sweeping slider, and a good changeup with arm-side fading action. His arm slot is deceptive, coming in as a low three-quarter operation that helps his stuff play up more than one might expect. Even in the low-90s, his fastball offers deception and good life up in the strikezone, helping the pitch to miss bats.

Detroit Tigers - SS Ronald Ramirez

The Tigers signed Ramirez back in January out of the Dominican Republic. The 17-year-old has shined in his first professional season. This year in the Dominican Summer League, he’s played a mixture of shortstop and second base, spending most of his time in the hole. He’s slashed .353/.459/.441 with a 17.1% strikeout rate. It’s a smaller 5-10 frame that could limit the power upside long-term, but the mixture of contact skills and a sound approach at the plate make Ramirez an intriguing young prospect. He’s still just 17 years old. Defensively, it’s more of a work in progress. His footwork can be inconsistent, throwing off his infield timing. Should he move to second base, more power output may be needed to truly carry the profile.

Minnesota Twins - OF Eduardo Beltre

Beltre is another 17-year-old prospect playing in the Dominican Summer League this season. Beltre was a top 50 international prospect in the most recent signing period. He received the 25th-largest signing bonus in the class and has shown up early in a big way for the Twins. He’s still listed at 5-11, 175 by FanGraphs but should continue to grow and develop into a larger frame. Even without that, his power output has been off the charts. He slashed .326/.453/.618 with an outrageous .292 ISO in the Dominican this summer. Beltre strikes out enough to make note (23.8%) but walks more than 15% of the time as well. He’s a prospect worth monitoring and could quickly become one of the best young prospects in the Minnesota farm system. It’s a level swing that generates excellent lift, especially to the pull side.

Chicago White Sox - RHP Yhoiker Fajardo

Fajardo has been a standout 17-year-old arm in the DSL this season. He throws primarily a two-pitch fastball/slider combination. The fastball has touched the mid-90s and the slider sits more in the low-80s with late bite. It’s a raw profile, but Fajardo already touches the mid-90s and should be able to add a tick or two more to that as he fills out his 6-3 frame. The two-pitch mix has generated a ton of strikeouts in the DSL this season. Across 50.2 innings of work, Fajardo struck out 64 batters. He pitched to a 2.50 FIP and walked just eight batters in the process. He commands the strike zone well with an easily repeatable delivery but will have to round out the pitch mix to find more success stateside. He allowed a .256 BAA and will have to improve that in the Complex League once he makes his way there.

American League West

Seattle Mariners - LHP Carlos Jimenez

It’s been quite the road for Jimenez since signing as a 16-year-old back in 2021. He spent two seasons in the Dominican Summer League, followed by two more with the Mariners in the Arizona Complex League. In 2024, he finally made the leap from the Complex to Modesto and continued to shine. Jimenez has a smaller frame, but his quick bat speed helps to generate good power and loud exit velocity. His first taste of full-season ball has seen him slash .308/.394/.484 with three home runs and 11 stolen bases. He won’t likely ever be a true home run hitter, but rarely chases out of the zone (19.7% chase rate at Low-A). His good eye and approach at the plate help to carry a solid floor. He’s still a bit too passive at the plate, digging himself into disadvantageous counts that don’t offer him much help alongside his worse-than-average whiff rates. Jimenez has the speed to stick in center field but could end up playing a corner by the time he’s further along in the system.

Texas Rangers - RHP Skylar Hales

Hales is a big 6-4 flamethrower. He throws pure gas out of the bullpen. The fastball lives in the upper 90s, touching 100 a handful of times this season. He pairs that with a good slider that falls off with more of a gyro-slider profile. The fastball explodes out of the hand from Hales, offering an excellent vertical approach that makes it nearly impossible for batters to square up. Hales was a fourth-rounder for the Rangers in 2023 and made his way to Double-A for the first time this season. He got in 19 innings of work for the Rough Riders, striking out 29.5% of batters while limiting walks. If there’s any knock on Hales, it’s his disappointing whiff rates. For an arm throwing so much gas, you’d expect them to be higher. However, he’s mustered just a 26.1% whiff rate. There’s certainly the potential for those to improve and he could be a quick-moving arm to supplement the Texas bullpen as early as 2025.

Houston Astros - RHP Wilmy Sanchez

Sanchez is an interesting young arm. He’s pitched at both A-ball levels this season as a 20-year-old. A midseason promotion took him to High-A where he’s made five appearances so far. He’s posted a strikeout rate of 36.6% with an excellent 14.1% swinging strike rate. Sanchez throws a fastball, changeup, and a solid slider/cutter. The fastball lives in the 91-93 mph range but has touched 95 at times. He does a good job missing bats with the pitch thanks to good spin and life, but likely won’t add too much more velocity due to his relatively small frame. The changeup is a real weapon, sitting in the upper-80s with great arm-side fading action. It plays very well with the fastball, coming out of the hand and looking very similar before falling off the table. The slider/cutter rounds out the pitch mix, sitting in the upper 80s. He misses bats at an excellent rate and finds the zone enough to offer a fairly high reliever ceiling long-term.

Oakland Athletics - OF Nate Nankil

A seventh-rounder out of Cal State Fullerton last summer, Nankil has started to move his way through the system for the Athletics in 2024. He debuted at Low-A before eventually making the move up a level to High-A Lansing. The trade deadline acquisition of Jared Dickey helped round out what’s become an impressive High-A outfield featuring Dickey, Nankil, and Ryan Lasko. Nankil has slashed .353/.413/.412 for the Lugnuts. It’s a contact profile more than a power one, but Nankil rarely chases out of the zone. He has a great eye at the plate, and flirts with above-average in-zone contact rates just short of 80%. Better-than-average whiff rates help to limit strikeouts, giving Nankil an intriguing profile long-term. He showed much more power potential at Low-A, posting a .174 ISO but that power hasn’t followed him since his midseason promotion. It’s a smooth stroke that sprays the ball all over the field, even if it won’t result in off the charts power potential.

Los Angeles Angels - RHP Jose Fermin

The Angels signed Fermin in 2023 as a 21-year-old. He made his professional debut in 2024. He debuted with 18 games with Inland Empire, striking out 26.8% of batters. A mid-season promotion gave way to more success. With High-A Tri-City, that strikeout rate has ballooned to 36.8%. He’s a big, hard-throwing righty with a 6-3, 248 frame. The fastball touches 97 with some deception. The stuff on his fastball is so good that it’s simply undermatched in High-A right now. If you need more evidence of that fact, look no further than his 44.5% whiff rate at the level (99th percentile). Beyond the fastball, however, things get a bit less impressive. Fermin has a solid but inconsistent breaking ball with curveball traits. His command and lack of a well-rounded arsenal are both limiting factors that impact his success on the bump. If he can figure out that command, the fastball offers a solid foundation to build upon for a potential relief option long-term.