High School https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/competition/high-school/ Baseball America is the authority on the MLB Draft, MLB prospects, college baseball, high school baseball, international free agents. Baseball America finds the future of the game of baseball. Mon, 19 Aug 2024 13:29:43 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.baseballamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/bba-favicon-32x32-1.bmp High School https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/competition/high-school/ 32 32 Top 50 Class Of 2026, 2027 Standouts From The Area Code Games https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/top-50-class-of-2026-2027-standouts-from-the-area-code-games/ https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/top-50-class-of-2026-2027-standouts-from-the-area-code-games/#respond Mon, 19 Aug 2024 13:26:51 +0000 https://www.baseballamerica.com/?p=1484965 Ben Badler shares 50 scouting reports breaking down the top performing underclassmen at the 2024 Area Code Games.

The post Top 50 Class Of 2026, 2027 Standouts From The Area Code Games appeared first on College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects - Baseball America.

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The Area Code Games underclass event offers major league scouts and college coaches a look at some of the top high school players in the 2026 and 2027 classes.

The eight teams are picked by major league scouts and split up by region. Each played four games from August 6-9: the first three days at Long Beach State and the third at the MLB Youth Academy in Compton, Calif. The event was filled with players ranked in the top 100 for the 2026 class, others who will be moving on to that list in our next update and players who were more under the radar but made bigger names for themselves for big league scouts and college coaches on hand.

Below are 50 of the top players from the event. We’ll start with the five players who stood out the most, both in terms of their prospect status and performance at the event. Then we break down the position players and the pitchers from the 2026 class who stood out, followed by 2027 names to know and before wrapping things up with a look at some sleepers with helium potential.

2026 Top High School Draft Prospects

Where did the standouts from the Area Code Games make our Class of 2026 high school prospect rankings?

Biggest Winners

Savion Sims, RHP, Oklahoma

Sims was the most electric player at Area Codes.

The first 10 fastballs out of his hand?

96, 96, 97, 96, 97, 96, 95, 96, 96 and 94 mph.

That’s from a 6-foot-7, 200-pound righthander with outstanding arm speed on a long, still-lanky frame who delivers the ball with steep downhill plane from a delivery without much effort. Sims already has an incredible fastball for a pitcher who just turned 17. With how much room he still has on his frame to add weight, the projection arrows point toward a pitcher who should not only end up with 80-grade velocity, but someone who could become the hardest thrower in baseball one day. Teenage pitchers with long limbs like Sims typically struggle repeating their mechanics to throw strikes, but Sims threw 28 of his 39 pitches for strikes (a 72% clip), with a lot of his misses coming below the strike zone. An Oklahoma commit, Sims threw a solid slider, as well, at 82-85 mph. At its best, it had two-plane depth from his high slot, spinning at 2,300-2,600 rpm. He used that slider to get a pair of swinging strikeouts, the best of which came on a 2-2 pitch to a lefty that broke down and in underneath his barrel.

Rookie Shepard, SS, Nevada

Shepard is already the No. 8 player in the 2026 class, and he finished Area Codes with one of the strongest offensive performances of the event. The Miami commit is a polished lefthanded hitter for his age with excellent bat control from a short swing and the ability to hit hard line drives to all parts of the field. One of the biggest differences with Shepard between now and a year ago is the muscle he has added to his 6-foot, 185-pound frame, which has helped him drive the ball with more extra-base impact. At a field where home runs were rare, Shepard got a 1-0 fastball up on the inner third of the plate, kept his head locked in and snapped the barrel through the zone to catch it out front and drive it over the right field fence for a home run with a 106 mph exit velocity. Shepard’s approach is typically more line-drive oriented, but he showed the power is in there when he wants to let it loose. He also hit a fastball for a low line drive that traveled into the left-center field gap for a triple while showing the adjustability of his swing when he went down to hit a 3-2 fastball that was probably below the strike zone for a double to left-center. Shepard has the hands, footwork and instincts to play somewhere in the middle infield, whether it’s at shortstop or second base, but it’s his offensive game that has stood out the most.

Gary Morse, RHP, California

Morse delivered the most dominant pitching performance of anyone at Area Codes. He pitched three flawless innings, striking out seven of the nine batters he faced without allowing a hit or a walk. At 6-foot-8, 190 pounds, Morse is an extra long, lanky pitcher who was able to miss bats with three pitches. The No. 77 player in the 2026 class, Morse pitched at 88-92 mph, mostly attacking up with his riding fastball from his high three-quarters slot. Morse’s curveball isn’t a high-spin pitch—it was mostly in the 2,000 to 2,200 rpm range here—but it was hard, sharp and had good depth at 78-81 mph, with hitters waving through his curve all five times they swung at the pitch. Morse only faced one lefty, but he still made effective use of his 84-85 mph changeup. He got three swinging strikes on the seven changeups he threw, showing plenty of fade to run away from barrels with the potential for the offering to be his biggest swing-and-miss pitch long term. Morse is uncommitted for college.

Trey Rangel, RHP, Texas

Rangel is the top ranked pitcher in the 2026 class (No. 9 overall) and looked as advertised, striking out five of the 12 batters he faced in three scoreless innings. At 6-foot-1, 180 pounds, Rangel is an athletic righthander with a low-effort delivery and a fastball that was up to 94 mph and got a lot of swing-and-miss when he pitched with it up in the zone. Given Rangel’s arm speed and room to add strength to a still wiry frame, there should be more velocity in the tank. Rangel already has a big fastball for his age, but the separator for him as long been his innate feel to snap off a curveball with elite spin. Rangel regularly spun his 76-80 mph curve above 3,000 rpm up to 3,133 rpm, using it once for a particularly nasty swinging strikeout to a lefty, with two more that he used to get third strikes looking. He threw a few changeups at 84-86 mph that he holds with a spike grip and has good depth at times—one of them was a spin-killer at 984 rpm—but it was primarily the fastball/curveball mix that Rangel used to quiet hitters. Everything continues to track for Rangel being one of the top high school pitchers for the 2026 draft.

Anthony Del Angel, OF/3B, New Mexico

There are a few things that jump out about Del Angel immediately. One is his size, which at 6-foot-4, 195 pounds, gives him a strong, well-proportioned frame with room to pack on more good weight. The second is his swing. It may be unorthodox, but Del Angel seems to hit everywhere he goes and has the bat speed to drive the ball with impact. In batting practice, he produced as much hard, consistent contact on the barrel as anyone, getting regular 95+ mph exit velocities with several eclipsing 100 mph and registering up to 103. Del Angel has a strong offensive track record in games, and he padded that resume at Area Codes with five hits, one of which being a double that he pulled off a 96 mph fastball from Savion Sims. His best hit came on on 0-2 curveball that he lifted over the left fielder’s head to the warning track at 358 feet. It was a ball that’s gone at most parks on the showcase circuit, with Del Angel hustling around the bases for a triple. He singled three more times on fastballs ranging from 88 to 91 mph, all on hard line drives in the air. An Oklahoma commit, Del Angel is the No. 69 player in the 2026 class and made a strong case to move up the list in the next update.

Hitting Standouts

Keon Johnson, SS, Georgia

The No. 7 player in the 2026 class, Johnson is a quick-twitch athlete with a projectable frame (6-foot-2, 190 pounds). He has a good balance of skills on both sides of the ball that was on display here. Johnson loads his righthanded swing with a leg kick and unleashes big bat speed, producing consistent hard contact in batting practice and carrying that over into the games. Typically a pull-oriented hitter, Johnson lined a single to right-center field and smoked a fastball for a double in the air into the right field corner. Johnson, who is uncommitted, also stood out defensively on multiple plays. At third base on a sharp ground ball, he made a diving play to his left to field the ball, got up quickly and threw to first base for the out. He made another nice play at third base on a foul ball hit behind him where Johnson made a running catch over his head near the wall while also making a quick, clean double play turn at second base on a 4-6-3 double play.

Archer Horn, SS/RHP, California

Horn is 6-foot-2, 190 pounds and showed an accurate barrel from the left side, staying within the strike zone throughout the event and hitting a fastball for a double down the right field line. A Stanford commit ranked No. 82 in the 2026 class, Horn also showed some of the best raw power at the event during BP, when he hit balls up to 104 mph off the bat. On the mound, Horn pitched heavily off a fastball that was up to 92 mph and thrown for strikes at a high clip. He sprinkled in both a slider and a curveball, with his 76-77 mph changeup his most effective secondary pitch, featuring heavy sink at its best.

Landon Thome, SS, Illinois

Thome, the son of Hall of Famer Jim Thome, was named the player of the week for the underclass event after he went 5-for-8, showing significant steps forward with his all-around skill set from where he was last year when he played in the same event. While Jim was a 6-foot-4, slugging first baseman, Landon is a 5-foot-11, 170-pound middle infielder with a sound, compact lefthanded stroke with good balance. He showed that on his best swing of the games when he got a 3-2 fastball on the inner third and pulled his hands inside the pitch to pull it over the right fielder’s head for a triple. Thome also chipped in a defensive highlight at shortstop on a ground ball in the hole toward third base where he read the ball well off the bat, fielded it cleanly on a backhand and made a deep throw from the back of the dirt to get the out at first base. Thome, who is uncommitted, also made a smooth, quick turn on the back end of a 4-6-3 double play at shortstop.

Jorvorskie Lane Jr., OF/C, Texas

Blair Field is a spacious park where home runs aren’t common, especially for high school underclassmen, whether it’s in-game or in BP. Lane—who is one of the youngest players in the 2026 class, having just turned 16 last month—still managed to hit a ball into the trees in left field, showing an outstanding ability to fire his hips and rotate powerfully to generate explosive bat speed. At 6 feet, 195 pounds, Lane is not as big as some of the other top high school power threats, but he can whip the barrel through the zone with ferocity from the right side to get exit velocities up to 103 mph in BP. The No. 10 player in the 2026 class and a Texas A&M commit, Lane did show some swing-and-miss tendencies here, but he lined a 3-2 fastball for a hit to the opposite field, walked three times and smashed a fastball 348 feet to right field at 98 mph off the bat for a deep fly out. Lane has experience behind the plate and the outfield. Where he ends up defensively is up in the air, but he turned in a highlight catch in center field. With nobody out and a runner on first stealing on the pitch, Lane broke back and toward left-center field on a deep fly ball over his head. The runner paused right before second base, but the ball was hit so deep that he rounded the bag. Lane was able to take a clean route and reach up to make a backhand catch over his head just in front of the warning track. He then alertly turned around, hit the cutoff man and got the double play at first base.

Dylan Minnatee, 1B, California

Minnatee has a knack for finding the barrel, which was something he did consistently all week, whether it was picking up three hits or driving the ball for hard contact outs to the outfield. He’s a 6-foot, 190-pound lefty who sets up with an open stance then strides closed and has impressive bat control, swinging and missing only once during the event. While the offensive bar is high for a team to draft a high school first baseman, Minnatee is uncommitted for college and could develop into a middle-of-the-order hitter for whatever school ultimately lands him.

James Tronstein, OF/SS, California

Tronstein was still working his way back from a hamstring injury, so he didn’t get as much playing time and wasn’t at full strength here. But even at less than 100 percent, Tronstein showed why he’s the No. 30 player in the 2026 class. He’s a 5-foot-11, 170-pound righthanded hitter with strong hands, fast bat speed and some of the best barrel accuracy in the country. He demonstrated that bat speed when he smoked a fastball for a line-drive single to center field with a 103 mph exit velocity. A Stanford commit, Tronstein didn’t get a chance to show it here, but he’s also a plus runner and a good athlete who defends his position well in center field.

J.C. Pacheco, SS, New Jersey

Pacheco is one of the top hitters in the northeast. He’s 5-foot-10, 175 pounds and takes a tight turn of the barrel with his short, quick lefthanded swing. It’s an operation with minimal wasted movement and it comes through the hitting zone with good bat path. He showed his hitting ability when he singled on fastball for a line drive to left field and again on a first-pitch fastball that he pulled for a line-drive single to right field. The bat is Pacheco’s calling card, but he made a pair of nice defensive plays at third base, once charging in on a slow roller and making a jump throw to first base for the out and another running back on a pop up in foul territory to make an over-the-shoulder catch. He’s uncommitted.

Dillon Moss, C, California

A California native at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., Moss is the No. 3 catcher in the 2026 class and a Stanford commit. There’s an impressive track record of hitting with Moss, who added another strong event to his history here. A 6-foot-1, 170-pound righthanded hitter, Moss chipped in a few hits at Area Codes, using a short, efficient swing for hits against both fastballs and breaking stuff. Arguably his best hit came on a 1-1, 91 mph fastball that he smacked in the air to center field with a 94 mph exit velocity. Moss has a strong arm, too, and has the attributes to be able to stick behind the plate.

Brody Schumaker, SS, California

Schumaker is the son of Skip Schumaker, an 11-year big leaguer and current manager of the Marlins. Brody plays just like what you you would expect as the son of a former major leaguer and manager. He’s 5-foot-10, 165 pounds and an instinctive player with a mature plan at the plate. He gets on base at a high clip with a high-contact bat, spreading line drives all around the field with a hit-over-power game from a simple, level stroke. A TCU commit, Schumaker ran well, too, beating out a groundball for an infield single going home to first in 4.10 seconds, which is a plus time for a lefthanded hitter.

Spencer Browning, SS, Texas

Ranked No. 85 in the 2026 class, Browning has a strong build (6-foot-1, 200 pounds), good wheels and showed the ability to drive the ball for extra-base damage on multiple occasions at Area Codes. On one occasion, he slammed a double over the left fielder’s head on a 91 mph fastball. In another at-bat, Browning took a short swing on a 90 mph fastball up and in on his hands, turning it around for a double to left field. An Arkansas commit, Browning is a good athlete with an aggressive approach with what will likely be a power-over-hit offensive game.

Anthony Murphy, OF, California

The No. 48 player for 2026, Murphy has a mix of power and defensive tools that he showed here. The uncommitted center fielder doubled off a 92 mph fastball, driving the ball to deep center field with a 98 mph exit velocity. Murphy also unleashed an above-average arm on a throw home with a runner on second trying to score on a groundball single to center field. Murphy’s throw beat him to the plate, though the catcher couldn’t get the tag on him fast enough and he slid underneath for the run.

Jeffrey Todd-Darden, OF, Texas

Todd-Darden, who is uncommitted, is one of the most exciting athletes in the 2026 class. The athleticism and tool set stood out more than his performance at Area Codes, with Todd-Darden showing some rawness at the plate but plenty of tools to dream on. He’s 6 feet, 175 pounds with plus-plus speed and the quick-burst athleticism needed to handle center field. He also showed his power potential by hitting a 91 mph fastball 324 feet to right field for a hard out with a 101 mph exit velocity and another hard contact out with a 98 mph EV.

Jacob Lombard, SS, Florida

In terms of performance, this wasn’t the best showing for Lombard, who flew across the country in the middle of the event after being one of the few underclassmen also in East Coast Pro, which overlapped with the Area Code underclass games. Yet, it’s hard for Lombard not to stand out with his athleticism, tools and smooth, efficient actions both at the plate and in the field. The No. 2 player in the 2026 class, Lombard is an instinctive defender at shortstop, where he has clean footwork, soft hands and reads hops well. At 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, Lombard is a righthanded hitter with a compact, efficient swing that has good balance, sequence and path through the zone.

Alain Gomez, C, Arizona

Gomez was the high school catcher in the spring for lefthander Cam Caminiti, the Braves first-round pick this year, so scouts have already had several looks at him. Originally from Venezuela, Gomez is an uncommitted switch-hitter who collected multiple hits at Area Codes. What stood out the most here was his defense. He’s 5-foot-11, 201 pounds with an above-average arm and a quick exchange, both of which were on display when he ended an inning throwing out a would-be base stealer on a 1.88-second pop time. He showed that arm strength, quickness and alertness again when he back picked a runner off first base, throwing from his knees behind the lefthanded hitter for the out.

Devin Diaz, C, New York

Like Gomez, Diaz is another catcher who stands out for his defensive skills, particularly with arm strength that helps him control the running game. At 5-foot-10, 185 pounds, Diaz is an athletic mover behind the plate, blocked well and showed an above-average arm. A Miami commit, Diaz also flashed promising signs at the plate. The best at-bat for the righthanded-hitting Diaz came when he condensed his swing, went with no stride and hit a changeup into the left field corner for a triple. Another hit came off a curveball that he drilled in the air to center field for a single.

Will Adams, 1B, Alabama

Adams consistently strung together quality at-bats. He’s a lefty who gets on plane well, helping him drive the ball to all fields from his 6-foot-2, 205-pound frame. There was a mix of hitting ability and power with Adams, with his best swing coming on a fastball that he hit for a double to right-center field at 104 mph off the bat. Adams hit another double with a 96 mph exit velocity that traveled 341 feet to the right field warning track, with several other well-struck balls that resulted in hard contact outs for the Alabama commit.

Erik Zdunek, OF, California

Zdunek just turned 16 in June, so the TCU commit is one of the younger players in the 2026 class. He’s 6-foot-2, 190 pounds and showed a knack for putting the bat to the ball, often with hard contact from the right side of the plate. He showed that when he got a fastball up on the outer third and barreled it for a triple to right field. Zdunek, who projects as a corner outfielder at the next level, was able to turn on an inner-third fastball as well, pulling it for a line-drive single to left field with a 99 mph exit velocity. He also drove in a pair of runs with a groundball single to center field off a fastball.

Troy Southisene, SS/OF, Las Vegas

The Cubs drafted shortstop Ty Southisene out of Basic HS in Nevada this year with their fourth-round pick while Tate Southisene is an infielder and outfielder who ranks as the No. 21 player in the 2025 class. Their younger brother, Troy, is another prospect to watch in the 2026 class. He’s 5-foot-10, 160 pounds with good hand-eye coordination and instincts for the game. Southisene split time between the infield and outfield and stood out defensively at both spots. He showed crisp actions, quick feet and good body control at shortstop, where he made a nice play charging in on a slow roller. In center field, on a drive in the right-center field gap, Southisene read the ball well off the bat and took an efficient route to make a difficult play look routine. Southisene, who is uncommitted, is a righthanded hitter with a line-drive approach and gap power.

Alex Harrington, SS, California

On offensive performance alone, there wasn’t one big moment here for Harrington, but he always sticks out because of his quick-twitch athleticism and the strength projection in his still-wiry 6-foot-2, 175-pound frame. Harrington showed his quickness and body control during infield at shortstop, with his range and reactions evident during the game. Playing third base, Harrington covered a lot of ground to his left on a ground ball in the hole where he had to spin, turn and make an accurate throw to get the out with a plus runner at the plate. He’s a Stanford commit.

Andruw Giles, OF, Nevada

Giles made multiple highlight catches in the outfield, including one in left field where he charged into foul territory to make a sliding grab. At 6 feet, 180 pounds, Giles isn’t a burner runner, but his defensive instincts are strong and he’s shown good bat-to-ball skills from the left side of the plate throughout the summer. Giles’ offensive production has generally been hit-over-power, but when he let it loose in BP, he showed the ability to drive the ball well with exit velocities up to 103 mph. He’s uncommitted.

Pitching Standouts

Landon Schutte, RHP, California

Schutte was one of the most impressive pitchers at the event, both in terms of performance and projecting him as a prospect. The No. 29 player in the 2026 class is 6-foot-5, 220 pounds with a strong lower half, and he threw strikes at a 71% clip with his fastball, which touched 93 mph from his three-quarters slot. There should be mid-90s velocity coming soon for Schutte, but the most exciting pitch for him here was his curveball. It’s a 76-80 mph curve with tight rotation—spinning mostly in the 2,700-,2900 rpm range—and sharp bite that should help him rack up a lot of swing-and-miss at the next level. He didn’t use his changeup much here but he didn’t need to either as he struck out three with no walks over three scoreless innings.

Hudson Alpert, RHP, Colorado

Alpert has an up arrow next to his name after what he showed at Area Codes. He’s 6-foot-2, 190 pounds with a sound, efficient delivery and good arm action into a three-quarters slot, attacking hitters up in the zone with a fastball that ticked up in this outing to reach 93 mph. It’s a good fastball for his age, but the most impressive pitch here was his upper-70s to low-80s slider. Alpert threw an incredible 18 of 19 sliders for strikes, including five whiffs. Some of those strikes came on chases, with Alpert consistently executing his sharp slider down and to his glove side against both righties and lefties, spinning mostly in the 2,400-2,700 rpm range with tight break and two-plane depth. Alpert threw a handful of low-80s changeups, as well, but it was mostly his fastball/slider combination that allowed him to strike out three with no walks across three scoreless innings.

Bryce Hill, RHP, Connecticut

Through his first three innings, Hill struck out five of the 12 batters he faced with one walk. With his team short on pitchers, Hill went out for a fourth inning and wasn’t as sharp, but the way Hall pitched his first few innings showed why the Stanford commit is the No. 59 player in the 2026 class. He has a tall, strong frame (6-foot-5, 215 pounds) and touched 95 mph multiple times from his three-quarters slot with the look of a pitcher who should still have a couple extra ticks of velocity to come. Hill pitched heavily off his fastball, mixing in a short slider at 78-84 mph with spin in the 2,000-2,300 rpm range and a 73-78 mph changeup that flashed heavy life at times.

Jack Smejkal, RHP, Texas

The No. 83 player in the 2026 class, Smejkal is 6-foot-1, 175 pounds with a fast arm. His fastball ranged from 90-94 mph from a long arm action and an open stride. The uncommitted righthander consistently threw his fastball for strikes to both sides of the plate, striking out three with one hit, one walk and a hit batsman against the 12 batters he faced. Smejkal’s changeup has been a bigger weapon in other looks, and while he rarely threw it here, it flashed good fade. More often, he went to an 82-86 mph slider, which he had trouble landing for strikes but showed feel to spin in the 2,400-2,600 rpm range.

Easton Webb, RHP, Oklahoma

An Oklahoma State commit, Webb is 6-foot-4, 210 pounds and an athletic pitcher who is also the quarterback for his high school football team. He pitched up in the zone with a fastball that touched 92 mph from his three-quarters slot. Webb went with a near 50/50 mix of fastballs and offspeed stuff, using a 75-79 mph curveball that he showed feel to spin in the 2,400-2,700 rpm range to get four swings and misses. His low-80s changeup didn’t miss any bats, but he kept it down and used it to get a pair of groundouts.

Shawn Sullivan, RHP, Ohio

Sullivan made a loud entrance at Area Codes. The 6-foot, 185-pound righthander stepped into the game with one out in the sixth inning and needed just eight pitches (six strikes) to strike out the only two batters he faced. Most of his fastballs were 95-96 mph, and he touched 97 once while throwing one big-breaking curveball at 78 mph (2,253 rpm) for a called strikeout. He throws from an extremely aggressive, high-effort delivery, and when he came back for another outing, Sullivan showed the risk that comes with his upside, as he had more trouble throwing strikes. Some scouts see Sullivan, who’s committed to Alabama, as a potential power reliever, but he has the chance to move up 2026 draft boards if he can show more touch and feel to go with his high-octane fastball.

Lawson McLeod, RHP, Virginia

McLeod, who is uncommitted, had his best outing of the summer at Area Codes, where he needed just 19 pitches to retire all six batters he faced with three strikeouts. McLeod is 6-foot-6, 215 pounds and drove his fastball down in the strike zone at 90-93 mph. He threw 11 of his 13 fastballs for strikes and mixed in an effective 79-82 mph breaking ball for all three strikeouts (one swinging) with spin into the 2600s. It was a significantly improved breaking ball from what McLeod had shown in previous outings, which is an encouraging sign for a pitcher who already stands out for his size and fastball.

Jenker Romero, RHP, Georgia

Romero has high-end stuff, though he’s still figuring out how to corral it for strikes. He has a great, projectable pitcher’s frame at 6-foot-3, 180 pounds, good arm action and ran his fastball up to 94 mph with room to fill out and add more velocity to what’s already a big fastball for his age. Romero showed feel to spin a pair of sharp breaking balls, an upper-70s slider and a curveball with more depth, both in the 2,500-2,800 rpm range. He missed bats with all three pitches and struck out three of the 10 batters he faced. He also walked three hitters and threw just 46% strikes, with too many fastballs sailing on him, so he will have to figure out how to repeat his release point more consistently to improve his control. Still, the stuff and physical projection stacked up favorably with some of the better pitchers here. He’s uncommitted for college.

Dax Hardcastle, RHP/1B, California

An uncommitted righthander/first baseman, Hardcastle breezed through two clean innings, striking out three of the six batters he faced without issuing a walk or a hit. At 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, he’s a physically mature pitcher for his age with a fastball that touched 92 mph and consistently got swing-and-miss up in the zone, with hitters whiffing through it on seven of their 11 swings. The No. 60 player in the 2026 class, Hardcastle flashed feel to spin an upper-70s curveball, though he wasn’t able to throw it for strikes here. His low-80s changeup had deception and induced a swing-and-miss underneath a barrel on one of the three of them that he threw. Hardcastle’s future in pro ball leans more toward the mound, but during batting practice he also showed some of the best raw power of any hitter at the event.

Brock MacDonald, RHP, Arizona

At 6 feet, 190 pounds, MacDonald doesn’t have the long, lean frame of the more prominent pitching prospects at the top of the 2026 class, but the uncommitted righthander emerged as an intriguing sleeper at Area Codes. MacDonald struck out three with one walk and one hit allowed over his two innings, pitching to both sides of the plate with a fastball that touched 92 mph (though his velocity did dip in his second inning). MacDonald had some of the better breaking stuff at the event, too, getting four swings and misses on a 76-81 mph slider that spun above 2,700 rpm at times.

Alex Hoffman, RHP, North Carolina

Hoffman is 6-foot-2, 200 pounds with a good fastball/slider mix that he showed at Area Codes. The Virginia Tech commit threw his high-spin fastball (2,500-2,700 rpm) up to 93 mph and used it to get swing-and-miss in the zone. He showed feel to to spin a slider in the 2,400-2,700 range that froze hitters for a two of four strikeouts in his two-inning outing, with an occasional mid-70s curveball sprinkled in, as well.

David Hinojosa, RHP, New York

An uncommitted righthander, Hinojosa hasn’t done a ton of national events, but he made a bigger name for himself at this one. He has a starter look with a lean 6-foot-1, 180-pound frame, a loose arm and good flexibility on the mound. He threw strikes with a fastball that was up to 91 mph and has the arm speed for more velocity to come. Hinojosa showed feel for two secondary pitches, as well, including a mid-to-upper 70s curveball that he spun between 2,300-2,600 rpm and a mid-80s changeup.

Cooper Sides, RHP, California

At 6-foot-5, 190 pounds, Sides is a tall, lean pitcher with long arms that suggest mid-90s velocity coming in the near future. The uncommitted righthander touched 92 mph here, pitching heavily off his fastball with a slider above 2,500 rpm on his best ones. The No. 39 player in the 2026 class, Sides had little trouble through his outing, throwing three shutout innings with two strikeouts.

Tyler Putnam, RHP, Missouri

Putnam didn’t allow a hit over his three innings, striking out five of the 10 batters he faced with one walk. He pitched off a fastball that touched 92 mph and should be throwing in the mid-90s or better once he packs more weight onto his 6-foot-5, 175-pound build. Putnam’s fastball was his best pitch, and it already generates a lot of empty swings, especially when he elevates. He also showed a lower spin slider at 74-77 mph that he leaned on more than his low-80s changeup.

Julian Garcia, RHP, California

Garcia flashed promising traits to be able to mold over the next couple of years leading into the 2026 draft. He has a lean, projectable pitcher’s frame at 6-foot-3, 195 pounds with long arms and a fastball that touched 92 mph in the first inning and was still touching 90 mph in his second inning, though his velocity did drop more in his third inning. He throws a slow curveball in the low-70s that was effective here to get swing-and-miss and could be a bigger weapon for him once he’s able to throw it with more power, as it already can spin above 2,800 rpm. The uncommitted righthander finished with four strikeouts and two walks.

Dylan Blomker, RHP, New Mexico

Blomker showed good size (6-foot-4, 195 pounds) and stuff during his outing. He pitched in the low-90s, touched 93 mph and got several swings and misses with his lively fastball. The uncommitted righthander also showed feel to spin a low-80s slider that had sharp turns and the potential to develop into a bigger swing-and-miss pitch for him with more reps.

McCoy Silicz, RHP, California

Silicz has a classic projectable frame for a young righthander at 6-foot-5, 205 pounds. He touched 92 mph in this look, where he struck out three and didn’t allow a run over three innings. There’s a good chance he’s reaching the mid-90s before the 2026 draft. Silicz also flashed feel to spin a curveball (2,200-2,500 rpm) that has sharp bite and good depth when it was at its best and played well off his fastball from his high slot. He’s uncommitted.

Spencer Krasner, LHP, Florida

Krasner breezed through his first inning before running into a little more trouble in the second, but overall, he showed starter traits with a good mix of pitchability, projection and feel to manipulate his offspeed stuff. He can scrape 90 mph, pitching more in the upper-80s, with a 6-foot-3, 180-pound frame that should lend itself to adding more velocity once he gets stronger. Krasner had one of the better lefthanded breaking balls at Area Codes, using it to freeze hitters for strikeouts and to get swings and misses. Previously a Virginia commit, Kranser is now one of the top uncommitted lefties in the 2026 class.

2027 Names To Know

Drake Hawpe, OF, Texas

Few players—2026 or 2027—had a better week than Hawpe. At 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, Hawpe has a lot of strength projection left in his frame and rarely swung and missed, delivering five hits with two doubles with an exit velocity up to 100 mph in batting practice. Against a 94 mph fastball up on the inner third, he kept his hands inside the ball and shot it the other way for a single. He pulled a 2-2 fastball into right-center field for a double and hit another first-pitch fastball for a double the other way. As a corner outfielder, Hawpe’s offensive game is what drives most of his value, but he delivered a pair of diving catches, as well: one running in on a shallow fly ball in left field, the other robbing a hit in right-center.

Carter Hadnot, SS, California

Hadnot looked like one of the premier players in the 2027 class. A 6-foot-2, 165-pound switch-hitter, Hadnot is a lean, athletic shortstop with a lot of space to fill out and impressive ability to maneuver the barrel. His swing takes a tight turn and he was consistently on the sweet spot, pulling a first-pitch fastball for a double down the right field line, then lining a double into the right field corner (though he was out trying to stretch it into a triple). Hadnot also showcased his quick-twitch athleticism at shortstop. He made an excellent defensive attempt by diving to field a ground ball up the middle, getting up quickly and firing to first base, though with a speedy runner at the plate he was safe by half a step.

Max Hemenway, SS, Washington

Hemenway is one of the elite 2027 players in the country. He has a mature, polished look in the batter’s box for his age, taking a clean, compact cut from the left side. He keeps his head locked in, recognizes pitches and has the feel to maneuver the barrel to find the sweet spot on pitches throughout the strike zone. Hemenway consistently drove the ball well to the middle of the field—though often right at an outfielder with nothing to show for it in the box score—but he did hang in against a left-on-left curveball in a 1-2 count that he hammered to center field for a single. At 6 feet, 165 pounds, Hemenway has a hit-over-power profile and should start to drive the ball with more impact once he fills out his wiry frame. At shortstop, the Tennessee commit is an athletic mover with crisp, quick actions. He showed good instincts and range diving up the middle to field a groundball, getting to his feet and making an accurate throw to first, though not in time to get the out on a plus runner. He checks a lot of boxes between his hitting and ability to play shortstop that will push him high up boards as the 2027 draft gets closer.

Lash Henderson, OF, Texas

Even as a 2027 at an event of mostly 2026 players, no player showed more raw power than Henderson, who is a righthanded hitter who drove the ball up to 105 mph in BP. At 6-foot-4, 202 pounds, Henderson physically sticks out like a man among boys. He has a strong but lean athletic frame with room to fill out and grow into plus-plus raw power in the future. In games, Henderson showed some rawness that’s still there, but the mix of athleticism, power potential and plus speed makes for a high-end prospect with exciting upside to follow.

Leo Nockley, SS, Pennsylvania

At 5-foot-7, 150 pounds, Nockley was one of the smallest players on the field, but he still stood out for his ability to hit from the left side. He took a tight turn of the barrel on an elevated fastball and drove it for a double to left field, part of a two-hit game in which he smacked a single the opposite way, as well. Nockley’s best at-bat of Area Codes came when he smoked a fastball at 95 mph off the bat to deep center field that traveled 353 feet only for Jorvorskie Lane to run it down with an excellent catch just in front of the warning track. He has the actions that should allow him to stick in the infield, whether it’s at shortstop or second base.

Sleeper Watch

Shawn Mack, RHP, Nevada

Looking for a sleeper pick from Area Codes? Mack is one to watch. He pitched in the mid-to-upper 80s, topping at 88 mph. So, while the velocity right now isn’t as high as the top pitchers in the 2026 class, there are good projection indicators in place. At 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, he has a frame with room to fill out, hold more weight and help him grow his fastball with strength gains. The uncommitted righthander also snapped off a low-to-mid 70s breaking ball that had extremely sharp bite at times, eclipsing 3,000 rpm. He’s going to be a pitcher for area scouts to follow and could make himself a bigger name nationally if his fastball ticks up as the 2026 draft nears.

Ryan Walls, RHP, Florida

Like Mack, there wasn’t big velocity from Walls, but he showed traits to project on between his size and ability to manipulate his secondary stuff. He’s 6-foot-3, 185 pounds with a frame with room to add strength that should lead him to more velocity from the mid-80s fastball he featured here. What mostly stood out with Walls was his off-speed stuff, the best of which was an extremely sharp curveball in the mid-to-upper 70s with top-of-the-scale spin at 2,900-3,300 rpm. Walls flashed a quality changeup in the upper-70s, as well, so if he’s pitching more in the low-90s by the time the 2026 draft nears, he could climb up the rankings.

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Ethan Holliday Carves Path To 2025 MLB Draft Amid Great Expectations https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/ethan-holliday-carves-path-to-2025-mlb-draft-amid-great-expectations/ https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/ethan-holliday-carves-path-to-2025-mlb-draft-amid-great-expectations/#respond Fri, 16 Aug 2024 11:00:00 +0000 https://www.baseballamerica.com/?p=1469589 The top 2025 prep prospect, Ethan Holliday leans on his family and skill set to navigate the heightened expectations.

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All his life, Ethan Holliday has had a firsthand view of how to handle expectations.

He grew up the son of seven-time MLB all-star Matt Holliday. He practiced, prepared and played with his older brother Jackson, who was drafted No. 1 overall by the Orioles in 2022, the summer after Ethan’s freshman year of high school.

Now, as he heads into his senior season at Stillwater (Okla.) High, the 17-year-old shortstop has to manage expectations of his own as the top prep prospect for the 2025 draft.

2025 Prep Rankings

See the top 100 high school prospects in the 2025 MLB Draft class.

“He’s obviously had the opportunity to watch Jackson and how Jackson’s handled everything.” Matt Holliday said. “So he has a good template and a good role model to look up to with Jackson, and how he’s handled it all has made it easier for him.”

But with the expectations, and the family lineage, also come the comparisons.

It’s hard to find a story about Ethan’s professional prospects that doesn’t in turn compare him and his older brother—for better or worse.

For Ethan and his family, it has nothing to do with one being better than the other. It’s simply about baseball, and Ethan now getting to chase a dream that his brother has gotten a taste of already.

“I saw some of that stuff with my dad, just some of the noise and the hype, but I’ve kind of gotten used to it over the last couple of years—all the noise and the spotlight on you during games and events,” Ethan said. “So nothing’s really shocking. I think I’m prepared for it. And I’m really just looking forward to what’s next.”

In Boston, he got a glimpse of what might be next.

Being on the field at Fenway Park as Jackson took batting practice prior to his April 10 MLB debut, Ethan was excited for both his brother and for his own dreams.

“Any baseball player who sits in the stands of a professional baseball game will say, ‘Well, I want to be here one day,’ but it’s a little different when it’s your brother, your best friend, on the field,” Ethan said.

“Seeing him make his big league debut at Fenway Park . . . it really hit me like, ‘Wow, he made his dream come true.’ And I believe that I have the ability to be there one day. It was a really cool moment for me and my family.”

In order to join his brother playing professional baseball, Ethan understands he has to continue to work on the one glaring difference between him and the 6-foot Jackson.

Ethan has to “bend down a little further,” as he joked, when it comes to playing shortstop at 6-foot-4. Being taller than the average big league shortstop, Ethan is continually honing his craft on defense.

“He’s a big kid for shortstop, so he’s constantly working on mobility and getting comfortable playing at short, but I think, generally, he’s just trying to get better,” Matt said. “You’re constantly trying to work on the craft of playing defense, of baserunning, of hitting and approach.

“There’s plenty to always get better at in baseball.”

Holliday’s willingness to improve stands out to Marty Lees, his head coach at Stillwater High. Lees is a 25-year coaching veteran who returned to prep baseball in 2023 after 20 years coaching in the college ranks, including a stint as head coach at Washington State.

“He is something special in the way that he prepares,” Lees said. “I mean, his skill set is good. I think that’s obvious to any scout, any team or any other coach, but I’m not sure if people really know the time and effort that he puts into being a really, really good baseball player.”

For Lees, it’s not just that Ethan is highly coachable, it’s also his ability to quickly pick up new skills or fundamentals, or how he truly embraces when something he’s been taught works in a game—the “ah ha moment,” as Lees put it.

“There’s things that Ethan Holliday’s doing that had taken me up to a couple of years to get (college) kids who went on to be pro baseball players to do,” Lees said. “. . . He’s always picking the brain of different ways to do things.”

Lees has deep ties with the Holliday family. He previously worked as an assistant coach for Ethan’s uncle Josh Holliday at Oklahoma State. He also worked as an assistant for Ethan’s grandfather Tom Holliday in the Cape Cod League.

Now, he’s enjoying working with a uniquely special talent in the family.

“I feel comfortable in saying—because I’ve been doing it for almost 30 years and coached a lot of college players, a lot of kids who went to Major League Baseball—I really do believe that Ethan will be the best player I ever coach,” Lees said.

Despite the high praise and the constant attention that he’s had over the past few years, Ethan is taking the mental approach of blocking out the noise, just as he saw his brother do a few years prior.

Jackson was BA High School Player of the Year in 2022, the year the Orioles drafted him No. 1 overall. If Ethan joins his brother as the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft, then the Hollidays will become the first brother tandem to both go 1-1.

The Uptons currently hold that distinction of highest-drafted brothers. The Rays drafted B.J. Upton No. 2 overall in 2002. The D-backs chose Justin Upton first overall in a loaded 2005 draft.   

Ethan knows that the moment he lets the outside distractions become a part of his everyday routine of being a top baseball prospect is precisely when things can start to go sideways.

“I’d say you think about it a little more when you’re going through a funk, but you try not to think about it,” Ethan said. “It really helps you to just keep your mind on the game, keep your mind on your teammates and just enjoying the game and being out there with your boys. If you get caught up in it, it can hurt you.” 

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35 Players Who Stood Out At USA Baseball’s 16U/17U NTDP https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/35-players-who-stood-out-at-usa-baseballs-16u-17u-ntdp/ https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/35-players-who-stood-out-at-usa-baseballs-16u-17u-ntdp/#respond Mon, 12 Aug 2024 15:26:21 +0000 https://www.baseballamerica.com/?p=1480846 Ben Badler looks at nearly three dozen players from the 2025, 2026 and 2027 draft classes who stood out at the USA Baseball 16U/17U National Team Development Program.

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As part of USA Baseball’s 16U/17U National Team Development Program, several of the top ranked players in the 2026 class—along with some younger 2025s and a handful of 2027s—trained and played three days of games from July 25-28 in Cary, North Carolina.

The USA players split into three teams and also played against Canada’s junior national team, which was training in preparation for the U-18 World Cup Americas Qualifier that just wrapped up yesterday.

These were 35 players from the United States and Canada who stood out at the NTDP, with reports and videos below.

2026 Class

C.J. Weinstein, SS, California

Weinstein entered the summer ranked among the top 50 prospects in the class and elevated his stock even more after great showing both offensively and defensively the last two months. The No. 13 player in the country, Weinstein had an outstanding game against Canada, going 2-for-5 with a home run on a first-pitch slider on the inner third that the lefthanded hitter pulled over the right field fence. Later in the game he doubled off a lefty, driving a fastball the other way over the left fielder’s head. Those extra-base hits were encouraging to see, but Weinstein’s calling card is his stellar bat control. He didn’t swing and miss during the entire event, using a compact, balanced swing that’s consistently on plane and on time. Weinstein also played well defensively, robbing a hit at second base while ranging into the 4-3 hole on a groundball that he slid to field, popped up quickly and threw from his knees to get the out at first base. He’s uncommitted for college.

Gio Rojas, LHP, Florida

Rojas showed why he’s the No. 1 ranked lefthander and No. 2 pitcher overall in the 2026 class during his NTDP outing, when he struck out three of the eight batters he faced with no walks. A Miami commit, Rojas has a prototype build for a projectable young pitcher at 6-foot-3, 185 pounds with a high waist and significant strength gains still ahead of him. It’s already impressive stuff, pitching here in the low-90s and touching 93 mph from his low three-quarters slot with a willingness to pitch inside to hitters that’s uncommon for this age. He complemented his fastball with a 77-82 mph slider that projects to be a plus pitch, showing deep sweep across the zone and two-plane depth to miss bats against lefties or righties. He threw one changeup but mostly leaned on his fastball/slider mix. Throwing slightly across his body, Rojas pitches from an easy, low-effort delivery with pitchability that’s advanced for his age, giving him a starter look.

Steele Hall, SS, Alabama

Hall impressed with his bouncy, quick-twitch athleticism and defensive ability at shortstop. He’s a wiry 5-foot-11, 160 pounds with explosive first-step quickness, plus-plus speed and great body control at shortstop with the ability to make acrobatic, highlight-reel plays. He made a couple of them here in just a few games, twice making diving stops on grounders up the middle where he was able to get up quickly and fire a strong throw to get the out at first base. A Tennessee commit with an aggressive offensive approach, Hall hit well here too, using a quick righthanded swing to pull a 1-0 fastballdown the third base line for a double and again on an 0-1 slider that he pulled over the shortstop’s head for a single. Hall was a riser in the latest 2026 rankings update to No. 36 in the class, and if he continues to hit well, he could make another jump off the list.

Carson Bolemon, LHP, South Carolina

Bolemon has a case as the most polished pitcher in the 2026 class. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound Wake Forest commit (ranked No. 26 in 2026) throws a lot of strikes and keeps hitters off balance by mixing in multiple offspeed pitches that he has feel to manipulate. Bolemon showed that at the NTDP—two scoreless innings with two strikeouts and no hits allowed—but he also showed another gear to his fastball from what he had previously. Bolemon typically topped out at 91 mph most of the summer, but in Cary he reached 93. He hit a batter and walked one when he was overthrowing, but otherwise he attacked hitters, consistently got ahead in the count and then used multiple secondary pitches that he either landed for strikes or used to get empty swings. Bolemon threw a slider and sharp biting curveball with good depth and changeup. with his curve a sharp biting pitch with good shape and depth. He only threw one changeup but it had good action and he executed it well down and away to a righty for a swinging strike way out front in a 1-1 count.

Coleman Borthwick, RHP, Florida

At 6-foot-6, 240 pounds, Borthwick is a huge presence on the mound with a power fastball. The Auburn commit pitched at 92-94 mph and touched 95 mph three times en route to striking out four of the 10 batters he faced, giving up a couple of singles without issuing any walks. The No. 19 player in the 2026 class, Borthwick isn’t just a physically mature pitcher for his age, he also has good body control of a repeatable delivery with good arm action that helped him locate his fastball to both sides of the plate. He operated off a fastball-heavy attack—33 of his 38 pitches were fastballs—mixing in a sharp slider in the low-80s with one changeup that caught a lefthanded hitter out front for a groundout.

Wilson Andersen, RHP, Florida

Andersen has stood out from an early age for his projectable 6-foot-3 frame, good delivery and advanced stuff for his age. At the NTDP, he showed a high-octane fastball that saw a velocity bump from where he was previously by running it up to 96 mph, which makes him one of the hardest throwing pitchers in the 2026 class. The fastball did get barreled a couple times, but Andersen finished with four strikeouts and no walks to the 10 batters he faced. Andersen threw his fastball for strikes at a high clip, attacking hitters down in the zone. Facing a lefty-heavy Canadian lineup, Andersen only threw one breaking ball, instead relying more on his low-80s changeup. It’s a pitch that showed heavy life and tailing action at its best, with hitters swinging at it four times and coming up empty on every occasion. Andersen is uncommitted and the No. 32 player in the 2026 class.

Brody Bumila, LHP, Massachusetts

Bumila is 6-foot-8, 220 pounds with a mid-90s fastball and gives hitters an uncomfortable at-bat, striking out five of the eight batters he faced with one walk. Bumila pitched mostly at 91-94 mph and touched 95 mph from his low three-quarters slot, producing lively tailing action on his fastball. He sells his changeup well off his fastball and used it get three swinging strikes, with one in a 2-2 count to strike out a lefty, another in a 3-2 count, with his changeup ahead of his breaking stuff in this look. The only downside was that he left his start due to injury, but Bumila showed why he’s the No. 14 player for 2026. He’s uncommitted for college.

Kevin Roberts Jr., OF/RHP, Mississippi

The No. 3 player for 2026, Roberts is 6-foot-5, 210 pounds and showed an array of tools to impact the game in different ways. Young for the class—he turned 16 during the NTDP—Roberts showed some of the best raw power of any hitter at the event during batting practice. In the outfield, he made a diving catch charging in on a shallow fly ball from center field and later showed a plus arm. Primarily a position player, Roberts pitched a scoreless inning as well with a strikeout and a walk. He pitched at 90-92 mph and showed a nasty changeup at 76-80 mph with plus potential. He’s uncommitted for college.

Tyler Spangler, SS, California

A Stanford commit ranked No. 5 in the 2026 class, Spangler is 6-foot-4, 190 pounds with good actions both from the left side of the plate and at shortstop. He showed a patient offensive approach, rarely expanding the strike zone with little swing-and-miss, consistent with what he has shown throughout the summer. He registered a pair of hits on offspeed stuff behind in the count, pulling an 0-1 changeup for a double and singling to right field on an 0-2 changeup.

Rookie Shepard, SS, Nevada

Shepard, a Miami commit and No. 8 player for 2026, has long been one of the most advanced hitters in the class. He’s a 5-foot-11, 185-pound lefthanded hitter who was on base in five of his nine trips to the plate with three walks and a pair of singles, both coming on fastballs where he pulled his hands inside with a short, quick swing to snap the barrel through and hit line drives to right field. Shepard has good hands and footwork at shortstop and should be able to stick in the middle infield.

Alex Harrington, SS, California

There’s a bouncy athleticism that sticks out quickly with Harrington, a Stanford commit and the No. 6 player in the 2026 class. He has a wiry, lively frame at 6-foot-2, 175 pounds with plus speed and defends his position well. His best defensive play came at third base, when he broke well off the bat on a slow roller, fielded it cleanly and showed good body control to make an accurate throw on the run to get the out at first base. A high-energy, aggressive player, Harrington did show swing and miss when he was out front on offspeed stuff, but he consistently squared up fastballs for all of his hits. Most of Harrington’s came attacking fastballs early in the count, including a pair of singles on first-pitch heaters, along with a double on a 91 mph fastball in a 2-1 count.

Hunter Harrington, OF, California

Hunter and Alex Harrington are twin brother, both wiry 6-foot-2, 175 pound, athletic players with plus speed committed to Stanford. Hunter, the No. 86 player for 2026, has defended his position well in center field throughout the summer and continued to do so at the NTDP. On a fly ball to right-center field, Harrington showed good range to get to the ball and make a sliding catch, a play that involved an extra degree of difficulty because Harrington had to maneuver his body out of the way of the charging right fielder to avoid a collision. With the runner at first base moving on the play, Harrington was able to alertly get up quickly and double him off with an accurate throw to first. At the plate, Harrington drew a walk and doubled on a first-pitch fastball that he lined to left-center field.

Nathaneal Davis, OF, Florida

Davis is an uncommitted center fielder with a good mix of athleticism and hitting ability. The No. 49 player in the 2026 class, Davis is a 6-foot, 160-pound lefty with a quick, compact stroke who shoots line drives all around the field. He led the event in hits, going 5-for-9 even with a higher swing-and-miss rate here, including a pair of opposite-field line drives for singles. Davis is a plus runner who should have a chance to stick in center field.

Sean Duncan, LHP, Canada

Duncan is the top player in Canada for 2026, a lefty with a smooth, free-and-easy delivery on the younger end of the class with a good mix of pitchability and projection in his 6-foot-2, 175-pound build. Throwing exclusively from the stretch, Duncan filled the strike zone with his fastball over his three innings and got a lot of swing-and-miss with that pitch in the zone, touching 92 mph from his three-quarters slot with the look of a pitcher who should be into the mid-90s in the next few years. He showed feel for an 81-85 mph changeup that he used to get a couple of swings and misses and a 77-81 mph slider that he landed for strikes. He’s uncommitted for college and the No. 33 player in the 2026 class.

Tucker Long, RHP, Iowa

Long had a quick, efficient outing, needing just 16 pitches to breeze through two scoreless innings with two strikeouts, no walks and one hit allowed. Long threw 13 of those 16 pitches for strikes, including 11 of 12 fastballs for strikes. He’s 6 feet, 170 pounds and young for the class—he just turned 16 at the beginning of July—and touched 92 mph from a good delivery with good arm action into his low three-quarters slot. Long, who is uncommitted for college, mixed in a lively, fading changeup at 82 mph that got a swinging strikeout in a right-on-right matchup and mixed in a slider at 77-78 mph.

Gary Gibson II, RHP, Kentucky

Gibson ran into little trouble over his two scoreless, hitless innings, striking out three of the seven batters he faced with a walk. A Kentucky commit with a compact frame at 6 feet, 185 pounds, Gibson carved through hitters and showed another level of stuff from where he was earlier this summer, pitching at 92-93 mph and hitting 94 mph multiple times from his low three-quarters slot. The No. 91 player for 2026, Gibson showed feel to spin a hard slider at 80-84 mph that got a couple of swings and misses as well.

Jorvorskie Lane Jr., OF/C, Texas

Lane is young (he just turned 16 at the start of July) and explosive, something that’s immediately evident in the righthanded bat speed that he’s able to generate from his 6-foot, 190-pound frame. There was some swing-and-miss at the NTDP, but he also had three hits, including two doubles. One of those doubles came against a 91 mph fastball that he hit to right field, another on a 79 mph breaking ball from righthander Ethan Wheeler—who has one of the better breaking balls in the 2026 class—that he pulled into the left-center field gap. A Texas A&M commit ranked No. 10 for 2026, Lane is a catcher and outfielder, though he didn’t spent any time behind the plate here. While playing left field, Lane caught a fly ball and threw out the runner at home with an accurate, one-hop throw to end the inning.

Ethan Wheeler, RHP, Florida

A Florida commit and the No. 18 player for 2026, Wheeler mowed through hitters over his two scoreless innings, striking out four of the six batters he faced with no walks and one hit allowed. Wheeler threw strikes at a high clip with a fastball that was 89-92 mph here from a sound delivery and has the physical projection at 6-foot-5, 200 pounds for more velocity in the tank. Wheeler throws a pair of high spin breaking balls with his curveball and slider, with his slider finishing hitters for two of his four strikeouts.

Denton Lord, RHP, Florida

Lord is 6-foot-8, 200 pounds, a lean, extremely long-levered pitcher who looks like he could throw 100 mph one day. It’s already good fastball for his age, up to 94 mph at the NTDP from his fast, whippy arm into a three-quarters slot. Lord mainly pitched with his fastball here—31 of his 37 pitches were fastballs—mixing in a mid-70s curveball that he flashes feel to spin, along with a firm changeup. Lord struck out three of the 11 batters he faced over two innings, walking another and hitting a batter. He did throw strikes here, though like nearly any 17-year-old pitcher with his long limbs, he’s still learning to repeat his delivery to dial in his control. Lord is uncommitted and the No. 74 player in the 2026 class.

Brayden Harris, RHP, Florida

A Florida State commit with a strong 6-foot-2, 190-pound frame ranked No. 28 in the 2026 class, Harris operated with a near 50/50 mix of fastballs and sliders. He threw a lot of strikes with his fastball, which sat 91-93 mph and touched 94. His 80-84 mph slider has tight spin and was an effective chase pitch that he would throw in any count, getting three swinging strikes with that pitch over two innings.

Yodelkis Quevedo, 3B, Florida

Quevedo is one of the strongest players in the 2026 class. He’s 6-foot-2, 210 pounds with the strength and bat speed to hammer baseballs for loud damage when he connects. He’s an aggressive hitter whose big righthanded power comes with a higher swing-and-miss rate, which was evident at the NTDP, but he also showed how he can drive the ball for damage. After getting ahead 2-0, Quevedo got a 93 mph fastball on the outside corner—maybe even off the plate—that he smoked into the right-center field gap for a triple. He finished 2-for-7 with two walks and four strikeouts, hitting a first-pitch slider for a line-drive single to left field for his other hit. Quevedo, who is uncommitted for college, is the No. 73 player for 2026.

Beau Peterson, 3B/RHP, Kansas

Peterson, No. 17 for 2026 and uncommitted for college, has been one of the premier offensive performers on the travel circuit this summer. He added to that strong track record with another impressive showing at the NTDP. He’s 6-foot-3, 215 pounds with a compact swing for his size from the left side of the plate and big power. In one at-bat facing a righthander who was up to 94 mph, Peterson got a first pitch changeup down in the zone that he stayed on and slammed for a triple into the right-center field gap. He went 2-for-6 with a walk and no strikeouts during the event, hitting a 93 mph fastball at the top of the zone for an opposite-field single for his other hit. Peterson has an above-average arm at third base and showed it on the mound as well. He threw just eight pitches in a quick 1-2-3 inning, pitching at 91-93 mph and showing feel to spin a low-80s slider.

John Stowers, C, Alabama

Stowers stood out for his catch-and-throw skills. An Auburn commit and No. 90 in the 2026 class, Stowers threw well to second between innings and in the game, erasing a runner attempting to steal second base with a 1.94-second pop time, using quick feet and a swift exchange with an on-the-money throw. Stowers got just five plate appearances here but he registered a pair of hits and narrowly missed a home run that he pulled over the fence but went just to the right of the right field foul pole. He consistently drove the ball well to both gaps during BP.

Jaxon Matthews, OF, North Carolina

Matthews went 2-for-10 with a walk at the NTDP but could have easily had four hits if it weren’t for two stellar defensive plays. He hit a sharp ground ball up the middle that shortstop Steele Hall made an outstanding diving play on for the out. His travel ball teammate Hunter Harrington made another robbery when Matthews lifted a ball into the right-center field gap that Harrington tracked down with a sliding catch. Matthews, No. 44 in the 2026 class and a Clemson commit, is 6-foot-4, 190 pounds with above-average bat speed and makes some of the hardest contact in the class. He moves well underway for his size and projects as a corner outfielder in pro ball.

Cooper Sides, RHP, California

Sides needed just 30 pitches to face nine hitters over three scoreless innings, striking out two with no walks, no hits and one hit batsman. He’s 6-foot-5, 185 pounds, a frame that screams projection for the No. 39 player in the 2026 class to add to a fastball that ranged from 89-92 mph here. Sides threw his fastball for strikes consistently, attacking hitters down in the zone. His most effective offspeed pitch here was his 83-85 mph changeup, which had heavy action at times, more fade at others. Sides threw his changeup four times, getting two whiffs and a groundout. The changeup showed more upside in this look that his 77-80 mph slider, but he used his slider effectively to get one swinging strike and freeze another hitter for a strikeout.

Dylan Minnatee, 1B, California

Good hitters have a knack for being on time and on plane; Minnatee did both at the NTDP. A 6-foot, 195-pound lefty, Minnatee has a simple, compact swing with quiet hands, starting with a slightly open setup before striding into a closed off stance. He was consistently pitched away and did a good job of driving balls on the outer third the opposite way and to the middle of the field, with well-struck barrels on some of his outs. He went 3-for-10 and hit a double in a left-on-left matchup, letting a 90 mph fastball on the outer third travel before hammering it into the left-center field gap. He’s uncommitted for college.

Devin Diaz, C, New York

Diaz showed well offensively, but it was on defense where the Miami commit stood out the most. An athletic catcher with an above-average arm, Diaz caught two of four runners stealing, with a 1.89-second pop time on his best throw. His other caught stealing came with a 2.0-second pop time on a difficult pitch to throw on that he had to backhand just above the dirt, but he was able to make a quick, clean transfer and a strong, accurate throw to erase the runner. At 5-foot-11, 185 pounds, Diaz is a righthanded hitter who sets up with a wide base, toe taps, then takes a short stroke without much swing-and-miss in this look. He recorded two hits, one off a fastball down in the zone on the outer third that he drove for a single into the right-center field gap, the other on a slider on the inner third that he kept his hands inside of to slice it for a single to center.

Julian Cazares, RHP, California

Cazares is 6-foot-2, 170 pounds with a lean, athletic build and a whippy arm, firing his fastball up to 93 mph at the NTDP with the look of a pitcher who should be throwing significantly harder by the time of the 2026 draft. An uncommitted pitcher ranked No. 44 in the 2026 class, Cazares’ fastball was his best pitch here, mixing in a mid-to-upper 70s curveball as well.

Sammy Swank, RHP, Indiana

Swank struck out two and didn’t issue a walk over his two scoreless innings. The No. 92 player in the 2026 class, Swank is 6-foot-4, 215 pounds and slings the ball from a long arm stroke to produce a fastball that ranged from 88-92 mph here. The Kentucky commit showed feel to spin a mid-70s slider generally in the 2,300-2,500 rpm range and flashed a couple of changeups to lefties at 79-80 mph.

Anthony Murphy, OF, California

The last two springs, Murphy has been one of the top offensive performers in southern California at Corona High and now ranks as the No. 48 player in the 2026 class. There weren’t any hits that fell during these three games for Murphy, who expanded the strike zone more than usual here, but he still showed other tools. He drove the ball well to center and left-center field during BP, then in games showed his above-average arm on three occasions. One of those plays resulted in Murphy throwing out a speedy runner from second base attempting to score on a single to right field, with Murphy make a strong, one-hop throw on target at home. After that, Murphy made two strong, accurate throws in the air and on line to home plate, with both runners wisely holding up at third on those plays.

2025 CLASS

Joshua Janicelli, RHP, California

Janicelli is a promising sleeper who deserves more attention. He sticks out quickly for his tall, slender frame (6-foot-6, 185 pounds) and just turned 17 in May, so he’s young for the 2025 class. He hit the first batter he faced, then settled in to pound the zone with his fastball, which ranged from 91-94 mph with the look of a pitcher who could be reaching the upper-90s once he’s physically mature. He showed a lot of deserved confidence in his changeup, mixing it in liberally to both lefties and righties. It came in with 10 mph of separation off his fastball and had heavy, splitter-like tumble at times to miss bats, flashing feel for an upper-70s curveball as well. Janicelli is a UC Santa Barbara commit and an up-arrow name to follow in the spring.

Jackson Hoyt, LHP, Florida

A Florida commit, Hoyt didn’t allow a hit, a walk or any hard contact in two scoreless innings. A 6-foot-3, 205-pound lefty, Hoyt threw strikes with a 91-93 mph fastball and leaned heavily on a low-80s slider. His slider had good sweep at its best, including the one he threw in a 2-2 count for a swinging strikeout against a lefthanded hitter.

2027 CLASS

Kyler Meccage, OF, Florida

Meccage is one of the top young hitters at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. and one of the most promising hitters in the 2027 class. Only one hit fell in this event for Meccage, but it was still an encouraging look for a player with a lot of hitterish traits. He’s 6-foot-2, 170 pounds and just turned 16 after the NTDP, where he showed a smooth, polished swing with good rhythm and balance. He drove multiple balls well to the middle of the field, including a fastball for a single and a curveball that he hit for a sacrifice fly. Meccage, who is uncommitted, is the younger brother of righthander Bryce Meccage, the Brewers’ second-round pick this year.

Will Brick, C, Tennessee

One of the top players in the 2027 class, Brick didn’t swing and miss once in his seven plate appearances. He singled up the middle on a fastball and generally showed a patient approach as he drew three walks. At 6-foot-1, 180 pounds, Brick is a righthanded hitter with some of the better raw power in the 2027 class as well. Behind the plate, Brick helped steal strikes for his pitchers with his receiving and showed off his arm strength on multiple throws, one a caught stealing with a pop time of 1.91 seconds, another with a 1.90-second pop time that should have been a second caught stealing but the umpire called him safe.

Samir Foster, RHP, Florida

Foster has an extra-large frame for his age, already 6-foot-4, 230 pounds at 15 with a big fastball to match. He’s one of the hardest throwers in the 2027 class, pitching here at 91-94 mph. Foster, who is uncommitted, threw just a few breaking balls here, instead relying more on a diving, low-80s changeup against both lefties and righties that got a couple of swings and misses.

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42 Standout Prospects From The 2024 East Coast Pro Showcase https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/42-standout-prospects-from-the-2024-east-coast-pro-showcase/ https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/42-standout-prospects-from-the-2024-east-coast-pro-showcase/#respond Fri, 09 Aug 2024 12:19:22 +0000 https://www.baseballamerica.com/?p=1471398 New scouting reports on more than 40 high school baseball prospects in the 2025 and 2026 MLB Draft classes.

The post 42 Standout Prospects From The 2024 East Coast Pro Showcase appeared first on College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects - Baseball America.

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Since 1995, the East Coast Pro has been an annual scout-run showcase highlighting the top prep players from the Eastern half of the country.

Scouts put together six teams of players they believe are the best in their respective regions of the country. The showcase runs for four days of games and workouts at the Hoover Met Complex in Hoover, Ala. 

Below are 42 standout players from this year’s event, headlined by the top five standouts. The remaining players are listed in alphabetical order: 

Top Five Standouts

1. Landon Harmon, RHP, East Union HS, New Albany, Miss.

Commit: Mississippi State

Harmon was one of the most impressive prospects at this year’s ECP. He has an excellent pitcher’s frame at 6-foot-5, 185 pounds with plenty of room for more strength. The righthander throws with a loose and easy delivery from the third base side of the rubber with a three-quarters slot and slight crossfire landing. One of the few pitchers to throw multiple times at the event, Harmon touched 98 mph in both outings and mostly pitched in the 93-96 mph range.

He gets to his velocity with shocking ease and given his lean physique it won’t at all be surprising to see him touching triple digits soon with little effort. He threw a 79-82 mph breaking ball with sweeping action that wasn’t super sharp, but which had solid shape and above-average potential with a bit more power and bite. Harmon also mixed in an 84 mph changeup, threw one 87 mph cutter/slide that backed up to his arm side and was a bit scattered overall with his control. In terms of stuff, projection and upside, Harmon’s was as high as anyone’s at the event. 

2. Daniel Pierce, SS, Mill Creek HS, Hoschton, Ga.

Commit: Georgia

Pierce was one of the most impressive and well-rounded position players at this year’s ECP. A 6-foot, 175-pound shortstop and righthanded hitter, Pierce employs an open and wide setup in the box with quick hands. He showed average raw power in batting practice and a solid batting eye in games where he went 2-for-10 with a double, single, three strikeouts and a walk. Pierce’s most impressive contact of the week came on a first-pitch 89-mph fastball that he hammered to the left-center warning track for a double. The ball came off his bat at 100 mph and traveled an estimated 368 feet. Pierce also turned in the eighth-quickest 60-yard dash time with a 6.58 second time that equates to 70-grade speed, showed slick actions defensively with reliable hands, athleticism and above-average arm strength at shortstop.

3. Noah Yoder, RHP, Atlee HS, Mechanicsville, Va.

Commit: Duke

Yoder is a big and physical righthander with a 6-foot-6, 220-pound frame who had one of the loudest ECP outings this year. He works from the middle of the rubber and throws with a lower arm slot but features an unusual landing with a crossfire finish and an extreme open toe landing position that creates an odd look. His stuff was loud and he struck out three batters in three innings while touching 98 mph and sitting in the 92-97 range for the most part. Yoder showed solid fastball command early before fading in that department in the second inning, and he likewise showed good feel to land an 81-83 mph downer curveball that featured depth, power and biting finish. Yoder’s misses throughout the outing were close to the zone and he showed impressive ability to mix and match with his fastball/curveball combo, though his 83-86 mph changeup needs a bit more refinement. 

4. Ethan Grim, RHP,  Governor Mifflin HS, Shillington, Pa.

Commit: Virginia Tech

You could make a fairly simple case that Grim had the most dominant outing of any pitcher at this year’s ECP. A 6-foot-1, 190-pound righthander, Grim worked three 1-2-3 innings, struck out the side in his first and got six of his nine outs via the strikeout. He has a four-pitch mix that includes an 89-94 mph fastball with hoppy riding life, a 78-82 mph slider with 10-to-4 shape, a 76-79 mph curveball with more top-down movement and depth and a mid-80s changeup. Both of Grim’s breaking balls were just fringy pitches in this outing and his arm slowed a bit at times on his secondaries, but his ability to attack the zone with above-average fastball command was impressive and allowed him to work quickly and get outs. 

5. Aaron Watson, RHP, Trinity Christian Academy, Jacksonville

Commit: Virginia

Watson is a rare Virginia commit out of the state of Florida and was one of the most impressive arms at ECP. A 6-foot-4, 205-pound righty with a clean and fluid delivery, Watson touched 96, flashed an above-average breaking ball and also showed some of the best fastball command of the event. He pitched in the 94-96 mph range in the first inning before dropping down to 90-94 in the second and third. He has lots of sink and run on the pitch that makes it a groundball-inducing offering. I was impressed with his ability to command the fastball to either side of the plate and thought he showed advanced feel to land the pitch. Watson backed it with an 82-85 mph slider that features hard and tight spin with solid tilt and was a swing-and-miss offering vs. both lefties and righties. He threw a pair of changeups in the 86-87 mph range but spiked them both.


Best of the Rest

Noah Allen, RHP, North Oconee HS, Bogart, Ga.

Commit: Ole Miss

Allen is a tall righthander with a 6-foot-7, 195-pound frame and long levers who works from the middle of the rubber, throws from a high three-quarters arm slot and features a slight crossfire landing in his finish. He showed solid control of his 90-93 mph fastball and mixed in two different breaking balls. Allen’s slider is a low-80s pitch with a 10-to-4 shape, spin rates in the 2,400-2,500 rpm range and short biting action that could allow it to become a solid secondary. His 76-78 mph curveball was better in this look, however, and featured spin rates in the 2,700-2,800 rpm range and big depth, with 11-to-5 downer action and solid bite that generated one particularly ugly swing-and-miss below the strike zone. 

Ethan Ball, SS, McLean (Va.) HS

Commit: Virginia Tech

Ball is a 6-foot, 185-pound shortstop and lefthanded hitter who put on what was perhaps the most impressive batting practice display of any hitter at ECP. He showed above-average raw power and homered to straight center field multiple times by way of a simple setup with quick snappy hands and a slightly uphill path. That performance didn’t translate to games, though, as Ball showed much more swing-and-miss than expected and went hitless in 10 plate appearances with six strikeouts and one walk. He showed solid middle infield actions and also turned in a double-plus 60-yard dash time of 6.62 seconds. 

Caleb Barnett, 3B, Mountain Brook HS, Birmingham, Ala.

Commit: Alabama

The Hoover Met complex is a deep ballpark that’s tough for high school players to homer out of in games, but Barnett was one of two players who left the yard at this year’s ECP. A big and physical 6-foot-5, 210-pound third baseman, Barnett turned around a no-doubt homer to left field against an 81-mph slider that he rocketed down the line at 99 mph for an estimated 353 feet. While the power was impressive, Barnett also showed some clear swing-and-miss questions, striking out six times in 11 plate appearances. He has a strong arm for third base and made a few impressive plays at the hot corner in games, but he is a well below-average runner who might be limited with his footwork and range.

Nick Becker, SS, Don Bosco Prep, Ramsey, N.J.

Commit: Virginia

Becker is a 6-foot-3, 190-pound shortstop and righthanded hitter who showed a well-rounded game and one of the cleaner swings of the event. He has solid feel for the barrel and gets on plane consistently, with lots of line drives in batting practice and in games tallied two hits in 13 plate appearances with three walks and three strikeouts. Becker’s loudest hit was a ground rule double to left field against an 86-mph fastball that came off his bat at 97 mph, but he made plenty of solid contact on balls in play that were converted to outs as well, and was also called out on strikes on one pitch that was clearly off the plate. Becker showed solid footwork and actions at shortstop with average arm strength and also turned in a plus run time in the 60-yard dash at 6.65 seconds.

Coleman Borthwick, RHP, South Walton HS, Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.

Commit: Auburn

Borthwick is an extra-large (6-foot-6, 245 pounds) righthander with a high-waisted, filled-out frame. He showed a power fastball and solid control of a three-pitch mix while working three innings at ECP. Borthwick pitched in the 91-95 mph range and generated six whiffs with his fastball while mixing in a pair of solid secondaries including an 80-81 mph three-quarter breaking curveball and an 82-84 mph changeup that he threw with fastball arm speed. With solid stuff across the board, solid control of all three pitches and a massive frame, Borthwick checks a lot of boxes. 

Logan Dawson, SS, Eastern HS, Voorhees, N.J.

Commit: Boston College

Dawson is a highly projectable lefthanded hitter with a lean, 6-foot-3, 190-pound frame that has plenty of room for more strength gains. He has a smooth, fluid swing with a slight uphill finish, and he paired solid mechanics with an advanced offensive approach in games. Dawson only tallied one hit in 13 plate appearances—a barreled line drive to right field that came off the bat at 94 mph—but consistently put together competitive at-bats and competitive swings. He walked four times and struck out six times and might need to do a better job making contact on elevated fastballs but should have strong on-base skills thanks to a keen eye. Defensively, Dawson has a strong arm with solid carry, a quick exchange, soft hands, good balance and the ability to throw accurately on the run. His foot speed is a bit light in a straight line, and his 7.11 60-yard dash time equates to 40-grade speed.

Chandler Day, LHP, Houston HS, Germantown, Tenn. 

Commit: Uncommitted

Day is a 6-foot-3, 211-pound lefthander who throws from an over-the-top arm slot and features some moving parts in his delivery. That includes a significant tilt in his leg lift, defined by a drop-and-drive action as he strides to the plate and downer head whack through his finish. Despite those moving parts, Day filled up the zone with his fastball in a quick three-inning stint, striking out five of the nine batters he faced—including the first four he saw—and not allowing a walk or hit. He threw his fastball in the 89-91 mph range and touched 92, but did a nice job establishing the pitch on the hands of righthanded hitters to his glove side to help generate six whiffs with the pitch. Day has a 75-76 mph curveball with solid depth/finish, and he also mixed in an 80-81 mph changeup with typical fading life. 

Colton Denton, C, Hardin Valley Academy, Knoxville, Tenn.

Commit: Tennessee

Denton is a physical catcher and righthanded hitter with a 6-foot-2, 225-pound frame who made a lot of hard contact at ECP. He showed solid raw power in batting practice with the ball jumping off his bat when he was on time and got the bat head out. He also hit three balls 99 mph or harder in games while tallying four hits in 11 plate appearances. Denton used the middle of the field and the opposite field with authority. His most impressive batted ball was a line drive to the right-center gap against an 87-mph fastball that came off his bat at 101 mph. He’s a well-below-average runner who ran the slowest 60-yard dash time of the event (7.65 seconds), but if he sticks at catcher that won’t be an issue. He has solid arm strength but could improve his exchange on his throws to second. 

Uli Fernsler, LHP, Novi (Mich.) HS

Commit: TCU

Fernsler is a big and physical lefthander with a 6-foot-4, 200-pound frame and wide shoulders. He works from the middle of the rubber and creates an uncomfortable at bat for hitters thanks to a sidearm slot and crossfire landing. Fernsler showed three swing-and-miss offerings in his two-inning outing, including a fastball at 88-92 mph with tons of running life and sink, an 80-83 mph short slider and an 80-81 mph changeup with heavy fading life. Fernsler’s deception allows his entire mix to play up, particularly his secondary offerings, and he also mixed in one slower curveball at 76 mph that showed more depth than his slider (though, he used the pitch less frequently).

Matthew Fisher, RHP, Evansville Memorial HS

Commit: Indiana

Fisher is a 6-foot-3, 200-pound righthander who works from the first base side of the rubber and throws with a solid delivery and three-quarters slot. He sat in the 90-92 mph range and touched 93 a couple times in his two-inning outing; the shape of the pitch allowed it to play up. It’s a high-spin fastball in the 2,500-2,600 rpm range with above-average carry that helped him generate six whiffs and dominate the top of the zone. He also has a solid breaking ball in the 79-81 mph range with solid sweeping action and high spin rates. He got around the pitch at times but also showed an ability to use it as a chase offering against righties. Fisher also flashed a mid-80s cutter and upper-80s changeup. 

Josh Flores, RHP, Lake Central HS, St. John, Ind.

Commit: Indiana

Flores is a filled-out righthander with a 6-foot-1, 200-pound frame who works from the first base side of the rubber, throws from a three-quarters slot and features fast arm speed. He only pitched out of the stretch at ECP, showing some moving parts in his delivery, including a deep arm action with a wrist wrap in the back and a downer head whack through his finish. Flores touched 94 mph with his fastball several times but mostly sat 91-92. He paired it with a power breaking ball in the 82-85 mph range featuring tight downer action that flashed plus. The pitch blended in shape between a slider and curveball at times but looks like a real swing-and-miss offering no matter the classification. He also mixed in a handful of mid-80s changeups that were solid-average pitches, but he will need to tighten up his control and avoid missing with his fastball to the arm side. 

Nicholas Frusco, LHP, Miller Place (N.Y.) HS

Commit: Clemson

Frusco is a tall lefthander with a lean 6-foot-5, 200-pound frame that allows for plenty of room for strength gains and intriguing fastball qualities. He was an extremely fastball-heavy pitcher in this brief three-inning look at ECP but generated tons of whiffs with the pitch despite throwing it mostly in the 88-91 mph range (while touching 93 a few times). Frusco showed plenty of confidence with the fastball and used it to fill up the zone and get ahead in counts frequently with arm-side life that adds to its quality. He threw a few breaking balls in the 76-81 mph range that lacked bite while also mixing in an 82-mph changeup. He struck out four of the 12 batters he faced and allowed just one single. 

Jason Fultz, 3B, Cathedral Prep, Erie, Pa.

Commit: Clemson

Fultz is a 6-foot-2, 220-pound corner infielder who showed a compact, direct swing in games. He had a pair of hits with exit velocity north of 100 mph in his 14 plate appearances. Fultz turned around a 92 mph fastball for a hard-hit ground ball single up the middle at 104 mph, then a few trips to the plate later he yanked an 85-mph slider down the third base line for a double at 100 mph. Fultz looked good against fastballs throughout the event but did struggle more with some ugly chases and whiffs against breaking balls. He was also up-and-down defensively. He made a diving catch on a 94-mph line drive at third base, then made another nice play on a slow rolling ground ball that required a quick exchange and off-balance through. There were also times where he looked unathletic, including while tracking down a popup in foul territory and while making an error with a wild throw from third base. Fultz has above-average arm strength but might be limited in range as a below-average runner. 

Linkin Garcia, SS/RHP, A3 Academy, Tampa

Commit: Texas Tech

Garcia is a shortstop and righthanded pitcher who showed exciting upside on the mound in a two-inning look. Listed at 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, he is a lean righty with growth potential who throws from a three-quarters slot with a bit of coil in his delivery and some effort and head whack through his finish. He threw his fastball in the 89-94 mph range, and the offering showed swing-and-miss qualities with plenty of cutting action. He also showed the ability to manipulate an 80-82 mph slider that looked like a solid-average pitch with a sweeping look and a bit more depth and two-plane bite, as well. Garcia also showed an 81-85 mph changeup with heavy arm-side fading life, but he buried the pitch and will need to add more command. In general, his control was below-average in this outing and his second inning fell apart a bit, but there were lots of elements to like here from a two-way player. 

Ma’Kale Holden, RHP, Thompson HS, Alabaster, Ala. 

Commit: Alabama

Holden is a big, strong righthander with a 6-foot-1, 210-pound frame who showed solid stuff and struck out five of the nine batters he faced in a two-inning outing. Holden threw a fastball in the 89-94 mph range that featured solid cutting action, though his command of the pitch needs plenty of work and he was scattered throughout the outing with an inconsistent release point. He showed two breaking ball variations: the first an 83-85 mph slider with sharp, tight spin that looked like an above-average pitch and the second a 77-80 mph downer with more depth and spin rates in the 2,500-3,000 rpm range. Though the slider was more consistent in this look, his curve also looked like a potential above-average offering. Holden also threw an 81-83 mph changeup that he turned over nicely a few times to complete a solid four-pitch mix. 

Hayes Holton, RHP, Loranger (La.) HS

Commit: Uncommitted (2026)

Holton is an uncommitted pitcher from the 2026 class who showed an intriguing pitch mix and plenty of arm speed. He stands 6-foot-3, 185 pounds with a lean, high-waisted frame that has room for more strength, and he employs a high-effort delivery that includes a heavy fall off to the first base side in his finish. Holton opened up with a fastball in the 94-96 mph range that had tremendous riding life, but his velocity fell off quickly in later outings. There was also a stark drop when he pitched out of the stretch. He threw a slider in the 75-80 mph range, as well as a curveball in the 71-75 mph range; the two pitches blended together at times. He also threw an 80-83 mph changeup but will need to sharpen each of his secondaries and avoid slowing his arm speed down while throwing them. Holton’s control was extremely scattered in this outing, but there are pieces to like and obvious arm talent that needs some refinement.

Coy James, SS, Davie County HS, Mocksville, N.C.

Commit: Ole Miss

Like Ball, James was another Twins hitter who had an excellent batting practice round but wasn’t able to fully translate that to in-game performance this week. The highest-ranked player at the event, James is a 6-foot,188-pound righthanded hitter who has developed an elite track record of performance as an underclassman. He showed off a swing with solid rhythm and balance and drove plenty of hard-hit balls up the middle while flashing above-average raw power in batting practice. In games, he tallied one hit in 13 plate appearances to go with six strikeouts and a walk, though that lone hit was a sharp line drive to center field against a 90-mph fastball that came off his bat at 103 mph. James seemed to be just under the baseball frequently this week with timing that was slightly off. He showed an above-average arm from third base and clocked an above-average 60-yard dash time of 6.84 seconds. 

Jackson Kornylo, RHP, TNXL Academy, Altamonte Springs, Fla.

Commit: Uncommitted

Kornylo is a lean, high-waisted righthander with a 6-foot-6, 200-pound frame that has plenty of room for strength gains. He works from the first base side of the rubber, throws with a three-quarters arm slot and has a crossfire landing with a lengthy hooking action in the back of his arm stroke. Kornylo struck out five of the nine batters he faced in a three-inning outing while showing a swing-and-miss fastball at 91-94 mph. He also flashed a fringe-average short slider in the 82-86 mph range that looked more like a cutter at the top of the velocity band to go with an 82-84 mph split-change that has tumbling action but needs a bit more touch and feel. Kornylo has a low-spin profile across all three of his pitches and showed solid fastball and slider feel.

Luke LaCourse, RHP, Bay City Western HS, Auburn, Mich.

Commit: Michigan State

LaCourse is a big and physical righthander with a maxed-out, 6-foot-3, 215-pound frame. He employs a three-quarters slot and short arm action on the mound and showed a quality three-pitch mix, including one of the better breaking balls at the event while pitching in the 91-94 mph range with his fastball. LaCourse’s 79-81 mph slider looked like a real plus offering with tons of depth and movement, including two-plane break and biting actions at times and sweepier movement at others. He spun the pitch in the 2,900-3,200 rpm range. While the slider was the bread-and-butter of LaCourse’s pitch mix, he also flashed a solid straight change at 85 mph. LaCourse struck out the side in his first inning and generally showed solid control.

Dean Livingston, RHP, Hebron Christian Academy, Dacula, Ga.

Commit: Georgia

Livingston is a 6-foot-2, 205-pound righthander who throws with an easy, fluid delivery from the first base side and a three-quarters slot with a direct stride to the plate. He showed some of the easiest mid-90s velocity of the event and was touching 96 mph with his fastball while looking like he was playing an easy game of catch. Livingston started in the 94-96 mph range but ticked down out of the stretch and in the second inning, though he could still reach back for 95-96 later in the outing while working out of a windup. Livingston threw an 80-83 mph slider as his primary breaking ball, but he also mixed in a slower curveball in the mid 70s with more downer shape. He got hit around a bit in the third inning, but the ease with which he generated velocity and his starter-esque delivery and projectable build make him a fascinating pitcher to watch. 

Jacob Lombard, SS, Gulliver Prep, Miami

Commit: Uncommitted (2026)

There are always a handful of underclass prospects at the ECP, but perhaps none entered the event with more expectation than Lombard, who is both the top-ranked uncommitted prospect in the 2026 class and the younger brother of Yankees’ 2023 first rounder George Lombard Jr. Currently the No. 2 ranked high school player in the 2026 class, Lombard is a 6-foot-2, 190-pound shortstop and righthanded hitter who showed an advanced offensive approach. He tallied a pair of hits in 10 plate appearances, with one walk, one hit by pitch and two strikeouts. Lombard’s final two at-bats were his best. First, he drove a hard ground ball up the middle for a single that came off the bat at 94 mph, and later he doubled to the deep left field against an 87-mph fastball that came off his bat at 104 mph. Lombard’s double-plus 60-yard dash time of 6.59 seconds was tied for the 11th best of the event, and he showed solid middle infield actions, though might need to improve his arm strength. 

Christian Lucarelli, RHP, Riverside HS, Ellwood City, Pa.

Commit: Duke

Lucarelli struck out four of the seven batters he faced in his two innings of work at the East Coast Pro while showing a lively fastball in the 92-94 mph range that touched 95. He has a strong frame at 6-foot-3, 208 pounds and throws from a high three-quarters slot with solid arm speed and a bit of effort. Lucarelli’s fastball features excellent cut-ride life that made it a swing-and-miss pitch at the top of the zone. He also flashed three secondaries: a short and tight slider at 83-85, a slower curveball with more depth in the 75-78 mph range and an 81 mph changeup. 

Max Luzarraga, RHP, Weddington HS, Matthews, N.C.

Commit: Dallas Baptist

A North Carolina righty committed to DBU, Luzarraga showed one of the more intriguing fastball shapes of the ECP in his two-inning outing for the Twins. A 6-foot-1, 210-pound righthander, Luzarraga throws from a high three-quarters slot and pitched mostly in the 88-91 mph range with his fastball. Still, the pitch featured excellent cut-ride action that allowed him to dominate the top of the zone and generate 10 whiffs in just two innings. As he adds more velocity, it should become an easy plus pitch thanks to that movement profile, though he’ll need to improve his secondaries, which include a 77-79 mph curveball and mid-80s changeup.

Briggs McKenzie, LHP, Corinth Holders HS, Wendell, N.C.

Commit: LSU

McKenzie threw three hitless innings in his ECP outing with three strikeouts and a walk. A 6-foot-2, 185-pound lefthander, McKenzie is a lean lefty with a projectable frame who works from the third base side of the rubber, throws from a three-quarters slot with some depth in the back of his arm stroke and features a bit of a crossfire landing in his finish. He pitched in the 90-92 mph range and touched 93 while mixing in a 77-79 mph breaking ball and an average, 85-86 mph changeup. McKenzie’s breaking ball has solid shape and spin—in the 2,500-2,700 rpm range—but the pitch showed early, lazy break and will need to add a bit more bite and power to become an average pitch. His feel to land the breaking ball in the zone was solid, and he was around the zone with all three pitches throughout this outing. 

Maddox Miller, LHP, Oak Grove HS, Hattiesburg, Miss.

Commit: Mississippi State

Miller is a lean and lanky lefthander with a 6-foot-4, 165-pound frame that screams projection and has significant room for added strength and mass gains in the future. He works from the third base side of the rubber and throws with whippy arm speed from a low three-quarters slot and has a slight crossfire landing. He pitched in the 90-91 mph range in the first inning before dropping into the 88-89 mph range in the second, but his fastball features lots of arm side run. His 74-77 mph curveball is a loose pitch that wasn’t consistent in this outing and needs more snap and bite, but his 80-83 mph changeup was one of the most consistent changes of the event and featured huge tumbling action with fastball arm speed. He did a nice job landing the pitch at the bottom of the zone and used it to generate five whiffs and finish four of his five strikeouts. 

Dean Moss, OF, IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla. 

Commit: LSU

Moss entered ECP as the No. 8 player in the high school class and was the second-highest ranked player of the event after SS Coy James. The first thing that stands out for the 6-foot, 185-pound outfielder is his tremendous bat speed. There are some moving parts to his swing, which features a high handset and a bit of a hitch and barrel tip in his load, but he fires his hands through the zone with great quickness and generates lots of hard contact because of that. Moss showed a strong approach and had impressive results in games as well, with three hits in nine plate appearances, as well as three walks and just one strikeout. More impressive than the results were the quality of his at-bats against solid stuff. His best plate appearance was likely against Reid Worley, when he drove an 84-mph slider on the outer third the other way for an opposite field line drive single over third base at 90 mph. Moss might have to profile in an outfield corner, and he turned in a below-average 60-yard dash time of 7.04 seconds.

Joe Nottingham, RHP, Loyola Blakefield HS, Towson, Md.

Commit: Georgia

Nottingham is a lean righthander with long levers and a 6-foot-5, 200-pound frame that still has plenty of room for added strength. He works from the first base side of the rubber, throws with a three-quarters slot and strides directly to the plate with a simple, easy and balanced delivery. He was more of a control-over-command pitcher in this look. Generally, Nottingham was around the zone with a four-pitch mix that included a 90-94 mph fastball that touched 95, a short and tight slider in the 82-85 mph range, a slower curveball in the upper 70s and an 83-mph changeup that he spiked. Nottingham struck out four of the eight batters he faced in two innings and missed plenty of bats with his fastball. 

John Paone, RHP, Lawrence Academy, Groton, Mass.

Commit: Duke

Paone is a big and physical righthander with a 6-foot-3, 210-pound frame. He works from the first base side of the rubber and throws with a low three-quarters arm slot. Paone creates a ton of run and sink on his fastball from that slot and pitched in the 93-96 mph range in the first inning before dropping down to 90-92 in subsequent frames. His turbo-sink fastball is a groundball-inducing weapon. He pairs it with an 81-83 mph slider with frisbee-like movement and tons of sweeping action. Paone will need to reign in his control to make the most of two promising pitches, but he looks tough to barrel up thanks to the movement on both of his primary pitches. 

JoJo Parker, SS, Purvis (Miss.) HS

Commit: Mississippi State

The Mariners team had a monopoly on in-game homers at this year’s ECP. Parker and teammate Caleb Barnett were the only two hitters to leave the yard at the Hoover Met. Parker is a 6-foot-2, 192-pound shortstop and lefthanded hitter who did a nice job getting extended on an 85-mph fastball that he pulled to right field at 102 mph and an estimated 378 feet. He also doubled and singled earlier in the event, walked twice and struck out twice in nine total plate appearances for a successful offensive showing overall. Parker employs a relatively simple operation at the plate with an open setup and uphill bat path. He showed decent middle infield actions, average arm strength and clocked a 6.95-second 60-yard dash time—an average to fringy speed grade. Parker’s brother, Jake, is also a member of the 2025 class and was at the ECP on the Mariners and is a fellow Mississippi State commit.

William Patrick, OF, St. Frederick HS, Monroe, La.

Commit: LSU

Patrick is a 6-foot-2, 200-pound outfielder and righthanded hitter who flashed an exciting combination of tools, physicality and athleticism. He has explosive hands in the righthanded batter’s box with a simple swing that features a slightly uphill bat path, and in games he had two hits in 11 plate appearances with two walks and three strikeouts. Patrick flashed the leather in center field when he made a quick first step in on a shallow fly ball before making a full extension diving catch to rob a hit, and his 70-grade 60-yard dash time of 6.59 seconds was tied for 11th-quickest of the event.

Luke Roupe, RHP, North Myrtle Beach HS, Little River, S.C.

Commit: South Carolina

Roupe is a strong and physical 6-foot-5, 210-pound righthander who works from the first base side of the rubber, throws from a three-quarter slot and has a fast and short arm action. He pitched in the 91-94 mph range with his fastball and showed a pair of solid secondaries including a 78-83 mph slider that was inconsistent but showed solid sweeping action at times as well as an 85-86 mph changeup he threw with great arm speed and deception. 

Landon Schaefer, SS, Fayetteville (Ark.) HS

Commit: Arkansas

Schaefer is a tall and lanky 6-foot-3, 188-pound shortstop and righthanded hitter who stood out for his swing and consistent quality contact in games. He showed solid raw power in batting practice. While he only tallied two hits in 12 plate appearances, he found the barrel consistently and hit four balls 90-mph or harder in games. He was a bit overly aggressive in his swing decisions at times, but looks like a burgeoning slugger who will have enough power to profile at a corner position if and when he outgrows shortstop. 

Miguel Sime Jr., RHP, Poly Prep Country Day, New York

Commit: LSU

Sime Jr. is an extra-large righthander with a thick and strong 6-foot-4, 237-pound frame and power stuff to match. He struck out four of the eight batters he faced in a two-inning look with a fastball that was mostly in the 94-96 mph range and touched 97. He overthrows the fastball at times and was generally scattered with his command of it, but the velocity and riding life should make it a real bat-misser at the next level. Likewise, his 79-82 mph breaking ball had swing-and-miss traits with two-plane bite and great glove-side movement that makes it a chase pitch away from righties, but he needs to add a bit more feel to maximize its potential. Sime Jr. also flashed an 82-84 mph changeup with significant velocity separation from the fastball and arm-side fading life that made it a solid offering to lefties. 

Jace Stancil, RHP, P27 Academy, Lexington, S.C.

Commit: College of Charleston

Stancil is a strong, physical righthander with a 6-foot-2, 212-pound frame who throws with a three-quarters arm slot and works from both sides of the rubber depending on his matchup. He works with a deliberate tempo and showed solid poise on the bump, with strong feel for three pitches including a consistent ability to land his slider on the outer rail to the glove side. Stancil struck out four of the eight batters he faced in two innings, sitting in the 90-93 mph range with his fastball and generating seven whiffs with his breaking ball. His usability of the breaking ball was better than the pitch’s pure movement/velocity characteristics, though he spun it well in the 2,500-2,600 rpm range and flashed solid tilt and late bite at times. While the fastball and slider were his go-to options, Stancil did flash one 82-mph changeup that he missed with to the arm side. 

JD Stein, SS, Carmel (Ind.) HS

Commit: Uncommitted

Stein is a smaller shortstop with a 5-foot-8, 170-pound frame who stood out for his defensive actions and batting eye. He tallied just two hits in 16 plate appearances—a double to the warning track in left field that came off the bat at 97 mph and an infield single up the middle—but he worked the count consistently and drew five walks to seven strikeouts. Stein has limited raw power and features a compact, direct swing that’s better suited for hard hit line drives. He also turned in a plus 60-yard dash time of 6.75 seconds and showed solid actions, a quick exchange and body control as a defender in the middle of the infield.

Kaden Waechter, RHP, Jesuit HS, Tampa

Commit: Uncommitted (2026)

Waechter is one of the top-ranked uncommitted prospects in the 2026 class and showed why at the ECP. Listed at 6-foot-2, 180 pounds, Waechter is a lean righthander with plenty of physical projection remaining and a loose, clean delivery that looks like a future starter. He pitched in the 88-91 mph range with a bit of sink and run on the pitch, but showed an excellent ability to establish the zone with his fastball and attack in on righthanded hitters’ hands to set up the rest of his arsenal. His 80-83 mph slider is a short breaking ball with solid spin that needs a bit more power, but it was a consistent offering he could throw for strikes and backdoor to lefties. While he was more control over command in this look, Weachter stood out for his ability to change speeds, mix and match and come off the mound to field his position with athleticism. A third pitch and more power will be questions moving forward, but he has plenty of time to address them.

Reid Worley, RHP, Cherokee HS, Canton, Ga.

Commit: Kennesaw State

Worley is a lean righthander with a 6-foot-2, 170-pound frame who showed advanced feel to sequence pitches and keep hitters off-balance with quality secondaries at ECP. He threw his fastball in the 90-93 mph range for three innings, but his best pitch was without question an 82-86 mph slider with tremendous movement, two-plane break and big spin rates in the 3,000-3,300 rpm range. It was a plus pitch that he showed great feel to land in the zone, often pitching off the slider more than his fastball. Worley also mixed in a solid 84-85 mph changeup that looked like an average and effective pitch against lefthanders. If he can sharpen up his fastball command, he’ll have a quality three-pitch mix to go with great physical projection.

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Top 50 High Schoolers To Reach Campus From 2024 MLB Draft Class https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/top-50-high-schoolers-to-reach-campus-from-2024-mlb-draft-class/ https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/top-50-high-schoolers-to-reach-campus-from-2024-mlb-draft-class/#respond Fri, 02 Aug 2024 00:51:43 +0000 https://www.baseballamerica.com/?p=1466897 The top 50 high school baseball players who either didn’t get picked in this year’s 2024 MLB Draft class or opted not to sign.

The post Top 50 High Schoolers To Reach Campus From 2024 MLB Draft Class appeared first on College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects - Baseball America.

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Now that the 2024 draft signing deadline has passed, we know which high school players will be making it to college campuses this fall. Below are the top 50 players who either didn’t get picked in this year’s class or opted not to sign and instead take their talents to the college game.

Righthander William Schmidt is the top-ranked player to make it to campus. The LSU commit announced his decision to make it to school before the draft took place and he is the lone prospect ranked as a first-round talent to reach campus.

Not only does LSU land the top-ranked high school player to make it to campus, the Tigers lead all programs with five of the top-50 ranked high school players. Tennessee is second with four, and four other schools (Auburn, Florida, Texas A&M and TCU) each have three players from this top-50 group.

Top 50 Draft Prospects

BA 500 RankPlayerPosCommit
22William SchmidtRHPLSU
45Dax WhitneyRHPOregon State
53Garrett ShullOFOklahoma State
57Tegan KuhnsRHPTennessee
69Hunter CarnsC/OFFlorida State
74Chris LevonasRHPWake Forest
76Sawyer FarrSSTexas A&M
77Derek Curiel*OFLSU
78Carson WigginsRHPArkansas
79Charlie BatesSSStanford
87Owen PainoSSOle Miss
92D’marion TerrellOFAuburn
93Mason RussellLHPArizona
95Duncan MarstenRHPWake Forest
97Connor GatwoodRHPAuburn
99Anson SeibertRHPTennessee
100Casan EvansRHPLSU
103Tyler BellSSKentucky
112William KirkLHPVirginia
119Jace SouzaOFTexas Tech
122Anderson FrenchCVirginia Tech
125Cade ArrambideCLSU
127Rustan RigdonSS/OFVanderbilt
132Brendan LawsonSSFlorida
133Terrence Kiel IIOFTexas A&M
135Erik ParkerSSGeorgia
137Jay AbernathySSTennessee
139Michael RyanSSLSU
140Cole GiblerLHPArkansas
141Tyler HeadOFNC State
143Jason FloresRHPTexas
153Cade TownsendRHPOle Miss
158Manny MarinSSTennessee
159Joshua WhritenourRHPFlorida
162Noah FrancoOF/1BTCU
163Christian ChattertonRHPAuburn
166Lazaro ColleraRHPMiami
169Drew RerickRHPTexas
171Jackson BarberiRHPFlorida
173Jack DetienneRHPXavier
188Adam HaightSSOregon State
190Myles Bailey1BFlorida State
192Michael TorresOF/LHPMiami
195Charlie FosterLHPMississippi State
198Mason BrassfieldLHPTCU
199Burke-Lee MabeusCOregon
200Marc BarnhardRHPTexas A&M
203Smith BaileyRHPArizona
206Cade Brown3BGeorgia
209Sawyer StrosniderOFTCU

*Derek Curiel officially withdrew from the draft and was removed from our BA 500 rankings, but for these purposes he’s been slotted back in where he would have ranked had he remained eligible.

Scouting Reports For Every Player

William Schmidt

Few pitchers in the 2024 class can spin the baseball like Schmidt. A lanky, 6-foot-4, 180-pound righthander, Schmidt has a projectable pitcher’s frame with long limbs and plenty of room to add more strength. He works from the first base side of the rubber, has plenty of length in a deep arm stroke and throws from a three-quarters slot with a bit of effort and some recoil in his finish. Schmidt has slowly added more velocity over the last year and a half or so, and during the 2024 spring season he ran the pitch up to 98 mph while consistently pitching in the mid 90s. While Schmidt’s fastball progression is encouraging, the foundation of his upside is built on his devastating high-spin curveball—which many scouts believe is the best curve in the draft class. It’s a low-80s hammer with huge depth and 12-to-6 shape with spin rates that are consistently in the 2,900 rpm range or higher. Schmidt has done a nice job landing his curve, despite its large movement profile, in the zone and using it as both an in-zone swing-and-miss offering and a chase pitch below the zone. He has thrown a low-to-mid-80s changeup, but it’s a distinct third offering now that will need more development to become a significant piece of his arsenal. Schmidt’s control is fair and imprecise, and he will need to continue refining his delivery as he progresses. Schmidt is committed to LSU but has first-round talent and could be the first prep pitcher selected.

Dax Whitney

Just four high school players have been drafted and signed from the state of Idaho in the top 10 rounds this century. Whitney could be the fifth after establishing himself as the top arm in the Northwest region of the country this spring. A 6-foot-5, 195-pound righthander with a great pitcher’s frame, Whitney has shown an impressive four-pitch mix with flashes of big velocity, advanced control and loads of projection to dream of more coming. He has thrown his fastball up to 96 mph but typically sits in the low 90s and mixes in a curveball, slider and changeup. His curveball looks like his sharpest secondary at the moment. It’s an upper-70s, 12-to-6 hammer with sharp, downward biting action that could make it a consistent swing-and-miss pitch. He has also thrown a shorter slider and a changeup that could give him a complete four-pitch mix. Whitney throws with a compact and tight arm action and has a slight crossfire landing, attributes that add a bit of deception. Whitney does a nice job repeating his delivery and throwing strikes. The only blemish on his scouting report is the fact that he wasn’t seen all that frequently on the showcase circuit, but the number of high-level scouts flying in to see him this spring should make that a non-issue for most teams. Whitney is committed to Oregon State but has a chance to get drafted inside the first two rounds.

Garrett Shull

Shull has one of the more well-rounded tool sets in the 2024 high school position player class. The Oklahoma prep has a strong and lean frame at 6-foot-1, 205 pounds and packs a punch from both sides of the plate as a switch-hitter. Shull was a solid performer at the 2023 Area Code Games, where he went 5-for-14 with five balls hit harder than 97 mph. He’s got a simple swing from both sides of the plate with good rhythm and a slight uppercut bat path, but his lefthanded hack is a bit looser and more natural at the moment. Shull should have solid-average game power, but it might come with elevated swing-and-miss tendencies. In general, he has shown solid swing decisions and hasn’t chased out of the zone at an alarming clip. Shull has played third base in the past but profiles as a solid outfielder whose average speed and above-average arm strength will make him a better fit for left or right field than center. He should have enough hitting ability and power to profile in an outfield corner, but because he turns 19 just a day before the draft, many teams might prefer to see him get to campus and prove his hitting chops. He’s committed to Oklahoma State and will be a draft-eligible sophomore in 2026, but before then he has a chance for a top-three-rounds selection.

Tegan Kuhns

The projection arrows are pointing in the right direction for Kuhns, a Pennsylvania high school pitcher who has some of the best stuff in the 2024 class and should have a lot more in the tank. He’s a lanky, elastic righthander with lots of room on his slender 6-foot-3, 177-pound frame to add weight. Added strength would help amplify a fastball that has been up 97 mph with riding life up in the zone and solid control for his age. Kuhns throws with a long arm action from a higher arm slot and features a bit of trunk tilt toward first base as he delivers to the plate. He was inconsistent this spring with his velocity, at times pitching more in the 89-92 mph range, but he should have a plus heater in the future with a chance for multiple quality secondaries. His best secondary now is a 78-82 mph curveball with spin rates approaching 3,000 rpm with sharp, two-plane biting action. He also has toyed with a slider that has more sweeping shape and has thrown both a changeup and a splitter. The latter has hard dropping action but needs a bit more refinement. Kuhns is old for the class and will be 19 on draft day, and if he makes it to campus at Tennessee he’ll be draft-eligible once again in 2026.

Hunter Carns

Carns is a quick-twitch athlete who can catch and play the outfield and has surprising power out of a 6-foot, 195-pound frame. He had an eye-opening performance in the fall at Perfect Game’s annual Jupiter tournament, where he went 11-for-20 (.400) with three home runs and a triple. Carns has explosive hands at the plate and sets up with an open stance. He has the ability to crush an elevated fastball for a home run to his pull side. His swing operates nicely when he’s on time and attacking the inner third, though he has struggled adjusting to soft stuff away. There’s a bit of swing-and-miss in Carns’ game that might need to be ironed out, but he has a strong track record of in-game performance and impact even with some miss involved. He’s a real plus runner and standout athlete who needs to improve across the board defensively behind the plate, but his athleticism and speed gives him a real chance to play center field or stick in an outfield corner. Carns is quite old for the class and turned 19 in April, but he offers a rare power-speed combination for a prep catcher and could be drafted on day one and signed out of his Florida State commitment. He’s reminiscent of Mariners 2021 first-rounder Harry Ford.

Chris Levonas

Levonas is an athletic New Jersey high school righthander with long limbs, a 6-foot-1, 170-pound frame and a fast, whippy arm that gives him exciting future projection. During the 2023 summer, he pitched with plenty of effort, including an aggressive head whack and fall-off to the first base side of the mound. Since then he has done a nice job adding strength and removing some of the violence in his delivery. Levonas throws a fastball in the 90-95 mph range and has been up to 97 this spring and could easily touch triple digits in the future as he adds more mass to his still-lean frame. In addition to a plus fastball, Levonas has a trio of quality secondary pitches, including a high-spin slider in the low 80s and a 12-to-6 hammer curveball in the upper 80s that also features plenty of spin and biting action. Both the breaking pitches could be above-average or plus, and Levonas will also mix in a firm upper-80s changeup that will flash significant armside fading life and looks like a quality offering against lefties. Levonas carries reliever risk thanks to his scattered control and the effort still in his delivery, but he has huge upside and has been scouted like a top-three rounds pick this spring. He’s committed to Wake Forest.

Sawyer Farr

Farr is a tall, lean and wiry switch-hitting shortstop with a 6-foot-4, 185-pound frame to dream on. He’s got an exciting package of tools and athleticism to go with his lanky frame and was also a strong performer during the spring with his Boswell High team in Fort Worth, Texas. Farr has contact skills from both sides of the plate and stood out as an underclassman for his strong pitch-recognition skills and swing decisions, though he has flashed a bit more power this spring and could grow into solid-average raw power in the future if he packs more weight onto his frame. Scouts seem mixed on his pure hitting ability, with some thinking he will make enough contact from both sides for a solid hit tool and others questioning the amount of miss that comes from a long-levered swing. No one doubts his athleticism and defensive upside. Also a talented high school quarterback, Farr is capable of making flashy, acrobatic plays up the middle at shortstop with above-average running ability and above-average arm strength. He is on the taller side for a shortstop, which means he could outgrow the position eventually. Farr is committed to Texas A&M and has been compared to previous A&M shortstop Braden Shewmake.

Derek Curiel

Curiel is an advanced pure hitter whose instincts for the game and sweet lefthanded swing have made him a prospect to know since his freshman season. The 6-foot-2, 175-pound outfielder had arguably the best swing on an Orange (Calif.) Lutheran High team that also included 2022 first-rounder Mikey Romero, but Curiel has also struggled to add physicality throughout his high school career. Curiel has one of the more advanced approaches in the class, with excellent vision, swing decisions and pitch recognition that could help him become a plus hitter. His lefty swing is calm, balanced and fluid to the ball, but scouts have wondered if he is overly passive at times and also aren’t sure about impact. He can drive balls with natural backspin in batting practice, but might be more of a line-drive singles hitter without adding more strength. Curiel is advanced defensively as well. He’s an instinctual center fielder who has better jumps and route-running ability than faster players and a chance for above-average defense with an average, accurate throwing arm. He’s turned in plus run times in the past but has more consistently turned in above-average times. Curiel is committed to LSU and will be a draft-eligible sophomore in 2026 if he makes it to campus.

Carson Wiggins

Wiggins is a 6-foot-5, 210-pound righthander with some of the most electric pure fastball velocity in the high school class. He’s the younger brother of Jaxon Wiggins, whom the Cubs drafted out of Arkansas with their second-round pick in 2023. The next power-armed righthander in the Wiggins family, Carson has already been up to 99 mph and consistently sits in the 93-97 range with velocity that simply overpowers high school hitters. He’s more than just a hard-thrower. Wiggins will also snap off a hard slider in the mid 80s that looks like an above-average pitch when he’s landing it in the zone or burying it below for chases. His fastball and slider are his best pitches currently, but he also mixes in a mid-80s splitter that has potential if he can add a bit more feel for the pitch. While Wiggins operates with a low-effort delivery that belies his velocity, he struggles with his command and consistency from outing to outing. When Wiggins is putting his fastball and slider around the zone, he looks like a top pitcher in the class, but those days are rare and he has been too inconsistent from outing to outing. Wiggins will be 19 on draft day and an eligible sophomore in 2026 if he makes it to campus at Arkansas.

Charlie Bates

Bates is a 6-foot-1, 185-pound lefthanded-hitting shortstop whose impressive hand-eye coordination and bat control has made him one of the more impressive contact hitters in the 2024 draft. The Northern California prep does a great job manipulating his barrel against lefties and righties and against both velocity and secondary stuff, with a track record of performance against some of the best pitchers in the country. While Bates has traditionally been a gap-power hitter, scouts were impressed with the strength he added this spring, particularly to his lower half. He has begun showing more impressive raw power in batting practice that should start translating to games in the near future. Bates has a chance for an above-average hit tool and solid-average game power. He is also an above-average runner and instinctive defender who has a chance to stick at shortstop, thanks to his smooth actions, footwork, body control and soft hands. If he has to move off the position, it will be because his arm is a tick light and he might not have elite quick-twitch mobility. If he moves, he should fit at either second base or third base as a strong defender. Like all Stanford commits, Bates could be a tough sign. Palo Alto High, his alma mater, is directly across the street from Stanford’s campus.

Owen Paino

Paino is a 6-foot-3, 205-pound shortstop and lefthanded hitter who became one of the top players in the 2024 class as an underclassman thanks to his size and well-rounded baseball instincts. He’s a relaxed hitter at the plate who tracks pitches well, controls the zone and has a chance for above-average raw power, though he struggled to perform during the 2023 showcase circuit against the top pitchers in the class. Paino doesn’t have elite bat speed but has the size and strength to hit plenty of home runs at physical maturity and has always shown the sort of approach and swing decisions that should lead to strong on-base percentages. His offensive upside will ultimately depend on the quality of his hit tool, which is one of the biggest questions scouts now have with him. Paino is a fluid and graceful defender at shortstop who has reliable hands, smooth footwork and an advanced internal clock. He makes all the plays on balls he can get to, but he’s more of a slow-twitch athlete who is a below-average runner underway and might not have the quickness necessary to stick up the middle in the long run. He can throw from multiple angles with above-average arm strength and has above-average defensive tools for third base. Paino is committed to Mississippi.

D’marion Terrell

Terrell is a standout athlete to dream on with exceptional bat speed in the lefthanded batter’s box and plenty of foot speed and present strength with a 6-foot-3, 206-pound frame. He didn’t play in many high-profile events during the summer showcase period but flashed his hitting ability last fall and has been scouted more heavily this spring in Alabama. He has some of the best pure bat speed in the prep class, with a mechanically sound lefthanded swing that should lead to big-time power potential. Still, he’s raw as a hitter and needs many more reps against high-level velocity and secondaries. Terrell tends to pull out and swing over the top of average breaking pitches now, but he’s shown enough electricity in flashes in short stints for scouts to dream of his development as a hitter. He’s a plus runner now who has turned in double-plus run times in the 60-yard dash and has above-average arm strength that should give him a chance to play all three outfield positions. He probably fits best in a corner given his size and the fact that he could slow down in the future, but scouts have also raved about his defensive ability at first base. Terrell is committed to Auburn, but his physical tools and upside could have him drafted in the first three rounds.

Mason Russell

Russell is one of the top prospects in the Four Corners region of the country for the 2024 class and combines a solid pitching frame, clean delivery and impressive feel to spin the baseball into one appealing projection starter package. Listed at 6-foot-1, 185 pounds, Russell added some impressive strength and definition to his body over the offseason and had an up-and-down spring that included a standout no-hit performance at USA Baseball’s National High School Invitational. In other outings, his stuff ticked down and he got hit around. He’s a solid mover on the mound who throws from a high three-quarters arm slot and will pitch in the low 90s early in outings before dipping into the upper 80s as his starts progress. He mixes in two breaking pitches, including a low-80s slider and mid-to-upper-70s curveball, both of which have high spin rates and above-average potential. He also has a mid-80s changeup that is a distant fourth offering for now. Like his velocity, Russell’s command will come and go, and he tends to be scattered overall, which leads to fairly wide ranges of opinions from the scouting community. He’s an Arizona commit who could benefit by adding more polish and track record in college but is viewed by many as a top-five rounds talent.

Duncan Marsten

Marsten generated buzz as one of the top pitchers in the 2024 class as he entered his sophomore year at Harvard-Westlake, but he missed that 2022 season with Tommy John surgery. After recovering, he has once again shown top-end pure stuff and moved up draft boards early this spring after flashing huge stuff. A 6-foot-4, 215-pound righthander, Marsten has already touched 99 mph with his fastball and has flashed a pair of above-average secondary pitches with a low-80s slider and mid-80s fading changeup. His fastball velocity has been inconsistent and will touch 97 mph one outing and then be more 91-93 the next. Like his fastball, Marsten’s breaking stuff is not fully consistent yet, but he flashes his slider enough for scouts to dream of an above-average breaking ball in the future. Early feedback from scouts made it seem like Marsten was a clear first-rounder, and while he may have legitimate first-round talent, his inconsistencies and injury history probably make him more of a round two, three or four talent. Marsten is old for the class and will be 19 on draft day and an eligible sophomore in 2026 if he makes it to campus at Wake Forest. He could just as easily be drafted on day one alongside teammate and likely first-rounder Bryce Rainer.

Connor Gatwood

Gatwood is a 6-foot-5, 195-pound righthander with an excellent pitcher’s frame who has trended up significantly with his velocity since 2022. After pitching in the upper 80s, he now has one of the more impressive fastballs in the class and is regularly in the mid 90s. He even touched 98 mph this spring. Gatwood would have a chance to rocket up draft boards, but he dealt with injuries during the spring, including a broken finger in his throwing hand that ended his season. Gatwood has a prototype starter’s frame and throws with a fairly easy operation that starts on the first base side of the rubber and features a high three-quarters slot and crossfire action in his landing. While Gatwood’s fastball has become his calling card, he also showed a hard upper-80s slider that is unusually powerful for a prep breaking pitch and has legitimate plus potential. Like the rest of his arsenal, Gatwood’s changeup has ticked up in velocity over the years and now is thrown in the upper 80s, though he’ll need to make further progress with the pitch for it to become average. He’s a solid strike-thrower who should have average control in the future. Gatwood is committed to Auburn and could be a top-three rounds selection if teams are unfazed by his health status.

Anson Seibert

Seibert is an enormous righthander with a 6-foot-8, 220-pound frame and a power fastball that he uses at a tough downhill angle to overwhelm hitters. He has the sort of stuff that can make him look like the best pitcher in the class in short spurts when he’s near his top-end velocity and throwing strikes, but his fastball can taper off quickly during outings and his control comes and goes. For the most part, he sits in the low 90s with a high-spin fastball that will touch 97 mph and get into the range of 2,600 rpm spin. He also has a high-spin slider in the 2,400 to 2,600 rpm range that flashes two-plane biting action and has above-average potential. Seibert will also throw a mid-80s changeup with a bit of armside fading life and a slower curveball in the mid 70s, but he has less feel for both those pitches and primarily goes to his fastball/slider combination. Seibert has a deliberate, controlled delivery that is more synced up than scouts would expect for a player of his size, though he’ll need to constantly work on his balance and timing to repeat his release point and rein in his long levers. Seibert turns 19 shortly after the draft and will be an eligible sophomore if he makes it to campus at Tennessee.

Casan Evans

Evans is a 6-foot-2, 180-pound righthander who has been an up-arrow prospect over the last three years thanks to a great base of athleticism and velocity that has consistently tracked up and up. He threw a fastball in the 91-93 mph range during the 2023 showcase circuit and has run the pitch up to 95 at peak velocity. Evans’ heater has a bit of armside running life and is backed by a trio of intriguing secondary pitches. He throws both a slider and a curveball, but the pitches are inconsistent and can blend together at times. The slider is typically in the 80-82 mph range with solid spin rates around 2,500 rpm, though the pitch will back up to his arm side at times. Evans throws his curveball in the upper 70s with more deliberate top-down shape that can steal a strike, but the pitch will often hang up in the middle of the zone. His most advanced secondary is probably a 78-82 mph split-changeup with low spin that features impressive diving action. Evans is a scattered strike-thrower, but he’s also a two-way player at Houston’s St. Pius X High who has yet to focus exclusively on pitching. He is committed to LSU and is expected to be a tough sign but has exciting upside and top-four rounds talent.

Tyler Bell

A lean and athletic shortstop with a projectable 6-foot-1, 190-pound frame, Bell established himself as a well-rounded player and solid performer as an underclassman. He’s a patient hitter with a solid eye at the plate from both sides, though there is a bit of length to his swing and it can get steep, which leads to some questions about how he might handle elevated velocity at the next level. Still, he can drive the ball hard and makes a lot of contact in general. Bell should provide average and on-base value as a hitter. He’s a solid defender at shortstop with fluid actions and above-average body control, with above-average arm strength and the ability to throw from multiple angles. While Bell went just 2-for-14 (.143) at Perfect Game’s WWBA World Championship in Jupiter in 2023, he hit a number of balls hard that just didn’t find a gap in the field. He was a standout at the 2024 MLB Draft combine, showing impressive actions at shortstop and solid raw power from both sides in batting practice. Bell is committed to Kentucky and will be 19 on draft day, making him a draft-eligible sophomore in the 2026 class if he makes it to campus.

William Kirk

A lean and wiry lefthander with a 6-foot-2, 190-pound frame, Kirk is one of the more advanced command pitchers in the class and has long stood out for his advanced pitchability and feel to mix and match his arsenal. He carved hitters last summer on the showcase circuit while topping out at around 92 mph and typically pitches in the 87-91 mph range. The fastball plays up thanks to his feel to locate it, and he does have some sink and running action. Like his fastball, Kirk has above-average feel for a pair of secondaries: a slurvy breaking ball in the mid 70s that spins in the 2,300-2,400 rpm range and an upper-70s changeup that is his most consistent swing-and-miss offering. Kirk’s feel to land the changeup is more advanced than most high schoolers, and he’s been throwing it with conviction for a long time, enough to believe it’ll become an above-average pitch as he adds more velocity to his fastball. Nothing Kirk throws currently is plus, but he has a clear starter profile with a mix that could become solid-average across the board if he’s able to grow into more power and velocity. Kirk is committed to Virginia and could be a tough sign.

Jace Souza

The top-ranked prospect out of Hawaii in the 2024 class, Souza is a 6-foot-1, 185-pound outfielder with exciting physical tools. He’s added good weight over the last six months or so and has plus speed and plus raw power, though there are some contact questions and scouts are mixed on the degree to which Souza will tap into that power in games. He has at least an above-average arm and some scouts think it’s a third plus tool which would allow him to profile nicely in right field if he has to move from center. He has a chance to stick in the middle of the outfield and be a solid defensive center fielder. Whoever drafts him will likely let him play there until he proves otherwise. Souza has a similar overall profile to 2023 Phillies third rounder Devin Saltiban and could be drafted in a similar 3-5 round range. He’s committed to Texas Tech.

Anderson French

French is a 6-foot-4, 200-pound catcher who should have a pair of big tools between his plus arm strength and plus raw power. He showcased that power in-game during the 2023 Area Code Games when he pulled a middle-middle 88-mph fastball to right-center for a towering home run. French’s swing is uphill and lofted for fly ball impact, but he has below-average bat-to-ball skills and might be a below-average pure hitter. That would be fine if he’s able to stick behind the plate, though his size would be on the extreme end for the position. He might have the best prep throwing arm of anyone in the class not named Cade Arrambide and that will help him stick there, though there’s some crudeness in the way he moves and receives that he’ll need to clean up. There was enough scouting heat in to see French this spring that it would be unsurprising to see him taken in the third or fourth round for a team that thinks he’ll stick at catcher and make enough contact to tap into his power. If not, French is committed to Virginia Tech where he would be able to prove his hitting chops and refine his receiving in the ACC.

Cade Arrambide

Arrambide entered the spring as the clear top catching prospect in the high school class thanks to a strong showcase circuit performance, plus raw power and tremendous arm strength from behind the plate. Things didn’t go great for the 6-foot-3, 210-pound backstop this spring, as he received consistent down arrow feedback after struggling with swing decisions and in-zone contact against Texas high school competition. Even when Arrambide was performing on the circuit, there was a bit of miss to his game, but he showed enough strength and raw power to the opposite field—including a standout Area Code Games effort with six balls hit harder than 90 mph and two homers—for scouts to think he had a chance to get to 20-25 homers. Now there are more questions about just how often he’ll get the bat on the ball as he faces better and better pitchers. Defensively, Arrambide has huge upside. He’s a loose and agile mover behind the dish despite his size with solid receiving chops and clear 70-grade arm strength that has allowed him to command the running game and record pop times in the low 1.7-second range—elite pop times for a catcher at any level. His arm strength plays up with excellent throwing mechanics and a rapid exchange. Despite those tools, Arrambide has been inconsistent enough behind the plate to the point where some scouts think he’s just a fringy defender. Previously considered a first-round talent, Arrambide might now make it to campus at LSU where he would have a chance to reclaim his top-of-the-class stock by performing and showing more consistency in the SEC.

Rustan Rigdon

Rigdon is a 6-foot, 185-pound switch-hitter and ambidextrous thrower who is one of the most exciting athletes and overall prospects in Georgia. He grinds out at-bats and is a disciplined hitter who will work deep counts, spoil tough pitches and show the patience to take his walks. Rigdon’s swing is more advanced from the left side and he has solid hand-eye coordination and doesn’t swing and miss much. It’s mostly doubles power and he doesn’t project to be a big home run threat, with his value coming more from his on-base skills. Rigdon is a plus runner whose bat has been his calling card, and during the 2024 season he played center field and threw with his left hand after sustaining a right elbow injury during the fall of 2023 that required Tommy John surgery. Rigdon attended the 2024 MLB Draft combine in June and was still not throwing with his right arm at that event, though he did take ground balls at shortstop. Some scouts view him as a long-term second baseman, but he has a chance for an up-the-middle profile in some capacity to go along with his solid table-setting offensive skills. He’s committed to Vanderbilt.

Brendan Lawson

Lawson is the top-ranked Canadian prospect in the 2024 class, though the 6-foot-3, 205-pound shortstop moved to South Carolina for the 2024 spring season. He played for the same P27 Academy that has produced sixth-rounders Alfonsin Rosario (Cubs, 2023) and Logan Wagner (Dodgers, 2022) in each of the last two drafts. Lawson has an intriguing blend of hitting ability and power that has translated to games, with a sweet swing that comes from an unusually high handset. He starts with his hands above his head before drawing them down and back to generate torque as he transfers his weight with plenty of force. Lawson drives his hands through the zone with above-average bat speed and does a nice job sequencing the moving parts to stay on time with extra-base power to all fields now that could turn into plus raw power in the future. He has a well-developed lower half that leads to some questions about whether he’ll stick at shortstop. Lawson’s hands and defensive actions are sound, and his above-average arm strength is enough for the position, though his range and mobility might ultimately make him a better fit for third base. Lawson didn’t play much this spring after dealing with a sinus infection and surgery that lowered his stock a bit. He’s committed to Florida.

Terrence Kiel II

Kiel is a tremendous athlete, which isn’t much of a surprise considering his father was a four-year safety with the San Diego Chargers. Kiel is also a talented wide receiver and cornerback for his high school football team and set the Pace Academy career touchdown record in 2023. His explosive athleticism is obvious on the baseball field, where he’s a 70-grade runner and potentially 70-grade defender in center field thanks to his pure speed and ball-tracking skills. Kiel has plenty of strength in his 6-foot, 180-pound frame. While he might only hit 12-15 home runs annually, his ability to drive doubles and triples into the gaps should inflate his slugging percentages. There are some moving parts to his swing with a decent amount of bat waggle in his load and scouts think he looks like a fringe-average pure hitter. Kiel is a switch-hitter, though his swing is better from the right side and he might wind up dropping the lefthanded swing entirely. He’s expected to be a tough sign out of Texas A&M—the same school his father played football at.

Erik Parker

Parker is one of the younger players in the 2024 class and sticks out right away for his tall, athletic and highly projectable build. Listed at 6-foot-3, 188 pounds, Parker is long and lean with broad shoulders on a high-waist frame. He is a quick-twitch athlete with a ton of space left for significant strength gains to come. There’s a lot of physical upside with Parker, who’s already a plus runner with good body control and a strong arm at shortstop. There’s some length to his actions at shortstop, but he’s better in games than in workouts and throws well on the run. At the plate, Parker is one of the more patient hitters in the class. He has a good eye for the strike zone, takes borderline pitches and works deep counts to take his walks. For a young, long-limbed hitter, Parker doesn’t have too much swing and miss, but he is still learning to sync up his swing and transfer his weight more efficiently. There’s occasional over-the-fence power now with Parker, and if he’s able to make those adjustments, there’s a chance for a significant jump in power once he layers on more strength. He can spray the ball to all fields in batting practice, but has been slightly pull-heavy in games. He is committed to Georgia but is viewed as a top-five round talent.

Jay Abernathy

Abernathy is a quick-twitch athlete with a lean and wiry 5-foot-10, 170-pound frame. He stands out for his running ability, which is consistently a 70-grade tool, and his bat-to-ball skills from the left side of the plate. Abernathy has solid bat speed but he lacks power and is going to be the sort of hitter who slaps the ball to all fields, hits low line drives and ground balls and pressures defenses with his acceleration out of the box. He could grow into double-digit home run power in the future thanks to his bat speed, but he’ll need to add a lot of strength to get to that stage. After earning a strong reputation as a high-level defender who can make acrobatic defensive plays at shortstop as an underclassman, scouts now think he’s more likely to play second base thanks to fringe-average arm strength. His glove work can get a bit rigid at times as well, which could open the door to him moving to the outfield, where he would have more than enough speed for center. Abernathy is committed to Tennessee but is viewed as a top-six round sort of talent.

Michael Ryan

Ryan is a 6-foot, 185-pound shortstop with a short and compact swing. He impressed at Baseball Factory’s All-American game at Globe Life Park in Texas, where he showed plus bat speed from the right side and an ability to hit hard line drives to all fields. Ryan didn’t show a ton of raw power, and he might never be a huge power threat, but he has a chance to be an above-average hitter thanks to his ability to make adjustments and a solid track record against quality competition. There’s a bit of swing and miss in his game that is somewhat surprising given how compact and direct Ryan’s swing has been. Still, his feel for the barrel and rhythm in the box should fare well against pitching at the next level. He’s a plus runner who gets out of the box quickly and has a quick first step that is an asset for him on the bases and in the field, where he has the tools to be a solid-average defender at shortstop with above-average arm strength. Ryan is committed to LSU and has the sort of well-rounded profile that could look extremely appealing with a few years of SEC production under his belt

Cole Gibler

Gibler is a pitchability lefthander with a 6-foot, 175-pound frame. After sitting in the upper 80s and touching 92 during the 2023 showcase season, Gibler has pitched around 90-91 and touched 93 early in the 2024 season. He spins the baseball reasonably well and has a chance for an above-average curveball in the upper 70s, but he’s also introduced a low-80s slider to his repertoire. Gibler mixes in a solid low-to-mid-80s changeup to give himself a solid four-pitch mix. While nothing projects as plus currently, he moves well on the mound with a clean arm slot and has a chance to be an above-average or better strike-thrower. Gibler is committed to Arkansas, and teams might prefer to let him get to campus and add more power to his pitch mix, though he’s not the biggest player and might not have significant physical projection to dream on.

Tyler Head

Head is a projectable, 6-foot-3, 190-pound outfielder with a body and physical tools to dream on. He’s a multi-sport athlete who has also played football and basketball in high school. On the baseball field, he provides plus speed and solid power potential. Head’s swing comes with some moving parts in his load and setup and his bat path can get a bit lengthy and steep at times, but it’s easy to see him growing into more power as he fills out his frame. He was one of the most heavily scouted prep hitters in Florida this spring and some scouts are quite high on his approach and offensive potential with more development. He has solid instincts in center field that could allow him to stick at the position even as he adds strength and mass. Because of his taller frame and tweener profile, Head draws some comparisons to current NC State outfielder and 2024 prospect Eli Serrano III. Head is also committed to NC State and if he reaches campus he’ll be a draft-eligible sophomore in 2026

Jason Flores

Flores is a big and physical 6-foot-2, 210-pound Texas righthander who posted consistently throughout the 2023 showcase circuit and travel ball season. He was also one of the more heavily scouted arms at Perfect Game’s Jupiter tournament—an event where many top arms have already shut down for the year—and pairs a low-90s fastball that has been up to 96 with a slurvy breaking ball in the 78-81 mph range. He has also thrown an occasional 85-87 mph cutter and will mix in a low-80s changeup with soft fading action to lefties. Flores has heavily relied on his fastball and does a nice job attacking the zone with the pitch. He will utilize distinct four- and two-seam variations with solid control of both. His secondary feel needs to improve, but he looks like a workhorse arm who will only throw harder in the near future. Flores is committed to Texas.

Cade Townsend

Townsend is a lean righthander with a 6-foot-2, 180-pound frame who stood out thanks to his projectable frame and feel to spin the baseball. After pitching mostly in the 88-92 mph range and touching 94 during the 2023 showcase circuit, Townsend put together a loud bullpen session at the June draft combine where he threw in the 95-96 mph range and touched 97. While he typically sits in the low 90s, that sort of velocity in the tank will excite teams about his future fastball. He has advanced feel to spin a breaking ball and has a chance for an above-average slider and curveball. The latter is perhaps his more advanced breaking ball now that features powerful biting action and hard finish. He has mixed in a mid-80s changeup that features solid tumbling life and also flashed an 86-87 mph cutter at the combine which gives him an intriguing five-pitch mix. Townsend works from the third base side of the rubber and throws from a high three-quarters slot that gets almost fully over the top at times, and also has a bit of violence with a downer head whack in his finish. That effort might add some reliever risk, but his deep arsenal should give him a chance to start. He’s committed to Ole Miss and will be 19 on draft day, as well as an eligible sophomore in 2026 if he makes it to campus.

Manny Marin

Marin is among the best defensive shortstops in the 2024 class. He pairs silky smooth actions with standout defensive instincts at the position, and was USA Baseball’s 18U national team starting shortstop in 2023. Marin has plus defensive potential at the position and above-average arm strength. He also was second on the team in hitting, though he was primarily buried at the bottom of the lineup during the team’s nine games in Taiwan. Marin has a line drive swing with solid rhythm in the box, but he lacks power now and doesn’t project for much in the future with a small, 6-foot-1, 170-pound frame. He’s old for the class, will be 19 on draft day and if he makes it to campus at Tennessee he’ll be a draft-eligible sophomore. Marin is a glove-first prospect who could improve his stock tremendously if he shows a bit more with the bat in a few seasons in the SEC.

Joshua Whritenour

Whritenour is a 6-foot-2, 195-pound righthander with tons of athleticism and arm speed on the mound. He works from a fairly simple and rudimentary stretch-only operation on the bump but throws with easy plus arm speed from a three-quarters slot. That arm speed should allow him to continue making progress with both his fastball and slider in the future—both pitches that have steadily improved over the last few years. He now sits in the low 90s and has been up to 96-97 at peak velocity with riding life that should allow him to miss plenty of bats at the top of the zone. He also snaps off a mid-80s slider with sharp biting action that has out-pitch potential and two-plane movement. Whritenour will mix in the occasional low-80s changeup as well. He’s got tons of upside with a lively arm that includes some reliever risk, but scouts think Whritenour could also be a tough sign out of his Florida commitment.

Noah Franco

Franco was one of the premium players in the 2025 class before he announced his decision to reclassify to 2024 in the summer of 2023. A California native, Franco plays at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. and showed exciting two-way potential as an underclassman and a member of USA Baseball’s 18U national team for multiple seasons, though he had a down season as a senior on both sides of the ball. A 6-foot-3, 205-pound lefthanded pitcher, outfielder and first baseman, Franco has tons of physicality now with wide shoulders that suggests much more strength coming in the future. On the mound, he throws a low-90s fastball that has been up to 94 and flashes ability to rip off a high-spin slider and the makings of a solid changeup at 78-82 mph. While he has a solid mix of stuff and athleticism on the mound, scouts might prefer his pro upside as a hitter. He has a fluid and explosive swing at the plate and fires his hands through the zone with violence and intent to do damage. Even with that approach, Franco showed impressive bat-to-ball skills and strike-zone discipline that gives him a well-rounded offensive profile. He can use all fields well and has impressive pull-side power now that should develop into more all-fields, in-game juice as he fills out his large frame. Franco is athletic enough to play a corner outfield position, but he’s a potential plus defender at first base where he moves around the bag with deft footwork and reliable hands. Franco is committed to TCU and entered the spring as a potential first-round talent but now fits more as a day two talent if he’s signable.

Christian Chatterton

Chatterton is a filled out righthander with a 6-foot, 195-pound frame and solid feel for a four-pitch mix. He typically sits in the low 90s with his fastball and has touched 94-95. The pitch features consistent armside running life. Chatterton threw a curveball and slider that blended together in shape at times during the 2023 summer, but early in 2024 he showed a bit more separation with the two pitches and added more power to the slider. The curveball is an upper-70s bender with 11-5 shape and the slider now gets into the mid 80s. He’ll also mix in a changeup around 80 mph, though he has a tendency to choke the pitch with a more exaggerated wrist wrap in the back of his arm action which could impact his touch and feel with it. In general, Chatterton has been a solid strike-thrower. He’s old for the class, will be 19 on draft day and is committed to Auburn where he’ll be a draft-eligible sophomore in 2026 if he makes it to campus. If Chatterton does get to school, he has the stuff and feel for pitching to make an immediate impact on the team’s pitching staff.

Lazaro Collera

Collera jumped up draft boards during the 2023 showcase circuit after he showed a huge velocity uptick, going from the upper 80s and low 90s to a fastball that was sitting 93-96 mph in short bursts and topping out at 98 mph with heavy life and downhill plane. He was positioned to be a top-three round prospect entering the spring, though the Miami-based righthander saw his velocity back up this spring into the 89-92 mph range and he struggled with his performance on the mound. Listed at 6-foot-6, 230 pounds, Collera has an imposing frame and a chance for a plus fastball in the future but he’ll need to be more consistent and bounce back to his 2023 form. Collera throws a low-80s snappy curveball that has above-average potential and impressive top-down finish. He’ll also mix in a slider with more sweeping action in the same velocity range. He has a firm changeup in the upper 80s which isn’t used much. Collera is a Miami commit.

Drew Rerick

Rerick is an extra-large righthander with a 6-foot-5, 230-pound frame and raw stuff to match it. He’s been up to 96-97 mph at peak velocity with his fastball and consistently pitches in the 92-95 mph range. It’s an overpowering heater against high school hitters and has solid riding life that should make it a consistent swing-and-miss pitch at the top of the zone and is the focal point of his arsenal currently. Rerick has also thrown two breaking ball shapes with a harder slider variant being better than a slower curveball that will pop out of his hand at times. He’s mixed in a mid-80s changeup but rarely uses the pitch currently. He has some effort in his delivery and features plenty of depth in the back of his arm stroke before throwing from a high three-quarters slot and carries a bit of reliever risk given his fringy strike-throwing. Rerick is a product of North Dakota—a state that has only produced a handful of high school draft prospects. He has the talent to be the highest-ever drafted prep from the state and fits as an early day two prospect if he’s signable. Rerick is committed to Texas.

Jackson Barberi

Barberi is a projection righthander with a 6-foot-4, 190-pound frame that’s easy to dream on. He pitches with a fastball that sits in the 91-92 mph range and has been up to 97 in 2024 and pairs that with a sweepy slider that has above-average potential with a bit more power and consistency. Barberi’s changeup is a fringe-average pitch in the 78-82 mph range that could help him in a starting role, though strikes questions currently add some reliever risk to Barberi’s profile. He throws with a lower three-quarters arm slot and both his direction to the plate and violence with a head whack in his finish impact his consistency and strikes. He could be a tough sign out of Florida, but there are some teams who view him as an early day two draft talent given his upside potential once he adds more strength to his frame.

Jack Detienne

Detienne is an ultra-lean righthander with a lanky 6-foot-2, 185-pound frame and two loud pitches. There is a bit of effort to his delivery and some length to his arm stroke, but he has been up to 96 mph with his fastball and sits in the low 90s. He has also flashed a high-spin curveball that looks like a potential plus pitch. Pitching for the Southeast-based Nationals team at the Area Code Games, Detienne struck out a pair of batters and walked three in three innings while pitching in the 91-96 mph range. He needs to improve his control to make the most of his velocity as he overthrew and yanked the pitch at times and was a bit scattered overall. His 79-82 mph curveball has excellent bite and three-quarters shape when he hits on it with spin rates in the 2,500-2,600 rpm range. When he gets around the pitch or leaves it up, the breaking ball will hang up a bit and look like more of a fringy or below-average pitch. At its best, it is a breaking ball that induces ugly chases out of the zone. He has also mixed in a low-80s changeup at times but has mostly worked off the fastball/breaking ball combo. Detienne is committed to Xavier.

Adam Haight

One of the top position players on the West Coast, Haight is a 6-foot-2, 190-pound shortstop with a well-rounded package of tools. Haight has done a nice job adding strength since the 2023 showcase season and has a chance for above-average raw power and solid bat-to-ball skills. While he might slide from shortstop to third base in the future, he has the tools to be a solid-average defender at the hot corner with above-average arm strength. He’s also an above-average runner. While Haight might not boast a single plus tool, his well-rounded package could be enough for teams to try and sign him out of an Oregon State commitment.

Myles Bailey

Bailey is a hulking lefthanded slugger with a 6-foot-4, 235-pound frame and some of the best raw power in the class. His frame and lefty raw power have drawn some comparisons to 2022 first-rounder Xavier Isaac, though Bailey at least has a chance to play either third base or a corner outfield position and has a less refined hit tool. While first base is his most likely home in the long run, scouts have praised his athleticism for his size. Bailey has a wide stance with his weight shifted to his back foot before firing a steep, uphill bat path that’s designed for impact in the air. While he has plenty of swing-and-miss, Bailey did a nice job staying within the zone on his swing decisions and showed more than enough in-game impact ability to all fields to live with some strikeouts. He’ll be 19 on draft day and is committed to Florida State, though his 70-grade power potential could make him a top-five round pick.

Michael Torres

Torres is a 5-foot-11, 170-pound outfielder and lefthanded pitcher whose advanced feel for the game stands out and is more impressive now than his physical toolset. He has solid feel to fill up the zone with an upper-80s fastball that gets to 90-91 from the left side and will mix in both a curveball and changeup and will have a chance to do both if he gets to campus at Miami, though his pro upside is greater as a hitter. He has a direct bat path from the left side with strong bat-to-ball skills that lead to plenty of line drives with a sound approach as well as a willingness and ability to use the entire field. Because Torres isn’t a true plus runner he winds up in the “tweener” outfield bucket for many scouts, where he isn’t quite quick enough to feel confident he will stick in center field and doesn’t have the sort of power you’d like to see from a corner outfielder. Because of that he might reach campus at Miami where adding either speed or power—as well as three years of performance in the ACC—will help his profile and allow him to climb draft boards.

Charlie Foster

Foster is a 6-foot-3, 195-pound lefthander who is part of one of the more impressive high school pitching staffs in the country at Brookwood High, which also includes 2024 prospects Jackson Barberi and Clinton Harris. Foster wasn’t at many high-profile events in the 2023 showcase circuit, but was an early up-arrow name for scouts in 2024 thanks to his feel for pitching. He mostly throws his fastball in the 88-90 mph range currently but has touched 92-93 and mixes in an upper-70s breaking ball and low-80s changeup nicely. He has a projectable frame that should add plenty of weight in the future and with that his velocity should tick up as well. Foster is a Mississippi State commit and is expected to be a tough sign.

Mason Brassfield

Brassfield is a 6-foot-4, 190-pound lefthander with a great pitcher’s frame who showed loud stuff throughout the 2023 showcase circuit. He mostly pitches in the 89-92 mph range, but he has gotten his fastball up to 94. The pitch has solid life with carry and a tick of run to his arm side. His control with the pitch is a bit erratic. Brassfield does have a bit of violence in his delivery with a head whack and a fall off to the third base side, but he also provides impressive arm speed from a high three-quarters slot. His best secondary is a low-to-mid 80s slider that has short biting action and spin rates in the 2,400-2,500 rpm range. It is especially effective against lefthanded hitters. Brassfield threw a pair of changeups in his Area Code Games outing, both at 84 mph, and they looked like fine pitches, though it was tough to get a great read of how good the cambio truly is. He looks like the sort of pitcher who will throw harder in the future and already has a solid breaking ball to his name. Brassfield is committed to TCU.

Burke-Lee Mabeus

Mabeus is a big and physical 6-foot-4, 210-pound catcher and switch hitter with power from both sides of the plate and a solid foundation of defensive skill. He’s a vocal catcher who works well with his pitchers and has above-average arm strength and a quick transfer that allows him to record above-average pop times, though he will need to maintain his frame and work on his mobility as he ages to stick behind the plate. Scouts did like his ability to receive the ball throughout the showcase circuit however. He’s a power-over-hit offensive player who is better from the left side of the plate where he can flash huge raw power to the pull side. He’ll need to improve his contact ability to fully tap into that power in games against better pitching at the next level. Mabeus is committed to Oregon and will be a draft-eligible sophomore in 2026 if he makes it to campus. His father, Chris, made one relief appearance in the majors for the Brewers in 2006.

Marc Barnhard

Barnhard is a 6-foot-1, 185-pound righthander with impressive feel to spin the baseball who trended in the right direction with his stuff during the 2024 spring season. After pitching in the upper 80s and touching 92 during the 2023 showcase circuit, Barnhard has more consistently thrown his fastball in the low 90s with impressive raw spin rates for a fastball—in the 2,400-2,600 rpm range. He also has high spin rates on a low-80s slider that flashes solid bite but remains inconsistent at times and will mix in an occasional mid-80s changeup. Barnhard is a solid athlete who moves well on the mound and throws with a three-quarters slot and slight crossfire delivery. He is committed to Texas A&M.

Smith Bailey

Bailey is an extra-large righthander with a 6-foot-6, 205-pound frame that still has more room for strength gains. Bailey throws with an extremely long, extended arm action and is overly scattered at times with all three of his pitches, but he has flashed solid stuff that should continue to tick up and was the most dominant high school pitcher at the MLB Draft combine’s high school game. He pitches in the 89-92 mph range and has been up to 95 with solid arm-side running life and has added more power to a breaking ball that previously had a curveball look in the mid 70s and is now a hard, low-80s swing-and-miss slider. He also has a mid-80s changeup that looks like a strong third pitch for his arsenal. Bailey is committed to Arizona.

Cade Brown

Brown is a 6-foot-2, 190-pound third baseman with big power potential who could be a middle-of-the-order hitter at the next level. He sets up with an upright and even stance with his barrel quietly resting on his shoulder and little to no pre-pitch movement before taking a small stride and firing his hands through the zone with power that plays mostly to the pull side currently. There’s a small hitch in his load that could create some issues and he’ll need to improve his contact vs. secondaries, but he should have more than enough power to profile in a corner. A third baseman now, Brown might slide over to first base or a corner outfield position thanks to his limited range unless he improves his glovework significantly. Brown is committed to Georgia.

Sawyer Strosnider

A 6-foot-2, 190-pound outfielder and first baseman, Strosnider has an exciting toolset that features bat speed, tons of raw power and above-average arm strength. He put on a show in batting practice at the 2023 Area Code Games and showed off plus raw power to the pull side, though he is still on the raw side as a hitter. Strosnider is aggressive with his swing decisions and his bat path gets long and steep which leads to lots of swing and miss, but he has been able to catch up to 90+ mph velocity. Staying balanced with his lower half, within the strike zone on swings and showing a better job tracking and making contact with breaking stuff and off-speed will be keys for his offensive development. He has a litany of exciting tools including plus arm strength, plus raw power, plus speed and a great frame that should only pack on more strength in the future. A center fielder in high school, it would be unsurprising for Strosnider to move to a corner in the future where he should have more than enough power to profile well. Strosnider is committed to TCU and was also a talented high jumper and high school basketball player. He’s expected to be a tough sign and will be 19 on draft day.

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Top Uncommitted Class Of 2026 High School Baseball Players https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/top-uncommitted-class-of-2026-high-school-baseball-players/ https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/top-uncommitted-class-of-2026-high-school-baseball-players/#respond Thu, 01 Aug 2024 13:23:46 +0000 https://www.baseballamerica.com/?p=1466007 It's Aug. 1, the first day college coaches can contact 2026 players. Here are the top 75 uncommitted prospects with an eye on the draft.

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For the top uncommitted players in the 2026 class, their phones are going to be buzzing all day.

It’s Aug. 1, the first date on the calendar under the new recruiting rules when college coaches can contact 2026 players. The top players in the class will immediately get offers and navigate a flood of calls and messages from coaches at powerhouse programs around the country.

Now that recruiting is officially in full swing, Baseball America has updated rankings of the top uncommitted players in the 2026 class. Many of those players are ranked among the top 100 overall prospects in the 2026 class, but this list expands beyond that to include uncommitted players who aren’t ranked on that list as well.

Below are the top uncommitted players to watch in the 2026 class, with full scouting reports available here on players ranked in the top 100 overall players for 2026. We will keep track of recent commits below.

Recent Commits

Aug. 13, 2024: SS/RHP Dylan Cheek (No. 57) commits to Arkansas.

Aug. 9 2024: RHP Amos Rich (No. 58) commits to North Carolina.

Aug. 3, 2024: SS/RHP Keaton Neal (No. 53) commits to Florida.

Aug. 1, 2024: RHP Cameron Hanes (No. 29) commits to Florida.

Aug. 1, 2024: Added RHP Tucker Long after he reopened his recruitment.

Top 75 Uncommitted Players

RANKPLAYERPOSSCHOOL
1Jacob LombardSSGulliver Prep HS, Miami, Fla.
2Kevin Roberts Jr.OF/RHPJackson Prep HS, Flowood, Miss.
3Keon JohnsonSSFirst Presbyterian Day HS, Macon, Ga.
4Trey RangelRHPThe Colony (Tex.) HS
5Noah WilsonOFMcCallie HS, Chattanooga, Tenn.
6CJ WeinsteinSSHuntington Beach (Calif.) HS
7Brody BumilaLHPBishop Feehan HS, Attelboro, Mass.
8Matt PonatoskiSSArchbishop Moeller HS, Cincinnati, Ohio
9Beau Peterson3B/RHPMill Valley HS, Shawnee, Kan.
10CJ Sampson3B/OF/RHPTomball (Tex.) HS
11Connor ComeauSSAnderson HS, Austin, Tex.
12Eli HerstRHPSeattle Academy, Wash.
13Tucker LongRHPOttumwa (Iowa) HS
14Wessley RobersonOFGlynn Academy HS, Brunswick, Ga.
15Landon SchutteRHPOakdale (Calif.) HS
16Wilson AndersenRHPTampa (Fla.) Jesuit HS
17Sean DuncanLHPTerry Fox Secondary HS, Port Coquitlam, Canada
18Chandler HartLHPAllen (Tex.) HS
19Malachi WashingtonOFParkview HS, Lilburn, Ga.
20Eric Booth Jr.OFOak Grove HS, Hattiesburg, Miss.
21Cooper SidesRHPRed Bluff (Calif.) HS
22Julian CazaresRHPLos Banos (Calif.) HS
23Julian SabourinRHPBishop Tonnos Catholic HS, Hamilton, Ontario
24Connor LangdonLHPPerry (Ga.) HS
25Anthony MurphyOFCorona (Calif.) HS
26Nathanael DavisOFTrinity Prep HS, Winter Park, Fla.
27Deion ColeOF/3BEtowah HS, Woodstock, Ga.
28Gannon GrantRHPCenter Grove HS, Greenwood, Ind.
29Miles YoungSSEpiscopal HS, Bellaire, Tex.
30Cameron HanesRHPTNXL Academy, Ocoee, Fla.
31RJ CopeLHPGeorgia Premier Academy, Statesboro, Ga.
32Dax HardcastleRHPSt. Mary’s HS, Stockton, Calif.
33Ryan HarwoodOFCasteel HS, Queen Creek, Ariz.
34Cole KoeningerSS/RHPKeller (Tex.) HS
35James JorgensenSS/RHPJesuit College Prep School of Dallas, Tex.
36Ezekiel LaraOFMater Dei HS, Santa Ana, Calif.
37Judah OtaOFIolani School, Honolulu, Hi.
38Aiden RuizSSThe Stony Brook (N.Y.) HS
39Noah EverlySSSt. John Bosco HS, Bellflower, Calif.
40Martin ShelarOFMarist HS, Atlanta, Ga.
41Yodelkis Quevedo3BMater Academy, Hialeah Gardens, Fla.
42Denton LordRHPSouth Walton HS, Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.
43Bo HollowayLHPNolensville (Tenn.) HS
44Gary MorseRHPOrange (Calif.) Lutheran HS
45Jaylen WalkerOFLutheran South Academy, Houston, Tex.
46Osiah KelleyRHPSussex Central HS, Georgetown, Del.
47Jack SmejkalRHP/SSThe Woodlands (Tex.) HS
48Rob CzarnieckiOFChesterton (Ind.) HS
49Trent MaybinOFAsheville (N.C.) HS
50Jensen HirschkornRHPKingsburg (Calif.) HS
51Cooper WebbRHPLake Travis HS, Austin, Tex.
52Anaiscio OrtizLHPRichmond Hill HS, Queens, N.Y.
53Keaton NealSS/RHPSpring Hill (Kan.) HS
54Tyler PutnamRHPBattle HS, Colombia, Mo.
55Jake CarbaughRHPPlant City (Fla.) HS
56Spencer KrasnerLHPAmerican Heritage HS, Plantation, Fla.
57Dylan CheekSS/RHPRockwall (Tex.) HS
58Amos RichRHPTuscola HS, Waynesville, N.C.
59Michael TeasleyRHPOak Ridge (Tenn.) HS
60Chase KikerRHPMetrolina Christian Academy, Indian Trail, N.C.
61McCoy SiliczRHPBakersfield (Calif.) Christian HS
62Jenker RomeroRHPGeorgia Premier Academy, Statesboro, Ga.
63Keller BradleyRHPPennsbury HS, Fairless Hills, Penn.
64Julian GarciaRHPSt. John Bosco HS, Bellflower, Calif.
65Tyler EllisLHPTrinity Christian Academy, Jacksonville, Fla.
66Lawson McLeodRHPTrinity Episcopal HS, Richmond, Va.
67AJ CurryOFLarry A. Ryle HS, Union, Kent.
68Jeffrey-Todd DardenOFCypress Woods (Tex.) HS
69Carson LiedelOF/RHPMonroe (Mich.) HS
70Karson ReederRHPTomball (Tex.) HS
71Ethan ArmstrongRHP/3BGarden City (Mich.) HS
72Kaden WaechterRHPTampa (Fla.) Jesuit HS
73Cal MoreauSSMonona (Wisc.) Grove HS
74Giovanni Guariglia JrRHPSilverado HS, Las Vegas, Nev.
75JC PachecoSSDePaul Catholic HS, Wayne, N.J.
76Bryce CollinsRHPKelso (Wash.) HS

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USA Baseball Announces 18U National Team Roster, Led By Ethan Holliday https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/usa-baseball-announces-18u-national-team-roster-led-by-ethan-holliday/ https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/usa-baseball-announces-18u-national-team-roster-led-by-ethan-holliday/#respond Mon, 22 Jul 2024 11:50:05 +0000 https://www.baseballamerica.com/?p=1456042 Many of the top prospects in the 2025 class—and a couple of top players for 2026—will play for USA Baseball’s 18U National Team next month…

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Many of the top prospects in the 2025 class—and a couple of top players for 2026—will play for USA Baseball’s 18U National Team next month in Panama.

USA Baseball announced its 20-player roster for the U-18 World Cup Americas Qualifier, which is Aug. 2-11 in Panama City. The team includes shortstop Ethan Holliday, the No. 1 player for the 2025 class, as well as shortstop Grady Emerson, the No. 1 player in the country for 2026.

Other prominent players on the roster include two of the best pure hitters in the country in shortstops Kayson Cunningham (No. 10 in the 2025 class) and Eli Willits (No. 13 in the 2025 class). Trent Grindlinger is the top ranked catcher in the 2025 class, while infielder Quentin Young (No. 14 in the 2025 class) has some of the best bat speed and raw power for 2025. The pitchers include several players ranked in the top 100, led by righthander Josh Hammond.

Here is the full roster, with all players in the 2025 class except for Emerson and catcher Brady Murrietta, who is one of the top 2026 catchers.

Full scouting reports are available here on the top players in the 2025 class and the top players in the 2026 class.

Ethin Bingaman, RHP, California
Kayson Cunningham, INF, Texas
Slater de Brun, OF, Oregon
Grady Emerson, INF, Texas
Gavin Fien, INF, California
Trent Grindlinger, C, California
Josh Hammond, RHP, North Carolina
Ethan Holliday, INF, Oklahoma
Brayden Jaksa, C, California
Jordan Martin, RHP, Missouri
Xavier Mitchell, LHP, Texas
Brady Murrietta, C, California
Josh Owens, INF/RHP, Tennessee
Nico Partida, INF/RHP, Texas
Cooper Rummel, RHP, Texas
Aiden Stillman, LHP, Florida
Austin Weiss, LHP, Maryland
Eli Willits, INF, Oklahoma
Dylan Wood, RHP, California
Quentin Young, INF, California

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2025 MLB Draft Rankings: 200 Prospects To Know https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/2025-mlb-draft-rankings-200-prospects-to-know/ https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/2025-mlb-draft-rankings-200-prospects-to-know/#respond Wed, 17 Jul 2024 17:22:35 +0000 https://www.baseballamerica.com/?p=1350048 Our updated 2025 MLB Draft rankings feature 200 new scouting reports on prospects to know as the summer circuit rolls on.

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It’s time to turn our attention to the 2025 draft.

We’ve ranked the Top 100 High School Prospects and the Top 100 College Prospects in the 2025 class following the 2024 MLB Draft. You will find 200 updated scouting reports on the top prospects in the class. We have also rolled out our ‘Way Too Early’ 2025 mock draft, a fun exercise to get an early feel for the top players on the board.

The 2025 high school class has an impressive crop of shortstops at the top, headlined by top-ranked Ethan Holliday, the younger brother of Orioles No. 1 overall prospect Jackson Holliday. The college class, meanwhile, is headlined by Texas A&M’s Jace LaViolette. He is one of three outfielders among the top prospects in the class as of the summer.

Of course, a lot will change between now and the 2025 MLB Draft. Make sure to follow all of Baseball America’s draft coverage here.

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MLB Draft 2024 Best Available Prospects https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/mlb-draft-2024-best-available-prospects/ https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/mlb-draft-2024-best-available-prospects/#respond Tue, 16 Jul 2024 17:26:39 +0000 https://www.baseballamerica.com/?p=1448454 The best remaining prospects available in the 2024 MLB Draft, per the BA 500 draft board.

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Following the first two days of the MLB Draft, you can find the best available remaining prospects below. We will update this list throughout rounds 11-20 as well on Tuesday.

Please note the following players announced their intentions to reach campus late in the process. They were removed from the best available list.

  • No. 22 William Schmidt (LSU)
  • No. 79 Charlie Bates (Stanford)
  • No. 87 Owen Paino (Ole Miss)
  • No. 125 Cade Arrambide (LSU)

You can find more MLB Draft content here as well.

2024 Best Available MLB Draft Prospects

BA RANKPLAYERPOSSCHOOLLVLHTWTAGESTATE
45Dax WhitneyRHPBlackfoot (Idaho) HSHS6-519518.5Idaho
53Garrett ShullOFEnid (Okla.) HSHS6-120519.0Oklahoma
57Tegan KuhnsRHPGettysburg (Pa.) Area HSHS6-317719.2Pennsylvania
76Sawyer FarrSSBoswell HS, Fort Worth, TexasHS6-417019.1Texas
78Carson WigginsRHPRoland (Okla.) HSHS6-521019.1Oklahoma
95Duncan MarstenRHPHarvard-Westlake HS, Sudio City, Calif.HS6-421519.1California
100Casan EvansRHPSt. Pius X HS, HoustonHS6-218018.8Texas
112William KirkLHPRamsey (N.J.) HSHS6-219018.8New Jersey
114Jalin FloresSSTexas4YR6-218521.0Texas
119Jace SouzaOFKamehameha HS, Honolulu, HawaiiHS6-118518.7Hawaii
122Anderson FrenchCRed Land HS, Lewisberry, Pa.HS6-420018.6Pennsylvania
127Rustan RigdonSS/OFMetter (Ga.) HSHS6-018518.6Georgia
131Zack StewartOFMissouri State4YR6-222021.0Missouri
133Terrence Kiel IIOFPace Academy, AtlantaHS6-018018.8Georgia
136Harrison DidawickOFVirginia4YR6-421521.1Virginia
137Jay AbernathySSNorth Cobb HS, Kennesaw, Ga.HS5-1017018.8Georgia
139Michael RyanSSArchbishop Rummel HS, Metairie, La.HS6-018518.9Louisiana
140Cole GiblerLHPBlue Springs (Mo.) HSHS6-017518.8Missouri
141Tyler HeadOFWindermere (Fla.) HSHS6-319019.2Florida
143Jason FloresRHPNaaman Forest HS, Garland, TexasHS6-221018.4Texas
153Cade TownsendRHPSanta Margarita (Calif.) Catholic HSHS6-218019.2California (S)
154Chris StanfieldOFAuburn4YR6-019021.0Alabama
158Manny MarinSSElite Squad Baseball Academy, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.HS6-117519.2Florida
159Joshua WhritenourRHPA3 Academy, Tampa, Fla.HS6-219018.6Florida
162Noah FrancoOF/1BIMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla.HS6-320518.2Florida (C)
163Christian ChattertonRHPBrooks HS, Kilien, Ala.HS6-020019.1Alabama
166Lazaro ColleraRHPFlorida Christian HS, MiamiHS6-623018.7Florida
167Anthony SilvaSSTCU4YR6-220021.0Texas
169Drew RerickRHPDavies HS, Fargo, N.D.HS6-523018.3North Dakota
171Jackson BarberiRHPBrookwood HS, Snellville, Ga.HS6-419017.9Georgia
173Jack DetienneRHPVerona (Wisc.) HSHS6-218518.4Wisconsin
174Jonathan VastineSSVanderbilt4YR5-1116521.8Tennessee
192Michael TorresOF/LHPDoral (Fla.) Academy HSHS5-1117018.4Florida
195Charlie FosterLHPBrookwood HS, Snellville, Ga.HS6-319518.6Georgia
197Gavin Kash1BTexas Tech4YR6-321021.9Texas
198Mason BrassfieldLHPBakersfield (Calif.) Christian HSHS6-418518.9California (S)
199Burke-Lee MabeusCBishop Gorman HS, Las VegasHS6-421019.1Nevada
200Marc BarnhardRHPGrand Oaks HS, Spring, TexasHS6-118518.5Texas
203Smith BaileyRHPMountain Ridge HS, Glendale, Ariz.HS6-620518.9Arizona
206Cade Brown3BParkview HS, Lilburn, Ga.HS6-219019.4Georgia
209Sawyer StrosniderOFBrock (Texas) HSHS6-218019.1Texas
215Aidan MozaRHPAlabama4YR6-119021.1Alabama
218Michael MullinaxOFNorth Cobb Christian HS, Kennesaw, Ga.HS6-119519.0Georgia
219Brayden BergmanRHPPlano (Texas) East HSHS6-220018.8Texas
222Nicholas MontgomeryC/1BCypress (Calif.) HSHS6-420118.7California
224Hunter Hines1BMississippi State4YR6-321021.7Mississippi
226Clinton HarrisRHPBrookwood HS, Snellville, Ga.HS6-221517.9Georgia
228Garret PikeOFToledo4YR6-218521.8Ohio
229Luke HeymanCFlorida4YR6-320521.0Florida (C)
230Ethan Puig3BGulliver Prep, Pinecrest, Fla.HS6-018518.5Florida
233Tomas ValinciusLHPBaylor HS, Chattanooga, Tenn.HS6-221018.9Tennessee
234Trever BaumlerRHPDowling CatholicHS6-318518.5Iowa
235Samuel Richardson3BSenatobia (Miss.) HSHS6-119519.0Mississippi
238Collin MowryCLincoln-Way Central HS, New Lenox, Ill.HS6-019518.9Illinois
239Tate StricklandRHPHarrison HS, Kennesaw, Ga.HS6-318018.7Georgia
240Drew RogersCHamilton HS, Chandler, Ariz.HS6-021519.0Arizona
242Eli JerzembeckRHPSouth Carolina4YR6-218521.1South Carolina
243Cade O’LearyRHPFarragut HS, Knoxville, Tenn.HS6-418018.7Tennessee
244Tague Davis1B/LHPMalvern (Pa.) Prep HSHS6-319518.8Pennsylvania
245Kyle BoylstonOFSt. John’s Country Day, Orange Park, Fla.HS6-018519.0Florida
247Levi ClarkCWalton HS, Marietta, Ga.HS6-219518.1Georgia
249Jackson MillerOFDwyer HS, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.HS6-018018.7Mississippi
251Sawyer BlackOFWesleyan Christian Academy, High Point, N.C.HS6-118518.3North Carolina
252Bryce ClavonSS/OFKell HS, Marietta, Ga.HS6-018518.7Georgia
253Kaiden LopezRHP/OFOviedo (Fla.) HSHS6-018518.2Florida
254Adonys VelezSSOlympia HS, Orlando, Fla.HS6-118018.4Florida
255Bryce NavarreLHPMontgomery (Texas) HSHS6-119018.6Texas
257Cooper WilliamsLHPAlvin (Tex.) HSHS6-417518.8Texas
258Ethan Surowiec3BGulfport (Miss.) HSHS6-221519.1Mississippi
259Saxon RobertsRHPIndependence HS, Thompson’s Station, Tenn.HS6-420019.1Tennessee
260Jared Jones1BLSU4YR6-423021.0Louisiana
262Pierce CoppolaLHPFlorida4YR6-825521.6Florida (C)
263Mavrick RizyRHPWorcester (Mass.) AcademyHS6-922519.6Massachusetts
264Sam EricksonOFFlower Mound (Texas) HSHS6-021019.1Texas
266Jaxon WalkerOFLoudon (Tenn.) HSHS5-1118019.1Tennessee
268Everett CatlettLHPGeorgetown4YR6-723022.0Washington D.C.
269Anthony QuigleyOFTaravella HS Coral Springs, Fla.HS6-420018.1Florida
270Dane MoehlerRHPWalton HS, Marietta, Ga.HS6-319018.8Georgia
274Jack HaferkampOFSante Fe Christian HS, Solana Beach, Calif.HS6-420019.0California
275Fabio PeraltaOFMiami Christian HSHS6-217518.4Florida (S)
276Jackson SandersLHPValley (Ala.) HSHS6-319018.5Alabama
278Schuyler SandfordRHPSt. John’s Country Day HS, Orange Park, Fla.HS6-621019.2Florida
281Dominic FrittonLHPNC State4YR6-119321.3North Carolina
282Andre Modugno3BIMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla.HS6-521518.9Florida (C)
283Jake YeagerRHPArchbishop Spalding HS, Severn, Md.HS6-419518.4Maryland
291Andrew HealyLHPDuke4YR6-620021.0North Carolina
292Jay WoolfolkRHPVirginia4YR6-020021.6Virginia
297Caden AokiRHPUSC4YR6-019521.9California (S)
310Matthew Scott IIOFKlein Oak HS, Spring, TexasHS6-421019.0Texas
311Kodey Shojinaga2BKansas4YR5-1019521.4Kansas
312Derek VartanianRHPCampbell4YR6-420020.8North Carolina
317Evan TaverasCCanterbury HS, Fort Myers, Fla.HS6-120218.9Florida
319Blake Barthol2B/3BCoastal Carolina4YR5-918721.0South Carolina
320James KleivenRHPRandolph HS, Mendham, N.J.HS6-322018.6New Jersey
321Tyler AcevedoSSTrinity-Pawling HS, Pawling, N.Y.HS6-019018.5New York
323Landis DavilaOFFarragut HS, Knoxville, Tenn.HS6-320018.6Tennessee
324Adrian Rodriguez1B/3BFlower Mound (Texas) HSHS6-218518.2Texas
325Nolan TraegerCConcordia Lutheran HS, Tomball, TexasHS6-018518.1Texas
326Akhil Nimmala3BStrawberry Chrest HS, Dover, FlaHS6-319517.7Florida (S)
329Blaine RowlandRHPDurant HS, Plant City, Fla.HS6-321018.9Florida
330McCall BiemillerLHPTampa Jesuit HSHS6-217318.9Florida
331Justin ThomasOFFlorida Southwestern State JCJC6-019020.8Florida
333Jayden MelendezCPittsburgh4YR5-918521.6Pennsylvania
334Caleb Hoover1B/RHPRockwall-Heath HS, Rockwall, TexasHS6-321518.9Texas
335Aukai (Jaydon) KeaCIMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla.HS6-121018.9Florida
336Bryce Eblin2BAlabama4YR5-1118522.8Alabama
339Roman KimballRHPSouth Carolina4YR5-1118520.8South Carolina
343Tristan BristowRHPHarlan HS, San Antonio, TexasHS6-318018.2Texas
346Ryan Costello1BRanney HS, Tinton Falls, N.J.HS6-319018.8New Jersey
349Kamden ScobeySSMcKeel Academy, Lakeland, Fla.HS6-219019.2Florida
351Sawyer HawksRHPVanderbilt4YR6-422321.1Tennessee
353Sebastian GongoraLHPLouisville4YR6-524021.9Kentucky
354Jake Perry3BMinnesota4YR6-420521.9Minnesota
355Andreas AlvarezRHPNorthside Christian HS, St. Petersburg, Fla.HS5-1118018.1Florida
356John PearsonOFWest Monroe (La.) HSHS6-020519.7Louisiana
357Dalton WentzSS/RHPAmherst County HS, Madison Heights, Va.HS6-221019.0Virginia
358David Hogg IISSMansfield HS, Arlington, TexasHS6-219019.0Texas
359Ty EvansOFFlorida4YR6-222521.3Florida (C)
361Slate Alford3BGeorgia4YR6-323621.9Georgia
364Dawson WillisSSLSU Eunice (La.) JCJC6-518220.3Louisiana
365Matthew ChampionRHP/3BJSerra Catholic HS, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.HS6-017519.0California
366Adam Tellier3BWake Forest4YR6-419023.7North Carolina
367Jacob Walsh1BOregon4YR6-421521.4Oregon
369Matt ConteCDexter Southfield HS, Brookline, Mass.HS6-220019.5Massachusetts
370Tatum MarshOF/RHPValley Christian HS, San Jose, Calif.HS6-118018.2California
371Tyler DeanRHPSouth Carolina4YR6-319521.8South Carolina
373Paxton KlingOFLSU4YR6-221021.1Louisiana
374Brayden JonesRHPOle Miss4YR6-020522.5Mississippi
375Anthony Tralongo3BAmerican Heritage HS, Plantation, Fla.HS6-019519.2Florida
376Matt HoagLHPPonte Vedra (Fla.) HSHS6-420518.9Florida
377Stone McCaugheyRHPLewisburg HS, Olive Branch, Miss.HS6-117519.0Mississippi
378Jackson LinnOFTulane4YR6-321021.2Louisiana
379Grant Hussey1BWest Virginia4YR6-322521.1West Virginia
380Nate TaylorRHPBuford (Ga.) HSHS6-221518.9Georgia
381Andrew JohnsonRHPCapistrano Valley Christian HS, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.HS6-421018.5California (S)
383Chandler MarshRHPGeorgia4YR6-424521.9Georgia
384Bo WalkerOFStarr’s Mill HS, Fayetteville, Ga.HS6-218518.4Georgia
385Tanner WigginsRHPWeatherford (Texas) JCJC6-217519.8Texas
391Perry HargettSSMetrolina Christian HS, Peachland, N.C.HS6-019019.0North Carolina
392Will McEntireRHPArkansas4YR6-422523.9Arkansas
393Chris VeachRHPSouth Carolina4YR6-019522.7South Carolina
396Kennedy JonesOFSouth Carolina4YR6-122021.6South Carolina
397Patrick ClohisyOFSaint Louis4YR5-1019022.6Missouri
398Connor ShouseRHP/SSPickens HS, Jasper, Ga.HS6-117519.1Georgia
402Joshua EvansLHPPeachtree Ridge HS, Suwanee, Ga.HS6-318718.6Georgia
404Jack WinnayOFWake Forest4YR6-321021.1North Carolina
405Bryan ArendtCUNC Wilmington4YR6-221521.3North Carolina
406Ryan HigginsRHPDuke4YR6-119521.9North Carolina
407Matthew BeckerLHPSouth Carolina4YR6-320521.5South Carolina
408Drew ChristoRHPNebraska4YR6-422521.5Nebraska
411Dylan CareySSNebraska4YR6-321021.0Nebraska
414Camron SeagravesRHPGrace Christian HS, Sanford, N.C.HS6-316918.4North Carolina
421Alexander MeckleyRHPCoastal Carolina4YR6-224021.1South Carolina
422Logan De GrootOFSanta Margarita HS, Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.HS6-319018.7California
423Devin ObeeOFDuke4YR6-221520.8North Carolina
425Carson LunaSSSt. John’s HS, HoustonHS6-118018.5Texas
426Mason HughesSSCape Fear HS, Fayeteville, N.C.HS5-1117018.9North Carolina
427Miles LanghorneRHPCharlotte4YR6-420521.2North Carolina
430Jake EnglishCKansas4YR6-221022.8Kansas
431Jake Hanley1B/RHPMason (Ohio) HSHS6-622518.9Ohio
432Jacob Tobias1BArizona State4YR6-122521.8Arizona
433Blaine BrownLHPShadow Creek HS, Pearland, TexasHS6-418018.3Texas
434Ryan SchwartzC/1BCombine Academy, Lincolnton, N.C.HS6-421019.3North Carolina
436Collins BlackRHPCary (N.C.) HSHS6-220018.8North Carolina
437Nic AbrahamRHPFranklin HS, Elk Grove, Calif.HS6-520518.7California (S)
439Michael BraswellSSLSU4YR6-218021.9Louisiana
440Alex StoneCDuke4YR6-523522.7North Carolina
443Alex HernandezRHP/3BForsyth Central HS, Cumming, Ga.HS6-220019.0Georgia
444Aidan HayseRHPJoliet (Ill.) Catholic AcademyHS6-318018.6Illinois
445Lee SowersSSFreeman HS, Richmond, Va.HS5-1018018.9Virginia
447Beau Hollins1BRiver Bluff HS, Lexington, S.C.HS6-422018.8South Carolina
448Brayden KrenzelRHPDublin Jerome (Ohio) HSHS6-320518.5Ohio
451Truitt ManuelRHPWest Henderson HS, Hendersonville, N.C.HS6-219519.1North Carolina
452Aidan Meola2BOklahoma State4YR6-120721.9Oklahoma
454Kolby BranchSSGeorgia4YR5-1119521.4Georgia
455Cooper JohnsonLHPMountain View HS, Lawrenceville, Ga.HS6-521019.2Georgia
456Wylan MossRHPMater Dei HS, Santa Ana, Calif.HS6-318518.4California (S)
461Bobby BoserSS/2BSouth Florida4YR6-120921.6Florida (S)
464Brent Iredale3BNew Mexico JCJC6-1190New Mexico
466Naulivou Lauaki JrRHPSpringville (Utah) HSHS6-425518.4Utah
468Tyler GuerinRHPMounds View HS, Arden Hills, Minn.HS6-720518.6Minnesota
469Brandon ArvidsonLHPSan Jacinto JCJC6-521520.3Texas
473AJ DePaoloCPrestonwood Christian Academy, Plano, TexasHS5-1119519.2Texas
482Conner WareLHPPearl River (Miss.) JCJC6-420520.9Mississippi
489Hunter HodgesRHPTCU4YR6-322521.8Texas
491AJ Evasco1BLincoln (Neb.) East HSHS6-622519.0Nebraska
493Beau BryansLHPJones (Miss.) JCJC6-019020.8Mississippi
494Nik ToupsLHPSam Houston HS, Lake Charles, La.HS6-524518.4Louisiana
495Brayton ThomasLHPBishop Dwenger HS, Fort Wayne, Ind.HS6-422519.0Indiana
497Kai’mi KahalekaiRHPKamehameha HSHS6-821517.9Hawaii
498Jacob GallowayCUSC4YR5-917521.2California (S)
499Brock Wills2B/OFUNC Wilmington4YR6-018021.0North Carolina

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Six Polarizing Prospects In The 2024 MLB Draft Class https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/six-polarizing-prospects-in-the-2024-mlb-draft-class/ https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/six-polarizing-prospects-in-the-2024-mlb-draft-class/#respond Fri, 12 Jul 2024 13:40:07 +0000 https://www.baseballamerica.com/?p=1447505 Every year some players seem to be more polarizing than others. The 2024 MLB Draft class is no different.

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It’s fun to disagree about players.

Every year some players seem to be more polarizing than others and this year is no different. Below we look into six players who have wide-ranging opinions from the scouting industry and try and examine the pro and con cases for each.

BA 500 Draft Rankings

Our final big board is here. See the top 500 prospects and updated scouting reports.


Vance Honeycutt, OF, North Carolina

As we wrote earlier this season, Honeycutt has arguably the highest upside along with the biggest risk of any player in contention to go in the first round. He has almost every tool teams look for. Honeycutt has big power—he is North Carolina’s all-time home run leader (61)—and perhaps even greater speed. He is the first Division I player to hit more than 60 career homers and steal more than 70 bags. He’s also a two-time ACC defensive player of the year. Not to mention, the face of North Carolina’s run to the College World Series in 2024.

So what’s the catch?

Simply put: Some scouts and teams wonder whether Honeycutt’s hit tool will hold up. Interestingly, though Honeycutt hit a career-best .318 this season, his contact and strikeout rates actually regressed. Honeycutt made contact less than 70% of the time this year to go along with an 83-36 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Those are concerning figures, though our piece also points out teams are showing more leniency in recent years when it comes to strikeout rates as they rise at all levels of the game. Based on tools and athleticism, Honeycutt is one of the elite choices in the draft. How teams feel about developing enough contact skills to maximize the rest of the game will determine how high his name is called Sunday night.

Dakota Jordan, OF, Mississippi State

Much of Honeycutt’s writeup also applies to Jordan. Just read the first line of his BA 500 scouting report: Jordan was a high-profile prospect coming out of high school who stood out for his multi-sport athleticism, physicality and power-speed combination.

Jordan is less refined than Honeycutt, likely because he was also a star football player in high school, but he faces some of the same contact vs. power questions. Jordan is also a plus runner, but he’s less refined in the field as well, which is why he checks in at No. 35 in our final big board.

Still, Jordan hit .354/.459/.671 with 20 homers in the SEC at Mississippi State and he has 70-grade raw power and some of the best bat speed you’ll find in this class. Yet his contact rate and chase percentage were even a tick worse than Honeycutt’s.

A team bullish on its ability to coax more contact ability might fall in love with Jordan. Others might find such swing-and-miss disqualifying for a first-round pick. But in a down year overall, Jordan’s power and speed should become appealing to teams late in day one, and he just might end up making someone look very smart for taking a gamble.

Slade Caldwell, OF, Valley View HS, Jonesboro, Ark.

Teams seem to be lamenting the lack of exciting high school hitting profiles in the middle of this year’s first round, but what about Caldwell? He was a tremendous in-game performer throughout the 2023 showcase circuit and features an enticing blend of contact skills, double-plus speed and strong center field defense.

Additionally, he is one of the youngest players in the class, and will be only 18.1 on draft day, which is a significant piece for model-heavy teams that prioritize age—especially so for hitters. There are a few potential landing spots for him in the first round but perhaps less than you’d expect given his skill set and the relative weakness of the prep class.

Size is the question mark for Caldwell.

He’s listed at 5-foot-9, 182 pounds (and might actually be a bit shorter than that) and some teams wonder about how much power he’ll get to and whether he can hold up over the course of a major league season. There are teams who view him as more of a supplemental first or second-rounder because of his size which makes us think about 2023 shortstop Kevin McGonigle. McGonigle ranked No. 25 in the class a year ago but slid to the supplemental first with the Tigers where he signed for $2.8 million. That pick has looked pretty good so far.

Brody Brecht, RHP, Iowa

Brecht is the peak example of a polarizing pitching profile for this year’s class.

His pure stuff is comparable to Chase Burns at the very top of the class that sits in the 96-97 mph range and has been up to 101 mph with cutting life. He has also earned double-plus projections on his wicked, upper-80s slider and is one of the most impressive pure athletes in the class. Before this season he also played for Iowa’s football team as a receiver.

The rub with Brecht is that he simply struggles to find the strike zone. His 17% career walk rate is higher than any college pitcher taken among the first 30 picks in the bonus pool era, and he carries significantly more reliever risk than teams typically associate with round one pitchers.

Because of that he’s simply not a first-round option for many teams, though others seem more willing to take a shot on his immense upside and/or believe their pitching development groups can help him throw more strikes moving forward.

PJ Morlando, 1B/OF, Summerville (S.C.) HS

Morlando entered this draft cycle as one of the top-ranked high school players in the class, consistently ranked right alongside Konnor Griffin—who currently stands as the top prep in the class and a potential top-10 pick.

Among prep hitters, he has perhaps the best combination of pure hitting ability and raw power, with a lengthy track record of performance against the best arms in the class. Morlando’s strength and bat speed allows him to generate easy plus raw power, and he also turned in perhaps the most impressive batting practice display a few weeks ago at the MLB Draft combine.

However, scouts wanted to see him hit for more power than he showed this spring (though he was pitched around plenty), and there are teams who are simply skeptical of a likely corner profile from the high school ranks who is also going to be 19 on draft day.

Ryan Waldschmidt, OF, Kentucky

Waldschmidt was one of the most prominent helium college players in the class and finished an excellent 2024 season with a .333/.469/.610 slash line 14 home runs and 25 stolen bases. He also checks a lot of hitting data boxes with an 80% contact rate, 88% in-zone contact rate, 18% chase rate and 108.7-mph 90th percentile exit velocity.

Walking nearly as often as he struck out is a big boost to his profile as well.

More than maybe any other player in the class, Waldschmidt seems to divide the most analytically-inclined scouting departments and the teams who value their in-person scouting assessments above all else. Those scouts look at Waldschmidt and wonder about the steepness of his swing and how that will play at the next level, and also aren’t too excited about his defensive ability in left field or how his athleticism and speed works on the field despite his 25 stolen bases.

If he had played center field all season or looked better in left field he would perhaps be less polarizing. Those high on Waldschmidt see a well-rounded SEC college hitter with power and speed and those lower see a right-right corner outfielder who will need significant swing work and defensive refinement in pro ball.

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