Here’s my final Big Board, ranking the top 100 prospects in the 2023 MLB Draft class. This year’s draft will start on Sunday and continue through Tuesday during the All-Star festivities in Seattle. This is the best draft class I’ve seen since 2011’s epic group, which saw Gerrit Cole, Anthony Rendon, Francisco Lindor, Javier Baez, George Springer, Sonny Gray and Kolten Wong – all of whom have over 20 career rWAR – go in the first round. (That draft’s WAR leader by a country mile is fifth-round pick Mookie Betts, who’s more than 20 WAR ahead of Lindor.)
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This year’s group has a ton of quality college position players, a group of high school position players that isn’t very far behind, and enough college arms to keep the first round interesting, although it’s very light on southpaws and behind the plate.
31 players to watch outside of Law’s final Top 100 ranking
This is a ranking rather than a mock draft. This is how I would line up these players if I were producing a pref list for a team, but has nothing at all to do with 1) where I think these players will be picked, 2) what bonuses they might demand to sign, or 3) any medical information that is not already public. There are players here I like a little more than the industry, and some I like a little less, and that’s to be expected. I’ve seen almost half of these guys in the last twelve months, but I supplement my opinions with those of scouts and executives whose evaluations I trust, plus video and data where applicable.
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Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Crews was on scouts’ radar as early as his junior year of high school, when his ability to hit and potential for power and to perhaps stay in center marked him as a likely first-round pick when he graduated in 2020. He started that spring poorly, swinging and missing more than expected. After the pandemic, he decided to withdraw from the draft and go to LSU. As much as I dislike seeing kids forego a chance for an MLB team to offer them a ton of cash, Crews’ decision certainly worked out, as he’s the best prospect in this draft class, the most likely player to go 1-1, and going to get a decisively larger signing bonus than he could possibly have gotten three years ago. Crews has performed for three years in Baton Rouge, hitting for average, getting on base, posting solid contact rates and even playing above-average defense in center. He destroyed non-SEC pitching, and while he was worse within the conference, he still led SEC hitters in average and OBP through the end of the regular season, and ranked seventh in slugging, with more walks (27) than strikeouts (22). He’s a 55 runner who’s actually picked up some speed since high school, benefiting from LSU’s strength and conditioning program to get stronger without getting slower, and making himself a viable candidate to stay in center in pro ball, although he might be bumped to a corner by a truly plus defender. Even if he has to go to right field, he’d be a plus defender there, and the bat will play anywhere on the diamond. He's put up numbers, with the underlying metrics to back it up, in the best conference in college baseball for three years. He should be the first pick, and should be in the majors before the end of 2024.
Photo:
Matthew Hinton / Associated Press
DOB:
02-26-2002
Height:
6-1
Weight:
203
Position Player
4-Year College
OF
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Langford only hit .250 as a freshman for Florida … because he went 1-for-4. Since then, he’s hit .373/. .480/.762 in 114 games for the Gators, with 42 homers and more walks (80) than strikeouts (78), while playing in, yes, the best conference in college baseball. He’s even outslugged Crews this year within the SEC. In a typical year, he’d be the no-doubt first pick, but this is an atypical year in all the best ways, with five players I think would reasonably be in the discussion for the first overall pick in the majority of draft classes. This year, he’s competing with Crews, who has a longer track record and slightly better performance, especially in getting on base, as well as maybe the hardest-throwing amateur starter ever and two elite high school outfielders. Langford is a 70 runner at full strength — he missed about two weeks this spring after fouling a ball off his … well, I don’t think he was wearing protective equipment, and while he didn’t have surgery, he wasn’t running quite as well after the injury. Despite that, however, he plays left for Florida, and hasn’t looked great out there, giving some Derek Fisher vibes (another 70 runner who just wasn’t very good anywhere in the outfield). That defensive question is what really puts him behind Crews for me in the end, even with a slightly higher offensive ceiling, with more power and speed.
Photo:
Samuel Lewis / Getty Images
DOB:
11-15-2001
Height:
6-1
Weight:
225
Position Player
4-Year College
OF
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Skenes is the hardest-throwing amateur starter I’ve ever seen, even beating out Hunter Greene and Gerrit Cole; when I saw Skenes pitch at the Box this April, he hit 100 or 101 seven times in the first inning and didn’t throw a fastball under 96. After transferring from the Air Force Academy, where he sat 92-95 mph as a sophomore with a 55 slider, the 6-foot-6, 250-pound right-hander has averaged about 98 mph this year with an easy plus slider, helping him strike out just over 50 percent of batters he’s faced; coming out of the regular season he had 164 strikeouts, 40 more than any other pitcher in Division I. His delivery is fairly compact for a big guy and he has at least above-average control, with the potential for more. He hides the ball extremely well behind his body, so the two pitches he throws should continue to play well even against better hitters, but I did see some guys cheat a little on the fastball because he barely uses a changeup. Other than the development of that third pitch, I don’t see much that can hold him back beyond the injury risk of any hard-throwing pitcher. If you’re going into the draft hoping you can find a Justin Verlander type, he’s your guy.
Photo:
Jonathan Mailhes / AP Images
DOB:
05-29-2002
Height:
6-6
Weight:
235
Pitcher
4-Year College
RHP
Scouting Report
Bats: L, Throws: L
Clark is an outstanding all-around athlete, a 70 runner with an incredible build and an easy, pretty left-handed swing that looks geared to drive the ball to all fields. He’s got bat speed and hand strength that should translate to plus power or close to it when he reaches his peak, even without the projection to add a ton of muscle between now and then. His speed translates to plus defense in center and he has the arm to play anywhere in the outfield. He’s earned praise from scouts for his competitiveness and his work ethic. My daughter was impressed by his Instagram follower count (more than 309,000). He’s a Vanderbilt commit, but his future is in pro ball, with real superstar upside.
Photo:
Team USA
DOB:
12-21-2004
Height:
6-1
Weight:
190
Position Player
High School
OF
Scouting Report
Bats: L, Throws: R
Jenkins flew up boards this spring after a modest summer showing when he was hampered by a hamate injury. He looks the part of a top-of-the-draft hitter, 6-3, 205 pounds, lean and athletic and twitchy but with lots of room to add 20-25 pounds. He’s a plus runner, but I wouldn’t be shocked if he slid a little toward above-average as he filled out. He’s a left-handed hitter with a great swing that’s boosted by his outstanding bat control, allowing him to adjust mid-swing more than most teenagers can, and once he fills out he’ll probably have 30-homer power. He’s a center fielder now and a good one, although I could see him losing enough speed to move to right. He looks like he’ll hit like an All-Star right fielder, and maybe the UNC commit will end up staying in center, too.
Photo:
Team USA
DOB:
02-19-2005
Height:
6-3
Weight:
205
Position Player
High School
OF
Scouting Report
Bats: L, Throws: R
Teel might have been a first-rounder had the 2020 spring season taken place, as he was already on everyone’s radar coming out of the previous summer and fall as a very athletic catcher who looked like he’d hit and would definitely stay at the position. He went undrafted in the five-round affair that June, then hit .335/.416/.526 as a freshman at Virginia, catching 20 games and establishing himself as a likely first-rounder for 2023 even that far ahead. After a slight dip in his sophomore production, he hit .414/.480/.668 through the regular season for the Cavaliers, with just a 12 percent strikeout rate, showing excellent bat speed and pitch recognition, with the bat control to even make some decent contact on pitches out of the zone. His swing produces a lot of line-drive contact and he might have another half-grade of power coming if he gets a little stronger. Behind the plate, he’s agile with a plus arm and receives well, needing some work on framing and handling pitches low in the zone, which he tends to catch by dropping the glove first before moving back up towards the bottom of the zone. I’ve compared his ceiling before to a left-handed-hitting Jason Kendall, a guy who puts the ball in play a ton, runs very well for a catcher, and is an asset on defense.
Photo:
Steven Branscombe / USA Today
DOB:
02-15-2002
Height:
6-1
Weight:
190
Position Player
4-Year College
C
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Let’s get the big thing out of the way first — Shaw is a shortstop now, but he is not a shortstop, and if he’d just played second base all spring I think he’d sail into the top 10 picks. So much of the conversation around him has centered on his defensive shortcomings, notably his below-average arm, that there’s been too little focus on the fact that this guy hits. Shaw makes consistent, hard contact, and his average launch angle of 26 degrees puts him right in line for a high Barrel percentage. He’s walked more than he’s struck out so far this year, and after hitting 22 homers as a sophomore, he hit 23 this spring before even getting to the Big Ten tournament — despite getting COVID-19 early in the season, which cost him a weekend when he looked exhausted and may have given some scouts a bad look. I think he’ll be an above-average defender at second, as he’ll show adequate range at short — it’s his arm that will move him off, not his hands or feet. Even at second base, he has All-Star upside because of the bat.
Photo:
Gail Burton / Associated Press
DOB:
11-06-2001
Height:
5-11
Weight:
185
Position Player
4-Year College
SS
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Nimmala is one of the youngest players in the entire draft class, certainly the youngest on my Big Board, as he won’t turn 18 until November, which will appeal to all the teams that value age in their draft models. But he’s also very talented and would still be a first-rounder even if he were 18 already. Nimmala is a lean 6-1 and already shows above-average power with a strong swing that makes excellent use of his hips to generate that contact quality. He’s a rangy shortstop with good hands and an easy plus arm, and although he’s probably just an average runner in the end, he’s certain to stay at the position long term. Where he falls short of the high school hitters above him is in his present hit tool, as he’s shown more propensity to swing and miss than his peers but seems to hit velocity fine. If he didn’t have that, he’d be in that uppermost tier of players, since he’d have the hit tool, power and defense at a critical position. Instead, he offers the potential for that sort of player with a slightly longer timeframe and greater risk around his ability to hit when he enters pro ball.
Photo:
Team USA
DOB:
10-16-2005
Height:
6-1
Weight:
170
Position Player
High School
SS
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Lowder might have the best pure changeup in the entire draft class, if we separate it from split-changes and splitters, and his other pitches aren’t too shabby either. He’s 92-96 mph with that plus changeup, a pitch that has great deception, power at 86-89, and tailing action that makes it deceptive to hitters on both sides. He’ll use it in any count, even to get ahead. His slider is solid-average, 82-86, with some tilt, more a swing-and-miss pitch against right-handers than one he’ll try to throw for a strike. The delivery isn’t great, as he starts all the way on the first-base end of the rubber and lands too early, so he cuts himself off and has to come slightly across his body to pitch to his glove side. He also plants his front leg too soon, spinning off the front heel and putting more stress on his arm with the abrupt finish. None of these are reasons not to take him, but they’re things player development will probably want to address sooner rather than later, to make him more effective — he’s got fringy command at best, although he does throw strikes — and keep him healthy. It’s at least No. 3 starter stuff and he could end up a strong No. 2 for most teams with some delivery help, assuming that gives him another half-grade of command.
Photo:
Nicholas Faulkner / Getty Images
DOB:
03-08-2002
Height:
6-2
Weight:
200
Pitcher
4-Year College
RHP
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Houck is a two-sport star who is committed to Mississippi State for baseball only, giving up the gridiron in favor of the diamond, although he’s done well enough this spring that he’s probably never going to Starkville except as a tourist. Houck has a super quiet approach, with some present power now that projects to plus, as he uses his hips and legs well and generates good launch angles off the bat. He’s reasonably disciplined already, with some weakness against high fastballs. He has the arm and hands for short but he’s already big for the position and may end up at third base instead. He’s going to get some comparisons to 2021 first-rounder Brady House, also from Georgia, also a big shortstop who hit the ball even harder than Houck does, although I think Houck’s overall profile is quite similar. The bat is the real carrying tool here, regardless of where he plays.
DOB:
09-30-2004
Height:
6-3
Weight:
195
Position Player
High School
SS
Scouting Report
Bats: L, Throws: R
Taylor has a very pretty left-handed swing with good loft in the finish to drive the ball in the air, with some of the best batted-ball data in the college class, from launch angle to hard-hit rates and more. He had a low BABIP this year of just .307, inconsistent with how hard he hits the ball and how often he does so. He also slumped in the middle of the season, but had a huge Big 12 tournament, going 8 for 16 with four doubles and three homers, with a .305/.430/.650 line heading into the regionals, and a career-best 21 homers. He’s just an average runner but savvy on the bases, with a perfect 23 for 23 record on the bases his last two years at TCU. He’s a solid-average defender at third with a 55 or 60 arm, although he’s athletic and rangy enough to become a plus defender with the right coaching. Taylor projects as a solid-average regular, with a couple of ways he could turn into something more.
Photo:
Chris Jones / USA Today
DOB:
05-22-2002
Height:
6-1
Weight:
180
Position Player
4-Year College
3B
Scouting Report
Bats: L, Throws: L
Bradfield brings two elite tools to the table – he’s an 80 runner and at least a 70 defender in center, maybe an 80, thanks to that speed and very good reads on balls off the bat. He’s stolen 129 bases in three seasons with the Commodores, through the end of this year’s regular season, with just 13 times caught stealing, none as a sophomore when he was a perfect 46 of 46. At the plate, however, he comes with some questions, including a swing that needs a ton of help. He loads his hands very deep, takes a big stride, opens his hips early, and collapses his back side … it’s a wonder he hits as well as he does, but also opens a world of possibilities for improvement. He’s slight, but not weak, with exit velocities that point to average power if he can sync up his upper and lower halves and stay more upright through contact. The 14 homers he’s hit since the start of 2022 are a promising sign, and could still get him into the top-10 picks for a team that loves the floor his speed and defense provide.
Photo:
Dustin Safranek / USA Today
DOB:
12-02-2001
Height:
6-1
Weight:
170
Position Player
4-Year College
OF
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Troy is a very high-contact hitter despite a swing that sometimes looks like it’s going to take him right out of his shoes, occasionally generating very hard contact but with only middling power. He almost never misses a fastball, whiffing on only eight percent of them this spring (through the end of the regular season) even when he goes out of zone, and he clearly hunts those pitches, doing the vast majority of his damage there. He has shown a vulnerability to changeups both this spring and last summer on the Cape, although not enough to dent his overall line. He’s a 55 runner who’s played all over the field, mostly playing third this year for the Cardinal, but with some shortstop experience, enough that he should go out either at that spot or maybe even try center. Teams that have been chasing contact should be all over Troy, as he doesn’t just make a lot of contact, it’s solid quality contact, and if someone can get him to put the ball in the air more he might get to 55 power in time.
Photo:
Dylan Widger / USA Today
DOB:
01-17-2002
Height:
5-10
Weight:
197
Position Player
4-Year College
SS
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Waldrep might have been the No. 2 college pitcher coming into the spring, but a spring of inconsistent performance didn’t helped his draft stock, even with stuff that should have him in the top half of the first round. Waldrep’s splitter is one of the best swing-and-miss pitches in the draft, with hitters whiffing nearly two-thirds of the time they swing at it, and chasing it 45 percent of the time Waldrep throws it out of the zone. It’s got huge bottom to it at 85-89 mph, coming in like a fastball and dropping hard very late for the hitter, so he may already be committed to a pitch that’s no longer there. That’s also its weakness, as it usually finishes out of the strike zone – roughly 70 percent of them would be called balls, and the vast majority of those are below the zone. He’s got a hard curveball and a slider, both of which also generate misses but neither of which appears to be more than a fringe-average pitch because he doesn’t consistently finish them out front. I think batters are whiffing because they’re so geared up for the splitter, and that better hitters will pick up the spin and lay off the breaking balls. He has a very high arm slot, which may push him toward the curveball rather than the slider over the long term. Even if you want to call the breaking balls average or better based on the whiff rates alone, Waldrep has two things he has to improve: He doesn’t throw enough strikes, and his fastball gets hit hard for something that averages 95 mph. If you’re a hitter, you can go to the plate thinking mostly fastball versus splitter. If you think it’s a splitter, you take; if you think it’s a fastball, you swing hard, early, and this year the reward more than justified the risk, as Waldrep allowed a 4.83 ERA through the regular season with 12 homers in 15 starts. The whole is less than the sum of the parts, and that could represent an opportunity, because it’s a 70 splitter and plenty of arm strength that could make him a very effective closer, along with the history of durability as a starter.
Photo:
Danny Parker / AP 1024x683
DOB:
03-01-2002
Height:
6-2
Weight:
205
Pitcher
4-Year College
RHP
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Dollander will be one of the most fascinating names to watch on draft day, as he came into the year as the top college pitcher in the class but struggled all spring with command and never found the grade-70 slider he had as a sophomore. That slider was short and tight with what appeared to be very late downward break, and Dollander could throw it for a strike or use it as a chase pitch. This spring, however, it never had the same bite, and hitters whiffed on it less and chased far less, about two-thirds as often as they did the year before, so Dollander had to rely more on his fastball. His fastball is still 93-97mph and he throws it for strikes, albeit not quite as much as he did in 2022, so if some team can figure out what went wrong with his slider – Did Tennessee try to get him to change the pitch? Is he dealing with some injury or discomfort? – there’s a good chance they’ll get the draft’s best or second-best college pitcher. He had No. 2 starter ceiling or better last spring, and that pitcher might still be in here.
Photo:
Bob Levey / Getty Images
DOB:
10-26-2001
Height:
6-2
Weight:
200
Pitcher
4-Year College
RHP
Scouting Report
Bats: L, Throws: R
There was some buzz coming into the year that Eldridge would be a legitimate two-way prospect, but this spring created some separation and he’s much more likely to go out as a hitter than as a pitcher. Eldridge is 6-foot-7, 220 pounds, very tall for a hitter by historical standards, with no hitter that height staying a regular past his early 30s. But he does offer a short swing given the length of his arms and excellent bat speed, with the strong exit velocities you’d expect from a hitter his size. On the mound, he’s 91-93 mph and can bump 95 mph with a repeatable delivery, but doesn’t have great feel to spin the ball and would likely require far more development as a pitcher than he will as a hitter. He played first base for his high school, ostensibly to protect his arm, but seems more than athletic enough to play a corner outfield spot. The Alabama recruit did miss some time in April with an ankle injury that kept coming back. I don’t think he’s the next two-way prospect, but he does offer a ton of upside as a power-hitting right fielder, even with the risk associated with players his height.
Photo:
Team USA
DOB:
10-20-2004
Height:
6-7
Weight:
219
Position Player
Pitcher
High School
1B
RHP
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Wilken had an extended slump in ACC play this year that might push him out of the first round, finishing the year with a .269/.493/.548 line in conference that was a huge improvement from where he was just three weeks earlier. He has a very good swing with great balance and excellent hip rotation, showing 55 power right now, with improved exit velocities down the stretch and one of the best barrel rates among college prospects in the draft class. He’s at least a solid-average defender at third with a 55 arm and good instincts that make up for a lack of speed or lightness on his feet. I could see him getting to 25-plus homers, or staying more in the teens in home run output with a high average and a lot of doubles, either of which would make him a solid regular at third.
Photo:
David Beach / Cal Sport Media
DOB:
06-17-2002
Height:
6-4
Weight:
225
Position Player
4-Year College
3B
Scouting Report
Bats: L, Throws: R
Schanuel’s stat line might be the only one to rival Crews’, with a hilarious .447/.615/.868 line and 71 walks against just 14 strikeouts. He’s done so in Conference USA, not the SEC, so he hasn’t faced the same caliber of arms, and he’s limited to first base, which seriously dents his draft stock, as does a mediocre performance hitting on the Cape last summer. He can hammer a fastball, even at good velocity, and rarely whiffs on heaters or chases anything out of the zone. He starts with his hands high above his head, except with two strikes, when he starts a little closer to the helmet, but it’s mostly just for show as he gets his hands into position in time. Otherwise, it’s a simple approach, and his hands and hips work very well together for solid contact … but it’s not elite contact quality or huge raw power, which might indicate there’s a lower ceiling for the bat. If he could play anywhere else, he’d probably sneak into the top half of the round.
Photo:
Dough Murray / AP Photo
DOB:
02-14-2002
Height:
6-3
Weight:
195
Position Player
4-Year College
1B
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Miller, whose older brother Jackson was a second-round pick in 2020, is a big, strong high school third baseman with above-average to plus power already, showing good feel to hit in showcases last year but missing a big chunk of this spring due to a broken hamate bone. He’s got a simple swing beyond a big hand movement to get started, preferring the ball middle to away but struggling badly on anything on the inner third. He looked slower in his return this spring from the injury, and as expected had less power – broken hamates or other wrist/hand bones can sap a hitter’s power for months, so he may not be 100 percent until the fall or even next spring, but the previous power should still be there. Miller’s a third baseman now with plenty of arm and the footwork to stay there, with fringe-average speed that will probably trend down to 45 as he fills out. If you’re willing to bet that the Aidan Miller of 2022 is still here, you might get a regular at third with plus power, with some risk as he has to adjust to pitchers working him inside.
Photo:
Team USA / 1 1024x683.jpg
DOB:
06-09-2004
Height:
6-2
Weight:
210
Position Player
High School
3B
Scouting Report
Bats: L, Throws: R
Mitchell is the best high school catcher in the draft class this year, which probably puts him in the first round automatically, although the potential as a left-handed-hitting catcher with power and plus defense also qualifies him. Mitchell starts with a very wide stance and still strides forward from there, which gave him some trouble with better quality stuff last summer and probably cuts off some of his natural power. His hands work well at the plate and he has the finish to his swing to drive the ball in the air, with 25-homer potential if he hits enough to get to it. He’s a plus defender with a plus arm who is a no-doubt catcher, which is good since he doesn’t have a clear alternative position. He’s nowhere near the same sort of prospect off the mound, but does work 90-94 mph, showing his arm strength, just lacking anything like an average second pitch.
Photo:
Mark J. Rebilas / USA Today
DOB:
08-03-2004
Height:
6-1
Weight:
192
Position Player
High School
C
Scouting Report
Bats: L, Throws: R
McGonigle is one of the better pure hitters in this year’s high school class, which is saying something because this year’s high school hitter group is historically strong. He showed very well on the showcase circuit last summer and on his school’s trip to play in a tournament in Las Vegas this spring, which helped his cause substantially as he hasn’t seen quality pitching at home, playing mostly other private schools in the Philly suburbs. He’s a left-handed hitter with a clean, simple bat path and quick wrists, and he’s shown excellent ball-strike recognition between last summer and this spring. He hasn’t faced much good velocity, especially not this year, so there’s some projection to the hit tool based on the bat speed and the swing itself. He doesn’t always land strongly on his front side – he transfers his weight well, but his front leg isn’t always in position to “receive” it, so to speak, which I think will cost him at least a half a grade of power until it’s remedied. McGonigle, who is off the case, is committed to Auburn, and he’s the sort of player who could launch himself into the top five with some strong batting lines for three years in the SEC.
Photo:
Mark J. Rebilas / USA Today
DOB:
08-18-2004
Height:
5-11
Weight:
185
Position Player
High School
SS
Scouting Report
Bats: L, Throws: R
Gonzalez came into the year with a lot of top-five buzz, and he might very well still go in the top 10, but doesn’t offer the ceiling of the college hitters I have listed above him here. He’s a very solid player for what he is, but with limited potential for more. Gonzalez has excellent hand-eye coordination and strong bat control to make a ton of contact, moving the barrel around to meet the ball where it’s pitched so that he almost never whiffs on pitches in the zone. He hit 18 homers last year, but doesn’t project to hit for more than fringy power in pro ball as he doesn’t use his legs much, with no stride and a tendency to glide over his front side, with very little connection between how his upper and lower halves work. That might be his one path to upside, as his contact quality now is just fair and using his legs more might improve that. He’s hit .327/.435/.564 this spring, an improvement from his sophomore year but I don’t think enough to push him up into the Teel/Shaw/Troy tier of college bats. Gonzalez projects to stay at short with great instincts and soft hands, although he’s a fringy runner and some scouts use that as a proxy for a player’s ability to handle shortstop long-term. I think he’s a solid regular at short, not a star, and in some drafts that’s a top 10 pick, but this year it’s probably less.
Photo:
Jaylynn Nash / USA Today
DOB:
05-30-2002
Height:
6-2
Weight:
200
Position Player
4-Year College
SS
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Cholowsky has been on scouts’ radar for at least three years now, as he first attracted attention for his bat when he was just a freshman, but has since emerged as one of the best defensive shortstops in the draft class, with some questions about his bat. In the field, Cholowsky shows easy actions, good footwork and an above-average arm, along with excellent instincts to position himself on each play. As a hitter, he has power, so any doubts about his offense really revolve around the hit tool, where he has good feel to hit but just average bat speed. He didn’t hit that well on the showcase circuit last year, neither for average nor for power, and he can drift over his front side with an inconsistent weight transfer. He has leaned out a little since last summer and his bat speed is marginally quicker, with a big uptick in his power even over last spring, so there are reasons to believe he’s improving as a hitter. He’s a pure shortstop with some pop, which gives him a decent floor as a utility infielder if he hits at all, with the upside of an above-average regular. He’s committed to UCLA.
Photo:
Mark J. Rebilas / USA Today
DOB:
04-05-2005
Height:
6-2
Weight:
185
Position Player
High School
SS
Scouting Report
Bats: L, Throws: R
Wilson struck out just seven times all of spring 2022, in 275 plate apperances, and this year punched out just five times in 217 plate apperances, finishing with a .412/.461/.635 line for the Antelopes and zero strikeouts in his last 100 trips to the plate. The son of former Pirates infielder Jack Wilson, Jacob is also a true shortstop, one of the better defenders in the college class. Despite an anxious approach at the plate – he never stops moving his hands or his legs – his hand-eye coordination must be off the charts. He gets all that contact by eschewing any attempt to hit for power, as he slaps the ball into play and will shoot it to the opposite field. He’s got a skinny frame that offers little projection. He doesn’t drive the ball at all or hit it hard, and his launch angle is barely over zero degrees, giving him one of the lowest of any college hitter who might go in the top-50 picks. He’s a fringe-average runner, as well. That’s a long way of saying that it’s a tough profile, albeit one we’ve seen go in the first round – Nick Madrigal and Kevin Newman are two recent examples. He is someone who projects to play in the big leagues with very, very high probability, but who may not have the ceiling of a regular.
Photo:
Rick Scuteri / AP Photo
DOB:
03-30-2002
Height:
6-2
Weight:
200
Position Player
4-Year College
SS
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Stafura is a high-contact infielder with strong strike zone judgment, staying upright and balanced through the ball for excellent plate coverage, although right now he’s only flashed occasional power. He projects to stay at shortstop with good lateral range and a plus arm. He’s a 70 runner who could end up a plus defender given his athleticism and soft hands, making him one of the better bets to become a major-league shortstop in this draft class. He has excellent bat speed with a flattish swing that produces a lot of low line drives and ground balls, projecting for quality contact but not power, and his body doesn’t offer a ton of projection for any long-term increase in power. He can load his hands too deep and end up with his bat a little late to the zone, so a modest swing adjustment might boost his power to a high grade 45, but I think his most likely outcome is a high-average/OBP guy who adds value with his speed and defense. It’s a player type that was more valued in the 1980s, although I think some teams are coming back around to prioritizing contact in the draft and banking on player development to improve hitters’ contact quality in pro ball.
DOB:
11-15-2004
Height:
6-0
Weight:
188
Position Player
High School
SS
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Meyer is probably the top high school pitcher in this draft, certainly the top right-hander, and in some years he’d be looking at a sure top-10 selection and would be at least a little higher on my rankings, although new readers should bear in mind that I discount all high school pitchers based on the much higher attrition rates for such players taken in the first round. (They reach the majors at a much lower rate than other categories, and even if they get there, a lower percentage of them have sustained success.) Meyer has been up to 101 mph this spring, sitting 94-96 mph in most starts, with a hammer curveball that has huge spin rates and a power slider, barely using his changeup, perhaps because he just doesn’t need it yet. It’s a good delivery and good body for a starter, with a lot of projection left on his 6-foot-5 frame. I’ve heard scouts say they think the fastball plays down from its velocity, which is a fair concern but also a small one if that’s his biggest flaw. There’s at least mid-rotation upside here.
Photo:
Mark J. Rebilas / USA Today
DOB:
01-10-2005
Height:
6-5
Weight:
185
Pitcher
High School
RHP
Scouting Report
Bats: L, Throws: L
White, not to be confused with LSU sophomore Tommy “Tanks” White, is the top left-handed pitcher in the class right now, with injuries and poor performance taking out a few college names who might have been ahead of him. White is listed at 6-foot-5, 210 pounds, but has bulked up since that and might be closer to 6-foot-7, 250 pounds now, while he sits 93-95 mph with a plus curveball and plus changeup. His delivery isn’t great, as he has a long arm stroke that’s very visible to hitters and that he doesn’t repeat well, so his command is still well below average. The arm stroke and the ease with which he can get to plus velocity reminds me a little of Sean Newcomb, another lefty who did it very easily but whose delivery offered nothing to “fix” to improve his command. White is a fair athlete and probably will need some fine-tuning of the delivery, but you can point to those three pitches and hope for a No. 2 starter ceiling. He’s a Vanderbilt commit and I can’t imagine he’ll be an easy sign.
DOB:
09-29-2004
Height:
6-5
Weight:
210
Pitcher
High School
LHP
Scouting Report
Bats: L, Throws: R
Farmelo does it all wrong at the plate, with an arm bar and a bizarre launch-angly finish, but he’s so good at fouling stuff off that he performs anyway – and if someone just loosens him up and lets him hit freely, he might really take off. He had no trouble handling low-90s stuff from right-hander Bryce Eldridge in one of their matchups this spring, with exceptional hand-eye and a clear idea of what he needs to do at the plate to get a pitch he can hit hard. He’s a superb athlete and 65-70 runner who can definitely stay in center field, and should come into 55 power. He’s considered a strong commit to UVA, but that might be the worst choice for someone who needs this kind of swing adjustment, as UVA’s track record there is not strong. He’s a big upside play because even small changes to the swing could make him one of the best hitters for contact and average in the class.
DOB:
09-09-2004
Height:
6-2
Weight:
205
Position Player
High School
OF
Scouting Report
Bats: L, Throws: R
Emerson is one of the better hitters in the high school class, with a chance to come into some power as well. He’s got a loose left-handed swing with the loft to drive the ball, although the swing is handsy and he doesn’t get much from his lower half. He’s strong for his size and age (he’ll turn 18 about two weeks after the draft), so there’s some hope he’ll get to average power with some swing work, while right now it’s definitely hit over power. The Auburn commit is a shortstop now but is going to move to second or third in pro ball, as he’s just an average or fringe-average runner and that added muscle has him looking less like what we see in pro shortstops. He’s got quite a bit of upside as a high-average, 15- to 20-homer hitter at second base if he gets to the ceiling.
Photo:
Team USA
DOB:
07-20-2005
Height:
6-0
Weight:
185
Position Player
High School
SS
Scouting Report
Bats: L, Throws: L
Davis is one of the most improved players among the college prospects in this class, cutting his strikeout rate from 22.8 percent as a sophomore to 14.4 percent this year as a junior for the Wildcast, while hitting for more power. A good chunk of the improvement came from closing up the whole he’d shown on the inner-third as an underclassman; he still does most of his damage on stuff middle-away, but he doesn’t whiff as much on stuff inside, and if there’s any weakness here, it’s on velocity up. His game power is at least a 60, and he’s a 55 runner who plays center now and should at least begin his pro career out there, with the downside of an above-average defender in right if he can’t stay up the middle. I think he’s at least a regular and has more upside than some of the safer college bats who’ll go before him.
Photo:
Zac BonDurant / Icon Sportswire
DOB:
12-05-2001
Height:
6-1
Weight:
216
Position Player
4-Year College
OF
Scouting Report
Bats: B, Throws: R
Soto has some of the best pure stuff in this draft class, with three pitches in his fastball, slider and split-changeup that can all show plus, along with a delivery he should be able to repeat for command. He’s been up to 98 mph with some riding life to the four-seamer, while the split-change has the sort of hard fading action you expect from that pitch and shows good separation and deception. His slider is more of a power slurve with a break almost straight down, but he seems to throw it for strikes and gets late bite on the pitch. He’s also one of the youngest pitchers in the draft, turning 18 at the end of August, and already is 6-foot-5 and listed at 210 pounds. Scouts found him difficult to see this spring as he’d often go two weeks between outings, and his command wasn’t where it was last summer on the showcase circuit. He’s as risky as any high school arm, but this stuff rivals that of White’s for the best among all prep pitchers this year.
Photo:
Team USA
DOB:
08-31-2005
Height:
6-5
Weight:
210
Pitcher
High School
RHP
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Morales looks like an easy top-10 pick when you see him walk on the field or take batting practice, or even just a few game swings where he makes contact, but he whiffs too much for that and most scouts think he’ll end up in left field or at first base, making the bat that much more important. Morales looks the part, certainly, and has a pretty swing that can produce significant power but more often puts the ball on the ground. You can beat him with velocity up or breaking stuff down and away, not dissimilar to former Florida Gator Jud Fabian, who was the Orioles’ second-round pick last year. Morales is neither natural nor easy at third and I think at least has to move to right field in pro ball. To his credit, he’s hit better in the ACC, .353/.430/.500 with just an 18.5 percent strikeout rate, and may be able to hit his way back up into the middle of the first round. There just seem to be better bets to hit in this class, between Morales’ two clear holes and the fact that a lot of the hard contact he makes comes in the form of groundballs.
Photo:
Samuel Lewis / Icon Sportswire
DOB:
10-09-2001
Height:
6-4
Weight:
209
Position Player
4-Year College
3B
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Zanetello is one of the best pure athletes in the draft class in how he moves – everything is incredibly quick-twitch, from his throwing release to his first step to his hand acceleration at the plate. He’s lean and projectable at 6-foot-2/6-foot-3, and his bat speed is impressive, with a very small load and simple start from which he explodes forward. He played quite a bit last summer and rarely chased pitches out of the zone, but there was some in-zone miss on fastballs, which might be a matter of timing. The bet here is that his athleticism will allow him to stay with better and better pitching as he moves up the ladder, and to make adjustments at the plate and in the field, because right now his physical tools are ahead of his baseball ones, like hit or power. He’s committed to Arkansas.
DOB:
05-25-2005
Height:
6-2
Weight:
180
Position Player
High School
SS
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Lombard is the son of the former Atlanta prospect, the team’s second-round pick in 1995 and now the Tigers’ bench coach, but Junior is taller, more athletic and an infielder with some real upside at the plate. He’s got a straightforward swing and quiet approach with good loft for future 65-70 power. However, despite plenty of bat speed, he has struggled with better velocity and can get locked into a single bat path. He’s a solid-average runner who’s a shortstop now, with widely varying views on whether he can stay there; some scouts think he’s a certain shortstop, while others see a move to second or center field. He’s a Vanderbilt commit.
Photo:
Mark J. Rebilas / USA Today
DOB:
06-02-2005
Height:
6-3
Weight:
190
Position Player
High School
SS
Scouting Report
Bats: L, Throws: R
Velazquez showed well early this spring after working on his conditioning and his catching in the offseason, giving him a chance to go somewhere between the late first round and early second, especially in a draft without much catching. He’s a strong kid whose body looks compact for its listed size of 6-foot-2, and when he stays back he can show plus power, although his over-wide setup often leads to him drifting over his front side. He is a high school catcher, however, and unlike Mitchell, he has some work to do to get himself to an average defender. He’s committed to Arizona State.
Photo:
Mark J. Rebilas / USA Today
DOB:
05-28-2005
Height:
6-2
Weight:
220
Position Player
High School
C
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Sykora is probably the hardest-throwing high school pitcher in the draft class, hitting 100 mph last summer and sitting 96-98 mph with some arm-side run, pairing it with a plus splitter that has hard tumble. He’s huge at 6-foot-6, 220 pounds, but has a super-short arm action where his arm is extremely late relative to his front leg landing, which might be why his slider has velocity but not much bite or tilt. He’s 19 already, which will hurt him in analytical models and means he’ll be draft-eligible in two years if he ends up at the University of Texas. He’s one for teams that value size and arm strength over delivery or breaking stuff.
Photo:
Team USA
DOB:
04-28-2004
Height:
6-6
Weight:
220
Pitcher
High School
RHP
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Gelof became the Cavaliers’ career leader in homers midway through this spring, his junior year, with 70 power that should translate fine to the wood bat. The younger brother of Oakland prospect Zack, who also went to UVA, Jake has a very rotational swing and makes hard contact when he squares it up, but he’s had a lot of trouble with velocity up in or above the zone. He’s a thick-bodied player for third base and is more likely to end up in an outfield corner, probably right field since he has a plus arm. He could be a lower-average high-power guy who plays every day for most clubs but whose swing-and-miss issues turn a few teams away.
Photo:
Brian Westerholt / Four Seam Images
DOB:
02-25-2002
Height:
6-1
Weight:
195
Position Player
4-Year College
3B
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: L
Owen was a strike-throwing reliever last year for Vandy, moving to the rotation this spring, where he’s been a little inconsistent but shown first-round stuff in his best weeks. In those outings, he’ll top out at 95-96 mph with a plus curveball and above-average slider. He generally throws strikes, although it’s control over command right now. He’s 6-foot-6, 260 pounds, and can show four pitches, although he goes to the breaking ball a ton for whiffs. Owen missed two starts in April, came back for two starts, then was out two more weekends before returning. In his first two outings back from this second layoff, he was down over a half a mile an hour, but his breaking stuff was still pretty sharp. He destroys left-handed batters and held right-handers to a sub-.300 OBP this spring, but did give up eight homers to righties and probably needs to throw his changeup more to them to avoid that becoming a problem. If he’s healthy, he has mid-rotation upside and would be the best college lefty in the class, but I think all the missed starts will push him out of the first round.
Photo:
Carly Mackler / Getty Images
DOB:
01-30-2002
Height:
6-6
Weight:
261
Pitcher
4-Year College
LHP
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Third time’s the charm? Sproat has been drafted twice, out of high school in 2019 by Texas and last year by the Mets, and declined the teams’ offers both times, so we’ll have to see what he does this year with less leverage as a fourth-year college player. He’s still tantalizing but inconsistent, 94-99 mph with a changeup that can at least show plus and is generally above-average, while he doesn’t have great feel for his slider and might never have much of a breaking ball. His whiff rate is way up this year, from 24 percent to 34 percent, but he’s walking more hitters and throwing fewer strikes overall, so his ERA is actually over a run higher than what he posted in 2022, through the regionals. He takes a huge stride toward the plate to generate that velocity from his lower half, and fields his position well, both in terms of his athleticism and his instincts. It’s at least mid-rotation upside but with a lot of reliever and overall command risk.
Photo:
Samuel Lewis / Icon Sportswire
DOB:
09-17-2000
Height:
6-3
Weight:
210
Pitcher
4-Year College
RHP
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Pratt is a disciplined hitter with good bat-to-ball skills who has fringe-average power right now, favoring contact over contact quality, although scouts this spring have questioned how much impact he’ll have as he fills out. It’s a very simple right-handed swing without a ton of leverage, with above-average bat speed and good hand-eye coordination. He’s got room on the frame to add 20 pounds or more of muscle, but may have to alter his swing to translate that into more power, lifting the ball more or opening his hips later. He’s a shortstop now with a plus arm and good range, but he’s a below-average runner and may end up at third base. He’s committed to Mississippi.
Photo:
Mark J. Rebilas / USA Today
DOB:
08-18-2004
Height:
6-4
Weight:
195
Position Player
High School
SS
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Keaschall transferred to Tempe from the University of San Francisco this year and has taken a jump across the board, hitting .353/.443/.725, while setting career highs in doubles and homers. He’s a young junior who won’t turn 21 until a month after the draft, which will appeal to model-heavy teams. Keaschall glides way out over his front side before contact, which is going to hurt his ability to adjust to offspeed stuff and cut off some power, and he’s had issues with chasing fastballs up in the zone. He’s a 55/60 runner who could move to center if he can’t handle second base, but lacks the arm for the left side of the infield.
Photo:
Zac BonDurant / Icon Sportswire
DOB:
08-15-2002
Height:
6-1
Weight:
190
Position Player
4-Year College
2B
Scouting Report
Bats: L, Throws: L
Whitman was so bad at Purdue as a freshman and sophomore that the Boilermakers wouldn’t even use him – he logged 5.2 innings in total over two years, and gave up eight runs thanks to 11 hits and six walks. He was better last summer on the Northwoods League and the Cape, throwing more strikes and showing promise to both the slider and changeup while sitting 89-91 mph. This spring, he’s been up to 96 mph with velocity increasing as the spring progressed, sitting 90-92 mph early and 92-94 mph by the end of Kent State’s season, and he threw 81 innings for the Flashes with a 2.56 ERA. The slider is plus and lefties can’t touch it, whiffing on it half the time they swung this spring, while he has an effective straight changeup that he uses exclusively to right-handers. The delivery isn’t great, with a very abrupt finish and some recoil, and he has no track record of anything prior to June 2022, any of which could cause some concerns about whether he can repeat this going forward. He’s also arguably the best college lefty in the draft class, and that player nearly always goes in the first round. If the delivery isn’t an issue for command or health, he looks like a mid-rotation starter.
Photo:
Al Goldis / AP Photo
DOB:
09-17-2001
Height:
6-5
Weight:
200
Pitcher
4-Year College
LHP
Scouting Report
Bats: L, Throws: R
Jebb was a star on the Cape last summer but didn’t follow it up with the big year scouts were hoping to see, which probably lands him in the second round rather than the late first. He’s a 70 runner with good feel to hit, and at least has a chance to stay at short, with center field always there as an option given his speed. While he hit a little less this spring with the metal bat than he did last summer with wood, he still made a ton of contact, with a strikeout rate of 11.7 percent it’s 40 power at best — he hit just one homer this year but did hit six last spring — so his ceiling is a soft regular, but he’s also very likely to see the majors in some capacity.
Photo:
Andrew Woolley / Four Seam Images
DOB:
05-13-2002
Height:
6-1
Weight:
185
Position Player
4-Year College
SS
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Horvath has plus power with a lot of hard contact, and his swing puts the ball in the air a ton for extra bases, but concerns about his strikeouts and lack of track record have raised some doubts about his hit tool. He’s a solid athlete who plays right for the Tar Heels, with 2024 prospect Vance Honeycutt in center; Horvath spent his first two years at UNC playing third base, with the outfield a much better fit. He does strike out more than most teams like, with no two-strike approach, and some scouts question whether his swing will allow him to keep that rate from spiraling in pro ball. Even with those concerns, he doesn’t whiff that much, taking too many strikes rather than swinging and missing. Horvath did scuffle at the end of the season, only pulling his average back over .300 with a 3 for 5 performance in the Heels’ final game, which isn’t going to assuage any concerns about his hit tool. He offers first-round upside but needs to get into the right system.
Photo:
Ben McKeown / AP Photo
DOB:
01-28-2002
Height:
6-1
Weight:
195
Position Player
4-Year College
3B
OF
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Witt returned to the mound for the Longhorns a few weeks ago, just a year off Tommy John, but hasn't been very effective or shown the same kind of stuff that made him a likely first-rounder before he got hurt, as he's been a lot of 89-92 mph with just an adequate breaking ball, and he's walked seven in 9.2 innings while allowing 10 runs (through the regionals). His delivery is fine and should allow him to have above-average control at some point, although he’s been erratic this spring. He really looks like a guy who’s just off Tommy John surgery and hasn’t gotten his full stuff or command back, rather than someone who’s never going to be the same player, and it might just be a matter of how fast he returned to competitive pitching. He could be a patient team’s second-pick overpay in the hopes that more time gets him back to where he was in 2021.
Photo:
Stephen Spillman / AP Photo
DOB:
07-11-2002
Height:
6-5
Weight:
215
Pitcher
4-Year College
RHP
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Honeyman’s an aggressive, high-contact hitter who put the ball in play in 77 percent of his plate appearances this year for the Eagles, and is very good at spoiling two-strike pitches to keep himself alive and avoid the strikeout. He’s a much better fastball hitter than offspeed, and hasn’t had trouble with velocity so far, with a scissor-kick swing that helps him make a lot of hard contact. He’s an average runner who mostly plays right, and will at least have to work to show he can handle center. Honeyman is 6-foot-2 and has some projection left, which makes me think he might be a pick for a team that thinks they can tweak his swing and get some more strength on him to tap into 20-homer power like the Dodgers did with Will Smith.
Photo:
Erica Denhoff / Icon Sportswire
DOB:
10-02-2001
Height:
6-2
Weight:
190
Position Player
4-Year College
OF
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Did anyone help himself more in the college postseason than Floyd, who finished his year by setting a CWS record with 17 strikeouts against a strong Florida lineup? Floyd’s fastball is elite — he got 26 swinging strikes on the pitch against Gator hitters — as hitters don’t see it at all, coming in 94-97 with great ride and some added deception from a short and lightning-quick arm stroke. The knock on Floyd is that he doesn’t really have an average second pitch — he throws a slider and curve but neither is better than a 45, without great spin or break, and his changeup has good separation but not a ton of action. He walked just under 10 percent of hitters this spring for LSU, which he’ll have to bring down in pro ball regardless of the development of his offspeed pitches. Scouts are already comparing him to Spencer Strider for his ability to miss bats with his fastball alone, and I think you can project him as a starter given how well that pitch plays and the way the delivery works.
DOB:
08-28-2001
Height:
6-2
Weight:
200
Pitcher
4-Year College
RHP
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Like his older brother Reid, Parker is a big strike-thrower, working with a compact arm action and average stuff but excellent projection. Given how Reid’s fastball has jumped in pro ball, teams might look at Parker to do the same, because he has a lot of the other factors scouts like to see in a teenaged pitcher. Detmers throws a lot of strikes with a very easy, repeatable delivery that also has him hiding the ball behind his body until very late. His arm action is short and simple and also adds to the deception. He's shown he can really spin a curveball, getting a lot of depth on it in the 75-78 mph range, and has feel for a changeup, although right now that pitch doesn’t have a ton of separation from the fastball. He will probably be able to pick up a slider given his ability to spin the ball, especially if and when his velocity ticks upward. He’s committed to Louisville, where his brother went, but I think he’s a perfect target for someone looking to go over slot with a high school arm in the second round.
DOB:
12-22-2004
Height:
6-4
Weight:
215
Pitcher
High School
RHP
Scouting Report
Bats: L, Throws: R
Bitonti is a 6-foot-4 shortstop with a surprisingly short swing that generates more power than you’d expect, but also has some swing-and-miss in the zone that he’ll have to address at the next level, with particular trouble against breaking stuff in showcases last summer and even this spring at NHSI. He’s a shortstop now but almost certainly moves to third base, boosted by a plus arm that he shows while pitching (although he’s not anywhere near the same sort of prospect on the mound). Bitonti won’t even turn 18 until November, making him one of the youngest guys on the board this year, so teams are likely to give him more slack to work on breaking-ball recognition and improving his contact rate than they would an older player.
Photo:
Mark J. Rebilas / USA Today
DOB:
11-17-2005
Height:
6-4
Weight:
205
Position Player
High School
SS
Scouting Report
Bats: L, Throws: L
Head is a premium athlete and at least a 70 runner who can really play center field, with some potential for power given his body and frame, garnering mixed views from scouts on how advanced his hit tool is and whether he’s ready to go out and face pro pitching. He’s listed at 5-foot-11, 180 pounds, although he might be an inch shorter, and he’s pretty muscular for that frame. He has plenty of bat speed thanks to quick wrists, definitely geared up for fastballs, but I’m not sold on the pitch recognition and think he’s going to have to improve his ability to pick up offspeed stuff when he gets into pro ball. Some of this might just be that he loads his hands very high and deep, so he’s got a longer path to the ball and has to commit sooner, rather than just a straight recognition issue. The defense/speed and ability to hit a fastball should get him first-round money, but perhaps as someone’s second or third pick. He’s committed to Clemson.
Photo:
Mark J. Rebilas / USA Today
DOB:
10-11-2004
Height:
6-0
Weight:
185
Position Player
High School
OF
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Anderson seems like he can really hit, with a short, compact swing and the ability to pick up spin, expanding the zone too often but still making a lot of good contact. He led all Big Ten hitters this year in average and slugging percentage and finished eighth in OBP, while his 43 extra-base hits ranked third behind only Maryland’s Matt Shaw and Nick Lorusso. He started driving the ball more this spring, and answered some questions about his ability to hit velocity, as he’s always hit fastballs fairly well but showed he could catch up to 94-plus this year. There’s just the slightest hint of a hitch when he starts his swing, which might be something to watch for but hasn’t given him any trouble yet, and he’s in a great hitting position once he starts his hands. He’s maxed out and will have to work to stay on the dirt, with second base by far his best chance to avoid a move to left field, but the bat should inspire some team to take a shot in the second round.
DOB:
02-28-2002
Height:
6-0
Weight:
215
Position Player
4-Year College
2B/3B
Scouting Report
Bats: L, Throws: R
Peete is a tooled-out shortstop who pitched some as a junior before he got hurt at East Coast Pro last year, after which he hasn’t returned to the mound. He’s a left-handed hitter with bat speed, but tends to get uphill with a very firm front side, leaving him with a swing that might end up putting the ball too much in the air. His plate discipline does lag behind his peers, and he had trouble with fastballs even in-zone at showcases last year, getting a little benefit of the doubt from being young for his class, turning 18 in August. He’s still had issues throwing this spring, although he did play shortstop rather than DH for his high school. He’s very athletic and twitchy with plus speed, so you can dream on the upside here, and he does project as a shortstop if there's no further arm trouble. He carries more risk than the typical high school position player. He’s committed to Georgia Tech.
Photo:
Mark J. Rebilas / USA Today
DOB:
08-11-2005
Height:
6-2
Weight:
193
Position Player
High School
SS
Scouting Report
Bats: L, Throws: L
Clemmey is one of the top lefties in the class and maybe the hardest-throwing, as he’s been up to 100 mph and sits 94-98 mph, but with a hard-to-repeat delivery that has left him struggling with command and control. He takes a huge stride toward the plate and is generally online, but his arm swing is long and he doesn’t always get to the same release point. It’s a very fast arm, as you’d expect, and his curveball has improved this spring to solid-average breaking ball, while he shows good feel for his changeup. If he threw more strikes, even without much command, he’d probably get into the first round or close to it, and he might still get there because of the arm strength and athleticism.
DOB:
07-18-2005
Height:
6-6
Weight:
205
Pitcher
High School
RHP
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Watts-Brown transferred from Long Beach State to Stillwater for his redshirt sophomore year, and ended up having a worse year across the board with the move away from pitcher-friendly Blair Field to the more competitive Big 12. His out pitch is a tight 83-86 mph slider that at its best has late tilt and that he can throw for a strike or extend for a chase, although the pitch wasn’t as consistent this year start to start or even within outings, and it can lose some bite when it’s more 81-82 mph, which I’ve seen tagged as a curveball but looks like a bad version of the slider. His fastball held around 91-93 mph this year and he didn’t throw it for strikes anywhere near as often as he should, as it’s a four-seamer without a ton of life and isn’t going to miss bats or get huge chase rates. He has a changeup but barely uses it, getting lefties with the fastball/slider instead this year; there’s nothing wrong with the changeup and it might be an average pitch if he just uses it more and develops his feel for it. He’s a very good athlete who hurt his shoulder as a high school quarterback, so there’s hope he can gain some velocity and command with different coaching. There’s starter upside here but the higher probability is that he ends up in relief because he has just the one effective pitch.
DOB:
02-23-2002
Height:
6-3
Weight:
190
Pitcher
4-Year College
RHP
Scouting Report
Bats: L, Throws: R
Ledbetter transferred from Samford to Starkville this year and had a strong season for the bulldogs, although he fattened up quite a bit against non-conference pitching with just a .276/.391/.474 line within the SEC. He’s a left-handed hitter with a very smooth and simple swing, rarely swinging and missing or chasing while generating surprising game power for such a quiet approach. His batted-ball data aren’t great, though, and point to probably just average power at best down the road, as he makes a ton of medium-quality contact but relatively little hard contact, which he’ll need as a corner outfielder. He’s a deceptively good fielder who should be above-average in left, and the contact/on-base skills might be enough to get him to everyday status. But until he shows he can hit the ball consistently hard, he’s probably more of an extra guy.
DOB:
11-15-2001
Height:
6-1
Weight:
201
Position Player
4-Year College
OF
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
A healthy McGraw would easily have gone in the first round this year, maybe in the top 20, as he was 93-96 mph last spring with a plus slider and at least an average changeup. He had Tommy John surgery in high school and required a second surgery on the elbow this spring where he received an internal brace on the ligament, rather than the full ligament replacement surgery known colloquially as Tommy John. His slider was just filthy as recently as last summer, in the low 80s with very sharp, late break, looking like someone was using a remote control from the bench to make it turn at the last second. The changeup is definitely a third pitch, maybe a little too firm relative to the fastball, but he does sell it well, and the fastball is lively enough that hitters geared up for it and would swing over the top of the change. His arm might be a tiny bit late, but I wouldn’t even call it a beige flag, and his injury was probably just a function of a really fast arm pumping mid-90s and some bad luck. I don’t know how teams will choose to value him given the history, but I think someone will roll the dice on this stuff, even with the surgeries and grade-45 control. (I am hoping to do a podcast with him so I can call it The Law and Teddy McGraw.)
DOB:
10-30-2001
Height:
6-3
Weight:
210
Pitcher
4-Year College
RHP
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Matthews exploded this year for 21 homers for the Huskers after hitting 12 total in his first two years in Lincoln. He finished the year with a .359/.481/.723 line, ending the year fourth among Big 10 hitters in homers and second in walks. The power itself is real, but it comes from a dead-pull approach where he looks for the ball down, which has left him vulnerable to fastballs, especially those up in or just above the zone. He’s an excellent athlete and plus runner who would probably be able to move to center if he can’t stick at short, so he offers some floor where he should play a premium defensive position or could serve as a utility player who can fill in across the infield and in center. The hit tool is a real concern, probably projecting to a 45 at best, but the power, defense and positional value might help it all play.
DOB:
03-16-2002
Height:
6-0
Weight:
190
Position Player
4-Year College
SS
Scouting Report
Bats: L, Throws: R
Hurley makes very hard contact and can play the heck out of center field, with real questions about his ability to make contact. He’s also a plus runner, maybe even a 65, who gets out of the left side of the box quickly and should grab a few extra hits a year on groundballs to the left side. His swing is very short and he has great bat speed, so his exit velocities are strong, but the swing is also fairly flat and he doesn’t always drive the ball like you’d want – which is something that many teams believe they can fix. His real issue is contact, as he swings and misses too much even on stuff in the zone, and struck out twice as often as he walked this spring. He led Virginia Tech with 17 homers, but that’s a great place to hit (2,080 feet above sea level), with six players reaching double digits in homers this year and seven last year, so I wouldn’t just assume the power will translate. The defense will get him a long way and someone will probably get him to loft the ball more, but the propensity to whiff and to chase will have to improve to make him a big-league regular.
DOB:
03-13-2002
Height:
6-0
Weight:
185
Position Player
4-Year College
OF
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
The son of Dodgers scouting director Billy Gasparino, Will missed a big chunk of this spring with a broken hand and may very well end up at the University of Texas given how little scouts were able to see him. He’s already very imposing at 6-6 and around 200 pounds, with a ton of projection left that could see him get to 230 or more when he fills out. He’s a plus runner with a loose swing but still looks like he’s growing into his frame, someone you expect will be much more coordinated and thus better able to make hard contact when he gets a little older. It’s an easy plus hit/plus power projection for his future grades, and if he goes to Austin he’ll be an early follow for the top 10 in 2026.
DOB:
12-10-2004
Height:
6-6
Weight:
205
Position Player
High School
OF
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Knoth is a Mississippi commit with huge spin rates on his breaking ball and a fastball up to 95 mph who had scouts racing — well, crawling — down the Long Island Expressway to see him this spring. He’s one of the youngest pitchers in the class, turning 18 about a month after the draft. His fastball shows good ride up at the top of the zone, and the curveball is a hammer with very tight rotation, two-plane break and a ton of depth to it. There’s effort to the delivery, with his arm a touch late and some head-whack at release, and he hasn’t shown much of a third pitch so far. Teams that value the advanced pitch metrics like spin rate and axis will love him, and there’s still some projection left here, although the delivery and below-average control make him a longer-term play and may limit his ceiling.
DOB:
08-10-2005
Height:
6-1
Weight:
190
Pitcher
High School
RHP
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Wolters is a 6-4 Arizona commit who didn’t do the showcase circuit, making him a hot name this spring as scouts have rushed in to see him. He’s been up to 97 mph already with a slider that’s at least a 55, showing a loose arm and high 3/4 slot that puts some riding life on the fastball up in the zone. He’s already somewhat filled out and has the classic “workhorse” pitcher’s frame that teams have targeted for decades. Some minor delivery help to get him to generate more power from his hips and legs could have him sitting mid-90s in a few years, although he’ll need to also develop a third pitch to reach his ceiling as a mid-rotation to above-average starter.
DOB:
10-25-2004
Height:
6-4
Weight:
215
Pitcher
High School
RHP
Scouting Report
Bats: B, Throws: R
Santana’s a young switch-hitting shortstop who won’t turn 18 until the week after the draft, with decent swings from both sides but nowhere near the strength to drive the ball yet. His left-handed swing shows quite a bit more bat speed than the right-handed one, but either way he has swung and missed too often in high school and doesn’t hit the ball hard when he does make contact. He’s undersized at 5-11 (at most) and about 150 pounds, with some room to get stronger and perhaps pick up some bat speed in time, although that’s a big ask even with his youth. He’s a plus-plus runner who should definitely stay at shortstop, so if he fills out and can improve his impact quality he could be a strong regular, while he has the downside risk of a Nick Madrigal or Kevin Newman type who doesn’t make enough hard contact to be more than a bench player.
DOB:
07-18-2005
Height:
5-11
Weight:
155
Position Player
High School
SS
Scouting Report
Bats: L, Throws: R
Ahuna transferred from Kansas to Tennessee for this spring, perhaps hoping to improve his stock by competing in the SEC, but his offensive production fell off across the board, including a jump to a nearly 30 percent strikeout rate and a 54-point drop in his OBP. He’s always had trouble with good offspeed stuff but he didn’t even hit quality fastballs this spring. The native of Hilo, Hawaii, has a busy approach at the plate with a big leg kick, long stride and an abrupt move back with his hands to start his swing, any or all of which could be affecting his timing at the plate and certainly isn’t helping him get to velocity. A left-handed hitter, he was particularly bad against lefties this year, punching out nearly 40 percent of the time he faced them. He’s a solid athlete and 50/55 runner who should stay at shortstop, at least to start his pro career. But after such a down season, he has to be hoping someone pays him on the basis of his previous track record rather than what he did this spring.
DOB:
03-11-2002
Height:
6-1
Weight:
170
Position Player
4-Year College
SS
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Rose transferred from his Chicago high school to play at IMG Academy this spring, showing off his electric bat speed and power potential against better competition. He’s an excellent athlete with a strong, accurate arm behind the plate, needing work on receiving and blocking, and is a 55 runner underway. Right now his swing is more geared to doubles power, as he doesn’t fully use the strength in his lower half, although he was second on IMG with four homers this spring. If you think he can stick as a catcher, he has everyday upside because of his bat speed and the power he’s already shown. He’s committed to Louisville, which has had two catchers drafted on Day 1 in the last two years, including 2021’s No. 1 pick, Henry Davis.
DOB:
05-26-2005
Height:
6-1
Weight:
210
Position Player
High School
C
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: L
Wilson is the son of former Giants lefty Trevor Wilson and is a lefty like his dad, but taller with more velocity (like every kid these days, I suppose). Paul mostly lives off a plus fastball with good ride. He has both a curve and a slider, but doesn’t have great feel for either the little loopy curve or the sweepy slider just yet. His arm is often at widely differing points when his front leg strikes, which is a timing issue and can cause command problems and even telegraph to hitters what pitch is coming. He has shown better control this spring, moving him up into the second round over-slot range for teams looking for a projection high school arm to pay — especially a lefty, which is in short supply in this year’s draft class. He’s committed to Oregon State.
DOB:
12-11-2004
Height:
6-3
Weight:
205
Pitcher
High School
LHP
Scouting Report
Bats: B, Throws: L
The younger brother of Reds farmhand Chris McIlvain, Ethan has a wipeout slider with late diving break, along with a solid-average four-seamer that can show some ride up in the zone and two varieties of two-seam fastballs. He’s a lefty, which gives him one advantage over his brother, and four inches taller, which gives him another. Ethan’s arm action is a little long in back, so he isn’t always on time, but he takes a huge stride toward the plate and gets good extension out front for everything to play up. He does cut himself off sometimes, which gives him deception but may be part of why his control is suspect. He’s already started to fill out, adding maybe 20 pounds since last summer, and is going to have a classic workhorse build by the time he’s 21 or 22, by which point he should have improved his body control and coordination as well. He’s committed to Vanderbilt, where his brother went, and is definitely a long-term development project, with room to fill out and a need for more consistency in his delivery.
DOB:
10-01-2004
Height:
6-4
Weight:
215
Pitcher
High School
LHP
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Volchko comes from a very high slot with a strong frame, listed at 6-foot-4, 210 pounds, with broad shoulders to put on a lot of good muscle. He was mostly 89-92 mph last summer but saw his velocity jump this spring, getting on top of the ball well to make it tougher for hitters to square up. He has two strong breaking pitches in a hammer curveball and potentially plus slider, although neither pitch is consistent enough to call it an out pitch just yet. He has a good old-fashioned high leg kick — I don’t know if that’s actually good, I just like it — and takes a long step-over stride toward the plate to help generate that velocity. He’s committed to Stanford.
DOB:
06-21-2005
Height:
6-4
Weight:
210
Pitcher
High School
RHP
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Schoenwetter gets tons of swings and misses on all three of his pitches, including a low-90s fastball that misses a ton of bats, a high-spin curveball in the mid-70s, and a low-80s changeup with some hard fade. The fastball and curveball project to end up plus, and the changeup isn’t that far behind. Right now, he’s not much of a strike-thrower, and with his current delivery I wouldn’t project to him to get to more than 45 control. He lands very stiffly and there’s effort to the delivery that holds back his command, including a head-snap at release, making him a high-risk, high-reward player even among high school arms. He’s committed to his local school, UC Santa Barbara.
DOB:
10-01-2004
Height:
6-3
Weight:
190
Pitcher
High School
RHP
Scouting Report
Bats: L, Throws: L
Adams comes right at hitters with a very high arm slot, working 90-93 mph, topping out at 95 mph, with a downer curveball and a solid-average changeup. His 79-81 mph curveball is very tight and has nearly 12/6 break, and it’s already served as his out pitch with an excellent chance to be a 60 or better. The delivery is too quick and he needs better rhythm, but has the benefit of a lot of physical projection to help him maintain velocity even if he slows the delivery down. Without improving his tempo, he’s more likely to end up in relief because I don’t think he can repeat the delivery well enough to get to average command and control. He’s committed to Alabama.
DOB:
05-12-2004
Height:
6-4
Weight:
180
Pitcher
High School
LHP
Scouting Report
Bats: L, Throws: L
Johnson had a chance to sneak into the back of the first round or the sandwich round before an elbow flare-up ended his senior season prematurely. When healthy, the young lefty showed a very fast arm and would sit 93-96 mph, touching 98 mph, with very good extension over his front side, coming at hitters from a low 3/4 slot with a ton of deception. His slider is still a work in progress but shows promise with some late downward break at 80-82 mph, while his changeup is a nonfactor. Johnson is huge, listed at 6-5, 240 pounds, already built like he’s in his mid-20s, and I’m sure he’s getting C.C. Sabathia comps left and right, but the elbow scare would seem to belie the axiom that someone his size and build is more durable. He’s a project but, if healthy, an exciting one because of his arm speed and demonstrated velocity. He’s committed to LSU.
DOB:
01-11-2005
Height:
6-5
Weight:
240
Pitcher
High School
LHP
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Lasko has a great track record of hitting for Rutgers, with tremendous bat speed that helps make up for a late stride that can make it harder for him to pick up changing speeds. He’s a 60 runner who should be able to stay in center in pro ball, which helps his profile as he hasn’t shown the power with wood that he’s had with the tin bat. He gets his front foot down late, which may deprive him of a little power, and doesn’t have much loft in his swing to drive the ball in the air. He’s shown excellent bat-to-ball skills while at Rutgers, and his strikeout rate on the Cape last summer was better than the league average, so he could easily be a target for a team that believes they can improve a player’s launch angle if he’s already shown the propensity to hit and make good enough contact.
DOB:
06-24-2005
Height:
6-0
Weight:
190
Position Player
4-Year College
OF
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
At the start of May, Lord seemed like he’d be an easy second-round pick, but he scuffled down the stretch, giving up 22 runs in 8 2/3 innings over his final three outings, as hitters jumped all over his fastball and he couldn’t get to his two breaking balls. He can really spin the ball, even the fastball, which is mostly 93-95 mph and has reached 99 mph. He throws plenty of strikes, but hitters see the fastball too well and he probably needs to pitch more with his secondaries. Lord has already shown incredible drive and capacity to learn, taking his fastball from around 80-81 mph during the COVID-19 shutdown to the mid 90s largely by finding videos online on how to throw harder. In his one year at UW after he transferred from Division III Carleton College, he’s already tightened up the delivery and been up to 99 mph. There’s still a lot of untapped potential here, and it’s the sort of makeup you want to bet on.
DOB:
06-22-2002
Height:
6-3
Weight:
195
Position Player
4-Year College
RHP
Scouting Report
Bats: B, Throws: R
Carrigg is an overly aggressive hitter who doesn’t swing and miss too often but goes after a lot of bad pitches, rarely walking or making hard contact. He’s a switch-hitter with excellent bat-to-ball skills from both sides, opening his hips early and then almost guiding the bat to the ball, which produces high contact rates but no power, with just nine total homers between three springs for the Aztecs and two summer seasons in 843 total plate appearances. He did hit for average on the Cape last summer and has played almost every position between the springs and summers since he started college, potentially going out as a center fielder, middle infielder or even catcher, although this spring he played center for San Diego State and it’s probably his best position right now. If he swung more at strikes and less at balls, or made better quality contact, I could see a regular here, but neither of those things is true just yet.
DOB:
05-08-2002
Height:
6-3
Weight:
200
Position Player
4-Year College
OF
Scouting Report
Bats: L, Throws: R
Bohrofen took off this spring, hitting 16 homers in 60 games for the Razorbacks after hitting just five total in 67 games for Arkansas and Oklahoma in his first two years in college. He does make hard contact, but he’s a dead fastball hitter who struggles against anything else. He has no load at all at the plate, getting into position right when he sets at the plate and starting his swing from there, an unusual approach but one he’s made work for him. He could play center back in high school but has only manned the corners for Arkansas, so some team might want to move him back to center field to see if he can still do it.
DOB:
10-19-2001
Height:
6-2
Weight:
205
Position Player
4-Year College
OF
Scouting Report
Bats: L, Throws: R
Nivens makes surprisingly hard contact for a smaller guy with a simple swing, and he’s an excellent fastball hitter. He’s a redshirt sophomore, having sat out the 2021 season, and all he’s done is hit, with a 16 percent strikeout rate over his two seasons with the Bears and 25 homers in 116 games. He’s a smaller guy, listed at 5-11, but strong enough that he might carry over some of that power and end up a 15-20 homer hitter. He hasn’t faced much real velocity, hitting what he’s seen at least, and he will have to work to stay in center, as his arm would otherwise push him to left field. There’s a decent upside here with the hit/power potential if he does stay up the middle.
DOB:
11-16-2001
Height:
5-11
Weight:
185
Position Player
4-Year College
OF
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Mooney is a draft-eligible sophomore who’s a very skilled player on both sides of the ball but lacks any plus tools, as he’s a fringe-average runner with just adequate bat speed. He recognizes pitches well and has the plate coverage to make a ton of contact. He’s got a big first move where he moves his hands well back behind his body, making it harder for him to catch up to good velocity on the rare occasions he sees it. He plays a very smart shortstop and will stay there longer than his speed might indicate.
DOB:
07-06-2002
Height:
6-1
Weight:
195
Position Player
4-Year College
SS
Scouting Report
Bats: L, Throws: R
Martin has plus raw power already from an athletic frame and a big swing coupled with plus bat speed, but teams have dinged him already for his age (he’s 19 already) and questionable pitch recognition. He’s very strong, so the contact he makes tends to be very hard, but he showed a lot of swing and miss last summer, highlighting concerns scouts typically have about high school hitters from Colorado given how hard it is to pitch there. He’s a shortstop now but lacks the footwork or agility for it, and he’ll need some work on his movements to manage third base. There’s a lot of talk about him going in the first round because of the power and potential size, but there’s a lot of risk between the age, the hit tool and the position question.
DOB:
02-20-2004
Height:
6-2
Weight:
188
Position Player
High School
SS
Scouting Report
Bats: L, Throws: R
Boeve is the Jacob Wilson of the Midwest, striking out just nine times this year in 211 plate appearances (4.3 percent) with 32 walks, showing really good bat speed with a slappy swing that favors contact over power and tends to put the ball on the ground. Unlike Wilson, Boeve does make harder quality contact with substantially better exit velocities, but it doesn’t show up in the power department — he had four homers for the Mavericks this spring, eight last year, and none on the Cape last summer — because of the shape of his swing. He’s primarily played third base in college, which is a tough place for a hitter of his profile, although unlike Wilson, Boeve is physical enough to hope that you can unlock more power with some swing work.
DOB:
05-05-2002
Height:
6-2
Weight:
210
Position Player
4-Year College
3B
Scouting Report
Bats: L, Throws: R
Wolkow reclassified to move up from the 2024 draft into this one, so now he’s the youngest player on this list, turning 18 next January. He’s a massive left-handed hitter with huge raw power and a ton of swing and miss, which you’d associate with almost any 6-foot-7 hitter, and as a below-average runner he’s got to play a corner. Wolkow gives a Joey Gallo impression at the plate, although Wolkow is two inches taller than Gallo. Both are left-handed hitters who take huge swings with excellent bat speed and whiff more often than you’d like in a high school hitter, including on pitches in the zone. Gallo was a better overall athlete who pitched and played a competent third base, which helped him make adjustments as he moved up through the minors to make just enough contact in-zone so his absurd power — the most I’ve ever personally seen from a high school hitter — could play. That’ll be the same challenge for Wolkow, but being even taller increases the level of difficulty. It’s a straight upside play; if he hits at all, he’s going to put up preposterous power numbers. He’s committed to South Carolina.
DOB:
01-11-2006
Height:
6-7
Weight:
239
Position Player
High School
OF
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Groover makes a ton of contact thanks to a very short, simple swing with minimal load, with surprising exit velocities for his size and that kind of swing. He hit .332/.430/.546 for the Wolfpack this year with 13 homers, drawing 10 more walks than strikeouts on the year, and he doesn’t miss fastballs — he didn’t whiff on any fastballs clocked at 95 mph or better, although it’s possible he did on a pitch that wasn’t recorded. He’s got a below-average arm and probably lacks the agility you want in an infielder. I think he might have to go to left field, where he’ll need to convert more of that hard contact into extra bases to profile as a regular.
DOB:
04-16-2002
Height:
6-2
Weight:
212
Position Player
4-Year College
3B
Scouting Report
Bats: L, Throws: L
Hollan transferred from two-year San Jacinto College to Arkansas this year, and it turned out to be just in time as the Hogs’ No. 1 starter, Jax Wiggins, went down with a torn UCL right before the season started. Hollan comes from a 3/4 slot, but is on the side of the ball enough to sweep his slider as the main complement to his 89-92 mph fastball, mixing in a slow curve and a fringy changeup as well. He didn’t show much of a platoon split this year, as he wasn’t that dominant against lefties but also kept right-handers in check enough to project him to at least a "bulk" role where he can turn a lineup over. Nothing’s plus here but he has enough of a mix to potentially end up a back-end starter.
DOB:
03-05-2002
Height:
6-5
Weight:
200
Pitcher
4-Year College
LHP
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Alderman is listed at 250 pounds and might be bigger than that, with the raw and game power to match, including 19 homers this year for Mississippi. He’s mostly a fastball hitter with more swing and miss than you’d like to see in a bat-only prospect, and as a fringy runner he’s limited to an outfield corner, with right field most likely because of his plus arm. He went to the MLB Combine in June and posted some of the stronger exit velocities at the event, which is key since all of his value is in his bat and the potential for plus or better power. And if baseball doesn’t work out, he can always run for city council.
DOB:
08-20-2002
Height:
6-3
Weight:
250
Position Player
4-Year College
1B
Scouting Report
Bats: L, Throws: L
Coupet’s delivery is unorthodox, to say the least, but he can spin a plus slider with mean, late tilt, and he turns over a changeup that might be plus as well, all of which helps him pitch beyond the 90-92 mph fastball he shows. It’s a fast arm with some athleticism that might allow a team to help him coax more out of the delivery. I can’t think of the last prospect I saw get his arm up that early; after separation he just brings his arm way up, pausing briefly while he shows the ball to the center fielder, but he does get it moving forward before his front foot strikes. I wonder if eliminating that pause would be the key to unlocking any more velocity, although that’s always a risky thing to try to do. He doesn’t walk many guys because he gets so many chases, as his actual strike percentage is down toward 61-62 percent, which is 45 control at best. Coupet missed a few starts late in the season with a hamstring injury but did return for the final regular-season weekend and the Big Ten conference tournament.
DOB:
09-27-2002
Height:
6-1
Weight:
190
Pitcher
4-Year College
LHP
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: L
Hitt was headed for a late first-round pick after showing huge stuff in the fall, but somewhere along the way he tore his UCL and underwent Tommy John surgery around midseason. Just prior to the injury, he was showing a plus cutter at 85-89 mph, a fastball at 89-93 mph with some arm-side run, along with two other breaking balls, cutting himself off in his delivery enough that getting to his glove side was an issue. He walked 25 guys in 38.2 innings this spring, although some of that wildness might have been from trying to pitch hurt.
DOB:
12-11-2001
Height:
6-3
Weight:
210
Pitcher
4-Year College
LHP
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: L
Sullivan comes at hitters from a very low 3/4 slot, giving a real tough look to hitters because of his low approach angle, which in turn leads to a lot of bad swings on his 90-93 mph fastball. His changeup is above-average, which is huge given how long a look righties get at his arm, while his slider is fringy and sweepy at 77-79 mph. He lives by that fastball, though, working middle-up with the pitch and letting that low release height do its thing for him. His mechanics are quite clean for someone with this kind of delivery, as he lands online and doesn’t come back across his body. He’s an age-eligible sophomore who transferred to Wake from Northwestern last offseason. I’d give him every chance to start.
DOB:
07-22-2002
Height:
6-4
Weight:
190
Pitcher
4-Year College
LHP
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Caraway has a simple approach, with above-average power already and the chance to end up plus. His stride is inconsistent, but the swing itself is one of the best in the class, generating hard contact and loft, with the only weakness against the top-end velocity he saw last summer. He’s a shortstop and third baseman now, much more likely to end up at the hot corner, although I think he goes out as a shortstop and ends up pushed off the position by a stronger defender. He’s about a 40 runner with a plus arm, so third is the ideal position for him, although I’m sure he could handle second or at worst right field. He’s an Oregon State commit and could be a top-10 pick in two years as a draft-eligible sophomore if he hits like I expect in college.
DOB:
03-29-2004
Height:
6-2
Weight:
205
Position Player
High School
SS
3B
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Rivera is likely to be the first college senior position player taken this year, as he’s been one of the best hitters for the Gators while continuing to play plus defense at short. He went from .255/.351/.429 as a junior to .354/.453/.634 as a senior, hitting more homers this spring (19) as he had in the prior three seasons combined. He struck out just barely over 10 percent of the time this season, and walked far more often than he punched out (45 BB, 31 K), hammering fastballs and showing he could hit good velocity. His age and lack of track record will ding him, but he can stay at short and he has made more hard contact this year to give you some reason to believe it’ll last.
Height:
6-2
Weight:
215
Position Player
4-Year College
SS
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Kuehler seemed to be cruising toward a Day 1 selection when he missed several starts in May and then struggled in his first outing back with a season-high five walks, after which he had two more representative outings to finish out the Camels’ season. When healthy he works at 93-96 mph with good ride on the pitch, using a funky delivery and short arm action. He’ll flash a plus slider and a full assortment of pitches, with the changeup his worst and least-used pitch. He’s a six-foot right-hander, not the ideal demographic for a college starter, and his body offers no projection. With below-average command and the funk in his delivery, he offers high reliever risk, but has the two pitches right now that should let him go out as a starter.
DOB:
05-24-2002
Height:
6-0
Weight:
215
Pitcher
4-Year College
RHP
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
McLean is 94-96 mph in relief with ride and run to the pitch, overpowering hitters with it and his power slider/cutter up to 92 mph. He’s a two-way guy for Oklahoma State with huge raw power but a ton of swing and miss – he had 107 Ks last year, then struck out a third of the time this year in reduced playing time – so his future is much more likely on the mound. The Orioles took him in the third round last year but saw something they didn’t like in his post-draft physical, walking away entirely and giving the money earmarked for him to 17th-rounder Carter Young. McLean would be a project as a starter, and teams will be wary of whatever is in his medicals, but that’s two now pitches and maybe someone who’d move quick as a relief prospect.
DOB:
07-24-2001
Height:
6-4
Weight:
214
Pitcher
4-Year College
RHP
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Echavarria saw his velo jump this spring, topping out at 97 mph while pitching more 90-95 mph, while he already had a solid-average 12/6 curveball with good depth as his out pitch, so there’s a clear starter upside here assuming some projection and the development of a third pitch. He’s still got some room left to fill out his 6-1 frame, and boasts a solid delivery that keeps him over the rubber before a medium-length stride that gets him very online to the plate, although his arm can be late on the fastball when it’s pronated earlier on the breaking ball. The Florida commit won’t turn 17 until a month after the draft.
DOB:
08-06-2005
Height:
6-1
Weight:
180
Pitcher
High School
RHP
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Morris has a deceptive, short arm action and works with a four-pitch mix highlighted by a 55 slider that might play up when he’s not pitching most of his games at altitude. He throws everything for strikes but tends to allow a lot of contact in the air, which was not the ideal fit for Reno; he’d been more of a groundball guy as a reliever in his first two years for the Wolf Pack. The delivery isn’t ideal but he makes it work for him with a low 3/4 slot that shows the ball late, with plenty of arm speed to let him hold his stuff in a pro rotation. I think he’ll be better in pro ball than in college, with a fourth starter ceiling.
DOB:
06-21-2002
Height:
6-3
Weight:
190
Pitcher
4-Year College
RHP
Scouting Report
Bats: L, Throws: R
Sanders is 6-foot-6 with a plus slider and 92-95 mph fastball, but the heater plays down from its velocity and lefties especially had a field day with the pitch this year. He does have a changeup, mostly 85-89 mph, and when he finishes it in the lower half of the zone it’s a respectable pitch with some late run away from lefties, but he has zero feel for it and didn’t use it enough in games to improve that. He could finish stronger on his front side to get better vertical break to the fastball, making better use of his height. He gave up 29 runs in 35 innings in SEC play, then missed a month with a “lower body injury” before a couple of solid relief outings in the regional followed by a clunker against Florida where two-thirds of his pitches were sliders. There’s a lot to work with here for a team that trusts its pitching development, but without that kind of help, he’s going to end up in relief.
DOB:
03-30-2002
Height:
6-6
Weight:
230
Pitcher
4-Year College
RHP
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Wiggins was probably going in the top two rounds before his elbow blew a few weeks before Opening Day. When healthy, he’d hit 100 mph as a starter with a hammer slider and plenty of changeup, but with below-average command and control, including 43 walks in 66 innings as a sophomore. The fastball was kind of true, so it didn’t dominate like the velocity might indicate it would. He showed an extremely fast arm and got on top of the ball well from a 3/4 slot, giving depth to the slider and devastating fade to the changeup when he finished it. Nothing was consistent here, especially not that third pitch, and he barely threw 61 percent of his pitches for strikes — even with the added benefit of hitters whiffing on a lot of pitches out of the zone. There was already relief risk before he got hurt.
DOB:
10-03-2001
Height:
6-6
Weight:
225
Pitcher
4-Year College
RHP
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Taylor is a draft-eligible sophomore who was just OK as a 20-year-old reliever last spring for LSU but was dominant on the Cape as a starter. Unfortunately, his elbow blew right before the season started and he required Tommy John surgery. On the Cape he was 92-94 mph, touching 97 mph, with a hammer curveball as his out pitch, lacking a third option, and he threw far more strikes than he had in the spring. He’s more of a wild card than the rest of the college TJ guys, since we just got a brief taste of what he might look like as a starter.
DOB:
05-20-2002
Height:
6-3
Weight:
230
Pitcher
4-Year College
RHP
Scouting Report
Bats: L, Throws: L
Crowell’s misuse this spring was a crime – he went from 46 pitches to 58, then 94 on short rest, then 100, after which his UCL went and he had Tommy John surgery. He also throws a ton of sliders, coming from a slightly lower slot that helps him get real tilt on the pitch, with batters whiffing on it more than half the time they swung this year. I know some scouts wanted him to start, but he’ll have to work on his changeup to get there, assuming he comes back healthy from TJ.
DOB:
10-13-2001
Height:
6-0
Weight:
169
Pitcher
4-Year College
LHP
Scouting Report
Bats: L, Throws: R
Carico played just 21 games this spring around a broken hand, but he mashed when he played, with a .350/.514/.688 line and seven homers for Davidson, and nearly all of that damage came after he returned from injury. He has controlled the zone extremely well and doesn’t whiff much, but he also didn’t face any hard throwers this spring and didn’t do much against good velocity last summer in a tiny sample. As a receiver, he drops the glove to the ground before receiving the pitch, which doesn’t get him in the best position to catch the ball cleanly. He has an average arm and needs to improve his accuracy and work on transfers to allow him to control the running game. He’s a bat-first catcher but if a team believes he’ll stick behind the plate he could sneak into the second round.
DOB:
09-04-2002
Height:
6-0
Weight:
190
Position Player
4-Year College
C
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Keener has bounced between the bullpen and the rotation for the Deacs, dominating George Mason in the regionals for his best outing of the season before a tough outing against LSU in Omaha. He’s 95-96 mph in relief and more 92-95 mph as a starter, but in either role he will show a 55 changeup and a 50-55 slider, missing bats with both pitches all season. It’s a rough delivery between a long arm action and very abrupt finish, but to his credit he throws a ton of strikes anyway, and I assume someone will send him out as a starter with bulk guy a more likely MLB role for him.
DOB:
10-04-2001
Height:
6-2
Weight:
195
Pitcher
4-Year College
RHP
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: L
Dietrich is a very lanky, projectable lefty who started to see his stuff tick upward this spring from the upper 80s last summer, now bumping 92-93, while he already had good feel for a tight slider and a pretty good delivery that at least gives a starting point to project on the command. He’s 6-4 and all arms and legs right now, with a very low-effort delivery and great feel to spin the ball. You can dream on this body and the ease with which he works right now, hoping it’s mid-90s in two or three years once he’s added 30 pounds to his frame and worked with better coaches. He’s committed to FIU, which had a second-round pick in 2020 with Logan Allen.
Height:
6-4
Weight:
190
Pitcher
High School
LHP
Scouting Report
Bats: R, Throws: R
Martin is committed to UCLA, a defense-first shortstop who has bat speed but loads his hands too deep and comes off his back leg too soon, resulting in more swing-and-miss than you want from a guy who projects to below-average power. He’s a fringy runner with an above-average to plus arm. He’s one of the best defensive shortstops in the entire high school class, though, and could end up a first-rounder in three years if he just improves his contact skills in school.
DOB:
09-14-2004
Height:
6-2
Weight:
175
Position Player
High School
SS
Scouting Report
Bats: L, Throws: R
Ewing is a medium-sized kid with a big swing, pulling his hands way back but still getting the bat head to the zone on time because he’s strong and has good hand speed. It’s pretty hard contact for someone his size, although there’s a risk that swinging this hard will lead to more swing and miss when he faces better pitching. He’ll turn 19 in August, which will hurt him in some models, and he is committed to Alabama.
DOB:
08-10-2004
Height:
6-0
Weight:
185
Position Player
High School
SS
(Illustration: John Bradford / The Athletic; Photos: Jamie Schwaberow, Tom Schank and Jay Biggerstaff / Getty Images)
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