The Pirates have seen many prospects/players go on to thrive in other organizations – is anyone worried the Pirates don’t get the best out of Skenes?

I’m more worried about Skenes staying healthy than anything else, as he’s a pitcher. But I think he’s pretty much a what you see is what you get guy who should fly to the majors so quickly that he’ll largely be the same guy when he hits the majors as he was when he left LSU with a few minor tweaks.

Arjun Nimmala was my favorite HS prospect this draft. How are the early impressions since he signed?

Hey everyone. I’m thrilled to be chatting with BA subscribers. Thank you all for coming out. The early returns we’ve heard are very good. I know it’s a very small sample, but there’s bat speed, hitting ability, range and an arm at shortstop and room to grow. So far so good.

In your view, what are the top 5 MLB organizations for player development?

I think it’s the Dodgers at the top and a pretty clear gap to everyone else. There are other impressive orgs in development, but what the Dodgers do year in and year out is hard to top. They are incredibly impressive in what they do in pretty much every aspect of their operation. The value of getting and developing a Bobby Miller (2020, pick #29), Will Smith (#32), Walker Buehler (#24) at the back of the first round is absurd. There are teams picking top 10 year after year that can’t match that. The Rays are obviously impressive as well. The Orioles are cranking out a ton of players, but I put the Dodgers at the top.

How effective do you think Yamamoto will be in the MLB?

Very. Top-end Japanese pitchers generally make a very smooth transition to the majors, and Yamamoto has been exceptionally top-end in Japan. His career ERA is below 2.00. That’s hard for me to fathom. And the stuff is legit. Look at what Senga has done this year. Yamamoto is better than Senga IMO.

When are the stats returning to the BA website?

Soon. I wish I could say tomorrow, but I do know it will be soon. Our web dev team is getting close to having them ready to go. We’re really sorry it’s taking this long. It’s taking way longer than we had hoped.

Why does your newly designed website make great content harder rather than easier to find?

I’m sorry you’re finding that to be the case. Can I recommend bookmarking this page? https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/category/news/ This doesn’t show you every story as it posts, but it shows most of them. This a good page to see what you may have missed. We are working hard to keep making the new site better and better.

If Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched 175 innings next year in the majors, what kind of stat line do you think he would put up?

I’d expect him to be among the top 20-25 starting pitchers in baseball.

Is Cole Ragans for real? Did the Royals actually do something right for once?

It’s hard to fake your way to a stretch of dominance like he’s just shown. And the stuff is clearly legit. Now, he’s not this good (no one is), but this does look like a guy that can be written into the 2024/2025 rotation in pen, not pencil. It’s an encouraging development for the Royals.

Jasson Dominquez has been super hot is he going to move up in the Top 100

He has had an outstanding August, and it’s very encouraging that he’s been so good right after a jump to Triple-A. That said, here are now some caveats to that. He’s got a .480 BABIP since he moved to Triple-A. If Ted Williams and Barry Bonds were fused into a super-hero, they wouldn’t post a .480 BABIP. I’ve written about Dominguez before here. I think this is still relatively accurate a year later. He’s a well-rounded player who should help a big league club in a multitude of ways. He can run, provide some defensive value. He takes good at-bats and I do think he can hit for a higher average than he’s shown this year. But he’s not most likely a well-rounded solid regular more than he’ll be a star. And I think there are a lot of expectations that he’ll be a star.

What is the reason Hunter Goodman gets no love when it comes to the rankings? Is it all defense or are there questions about his hitting vs. better pitching?

We talked about him on yesterday’s podcast if you want a more in-depth answer, but the questions really revolve around where he’s going to play. If he was a sure-fire catcher, he’d be ranked higher, but he’s not. If he was a sure-fire outfielder, that would allay concerns, but he’s not. He’s most likely a 1B/DH and the demands on the bat at that position are very high. There’s a path to him being a long-term regular for the Rockies, but it will involve him continuing to get better and better.

Overall opinion on FCL Yankees Top players. They really did well.

Our Josh Norris has just been finishing up a Top 20 Florida Complex League prospects list. I won’t spoilt the list, but you’ll be very happy if you’re a Yankees fan.

Also will the Summer of Ben Rice continue in the Fall League or do they go right into Spring Training instead.

I don’t have any inside info on it, but I can see the case for him going to the AFL. It’s not like he’s maxed out on games where he needs to be shut down. But there is also a horse-trading aspect of how AFL rosters are put together (you need guys at every position and you’re trying to balance the needs of multiple teams) that makes predicting it quite difficult.

Is Tom Saggese for real? And Drew Thorpe seems to be pitching like the best SP in the minors. How come I’ve only seen him on maybe 1 top 100 rankings?

We’ve been debating adding Thorpe to the 100 for a while and I wouldn’t be shocked if he climbs on as players’ graduate. Most of his success came in Class A, so it has been encouraging to see him handle the jump to High-A. With Saggese, he’s good. He can hit. He can probably play 2B. We talked about him on yesterday’s podcast as well. He’s a very likely big leaguer. The question is going to come down to whether he has enough power to be a long-term starter or a useful big leaguer with a briefer time as a regular.

Curtis Mead got a cup of coffee. How do you see his longer term role in Tampa working out?

I think this is a semi-lost year for Mead because of injuries. He’s still young. He can still really hit. The big question that’s tough to answer is where he fits positionally for the Rays. If he’s a 1B long-term, it’s going to be tough. If he can prove he can handle 2B or 3B (especially 2B) there is a clearer path. I think he’s one of several players (Jonathan Aranda is another) where the Rays will have to figure out this offseason or next year at the latest whether they are pieces of the Rays future or trade pieces to fill other needs.

I was looking through Dylan Lesko’s game log and it looks like there are some good and some bad. Strikeouts look good. How has his stuff looked, post TJ?

I watched some of his first start for Fort Wayne, so this isn’t based on a scout conversation but what I saw with my own eyes on MiLB.tv. He can still pull a string on his changeup, and he’s still throwing a big, breaking curve but one that he’s not always consistent with. I don’t think his fastball has the same hair to it yet that it had pre-injury, but that and feel for locating often takes a little while to get back post-TJ. Nothing so far seems concerning.

If you had to bet on it today, do you think Paul Skenes breaks camp in the rotation to begin 24?

No. But I’d bet he’s up before long…That’s my guess for now.

Do you think Chayce McDermott or Griff McGarry is more likely to remain a starter? Think either will be up in September?

I think McDermott more likely to be a starter. McGarry’s control troubles are worrisome. I don’t think either of them will be up next month, but I’d see as unlikely for McDermott and nearly impossible for McGarry. If you haven’t been following McGarry closely, he couldn’t throw a strike two outings ago and had to be lifted after walking six and hitting a seventh batter in a seven-batter outing. He was better in his more recent start, but he still had a stretch where he threw 11 consecutive balls. He just seems to lose his delivery at times where he can’t locate.

MATT. DAMON.

BEN. AFFLECK.

After a horrid start, has Emmanuel Rodriguez reinstated himself as a bonafide prospect with a legitimate chance of being a good CF with the Twins?

Yes. Still a bonafide prospect with a chance to be a regular in the OF. Not so sure he’ll be playing CF long-term, especially as the Twins seem to really value CF defense.

Answering funny questions in chats is something that writers have done to draw me to their content. It shows that like the rest of us, you like humor. Cheers!

I would describe my sense of humor as enjoying some bizarre Conan O’Brien 1:15 a.m. sketch where he’s on Satellite TV channels watching a channel called “Jar Barf.” Bizarre, unexpected humor is what I love.

Thanks for chatting with a bunch of baseball nerds! That is all.

If you have in any way followed my fascination with one-knee catching stances, the decline in error rates, the fact that when TV broadcasts switch from one view to another they back-up a few frames in time or many, many other aspects of my bizarre baseball fascinations, I can comfortably say I wear baseball nerd proudly myself as a badge of honor. And thank you all for subscribing. It’s why I get to have the best job I can imagine.

World Series prediction?

Braves-Mariners. Partly because I think that would be a very fun series.

If you had to pick one of Elijah Green or Miguel Bleis to boom and become a star, who would you go with, and why? Thank you kindly!

I have to go with Bleis. If everything clicks with Green, he’s a star. He has 8 raw power. He has speed. He could be a 35+ HR guy with defensive value in the outfield. But that said, it’s really hard to find any examples of players who go from a 40+% strikeout rate in the low minors to future big league stardom. Bleis doesn’t have that potentially fatal flaw to his game to worry about as much.

Do you anticipate any MiLB franchises moving or losing their affiliations due to issues with meeting MLB’s facility standards? 

There definitely will be teams moving. We’re seeing a good bit of work on that right now. For instance Down East is likely to move to Spartanburg, S.C. if the stadium proposal there gets built. And a suburb of Wilmington has made a run at getting Hickory (or Down East) to move there. But to your bigger question, I’m fascinated to see what happens out West. I have yet to talk to anyone who expects all or most of the California League to meet the new facility standards. If that happens, we don’t know yet what happens. There are no logical options to step in and replace the non-compliant stadiums/cities. That’s worth paying attention to over the next two years.

Which of these AAA/recent MLB promotion guys will have the most offensive WAR over the next 3 yrs? JoeyOrtiz, VGrissom, JAranda, JHMalloy, DSchneider, ACanario

I’d have to go Aranda is you are talking purely about offense here, although I could see Canario maybe blossoming as well (just higher risk and more likelihood it doesn’t click). I think Ortiz is the best all-around player you listed, but a lot of his value is based on his glove.

How do we get MiLB to choose a non-Monday off day? I get the business side of why teams prefer it but I don’t think they are weighting my specific needs enough

I think that’s going to be tough for a number of reasons. For one, Monday is a brutal day for attendance, so it fits as an off day from that standpoint. For another, Sunday day games are way better than mid-week day games from a scheduling perspective. And Sunday day game into travel + off day is perfect for both team employees and players/staff.

I am still unable to view the statistics of any player. Am I doing something wrong or are we not able to view them?

You are not doing anything wrong. We’re working as hard as we can to have them back quickly. But they aren’t on those pages yet.

The Dodgers’ two DSL teams were dominant this year. To what extent should that be attributed to superior scouting vs. player development vs. dumb luck?

I don’t think you luck your way to the best record in a league with the best run differential while having another team that has one of the top four records/differentials in the league. From this past spring, Josh Norris for us was hearing about how loaded the Dodgers’ youngest teams were.

What are the chances for Bryce Eldridge to end up as a true two way player?

I think it’s unlikely. I’d love to be wrong on this, but we haven’t seen any US team figure out how to carry through on the initial desire to have a two-way player. Masyn Winn did it briefly, then focused on SS. Bubba Chandler’s two-way status was a brief, brief blip. I do think the struggles of Brendan McKay to stay healthy didn’t help the case for others, even if that was unrelated to playing both ways.

What are the chances we see another 30 minor league teams cut in the next few years? Teams would be content with just 3 full season affiliates?

The current PDL agreement between MLB and MiLB team owners is a 10-year agreement that runs through 2030. It guarantees that such a reduction cannot happen during the life of that agreement and that each MiLB PDL owner is assured a team as long as they remaining through that time as far as meeting their responsibilities as a PDL holder (facility standards, travel, stadium upkeep, etc.) On top of that, there’s now a collective bargaining agreement between MLB and MiLB players, which means player numbers cannot be cut by MLB unilaterally, it would have to be bargained with the players. As far as would teams be content? Some would. More would not. But I would say many MLB front offices wanted more than the current team/roster limits that went through. They and their MLB team owners may not always agree on that.

Thoughts on Kerry Carpenter’s realistic ceiling for 2024 if he can play a full season healthy?

I would say something like what he’s done this year with better counting stats because of more games. The key thing to watch is if Carpenter can put together better PAs against lefties. He didn’t struggle as much against them in the minors as he has in the majors, so that’s something I’ll be watching.

Mac Horvath, 3B, Orioles 
North Carolina – Round 2, Pick 53

A native of Minnesota, Horvath transferred to IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) for his senior high school season. He ranked as the No. 245 prospect in the 2020 draft, but went undrafted. Horvath spent three seasons at North Carolina, accumulating 47 home runs over 169 games with the Tar Heels. 

Horvath was draft eligible as a sophomore but went undrafted and returned to North Carolina for his junior season, where he hit .305/.418/.711 and finished tied for second in the ACC in home runs with 24. Selected by Baltimore in the second round, Horvath joins a system known for refining power hitters. 

Over his time at North Carolina Horvath grew from a skilled freshman with swing-and-miss issues against spin to a refined power hitter who had learned how to hit soft stuff. Against sliders, changeups and curveballs in 2023, Horvath hit .362/.430/.957 with 14 home runs.

In fact, Horvath’s numbers were worse versus fastballs than they were versus secondary pitches for the first time in his collegiate career—he hit .266/.394/.556 with nine home runs. 

It’s not as if velocity was an issue for Horvath, either. Of the 24 pitches at a velocity of 95 mph or higher that Horvath saw in the spring of 2023, he put nine balls in play and four went for hits, including two doubles and a home run. He didn’t swing-and-miss at any pitches above 95 mph and he put nine of the 16 strikes he saw into play. 

A strong athlete, Horvath is a plus runner with a plus throwing arm and has the ability to play multiple places in the infield outside of his primary position of third base. With a good combination of plate skills, power and athleticism, Horvath might be the next prospect to take flight under the Orioles tutelage. 

Carson Roccaforte, OF, Royals
Louisiana Lafayette – Round 3 Pick 66

After a breakout 2022 season as a sophomore with Louisiana, Roccaforte earned first team all-Sun Belt honors. Unfortunately, he was unable to replicate his sophomore production in 2023 as he hit .318/.426/.538 over 65 games with the Ragin’ Cajuns. A loose athlete with plus speed and a bag of tools, Roccaforte is a well-balanced player with advanced plate skills and twitch. 

Roccaforte improved both his chase rate and contact rate year over year, while his swinging strike rate dropped from 10% in 2022 to 7% in 2023. While he made approach gains, his swing flattened out a little, leading to more line drives and ground balls and less fly balls in play. This likely contributed to the drop in production, but it didn’t cause the drop as much as poor batted-ball luck did—Roccaforte’s batting average on balls in play was .458 in 2022 versus a .403 BABIP in 2023. 

As far as skills go, Roccaforte pairs twitch, athleticism, advanced plate skills and average power projection. He has the ability to play all three outfield positions but will likely see most of his time in center field early in his career. He’s split neutral at the plate, hitting lefthanders and righthanders equally well. Roccaforte has a variety of above-average skills that makes him a well-rounded prospect with everyday regular upside. 

Brock Vradenberg, 1B, Marlins 
Michigan State – Round 3, Pick 78

Vradenburg is a behemoth, standing at 6-foot-7 as a lefthanded-hitting first baseman with natural raw power and above-average plate skills. In fact, Vradenburg’s lack of swing-and-miss for a player with levers his size is extremely unusual, placing him in the outlier range in terms of athletic testing and baseball skills. It’s rare to find a player with this much size and strength devoid of swing-and-miss concerns. 

While Vradenberg’s power upside is exciting, he’ll need to learn to lift the ball with greater regularity in pro ball. His 57% groundball rate is a detriment to his profile, particularly for a player who’s 6-foot-7 with a first base-only profile. His bat-to-ball skills are average to slightly above-average with plus swing decisions. Vradenberg rarely expands the zone and is hardly tempted by spin or offspeed into chase swings. 

He will swing-and-miss at sliders and changeups and struggled to a degree against those two pitch types this spring. Against sliders, Vradenberg shows a slight increase in whiff, with a 29% rate against the pitch and an increase in ground balls (60% GB rate against sliders). Against changeups Vradenberg legitimately struggles, as he hit .250/.300/.432 with five extra-base hits. Vradenberg produced his highest whiff, chase and groundball rates against offspeed pitches.

Despite the warts against secondaries, Vradenberg showed an ability to hit fastballs, with a .495/.564/.872 line against the pitch type. His whiff rate against fastballs was just 14% while his chase rate was only 13%. He hits less ground balls against fastballs. One question regarding these gaudy stats is his lack of experience facing premium velocity. He saw only a dozen or so pitches that were 95 mph or higher and did no damage against them. It’s perhaps a small sample, but something to watch with Vradenberg early. 

Vradenberg is an interesting prospect with the size and natural strength to grow into plus and potentially plus-plus lefthanded power. It will simply be a matter of him adding loft to his swing path without detracting too much from his natural plate skills. With size, advanced plate skills and above-average athleticism for a player his size, Vradenberg is a player to follow. 

Jack Hurley, OF, Diamondbacks 
Virginia Tech – Round 3 Pick 80

Throughout the draft cycle, Hurley was rumored to go as high as the late first round. Ultimately, swing-and-miss concerns pushed the Virginia Tech outfielder to round three. Hurley hit 37 home runs over three seasons at Virginia Tech, hitting .320/.414/.714 in his pre-draft season. He saw an increase in his strikeout rate in 2023 and a decrease in his walk rate, despite his whiff and chase rates improving year over year. 

Hurley is an aggressive hitter who is prone to expanding the zone at times. He shows average bat-to-ball skills with bat speed and above-average power. His swing is long and this leads to some swing-and-miss against spin in particular. A lefthanded hitter, Hurley hits lefthanders well and actually shows more power in left-on-left at-bats than he does against righthanders, though he shows more contact against righthanders and plenty of impact. 

Hurley’s issues surface against spin, particularly curveballs, where he’s more likely to chase and swing-and-miss. Some of this is the product of a higher than average chase rate and some overzealous tendencies in the batter’s box. He’s improved throughout his collegiate career both as a contact hitter and from an approach standpoint while growing into more power. He does hit a higher rate of ground balls, which limits some of his power upside despite plus raw power based on his exit velocity data. 

Hurley’s impact is notable as he posted a 92.8 mph average exit velocity this spring with Virginia Tech across 97 batted-ball events. His high-end exit velocities were excellent as well, with a 109 mph 90th percentile exit velocity and a 112 mph peak velocity. Hurley also has strong angles to the ball with a 21.6% barrel rate and a hard-hit angle of 15 degrees. 

This combination of power and good bat angles allows Hurley to project as a power hitter long term; it’s just a matter of refining his approach. He’s a plus runner with the ability to play an above-average center field. Hurley has the skills to develop into an exciting player with impact on both sides of the ball. 

Tavian Josenberger, OF, Orioles 
Arkansas – Round 3, Pick 100 

After two seasons at Kansas, Josenberger transferred to Arkansas for his draft-eligible junior season. After hitting .276/.357/.386 his sophomore season at Kansas, Josenberger broke out with the Razorbacks. He hit .287/.414/.490 with 10 home runs in 2023, more than three times his career home run total with the Jayhawks. A skilled player with athleticism and twitch, Josenberger’s game power growth is a welcome sign he’s rounding out his game. 

A switch-hitting center fielder, Josenberger is an advanced contact hitter with plus running ability. He shows the ability to pull the ball consistently from both sides of the plate and has bat speed and strength to hit for more power as he ages. Josenberger is a strong fastball hitter who showed no difficulties handling velocity this spring as he hit .333/.500/.810 with three home runs against pitches 95-plus mph. This ability projects well for Josenberger’s future as he had little issue handling premium velocity in the SEC. 

Against other pitch types Josenberger doesn’t perform nearly as well, hitting .214/.267/.321 against sliders and .160/.276/.200 against changeups. While he does a good job staying within his approach against changeups and sliders, he does show some in-zone whiff against them as well. 

Despite being a switch hitter, he does show some weakness against lefthanded pitching, as his splits heavily favor his lefthanded swing. Josenberger hit .241/.295/.407 against lefthanded pitching this spring versus .297/.445/.531 against righties. This is certainly a concern for Josenberger, who more often than not will be sat against lefthanders if this doesn’t improve in pro ball. 

Despite the split issues, Josenberger is an impressive athlete who has seen tremendous power growth year over year. His bat speed, twitch, plus running ability and plate skills will likely translate to a strong side platoon outfielder with the ability to play all three positions in the outfield. 

Andrew Pinckney, OF, Nationals
Alabama – Round 4, Pick 102

Pinckney started for Falmouth of the Cape Cod League over the summer of 2022 as a draft-eligible sophomore, but went undrafted and returned to Alabama for the 2023 season. Pinckney is a physical specimen at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds with a muscular build. While Pinckney has plenty of physical tools, his plate skills are questionable and will be the focus of his development as a professional. 

The calling card of Pinckney’s profile is still his advanced power. His underlying exit velocity data is strong with an 89.6 mph average exit velocity and a 107 mph 90th percentile exit velocity across a sample of 128 batted-ball events. He hits the ball hard consistently (48.4% hard-hit rate) and at good angles (14.9 degree launch angle on BBE 95+), which in turn produced a high barrel rate of 20%. 

Pinckney is an excellent fastball hitter who can handle velocity. He hit .375/.490/.733 against fastballs this spring with 11 home runs. Against pitches 95-plus mph Pinckney hit .412/.474/.588 with a home run across an 83-pitch sample. His combination of bat speed, strength and size allow him to hit velocity consistently. The only wart is his inability to elevate against premium velocity as he hit nine of his 11 balls in play on the ground. 

While Pinckney is a good fastball hitter, he struggles against spin, particularly sliders. Against a sample of 304 sliders faced in 2023, Pinckney whiffed 54 times for a rate of 44%. His chase rate was reasonable at 29%, showing a tendency to whiff in-zone against sliders and a bad habit of chasing the pitch down and away. 

While Pinckney posted elevated swing-and-miss rates against curveballs and changeups, he performed well against the pitch types, hitting a combined .362/.434/.532. While Pinckney does have some aggressive tendencies at times, none of his per pitch chase rates are out of whack. 

A strong athlete who can handle center field with above-average running ability and a strong arm, Pinckney can fit in any of the three outfield positions and play average to above-average defense. He’s a strong and tooled-up player with plus impact and major swing-and-miss concerns. 

Carson Rucker, 3B, Tigers 
Goodpasture Christian School, Madison, Tenn. – Round 4, Pick 107

A physically impressive athlete with good strength and room to add projection, Rucker has a unique balance of athleticism and size, giving him a power and speed combination with considerable upside. His rawness at the plate is a question mark but so far the early returns as a professional have been positive. Rucker stands 6-foot-2, 195 pounds and could grow into plus power in time. 

The righthanded-hitting Rucker has bat speed and strength at the plate, using a simple righthanded swing with a moderate leg kick. He looks to attack out in front and do damage to his pull side. He made adjustments to his hands and posture during the showcase summer in 2022, and showed a more refined swing late in the circuit. 

He has some questions regarding his hit tool but never showed elevated swing-and-miss or chase tendencies. If he can further refine his plate skills as a professional and tap into his raw power, Rucker has the ability to develop into a good combination of hit and power with athleticism and strength. His running ability is above-average and he’s an average defender at third base with a strong throwing arm. 

Spencer Nivens, OF, Royals
Missouri State – Round 5, Pick 142

The son of one of the greatest hitters in the history of the Missouri program, Nivens spent three seasons at Missouri State, redshirting in 2021 before breaking out in 2022 and earning All-Missouri Valley Conference second team honors. In 2023 Nivens took another step forward, hitting .341/.437/.650 with 14 home runs for the Bears and winning MVC player of the year honors. He’s a loose athlete with the ability to play all three outfield positions. 

A well-balanced hitter with a variety of good attributes at the plate, Nivens has a balanced set of plate skills with above-average contact and chase rates and no issues hitting either righthanded or lefthanded pitching. He does see a slight decrease in power against lefties but makes up for it with a high rate of contact and a good approach. 

Nivens’ best numbers on a per pitch basis were against fastballs, as he hit .357/.444/.739 with 10 home runs against the pitch this spring. His numbers against changeups weren’t far behind as he hit .318/.400/.658 with three home runs. While he doesn’t struggle against spin, he doesn’t do much damage against sliders and curveballs. Overall, he doesn’t show anything less than average contact and approach against all pitch types and does serious damage against fastballs. 

An above-average runner with average skills in the outfield but a below-average throwing arm, Nivens can play all three outfield positions but might have the best fit in left field long term. He does flash plus speed from time to time and is a generally twitchy athlete. He has average power, backed by his 87.5 average exit velocity, 102.5 90th percentile exit velocity and 108.4 mph max exit velocity across 96 batted-ball events this spring. 

While Nivens hasn’t faced the best competition, he’s tooled-up and has an exciting balance of plate skills, twitch and average power. He gets the most out of his raw power with strong angles on contact and has shown the ability to continually lift the ball. Nivens is a well-rounded player with a great foundation of hitting skills. 

Homer Bush Jr, OF, Padres
Grand Canyon – Round 4, Pick 128

The son of former major leaguer Homer Bush, Bush Jr. is a loose athlete with a long, wiry frame and projection remaining in his build. Bush doesn’t possess much power at present but his game is predicated on contact, speed and defense. He’s a bigger player with a narrow frame and room to add good weight as he matures. He hit .370/.478/.500 with Grand Canyon this spring, leading the Antelopes in runs, hits, doubles, stolen bases and on-base percentage. He showed the ability to hit with a wood bat the previous summer as well, hitting .284/.365/.304 with 10 stolen bases over 35 games with Yarmouth-Dennis of the Cape Cod League. 

Bush is a contact and speed hitter with little power in his game. His contact skills are plus despite moderate chase tendencies. Regardless of pitch type his plus contact skills hold true, as all of his contact rates were in the mid 80s this spring across fastballs, sliders and curveballs. He did show some chase tendencies against changeups and more swing-and-miss than he did against fastballs or breaking pitches. 

A righthanded hitter, Bush hits lefthanded pitching extremely well, hitting .393/.477/.536 over 65 plate appearances this spring. His numbers against righties are equally strong, hitting .367/.477/.494 with an 85% contact rate in same-side matchups. Bush projects as a speedy slash-and-dash hitter who possesses some untapped power potential, though it will take substantial adjustments at the plate. If he stays the course he’ll be a speedy center fielder with strong contact and baserunning abilities that will play in a fourth outfielder role. 

TJ Walton, OF, Phillies
IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla. – Round 4, Pick 168

An impressive athlete at 6-foot-3, 225 pounds with power projection and huge bat speed, Walton is an explosive player with plus raw power and above-average running ability. Walton is a physically mature athlete with plus power upside. He looks to do damage and lives out in front, as he shows the ability to pull the ball hard in the air already. 

He showed strong plate skills at IMG this spring, jumping onto the draft radar due to his unexpected polish. His physical tools are obvious, as he’ll likely learn to hit for power as he ages, but he’s comfortable peppering line drives around the diamond. He moves well out of the box with quick initial strides and should have some power and speed upside before he matures. He has a standout combination of size, athleticism and skills and seems to just be beginning to scratch the surface of his exciting potential. 

2025 CLASS

Kayson Cunningham, SS, Texas

You could build a case for Cunningham as the best pure hitter in the 2025 class. He’s 5-foot-9, 170 pounds with a compact lefthanded swing and can manipulate the barrel with ease to cover all quadrants of the strike zone. He has good hand-eye coordination and bat control, rarely swinging and missing. He didn’t swing-and-miss or strike out once at Area Codes, going 5-for-9 with two walks, a double, a triple and what was scored an inside-the-park home run on a shallow fly ball where the center fielder dove and couldn’t catch, after which Cunningham showed his plus speed by nearly lapping the runner on first base to the plate. He doubled the other way off a 92 mph fastball, with his best hit coming when he pulled his hands inside a 93 mph fastball on the inside corner for a triple into the right-center field gap. Cunningham is the No. 14 player in the 2025 class and a Texas Tech commit.

Seth Hernandez, RHP, California

Pitching at 8 a.m. in the first game of the event, Hernandez quickly showed why he’s the top pitcher in the 2025 class, striking out seven of the 11 batters he faced in three scoreless innings. Hernandez is an athletic 6-foot-4, 190 pounds and pitched heavily off a 92-95 mph fastball, getting eight swings and misses against the 35 fastballs he threw. Hernandez threw a 76-77 mph changeup that’s one of the best in the country, with one flashing plus for a swinging strikeout on a pitch to a lefty that had extremely heavy drop. Another time he threw his changeup to a lefty in a 1-2 count that started on the batter’s hip before running back over the plate, buckling the hitter for the called strikeout. Hernandez has the ability to spin a sharp curveball as well, though he only threw a couple of them here. Hernandez is a two-way player who has shown good contact skills from the right side and drives the ball well, but his upside as a potential high-end starting pitcher is the most exciting part of his skill set. He’s a Vanderbilt commit.

Marcos Paz, RHP, Texas

Paz is the No. 2 pitcher in the 2025 class and looked the part at Area Codes. He’s 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, throws without much effort and touched 93 mph here, with readings up to 95 earlier in the summer. It’s a big fastball for his age with more coming, but Paz stands out for the quality of his full arsenal. He didn’t allow a hit and he struck out five of the 11 batters he faced, using his low-80s slider to great effect. He threw 16 sliders, with hitters whiffing through them on six of their eight swings. It’s a high-spin slider (typically 2,600-2,800 rpm) that looks like a fastball out of his hand before snapping off late to miss bats against righties and lefties. Paz also showed feel for an 83-85 mph changeup that he used to get three swings and misses (including two in right-on-right matchups). He’s uncommitted for college.

Jack McKernan, LHP, Texas

Coming off a strong showing the week before at USA Baseball’s 16U/17U National Team Development Program where he drew a spot to the 18U National Team training camp, McKernan annihilated hitters with his slider at Area Codes. He’s 6-foot-1, 185 pounds with a strong fastball at 89-93 mph with heavy life to get ground balls. McKernan threw more sliders than fastballs here, and did so to great effect. Hitters swung at his slider 14 times and whiffed on 10 of them. It’s a power pitch at 83-86 mph with good action and sharp, late break that McKernan was able to execute down in the zone consistently to pile up whiffs from lefties and righties. McKernan has shown a good changeup in other outings this summer too, though he didn’t use it much here. He’s a Texas commit.

Justice de Jong, RHP/3B, New York

De Jong entered Area Codes as one of the most highly-regarded players in the country, ranking No. 31 in the 2025 class. He left showing better stuff than ever. De Jong, who just turned 16 last month, is 6-foot-3, 210 pounds and retired all six batters he faced with three strikeouts. He filled the zone with both his fastball and curveball, throwing strikes at a 69% clip and pitching at 90-93 mph. De Jong was able to keep hitters guessing by frequently mixing in his sharp 74-78 mph curveball with spin between 2,400-2,700 rpm. De Jong threw a couple of changeups at 85-86 mph, with one getting a swinging strikeout against a lefthanded hitter. De Jong is also a righthanded-hitting third baseman who hit a pair of opposite-field doubles here, albeit with some swing-and-miss to his game, but it’s what he showed on the mound that was most exciting. De Jong is a Duke commit.

Omar Serna, C, Texas

Serna had an incredible start to Area Codes. On the first pitch he saw, he drove a 90 mph fastball for a pull-side home run with an exit velocity of 105 mph. His next at-bat—in fact, the next pitch he saw—he took a first-pitch slider in the lower third of the strike zone and hammered it the opposite way for a home run to right-center field. At 6-foot-2, 225 pounds, Serna is a righthanded hitter with some of the best raw power in the 2025 class. He has huge arm strength behind the plate as well, a 60 arm with a chance to be a 70 on the 20-80 scouting scale. An LSU commit, Serna has similarities to Gary Sanchez, who signed with the Yankees for $3 million when he was 16.

Zion Theophilus, RHP, Ohio

Hitters looked completely overmatched against Theophilus, who didn’t allow a hit and struck out eight of the 12 batters he faced. He generated an incredible 14 swings and misses in his 48 pitches, including eight whiffs on 10 swings against his slider. Theophilus is 6-foot-2, 180 pounds with a fast arm, some effort to the operation in a high-intensity delivery and a fastball that was 88-91 mph here. Theophilus has touched 93 mph in other looks and should have mid-90s velocity coming. He threw a near-even mix of fastballs and sliders, showing the ability to manipulate shape on his 79-82 mph slider in the 2,000-2,300 rpm range to snap off with tight, late break or produce wider sweeping action. He’s committed to LSU.

Carson Brumbaugh, RHP/INF, Oklahoma

Brumbaugh pitched and played infield, but his work on the mound in one quick inning—he struck out three of the four batters he faced—is what separated him. An athletic 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, Brumbaugh was the hardest thrower at the event, touching 96 mph, with every fastball in the 93-96 mph range. It was a fastball with good arm-side run from his low three-quarter slot. Brumbaugh also used his slider effectively on the outer third before breaking it off the plate to get two swings and misses on the five sliders he threw at 2,100-2,400 rpm. He’s uncommitted for college.

Jaden Fauske, C, Illinois

If there’s a position in the 2025 class that seems lighter relative to most years, it’s catching. After the way he played at Area Codes, Fauske made a case for himself as one of the top catchers in the nation. A lefthanded-hitting catcher at 6-foot-1, 195 pounds, Fauske went 3-for-7 with a walk, a double the opposite way off a lefty, a single to left field off a 90 mph fastball and used his compact swing to keep his hands inside a fastball on the inner third that he pulled for a home run. Behind the plate, the Louisville commit showed a strong arm and a quick exchange, throwing out two runners at second with pop times of 1.88 and 1.87 seconds, respectively.

Ethan Holliday, SS, Oklahoma

Holliday is the No. 1 player in the 2025 class, and while there was no one signature moment from him here, he was on base in four of his nine plate appearances, with three walks and a single. He’s 6-foot-4, 200 pounds with a calm, easy lefthanded swing and a knack for driving the ball to left-center. His ability to recognize pitches and discern balls from strikes sticks out, with a disciplined approach that should help him rack up plenty of walks and high OBPs to go with his power. He’s an Oklahoma State commit.

Brady Ebel, SS, California

Ebel is one of the youngest players in the class, turning 16 just before Area Codes, so he will still be 17 on draft day. He’s the No. 2 player in the country with impressive polish to his game, particularly at the plate, unsurprising as the son of Dodgers third base coach Dino Ebel. A 6-foot-3, 185-pound lefthanded hitter, Ebel is a selective hitter (he drew five walks in 14 plate appearances) with an efficient swing that has good path through the hitting zone, enabling him to get on base at a high rate. He also picked up three hits and nearly had a fourth that would have been at least a double, but the right fielder made a leaping catch at the warning track. Ebel already flashed power here and should have a lot more coming, making him one of the more dangerous offensive threats for 2025. He’s uncommitted for college.

Brock Sell, OF, California

The No. 50 player in the 2025 class, Sell is an athletic center fielder and infielder who has shown a good sense of the strike zone and bat-to-ball skills from the left side this summer. That was evident at Area Codes, where he swung and missed only once, using a simple lower half load and a short, direct swing from the left side to line a single to center field off a 92 mph fastball. His biggest hit came off a fastball up and on the inner third of the plate, with Sell taking a tight barrel turn to pull the ball in the air to right-center field and then showing off his plus speed to turn it into a triple. Sell is a Stanford commit.

Lucas Franco, SS, Texas

The No. 5 player in the 2025 class, Franco is an advanced lefthanded hitter who swung and missed just once during the event. He delivered a pair of doubles, one an opposite-field knock off a 91 mph fastball, the other off a righthanded slider that he pulled to right-center. Franco already has a good foundation of contact skills and mature offensive approach for his age, with a ton of space left to fill out his 6-foot-3, 170-pound frame that should lead to more power coming. He’s a TCU commit.

Trent Grindlinger, C, California

Grindlinger this summer has positioned himself in the conversation with the top catching prospects in the 2025 class. At 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, Grindlinger is on the bigger side for a catcher and showed off a big arm, throwing out four of four runners attempting to steal with a pop time of 1.95 seconds on his best throw. He has hit well throughout the summer, making hard contact with a knack for using the opposite field from the right side of the plate. He’s uncommitted for college.

Aiden Barrientes, RHP, Texas

Barrientes has been one of the bigger up-arrow players in the 2025 class this summer. A TCU commit, Barrientes just turned 16, so he’s one of the younger players in the class. He’s 6-foot-1, 185 pounds and touched 92 mph at Area Codes with more velocity that should come in the next few years. His sharp curveball at 75-79 mph had tight rotation, good shape and depth to get several empty swings.

Angel Cervantes, RHP, California

Cervantes—No. 28 in the 2025 class—struck out six of the 13 batters he faced, pounding the strike zone while showing a quality three-pitch mix. He’s 6-foot-2, 185 pounds and still 15 at Area Codes, so he’s one of the youngest players in his class. He threw 70% of his pitches for strikes, working off a fastball that he commanded well at 89-92 mph. Cervantes operated mostly off his fastball early, then later on showed the ability to manipulate a pair of offspeed pitches. He threw four changeups at 77-79 mph, getting swings and misses on two of them. The pitch had good separation off his fastball with lively sink and fade at its best. He also showed feel for a curveball he threw four times (one swing-and-miss) with spin in the 2,400-2,600 range. Cervantes is a UCLA commit.

Reagan Ricken, RHP, California

Ricken hasn’t done as many national events relative to some of the other top players in the country, but at Area Codes he showed why he’s one of the higher-end pitchers in the 2025 class. He’s 6-foot-4, 210 pounds and pitched off a fastball that reached 93 mph. Ricken also mixed in a power curveball at 78-82 mph that wasn’t an especially high-spin pitch (2,100-2,400 rpm) but had sharp action and good depth at its best to miss bats. He’s uncommitted for college.

Jack Lafflam, RHP, Arizona

Lafflam has a tall, extremely slender build at 6-foot-6, 170 pounds along the lines of Guardians righthander Triston McKenzie, with the ability to manipulate the baseball in unusual ways. He’s already up to 93 mph, throwing across his body and producing excellent cutting action on his fastball, an extremely high-spin pitch for a fastball at mostly 2,500-2,800 rpm. He showed feel to spin a 74-77 mph curveball in the 2,500-2,800 rpm range as well, with hitters whiffing through it on four of their five swings, including two strikeouts. Lafflam is an Arizona commit.

Ethan Clauss, SS, Nevada

In 10 trips to the plate, Clauss reached based seven times, going 2-for-5 with five walks. That’s representative of the way Clauss played all summer, using a patient approach and a line-drive stroke to get on base at a high rate. A 6-foot-2, 175-pound lefthanded hitter, Clauss has a simple, direct swing and room to project him to add to his present gap power as he fills out his lean, projectable build. The Texas A&M commit was one of the better defensive shortstops here, too. He showed smooth actions throughout the event and made a highlight play when he ranged to his right to field a ground ball on a backhand and made a throw from the back of the dirt to get the out at first base.

Minjae Seo, RHP, Texas

Seo is 6-foot-1, 175 pounds, a Vanderbilt commit ranked No. 36 in the 2025 class. He has a fast arm and touched 94 mph with his fastball, striking out five of the 12 batters he faced. Seo’s best secondary pitch here was a 79-81 mph changeup that had more than 10 mph of separation off his fastball, with a 73-75 mph curveball rounding out his repertoire.

Marcelo Harsch, RHP, New Jersey

Harsch showed plenty of promising projection indicators. He’s young for the class, having just turned 16 in June, and he has significant physical projection remaining as he fills out his 6-foot-4, 170-pound build. He struck out five of the nine batters he faced at Area Codes, pitching at 89-93 mph with a fastball that should have significantly more velocity coming once he adds more weight. Harsch has a good fastball, but he threw more sliders (23) than fastballs (14) here. It’s not an especially high-spin pitch at 2,000-2,200 rpm, but it was extremely effective, with hitters whiffing on seven of their 10 swings against his slider. He threw it with power, usually at 83-86 mph, with one at 87 mph, and consistently landed it for strikes. It plays well off his fastball, staying on the same plane before snapping off late with two-plane depth at times to miss bats against lefties or righties. A Wake Forest commit, Harsch flashed a few firm changeups at 86-88 mph as well.

Alec Blair, OF, California

Few players in the country have Blair’s tantalizing mix of size, physical projection, athleticism and tools. Blair is the No. 24 player in the 2025 class, a 6-foot-6, 185-pound center fielder and a high-level uncommitted recruit in both baseball and basketball. Like any long-limbed 16-year-old hitter, there’s length and swing-and-miss to Blair’s game, but when he connects, the ball flies off his bat with some of the better raw power in the class. He also showed some patience to go with that power by drawing four walks. On defense, Blair also showed off a plus arm from center field when he fielded a base hit and fired a strike in the air for the inning-ending assist at home plate to erase the runner trying to score from second base.

Dean Moss, OF, California

Another event, another opportunity for the lefthanded-hitting Moss to get on base at a high clip. Moss reached base in six of his 12 trips to the plate, drawing four walks and knocking two singles, one off a 91 mph fastball from a lefty. A California native at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., Moss has one of the more discerning batting eyes in the 2025 class, seldom expanding the strike zone. At 6 feet, 175 pounds, Moss has excellent bat speed as well that could eventually lead to plus power. He’s wrapping up an outstanding summer, including a big showing the week before Area Codes at the USA Baseball 16U/17U National Team Development Program, after which he earned an invite to the 18U National Team training camp. He’s the No. 7 player in the class and a Vanderbilt commit.

Cannon Goldin, OF, Georgia

Throughout the summer, Goldin showed a knack for making contact, getting on base and taking advantage of his plus speed both offensively and in center field. The No. 9 player in the 2025 class and a Mississippi commit, Goldin reached base in four of his 11 plate appearances at Area Codes, drawing a pair of walks and recording two hits, including an infield single to second base where he showcased his wheels.

Billy Carlson, SS/RHP, California

The No. 8 player in the 2025 class, Carlson stands out from the moment he takes ground balls. He’s one of the best defensive shortstops in the country, floating around shortstop with smooth, quick and crisp actions, moving his feet well with soft hands and a plus arm. At the plate, he’s a high-contact hitter, albeit with a lot of balls on the ground, but he doesn’t chase much and has one of the lower swing-and-miss rates among top 2025 players. He’s a Vanderbilt commit.

Vaughn Neckar, RHP, California

Neckar has a strong build (6-foot-3, 220 pounds) for 16 with a power fastball for his age, dialing it to 95 mph at Area Codes. He did lean heavily on that fastball, throwing it for 46 of his 54 pitches, so hitters were able to sit on that pitch with some success, but he threw it for strikes at a 70% clip and showed a hard, sharp curveball at 78-80 mph with spin at 2,300-2,500 rpm. Neckar is the No. 15 player in the 2025 class and an LSU commit.

Cooper Fulbright, RHP, Texas

A Texas A&M commit, Fulbright is just scratching the surface of his potential with some of the best stuff in the 2025 class. He’s an athletic 6 feet, 160 pounds with excellent arm speed to generate a fastball that was 91-95 mph at Area Codes. Fulbright threw fastballs on 31 of his 35 pitches, but when he did throw his 82-84 mph slider, he showed aptitude for being able to snap it off with tight rotation up to 3,100 rpm. The No. 29 pitcher in the class, Fulbright’s pitchability isn’t as advanced as some of the other pitchers ranked near him, but the upside is there for an athletic, potential upper-90s arm with swing-and-miss breaking stuff.

Everett Johnson, OF, North Carolina

Johnson is one of the most difficult outs in the class. He’s 5-foot-9, 165 pounds and uses his small strike zone to his advantage. He’s a selective hitter, patiently working the count to draw walks. When he does swing, he has the bat control to consistently put the ball in play with gap power. That was all on display at Area Codes, where he went 3-for-6, drew four walks, hit a double and got on base another time with a hit by pitch, swinging and missing only once during the week. A North Carolina State commit, Johnson’s plus speed is another asset on the basepaths and in center field, where he has advanced instincts and takes good routes.

Brett Crossland, RHP, Arizona

Crossland stands out quickly as a 6-foot-6, 245-pound righthander throwing 95 mph at 17. The No. 16 player for 2025, Crossland pitched heavily off a fastball that touched 95 multiple times. While control has been an issue at times for Crossland, he threw 24 of his 36 fastballs (67%) for strikes in this outing. He showed feel to spin a 73-76 mph curveball at 2,400-2,600 rpm and flashed a handful of mid-80s changeups. He’s uncommitted for college.

Jackson Roper, SS, Florida

A Florida commit, Roper is 5-foot-10, 180 pounds with a direct righthanded swing, showing the ability to inside-out the ball to right field on multiple occasions as he went 4-for-7 with a double, a triple and a walk. His quick, tight turn with his swing helped him square up 90-91 mph fastballs for base hits on three occasions, including a double that he knocked into the right-center field gap. Defensively he showed good actions and body control in the middle infield.

Jack Bauer, LHP, Illinois

There’s a lot to like with Bauer, starting with a loose, low-effort delivery and a projectable frame (6-foot-3, 175 pounds) that points toward mid-90s or better velocity coming. He’s not far from that territory now, pitching at Area Codes with a fastball that hit 93 mph, mostly attacking up in the zone with that pitch as he struck out three of the nine batters he faced. Bauer showed a high-spin slider as well, mostly in the 2,700-2,900 rpm range, a pitch that had a couple of the better lefthanded hitters in the country bailing on called strikes. Bauer is a Virginia commit.

Zach Strickland, RHP, California

A UCLA commit ranked No. 37 for 2025, Strickland struck out four of the 12 hitters he faced. He did it by throwing a heavy diet of fastballs—41 of his 48 pitchers were fastballs—and while he did allow four hits, he also got nine swings and misses on that pitch, which ranged from 87-94 mph. At 6-foot-2, 180 pounds, Strickland has more room to fill out and add a couple more ticks to that fastball. He mixed in a slow curveball at 69-73 mph that spun in the 2,400-2,600 rpm range as his main offspeed pitch, with a couple changeups at 79-81 mph.

Brody Walls, RHP, Texas

At 6 feet, 180 pounds, Walls generates easy velocity for his size, touching 92 mph from a simple, low-effort delivery. He attacked hitters up with his fastball with spin typically between 2,400-2,600 rpm, using that pitch for all four of his strikeouts (three swinging) against the 12 batters he faced. Walls showed feel for a 78-82 mph slider (2,400-2,700 rpm) as well, using it to get four swings and misses. He’s a Texas commit.

Tate Southisene, SS/OF, Nevada

Ty Southisene is a Tennessee commit and a top 100 player in the 2024 high school class. Tate, his younger brother, boosted his profile with a strong performance both offensively and defensively at Area Codes. Southisene is 5-foot-10, 160 pounds and went 4-for-10 with two doubles and a walk. Like his brother, Southisene is another high-contact hitter from the right side with similar hitting mannerisms, showing the ability to square up different pitch types with a line-drive single off a 92 mph fastball and a double that he pulled against a slider. A shortstop and outfielder committed to Southern California, Southisene made a pair of highlight catches in the outfield, running down a ball from left field into foul territory and in center field charging back on a ball hit over his head to make a leaping catch in front of the warning track.

Landon Hodge, C, California

A Stanford commit, Hodge is 6-foot-1, 172 pounds and used a short lefthanded swing to spray line drives around the field while going 5-for-10. He shot a 92 mph fastball for a single the opposite way and sent another fastball to left field for a triple. Behind the plate, he blocked well, moving to his right to deaden multiple breaking balls in the dirt in front of him.

Marshall Louque, RHP, Louisiana

Louque is 6-foot-3, 195 pounds and threw strikes at a high clip with all three of his pitches, striking out three of the 10 batters he faced. Louque operated off a fastball that was up to 91 mph, using it to attack hitters up in the zone. His best secondary pitch here was a 79-82 mph changeup, a pitch that induced swing-and-miss from both lefties and righties. He sells his changeup well off his fastball, allowing him to fool hitters out front for whiffs or weak ground balls, something he did twice to get a double play. An LSU commit, Louque was able to land his low-to-mid-70s curveball for strikes, though it was his fastball/changeup combination that was most impressive here.

Jordan Serrano, OF, New Jersey

A Wake Forest commit, Serrano went 4-for-10 at Area Codes with a pair of extra-base hits. He’s 6-foot-1, 185 pounds and transfers his weight well to generate power from the right side, something he showed when he slammed a 91 mph fastball for a home run to right-center field, and again when he pulled a 94 mph fastball for a double with a 99 mph exit velocity.

Caden Crowell, LHP, Indiana

Crowell showed a good mix of projection, stuff and results at Area Codes, where he struck out five of the nine batters he faced with one walk and one hit allowed. He’s 6-foot-3, 190 pounds and touched 90 mph, with his fastball likely to be sitting in the low 90s this time next year. Crowell’s feel for a changeup stood out, getting a lot of separation off his fastball at 73-76 mph. He executed his changeup well down in the zone, allowing the pitch to parachute at the plate with sink to miss bats and produce off-balance swings. Crowell got a couple of swings and misses on his 76-79 mph slider as well. He’s uncommitted for college.

Luke Billings, OF/RHP, Texas

A two-way player committed to Tennessee, Billings showed a good balance of patience, bat-to-ball skills and power, going 3-for-7 with three walks and a home run. Billings homered at the Area Code Underclass event last year and went deep again this time, getting his arms extended on a fastball out over the plate that landed just fair inside the pole in left field. A righthanded hitter with a pull-heavy approach, Billings (6-foot-2, 190 pounds) also turned around good velocity when he lined a 94 mph fastball for a single to left field. On the mound, Billings battled through some control troubles as he walked three of the nine batters he faced over two outings, but he struck out two, pitching heavily off a fastball up to 91 mph with a low-to-mid-70s breaking ball and a firm changeup at 85-87 mph mixed in as well.

Chase Bentley, RHP, California

Bentley, who turned 16 in May and is on the younger side for the 2025 class, breezed through his outing, pounding the strike zone as he struck out five of the 12 batters he faced with no walks, one hit and a hit batsman. The Texas A&M commit has a strong build (6-foot-3, 220 pounds) and touched 90 mph with what should be higher velocity to come in the next few years. He commanded his fastball well to both sides of the plate, attacking hitters inside with his fastball more aggressively than most pitchers at this level. Bentley did a good job of executing his 78-82 mph slider down and underneath the zone, spinning around 2,400-2,600 rpm, along with a mid-70s curveball, though his slider was the bigger weapon. Bentley has a changeup, too, but faced almost all righthanded hitters, so he only threw it once here.

Sawyer Deering, RHP, Wisconsin

At 5-foot-10, 175 pounds, Deering does’t have the size of some of the other top pitchers in the 2025 class, but he showed quality stuff to strike out two of the six batters he faced over two hitless innings. Deering touched 92 mph and avoided mistakes in the middle of the zone with his fastball. His most promising pitch was his curveball, which he threw with power at 78-82 mph and tight rotation with spin up to 2,900 rpm, showing the sharp break to miss bats. Deering is uncommitted for college.

Fleming Hall, RHP, Alabama

Hall filled the strike zone with three pitches, throwing 17 of his 29 pitches (72%) for strikes. He breezed through three innings, striking out three of the 10 batters he faced with no walks and only one hit allowed, a shallow flare that fell for a single in center field. Hall is 6 feet, 185 pounds, pitched from the stretch only with some effort to his delivery but threw plenty of strikes with a fastball that touched 92 mph. He mixed in an 80-84 mph slider (2,200-2,400 rpm) and a firm changeup in the mid 80s, with his slider the more advanced offspeed pitch. He’s an Auburn commit.

2026 CLASS

Trey Rangel, RHP, Texas

Rangel provided an electric look and made a case to be the premier pitcher in the 2026 class, striking out three of the seven batters he faced. He’s a lean 6-foot-1, 165 pounds with lots of room for continued strength gains and add to a fastball that he threw for strikes at a 75% clip and was already touching 94 mph here with good carry. That would already be impressive for 16, but his curveball has the makings of a wipeout pitch. The first three curveballs out of Rangel’s hand spun north of 3,200 rpm, a 78-81 mph breaking ball that has the sharp snap and components to develop into a plus or better pitch in time. He’s uncommitted for college.

Alex Harrington, SS, California

Harrington has positioned himself in the conversation as one of the premier players in the country for 2026. A Stanford commit, Harrington is a speedy, ultra-athletic 6-foot-2, 175 pounds, a dynamic player who produces as a high level offensively and is one of the better defensive shortstops in his class. He went 3-for-7 and drew three walks, showing the bat speed to catch up to good velocity and the ability to maneuver the barrel when he got the bat head on a tough 1-2 changeup breaking down and away from him that he singled in the air to center field.

Eli Willits, SS, Oklahoma

Even at 15, Willits was one of the most mature hitters at Area Codes, with opposing pitchers unable to find a way to get him out. The switch hitter went 5-for-7 and drew two walks as he barreled line drives around the field, with his best hit a triple that he pulled to right field while batting lefthanded. At 6-foot-1, 165 pounds, Willits looked loose, relaxed and comfortable from both sides of the plate with an adjustable swing and gap power that should continue to grow in the coming years. He’s committed to Oklahoma, where his father (former Angels outfielder Reggie Willits) is the associate head coach.

Quentin Young, 3B, California

Young is a physical 2026 third baseman (6-foot-5, 215 pounds) who clobbered the ball at Area Codes, going 4-for-9 with three doubles and two walks. He’s an aggressive righthanded hitter who tips the barrel toward the pitcher before unloading a swing with big bat speed and strength behind it to generate some of the best raw power in the class and an exit velocity up to 104 mph here. He doubled off a 90 mph fastball that he pulled into the left-center field gap, with his two other doubles coming on sliders that he drove to center and left-center. He’s uncommitted for college.

Rookie Shepard, SS/C, Nevada

Shepard is one of the best pure hitters in the 2026 class. He’s 5-foot-11, 170 pounds with a compact, adjustable lefthanded swing to barrel both fastballs and offspeed stuff throughout the strike zone. The result is a high contact rate and an approach that enables him to spread line drives to all fields with gap power. Shepard didn’t swing-and-miss once during Area Codes, going 4-for-8 with two of those singles off fastballs at 90 and 92 mph. He’s a Miami commit.

Dax Hardcastle, RHP/INF, California

Hardcastle threw one quick, impressive inning that lasted 15 pitches, enough to show why he’s one of the top 2026 pitchers in the country. He’s 6-foot-2, 210 pounds at 16 with an 89-92 mph fastball that he used to attack hitters at the top of the zone. He flashed a pair of 78-79 mph curveballs with spin in the 2,700-2,800 rpm range, including one for a called strikeout, while the one changeup he threw showed good fade to get a swing-and-miss against a lefty. Hardcastle is uncommitted for college.

Miles Young, SS, Texas

Young didn’t get many plate appearances, but the 2026 infielder made the most of his four trips to the batter’s box. Young went 3-for-4, launching a fastball for a home run with a 99 mph exit velocity. Young is 6-foot-3, 210 pounds and while there is some length to his righthanded swing, it comes with big power for a player who is still 15. He singled off a 90 mph fastball in one of his other at-bats and drove another fastball for a single with a 105 mph exit velocity. Young is uncommitted for college.

Kruz Schoolcraft, LHP/1B, Oregon

Schoolcraft is 6-foot-7, 205 pounds, a legitimate two-way prospect and one of the best players in the 2026 class. Schoolcraft only got one plate appearance here as a hitter and didn’t use his full repertoire on the mound, but his talent still stuck out. He’s a 16-year-old lefty who touched 93 mph, producing eight whiffs on the 27 fastballs he threw. Schoolcraft didn’t use his breaking ball here, instead mixing in a splitter and changeup that both kill spin to induce weak contact. He’s uncommitted for college.

Dylan Crews, OF, Nationals
Louisiana State—Round 1, Pick 2

The top position player drafted this July, Crews has been a well-known name in the world of amateur baseball dating back to his early high school years. At one point Crews was considered one of the top prep players in the 2020 draft, but thanks to an underwhelming draft summer and a strong commitment to LSU, Crews matriculated to campus. While at LSU, Crews proved to be one of the best collegiate players in recent memory, pairing elite plate approach and pitch recognition skills with above-average power and athleticism. 

There are some questions about how Crews’ power will play, as well as the true quality of his bat-to-ball skills. Digging into the three years of data (per Synergy Sports), there are some clear trends, positive and negative, that define Crews’ profile at the plate. 

First the positives: Crews is an excellent fastball hitter, as he’s hit .397/.519/.726 with 36 home runs across 1,856 pitches. When you shrink the sample to pitches at 95-plus mph, his slash line actually improves to .432/.600/.811 with four home runs over a 181-pitch sample. His contact rate against fastballs is 86% with just a 17% chase rate. His power is to all fields, as his career home run spray chart shows an even distribution to right, center and left field. His career chase rates are excellent, as he boasts a swing rate of 25% or lower against fastballs, sliders and curveballs. Throughout Crews’ collegiate career he has an OPS of 1.000 or higher against all pitch types and doesn’t have a slugging percentage below .500 against any single pitch type. 

Now for the potential red flags. There’s been a fair amount of conversation around Crews’ launch angles on batted balls. Much of this concern is valid and we can see it in his higher groundball rate. Crews’ swing, though powerful, is fairly level. His launch angle average on balls in play hit 95-plus mph this spring was 10.5 degrees, so it’s more of a wart than a glaring flaw. That said, if the Nationals are able to teach Crews to pull the ball with authority at better attack angles over time this all might be null and void within a few years. 

There’s definitely a tendency to swing-and-miss against spin. As shown by his numbers listed above, Crews’ struggles against spin and offspeed are relative. He has a tendency to expand the zone against changeups and whiff in-zone against sliders. 

His whiff rates against sliders, changeups and curveballs have all improved throughout his time as a collegiate. He did struggle with whiffs against sliders this year, running a 63% contact rate. Curveballs were a similar issue with a 65% contact rate against them this spring. Cutters were in a similar range at 64%, while generating chases at the highest rate of any pitch. The production overall against all of these pitches is solid but the whiffs against spin is something to monitor. 

Overall, Crews’ combination of contact, approach, power and athleticism will lead to success as a professional. His issues against spin and ground balls are all problems that can be worked on over the coming years. 

Max Clark, OF, Tigers
Franklin (Ind.) Community HS—Round 1, Pick 3

Arguably one of the most famous high school prospects in recent memory, Clark was seemingly everywhere over the last two years leading up to the draft. The Tigers selected Clark with the third overall pick, and he has an impressive combination of plate skills, athleticism and confidence. Clark is a smaller-framed player standing under 6 feet tall with a lean and wiry build. Clark is muscular already and may not have a ton of strength gains as he ages, but with a body that will mature in a positive direction. 

Clark’s advanced hit tool has been his calling card, with the ability to change a game with his explosiveness. Clark rarely if ever swung and missed on the showcase circuit, showing strong contact rates against all pitch types. His approach is advanced as well, showing strong swing decisions and the ability to pick up spin and discern balls from strikes. He hits lefthanded pitching remarkably well for a lefthanded batter. From a strictly plate skills perspective few players were better than Clark in this draft. 

Where Clark may find some detractors is with his batted ball profile. While the outfielder makes lots of contact, he produced a groundball rate well above 50% on the showcase circuit. Many poorly hit ground balls turned into hits due to Clark’s plus-plus speed. He has a tendency to throw the barrel at the ball at times, which drains from some of his raw power. His swing is fairly level as well, which causes his best contact to come in the form of hard liners. Clark has the bat speed and athleticism to make adjustments to his bat path to unlock above-average raw power. 

If everything clicks for Clark, he could develop in a similar form to last year’s top pick Jackson Holliday. He’s a well-rounded, hit tool-driven player with tools at a premium defensive position. 

Walker Jenkins, OF, Twins
South Brunswick HS, Southport, N.C.—Round 1, Pick 5

The debate may rage on for years as to who the better player is between Jenkins and Clark. The former is a smooth-swinging power hitter with advanced hitting skills, while the latter is a well-rounded gap-to-gap hitter with a high-energy game. Jenkins dealt with a hamate injury that limited his at-bats over the summer of 2022, but it hardly impacted his prospect status. His advanced combination of plate skills and power made him a top-10 pick, but it might be his athleticism that allows him to flourish as a professional. 

Jenkins might not get the billing as an outlier athlete but his athletic testing ranked highly among the 2023 class. He stands 6-foot-3 with good strength and projects to become more physical in the coming years. His smooth lefthanded swing and loose hands allow him to adjust to a variety of locations and pulverize mistakes over the plate. Jenkins’ best-hit balls are majestic flyballs from the middle to the pull side. He can backspin the ball with ease but is adept at going the other way or hitting a hard-hit ground ball up the middle. Jenkins is more than just a power bat, he’s a well-rounded hitter with projection remaining. 

While Jenkins had as many hits as he had swinging strikes during the 2022 showcase season, he did show some struggles against changeups, albeit in a very small sample. He did perform well against spin and offspeed from a production standpoint, so it’s likely much ado about nothing. There are not many flaws to pick apart with Jenkins’ game. He has sneaky above-average running ability and has shown the ability to play an average center field. He’s likely destined for a corner, where his plus throwing arm will play. He’s a potential star in the making with plenty of upside. 

Kyle Teel, C, Red Sox
Virginia—Round 1, Pick 12

An athletic catcher with a long track record of success on the national stage, Teel was the Red Sox top pick in this July’s draft and has an exciting combination of plate skills, athleticism and power projection. He has the ability to stick behind the plate long term with a plus arm. His advanced hitting skills give Teel an opportunity to develop into a star. With time spent not only at Virginia, but with Team USA and the Harwich Mariners in the Cape Cod League, we have a sizable amount of data over the last year with which to work. 

Teel’s ability to hit for both contact and power is well represented within the numbers, with an overall contact rate of 81% and an in-zone contact rate near 90%. His exit velocity data is above-average with an average exit velocity of 89 mph and a 90th percentile exit velocity of 106 mph. Teel has a slightly aggressive approach and expands the zone at a higher than normal rate, but it’s in check enough to avoid raising any red flags. 

He has little issue handling a variety of pitch types, with no pitch type generating a higher whiff rate than 27%. His splits against lefthanded pitching leave something to be desired. In 87 at-bats between the Cape, Team USA and his 2023 spring with Virginia, Teel hit .243/.356/.270 against lefthanded pitching. It wasn’t a matter of elevated whiff against lefties but a matter of an overly passive approach against samehanded pitching. Teel seemed more than fine taking his walks against lefthanders, employing a more passive approach backed by the drop in swing rate against southpaws. 

While this is a concern, Teel did significant damage against righthanded pitching, hitting a robust .424/.490/.714 across all competitions. Teel is an exciting catching prospect with the athleticism to move off the position and the impact in his bat to develop into a top prospect. 

Bryce Eldridge, 1B/RHP, Giants
Madison HS, Vienna, Va.—Round 1, Pick 16

The game of baseball has always relied on the abilities of outliers, but a new generation of athletes has taken the game by storm. Chief among them is Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani. While many two-way players have heard their names called high in the draft in recent years none have had the ability to excel as both a pitcher and position player. Eldridge is attempting to do that. An outlier athlete at 6-foot-7, Eldridge is both a lefthanded slugger with feel to hit and a power lefthander on the mound, touching the mid 90s and boasting a three-pitch mix. 

His breaking ball misses bats, and his fastball has some late movement with plenty of velocity projection remaining. The Giants have drafted legitimate two-way talents in consecutive drafts and obviously value these unique talents highly. Eldridge possesses real upside on both sides of the ball. At the plate he’s a raw slugger with lefthanded power and some whiff worries against spin. 

In many ways at the plate his size, body type and swing remind me of Spencer Jones, another player who was a two-way star as an amateur. Eldridge backspins baseballs off of his barrel and displays true plus-plus power on his best-struck hits. He did struggle against spin on the showcase circuit, so there will be some patience needed, but the end results could be a true two-way player with exciting tools. 

Johnny Farmelo, OF, Mariners
Westfield HS, Chantilly, Va.—Round 1, Pick 29

One of two Mariners picks at the end of the first round, Farmelo is a prototypical baseball athlete. He stands 6-foot-2 with a lean and wiry frame that oozes projection and sustainable athleticism. He’s an easy plus runner who will turn in plus-plus run times, and there’s power in his quick lefthanded swing. His athletic testing was excellent as well, performing well in tests that correlate to power and explosiveness. 

A smooth lefthanded swing might be the first thing you’d jot down on your notes after watching Farmelo. There are very few moving parts, with natural loft and loose, adjustable hands. Farmelo showed the ability to hit pitches all over the zone and make adjustments. He struggled against spin, doing most of his damage against fastballs and changeups across the video available from the summer showcase. He has bat speed and a steeper attack angle, two traits that are conducive for hitting for power. He showed above-average contact skills and rarely swings and misses in-zone. He doesn’t expand the zone with great frequency and showed a strong ability to recognize balls and strikes. 

Farmelo is one of those players who is a loose athlete in everything he does. This could translate to an above-average hit tool, above-average power, plus speed and center field defense. While he may lack the true all-star upside of Jenkins or Clark, Farmelo could be an above-average regular for many years. 

Tai Peete, SS, Mariners
Trinity Christian HS, Sharpsburg, Ga.—Round 1, Pick 30

The second of two high school players the Mariners selected at the back of the first round, Peete is a loose, twitchy athlete with a high-waisted 6-foot-3 frame and a lot of physical projection remaining. Peete was a two-way standout for much of his amateur career, but was forced off the mound this spring due to an elbow injury. He is unlikely to return to pitching, as he’s an exciting positional prospect who could develop into an athletic power hitter with a high defensive floor. 

Peete has limited time as a hitter, but it’s easy to see his raw power from a single batting practice and his bat speed stands out as arguably his greatest tool. His approach is aggressive and his bat-to-ball skills are below-average, but he does show hitter tendencies with a tremendous power ceiling. He’s an above-average runner and offers some combination of power and speed. He’s likely to move off of shortstop but his plus arm would certainly play at third base. There’s also the option of moving Peete to center field, where his above-average running ability and long strides would translate. 

Peete is a project who will likely take some time to develop, but he’s an extremely high-upside gamble should he refine his plate skills. 

Sammy Stafura, SS, Reds 
Walter Panas HS, Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.—Round 2, Pick 42 

Though he lasted until pick 42 in the second round, Stafura had plenty of first-round buzz. He has just an average build, but Stafura is an explosive athlete. His athleticism translates to plus run times and in-game power. How much he hits will be a matter of finding a balance between attacking at the right times. He’s not overly aggressive at the plate, but is susceptible to spin. 

While Stafura needs work from a skills perspective his natural abilities and future projection capture your attention. There’s power and plus speed with the ability to play in the middle infield. His swing will likely need some work as he has a tendency to get stiff from an accentuated crouch in his setup. Stafura’s best contact backspins off the barrel and carries to right-center. His swing comes with some effort but there is bat speed and the hint of more to come due to his plus athleticism. 

Stafura will likely be a slow burn, as his plate skills need refinement, but he has above-average regular upside. 

Nazzan Zanetello, SS, Red Sox
Christian Brothers College HS, St. Louis, Mo.—Round 2 Pick 50

One of the top athletes in the draft, Zanetello is one of the few athletes where we have pro-style athletic testing publicly available. He tested out as an elite athlete per the Loden score, and was an outlier as far as quickness, speed and power. While Zanetello is plenty raw from a skills perspective, he’s a twitchy, explosive athlete with a wiry, projectable 6-foot-2 frame. 

Zanetello rarely chases outside the zone, with a low chase rate on the summer circuit last season. He does, however, lack pure bat-to-ball ability, leading to a fair amount of swing-and-miss. His explosiveness at the plate lends hope that he can overcome his lack of contact and have impact power. His bat speed is eye-catching as he takes powerful strokes. As a runner Zanetello is easily plus, with quick explosive strides at take off, and he gets to top speed quickly. He’s also shown skills in center field in addition to shortstop, hinting at potential positional flexibility. 

Zanetello is a classic case of betting on the athlete and hoping the rest takes care of itself with time. There’s an extremely high-level power and speed ceiling in an up-the-middle defensive profile. 

Walker Martin, SS, Giants 
Eaton (Colo.) HS —Round 2 Pick 52

It came as a surprise that Martin dropped into the second round, but the Colorado prep star signed for well above slot at $3 million. A three sport star at Eaton (Colo.) High, Martin took off the winter basketball season after leading the team in scoring and rebounding his junior year. Over this off time, Martin prepared for the upcoming baseball season by adding 25 pounds of muscle. He tested with Loden Sports and ranked out as a 10, putting Martin within the top 1% of the class for athletic testing scores. 

It’s not just a matter of tools and raw athleticism with Martin. He also has an impressive combination of tools, size and athleticism. Martin’s 20 home runs this spring led the country, while playing an athletic shortstop. It’s shades of Brady House in regards to his combination of size, athleticism and game power. He has a real chance to stick at shortstop and if he moves off, his athleticism will allow him to find a home at another position. 

The biggest knock on Martin was his age, as he was 19 and four months at the time of the draft. While the stigma around older players has lessened in recent years, it was certainly a very public concern with Martin. From a skills standpoint few prospects have the potential upside Martin possesses with plus power and a strong, explosive build. 

Dean Moss, OF, California

Moss was the star of the NTDP. Ranked No. 7 in the 2025 class, Moss had a huge summer while playing up a level against 2024s for the 17U Canes National Team, and he showed his offensive polish at the NTDP. Moss delivered five hits and two walks in 10 plate appearances, including a home run in a left-on-left matchup. He also doubled twice, once off a 93 mph fastball from righthander Seth Hernandez (the top pitcher in the class) and another off a lefty when he flicked his hands at a fastball on the outside corner to shoot a line drive into the left field corner. At 6 feet, 175 pounds, Moss isn’t a physically imposing slugger, but he’s able to generate outstanding bat speed that enables him to generate some of the better power in the class. More than just his power, Moss is a mature hitter, keeping his head locked in to help him recognize pitches early. He seldom expands the strike zone, makes frequent contact and uses the whole field, allowing him to both get on base at a high clip and hit for power. While Moss’ ability in the batter’s box has long been his calling card, he also impressed defensively in center field. With solid-average speed, Moss might still ultimately end up in a corner, but he showed good instincts and ran an efficient route on a diving catch in the right-center field gap. He’s a California native at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. and committed to Vanderbilt.

Joey Oakie, RHP, Iowa

At an event comprised almost entirely of 2025 and 2026 players, Oakie was a priority player for scouts to see as the No. 14 player in the 2024 high school class. Iowa plays high school baseball in the summer, so Oakie missed the PDP League at the end of June, with the NTDP his first outing of the summer circuit. The stuff Oakie showed was impressive. He’s 6-foot-3, 195 pounds, on the younger side of the class having turned 17 in May, and pitched off a 91-95 mph fastball that generated outstanding arm-side run from his low three-quarter slot. Oakie backed up his fastball with an 83-86 mph slider that had power and sharp sweep across the zone to miss bats against both righties and lefties. He flashed a firm changeup as well, but he mostly operated off his fastball/slider combination. Oakie did struggle with his control—he struck out five in 2.2 innings, but he also walked four, allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits—but he has the potential for at least two plus pitches with one of the best fastball/slider combinations in the class. He’s an Iowa commit.

From Saturday, first look of the summer at 2024 Iowa HS RHP Joey Oakie, No. 14 player in the class.

6-3, 195 lbs, FB up to 95 mph with a ton of life, 83-86 mph slider with sharp bite to miss bats. pic.twitter.com/cSzIfshQzB

— Ben Badler (@BenBadler) August 1, 2023

Ethan Holliday, SS, Oklahoma

Holliday does everything with ease in the batter’s box. The brother of the No. 1 prospect in baseball (Orioles shortstop Jackson Holliday) and the son of former perennial all-star outfielder Matt Holliday, Ethan is the No. 1 player in the 2025 class. He’s 6-foot-4, 190 pounds and is able to process pitches quickly, discerning balls from strikes with good strike-zone discipline to be a high on-base threat. Holliday has good power for his age and should have at least plus raw power in his prime, but in games he doesn’t try to sell out for power either, staying through the ball well to use left-center field, something he showed when he drilled a changeup for a single into the left-center field gap. Holliday is already big for a shortstop and looks like he might ultimately end up at third base or possibly a corner outfield spot, with a potential middle-of-the-order bat that could profile anywhere on the field. He’s an Oklahoma State commit.

Brady Ebel, SS, California

Ebel is young for the class (he won’t turn 18 until after the 2025 draft) but his maturity and polish at the plate for his age stand out, no surprise as the son of Dodgers third base coach Dino Ebel. The No. 2 player in the class, Ebel is 6-foot-3, 185 pounds with a compact lefthanded swing, setting up close to the plate (he was hit by a pitch twice) with a tight barrel turn and good strike-zone judgment. That helps him draw walks, make frequent contact and flash occasional power now with what should be significantly more coming given his physical projection. He’s big for a shortstop and could end up outgrowing the position to fit at third base, but he defended his position well at the NTDP, turning three double plays with good actions and a strong arm. He also made a nice play at third base ranging into the 6-5 hole with an efficient angle to the ball. He’s uncommitted for college.

Sean Gamble, OF/SS, Iowa

An Iowa native at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., Gamble is the No. 3 player in the 2025 class. He’s 6-foot-1, 185 pounds with an aggressive lefthanded swing, generating outstanding bat speed and big power for his age. Gamble went 2-for-8, drew three walks and slammed a pair of extra-base hits, one a triple into the left-center field gap in a left-on-left matchup, another a ground-rule double to deep center field that would have been another triple had it stayed in play. Gamble is a plus runner as well, making him a potential power/speed threat with time both in the infield and outfield. He’s uncommitted for college.

Seth Hernandez, RHP, California

The top pitcher in the 2024 class and No. 4 player overall, Hernandez showed all the components of why he’s so highly regarded. The Vanderbilt commit struck out four of the 11 batters he faced over three innings, walking two with one hit and two runs allowed. He pitched off a fastball that ranged from 90-93 mph here and has reached 96 mph previously, with more velocity coming as he fills out his projectable 6-foot-4, 190-pound build. His go-to secondary pitch is a changeup he threw at 76-79 mph with promising sink and fade to produce whiffs. Hernandez threw just three curveballs among his 51 pitches, but it has tight rotation and sharp action to give him another offspeed offering that can miss bats.

Coy James, SS, North Carolina

James is one of the best pure hitters in the 2025 class, with a mix of both contact and impact. Ranked No. 6 in the country, James is 6 feet, 180 pounds with an aggressive approach and a high-contact bat from a compact righthanded swing. The ball flies off his barrel with impressive carry in batting practice, with several landing over the fence to his pull side, and it translated into games as well. James went 5-for-11, including a triple to right field on a 94 mph fastball. James’ offensive game stands out the most, but he played steady defense at shortstop as well, turning a pair of clean double plays. James is committed to Mississippi.

Lucas Franco, SS, Texas

The No. 5 player in the 2025 class, Franco went 4-for-8 with two walks, one strikeout, a triple, a double and what would should have been another double on a ball smoked down the right field line that landed just fair but was called a foul ball. A TCU commit, Franco has grown to 6-foot-3, 170 pounds, with a long, lean frame with lots of strength projection remaining. He has a smooth lefthanded swing that’s compact with good path through the hitting zone. With his selective approach, he seldom swings at bad pitches and has an accurate barrel to make consistent contact when he does swing. He doubled on a breaking ball that he lined into the right field corner and smashed a triple to center field off a fastball from a lefty. More of those doubles should eventually turn into home runs as Franco continues to layer on more strength in the coming years. He also showed soft hands and fluid actions in the infield.

Mason Pike, SS/RHP, Washington

Pike will be one of the big risers in our next 2025 rankings update. He stood out offensively, defensively and on the mound. At 6 feet, 190 pounds, the Oregon State commit is a switch-hitter who went 3-for-9 with two walks and two strikeouts. He has a short swing, good bat-to-ball skills and controls the strike zone well for his age, barreling a 94 mph fastball for one of his hits.

In the field, Pike had several highlight plays, showing smooth actions, quick footwork and a strong arm. On a groundball up the middle, the pitcher stuck out his glove and the ball ricocheted toward the dirt halfway between second and first base. Pike raced over from shortstop, changing directions on the play to barehand the ball and get rid of it quickly for what should have been called an out at first, though the umpire called him safe. He made another good play at shortstop ranging toward third base on a ground ball, another at third base where he had to charge the ball and made a good throw on the run to get the out at first. He had another good defensive attempt at second base where he charged a slow roller and made a glove flip throw to first base but couldn’t get the speedy runner in Cannon Goldin going down the line.

It was a week of extreme heat at the NTDP, with several players leaving one game due to cramping. In another game with brutal heat and humidity, Pike came on to pitch the final inning, one frame after the previous pitcher exited after vomiting behind the mound. Even after playing the whole game in the field, Pike seemed unfazed by the conditions, running his fastball up to 94 mph in a quick, impressive look. He pitched a 1-2-3 inning, showing an athletic delivery and feel for a low-80s slider and mid-80s changeup with good tailing life. He threw another one-inning stint earlier in the week as well where he faced three hitters in quick, 10-pitch look where he also touched 94 mph.

Kayson Cunningham, SS, Texas

Cunningham, the No. 14 player in the 2025 class, is one of the premier pure hitters in the country and showed it at the NTDP, where he went 5-for-10 with a double into the opposite-field gap. At 5-foot-9, 170 pounds, Cunningham isn’t as tall as some of the other highest ranked players in the class, but there are few hitters his age who can match his ability to consistently barrel balls in games. He has a compact, adjustable swing from the left side, deftly manipulating the bat head for excellent plate coverage. He has one of the highest contact rates in the class, smacking line drives to all fields with gap power. Cunningham is a disciplined hitter, too, so he draws plenty of walks, profiling as a high on-base table setter at the top of the lineup with plus speed. Cunningham has good defensive actions and projects to play somewhere in the middle infield, where he has good hands and a strong arm. He’s a Texas Tech commit.

Billy Carlson, SS/RHP, California

Carlson has some of the sweetest infield actions in the 2025 class. Everything is quick, crisp and fluid for Carlson at shortstop, where he’s a lively, graceful defender with a plus arm, a quick release and smooth on both ends of the double play turn. At 6 feet, 165 pounds, Carlson has a lean, athletic frame with more room to add strength. Right now he’s mostly a line drive-oriented hitter with occasional doubles pop, making a lot of contact and usually staying within the strike zone. He was consistently on base throughout the NTDP, going 3-for-5 with three walks, with his hardest contact coming on a fly out to deep center field. A Vanderbilt commit, Carlson also could have a future on the mound. He pitched one scoreless inning at the NTDP, walking the first hitter before striking out two of the next three. He’s an athletic strike thrower who has been up to 93 mph, touching 91 at the NTDP with feel for both a 75-80 mph breaking ball and 83-84 mph changeup.

Cannon Goldin, OF, Georgia

Goldin is a Mississippi commit ranked No. 9 in the 2025 class thanks to his mix of hitting ability, speed and athleticism at a premium position. He’s 6 feet, 180 pounds, a quick-burst athlete who consistently puts together quality at-bats. Goldin is a lefty with a short, quick swing, squaring both fastballs and offspeed stuff with a good sense of the strike zone to get on base at a high rate with gap power. His plus speed is another weapon, something he showed beating out an infield single in 4.16 seconds. That speed, along with his defensive instincts and strong arm, plays well in center field.

Vaughn Neckar, RHP, California

The No. 15 player in the country, Neckar is a righthander and third baseman, with his future looking brightest on the mound. He has a strong, physically mature frame for 16 at 6-foot-3, 225 pounds and has a power arm to match. pitching at 89-94 mph. Neckar struck out two in two innings, though he did run into some control troubles (often up and arm side) with three walks, so he operated heavily off his fastball, throwing it on 35 of his 40 pitches. The other five pitches were curveballs that he showed feel to spin in the 2,300-2,500 rpm range and had power at 78-80 mph. Neckar is an LSU commit.

Angel Cervantes, RHP, California

Cervantes has been a pitcher on the rise this year, ranking No. 28 in the 2025 class. He’s young for a 2025 prospect, only turning 16 later this month, but his stuff stacks up among the best in the country, with a starter look between his stuff and sound delivery. He’s 6-foot-2, 185 pounds and filled the strike zone with a fastball that ranged from 88-92 mph at the NTDP and has touched a tick higher in other outings. The UCLA commit showed feel to spin a both a curveball and slider at 2,400-2,600 rpm, using one curveball for a swinging strikeout, as well as a deceptive changeup that had good separation off his fastball.

Jack McKernan, LHP, Texas

McKernan had one of the most dominant performances of any pitcher at the NTDP, where he struck out seven of the 12 batters he faced with one walk in three innings. The Texas commit is 6-foot-1, 185 pounds and threw strikes with an 89-92 mph fastball. McKernan’s most effective pitch was his slider, which he was able to land for called strikes or use as a chase pitch, with hitters whiffing through it on four of the five times they swung at his slider. McKernan’s slider doesn’t have especially high spin rates (2,100-2,400), but it has late, sharp bite to dive underneath bats. He had trouble landing his changeup in the zone, but he showed feel for that pitch with tumbling action in the low 80s.

Sam Cozart, RHP, North Carolina

A Mississippi State commit, Cozart has long stood out from his peers for his size at a massive 6-foot-7, 235 pounds. Cozart didn’t have his best fastball here, sitting at 87-90 mph, but he still managed to breeze through his outing, striking out six of the nine batters he faced in three perfect innings. Cozart mixed in an occasional slider at 76-78 mph, but he mostly rolled through hitters with a lot of swing-and-miss on his fastball.

Evan Hankins, 1B/LHP, Virginia

Hankins has some of the best raw power in the 2025 class, not surprising given his 6-foot-5, 215-pound frame. He has the strength, bat speed and leverage in his swing to produce deep pull power in batting practice and he performed well in games, too, going 3-for-8 with three walks, two strikeouts and a double off a 94 mph fastball that he drove over the center fielder’s head. At first base, Hankins defended his position well. He ranged well to his right to dive into the 4-3 hole on a ground ball to steal a hit, then on another occasion picked a ball in the dirt to finish a double play. Hankins is primarily a position player, but he also pitched and showed promise on the mound, striking out three of the seven batters he faced with no walks or runs allowed. He pitched in the mid-to-upper 80s and up to 88 mph (he has been into the low 90s in other outings) and used his 75-79 mph slider effectively, throwing it nine times and getting three swinging strikes on four swings against the pitch. Hankins is the No. 35 player in the class and a Tennessee commit.

Xavier Neyens, 3B/OF/RHP, Washington

Neyens is 6-foot-4, 200 pounds, a strong, physical slugger with a lefthanded swing that’s geared to lift the ball. The No. 17 player in the 2025 class, Neyens showed big power in BP, and while that power comes with some swing and miss against live pitching, he hit well in games. He blasted a triple into the left-center field gap and lined a pair of singles to center field off two different lefties. Neyens showed a strong arm from third base and showed promise on the mound as well in an outing in which he struck out one with no walks in two scoreless innings, pitching at 88-92 mph and showing feel for an 83-84 mph slider. He’s an Oregon State commit.

Aiden Barrientes, RHP, Texas

Barrientes turned 16 right after the NTDP, so he’s one of the younger players in the 2025 class and one of the more promising arms for his year. The TCU commit struck out two with one walk and one hit allowed in two scoreless innings, pitching off an 88-91 mph fastball that should spike in the coming years once he adds more strength to his 6-foot-1, 185-pound build. Barrientes threw strikes with his fastball and showed feel to snap off a 75-79 mph curveball that can spin above 2,800 rpm at times with good shape and depth to miss bats at its best.

Jack Bauer, LHP, Illinois

Bauer has a fluid, easy delivery and lots of space to fill out his projectable 6-foot-3, 175-pound frame. He touched 92 mph at the NTDP and should have mid-90s or better velocity once he packs on more weight. A Virginia commit, Bauer showed feel for a slider from his low three-quarter slot at 2,700-2,900 rpm, using it for four of his six strikeouts over three innings. Bauer sprinkled in a handful of changeups, but his fastball and breaking ball were his primary pitches. Bauer did walk three and will need to tighten his control, but his delivery should be conducive to throwing strikes long term.

Zach Strickland, RHP, California

Strickland has a smooth, repeatable delivery that he used to throw strikes with 24 of 35 pitches (69%) over two innings. The UCLA commit and No. 37 player in the 2025 class attacked hitters up in the zone with a fastball that ranged from 87-92 mph and has been up to 94 in other outings. Strickland mixed in a 69-71 mph curveball with spin in the 2,400-2,600 rpm range and flashed some feel for a changeup at 83-85 mph.

Diego Velazquez, SS, California

Velazquez has a promising mix of size, bat speed and youth as one of the younger players in the 2025 class. The No. 38 player for 2025, Velazquez is 6-foot-2, 180 pounds and turns 16 later this month, so he will still be 17 on draft day. He’s a lefthanded hitter who can whip the barrel through the zone with some of the better bat speed in the class, giving him a chance to develop into a power-hitting infielder once he’s able to add more strength and consistently incorporate his lower half into his swing. The Southern California commit flashed some of that power at the NTDP when he stayed back on a curveball on the outer third, driving it the other way over the left fielder’s head for a double.

Omar Serna, C, Texas

Serna is big and strong at 6-foot-2, 225 pounds with a pair of tools that stack up among the best in the 2025 class. The LSU commit has perhaps the best raw arm strength among any 2025 catcher, grading out plus with a chance to be a 70 on the 20-80 scale. Serna’s strength and bat speed help him generate big raw power for his age as well. Serna didn’t show that power in games, but he consistently hit the ball and got on base, going 5-for-7 with five singles, a walk and a strikeout.

Landon Schaefer, SS, Arkansas

Schaefer has played up at the 17U level with 2024s for a significant part of the summer with the 3n2 Sticks/White Sox Scout team. His 6-foot-3, 170-pound frame stands out right away, and he showed the ability to drive the ball out of the park when he got his arms extended on a 90 mph fastball on the outer third that he pulled for a home run to left-center field. He’s an Arkansas commit.

Wade Shelley, OF, Alabama

Shelley raised his stock this summer with a strong season both offensively and defensively. He’s an athletic center fielder (6 feet, 190 pounds) who had multiple defensive highlights. Shelley took a clean, efficient route and showed good range running down a fly ball over his head and to his right at the warning track for an out. Then on a groundball single up the middle with a runner on second, Shelley showed off his arm, erasing the runner trying to score at home with a strong, accurate throw for the assist. At the plate, Shelley has a simple swing from the right side and picked up a pair of hits, including a line-drive single to right field against a 90 mph fastball. He’s an Auburn commit.

Luke Billings, OF/C/RHP

Billings is an intriguing player both as a hitter and a pitcher. He pitched twice, so he didn’t get as many plate appearances as some of the other top hitters at the event, but he has hit well throughout the summer and showed the strength in his righthanded swing to be able to drive the ball out of the park to his pull side. At 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, Billings made a pair of scoreless one-inning appearances on the mound, touching 93 mph and mixing in four pitches with a low-80s slider, mid-70s curveball and a firm changeup in the upper 80s. He’s a Tennessee commit.

Myles Upchurch, RHP, Maryland

At 6-foot-4, 210 pounds, Upchurch has a strong pitcher’s build and a power arm for his age. He has been up to 93 mph this summer, pitching at 87-91 mph during the NTDP. Upchurch threw a 79-83 mph slider with short break that he was able to land for strikes. His slider generated a couple of swings and misses, including one for a strikeout, and rounded out his repertoire with a low-80s changeup. He’s uncommitted for college.

Zion Theophilus, RHP, Ohio

Pitching from the stretch only, Theophilus is a high-intensity pitcher with an aggressive, up-tempo delivery and a power arm for his age. He pitched off a fastball at 90-93 mph and backed it up with a low-80s slider that has two-plane depth when it’s at its best. Theophilus is an LSU commit.

Griffin Enis, OF, Mississippi

Enis helped himself with a strong summer at the plate that continued at the NTDP, where he went 5-for-10 with a pair of extra-base hits. A 6-foot, 185-pound righthanded hitter, Enis hit a fastball for an opposite-field double into the right-center field gap, then pulled a fastball for a triple to left-center field. He’s committed to Mississippi.

Caden Crowell, LHP, Indiana

Crowell struck out three of the nine batters he faced over two scoreless innings using mostly his fastball. He’s 6-foot-3, 190 pounds with more projection to add to a fastball that reached 91 mph. Crowell, who’s uncommitted for college, threw his fastball for 33 of his 39 pitches, mixing in a half dozen sliders that he showed some feel for with a couple of empty swings against righthanded hitters. Crowell has shown feel for a changeup as well, though he didn’t throw one in this look.

William Hill, OF, Texas

A Texas commit, Hill is an athletic center fielder at 5-foot-10, 180 pounds with plus speed. A righthanded hitter with a line-drive stroke and gap power, Hill lined a single to center field and had his hardest contact of the NTDP on a triple that he pulled into the left-center field gap.

Brody Walls, RHP, Texas

Walls spent time as an infielder and pitcher, showing the most promise on the mound as he threw two scoreless innings. At 6 feet, 180 pounds, Walls has a medium build with the ability to generate a fastball that touched 91 mph from a loose, low-effort delivery with easy arm action. Walls mixed in a short slider with spin at 2,400-2,600 rpm and threw one changeup that had solid sink. He’s committed to Texas.

2026 CLASS

Rookie Shepard, SS/C, Nevada

Shepard does everything smooth and easy both at the plate and in the infield. He’s 5-foot-11, 175 pounds with a simple lefthanded swing. It’s a short, efficient and adjustable swing that enables him to square up all types of pitches throughout the strike zone with some of the best bat-to-ball skills in the 2026 class. His defensive actions are polished for his age, too, moving his feet well in the infield with soft hands and a good internal clock. Shepard also spent time behind the plate, where his aptitude for the game would translate well, though for now he’s a more advanced defender at shortstop. Shepard is a Miami commit.

Kruz Schoolcraft, LHP/1B, Oregon

With Giants first-round pick Bryce Eldridge, we had a 6-foot-7 two-way player with a power arm on the mound and a power bat at first base in the 2023 draft. It will only be a few more years until we have another one in Schoolcraft. While Eldridge is a righthanded pitcher, Schoolcraft is a lefty at 6-foot-7, 205 pounds with a fastball that was up to 92 mph at the NTDP and should be in the mid 90s or better come draft time. Schoolcraft has a slider, though he didn’t throw it here, attacking hitters with his fastball, sinker, changeup and splitter with late tumble that he used for a swinging strikeout. For such a long-limbed hitter, Schoolcraft’s swing works well and he has some of the best raw power in the 2026 class, making him a premium player to follow on both sides of the ball. He’s uncommitted for college.

Quentin Young, 3B, California

At 6-foot-5, 215 pounds, Young is an extremely strong, physical player for a 2026 player. He’s an aggressive righthanded hitter who tips his barrel toward the pitcher before generating a lot of torque with his swing to punish baseballs with some of the best raw power in the class. Young went 3-for-8 with a walk at the NTDP, hitting a 92 mph fastball for an opposite-field double over the right fielder’s head, driving another fastball for a double to the right-center field gap and pulling a curveball for a single. He’s uncommitted for college.

Jacob Lombard, SS, Florida

Scouts poured into Gulliver Prep games in Miami this year to track shortstop George Lombard Jr., who the Yankees drafted in the first round. While watching Lombard Jr., they were able to see his younger brother, Jacob, one of the most talented players in the 2026 class. He’s 6-foot-2, 185 pounds with good plate discipline and contact skills from the right side of the plate with gap power. He’s an athletic shortstop who made a terrific defensive play at second base, running back on a pop up to shallow right field and leaping with his left arm outstretched to make the catch with his back to the plate. He’s uncommitted for college.

Brady Murrietta, C, California

Pitchers love throwing to Murrietta, a soft, quiet receiver who already frames pitches well and has a strong arm, something he showed on a pair of caught stealings with pop times of 1.88 and 1.87 seconds. A 5-foot-11, 190-pound righthanded hitter, Murrietta also performed well offensively, going 5-for-10, looking like one of the top catchers in the 2026 class. He’s a Texas commit.

Andrew Costello, C, Pennsylvania

Costello is one of the best catchers in the 2026 class. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound righthanded hitter has huge raw power for his age, something he showed during one round of BP when he took four swings and blasted three balls over the fence. He’s been able to tap into that power in games, too, thanks to his ability to recognize pitches and quick, compact swing. A Wake Forest commit, Costello’s catch-and-throw skills are advanced for his age, something he showed with a 1.83-second pop time on a throw that beat the runner to the bag, though the second baseman couldn’t get the tag down in time.

Chandler Hart, LHP, Texas

Hart stands out immediately for his size at 6-foot-6, 200 pounds and arm strength with a fastball that touched 90 mph from his low three-quarter slot at the NTDP. He showed feel for a 75-79 mph slider with spin at 2,300-2,500 rpm, sweeping away from lefties to get swing-and-miss when it was at its best. Hart flashed a couple of changeups at 82-83 mph as well, but he leaned mostly on his fastball and slider, looking like one of the top pitchers to follow in the 2026 class. He’s uncommitted for college.

Dillon Moss, C, California

Moss is the younger brother of Dean Moss, who was also at the NTDP and is one of the elite players in the 2025 class. At 6 feet, 165 pounds, Moss is a Stanford commit also at IMG Academy in Florida and an intriguing prospect in his own right. Facing righthander Joey Oakie, one of the top pitchers in the 2024 class, the righthanded-hitting Moss got a 92 mph fastball on the outer third that he drilled for a triple to center field. He recorded another extra-base hit when he pulled a slider to left field for a double. He shows the tools to be able to stick behind the plate as well, with a strong arm for his age.

This table is specifically looking at money spent toward the pool, to see which teams were the most efficient in maximizing the money they had available to spend.

Team	Total Signing Bonus	Total Bonus Pool $	Overage %
Toronto	$6,856,185	$6,529,700	1.050
Milwaukee	$11,498,100	$10,950,600	1.050
Chicago Cubs	$9,410,000	$8,962,000	1.050
San Diego	$5,686,600	$5,416,000	1.050
Cincinnati	$14,471,500	$13,785,200	1.050
Cleveland	$9,171,275	$8,736,700	1.050
Texas	$10,417,900	$9,925,300	1.050
Boston	$10,801,200	$10,295,100	1.049
Chicago White Sox	$9,517,800	$9,072,800	1.049
Atlanta	$8,748,500	$8,341,700	1.049
Philadelphia	$5,436,100	$5,185,500	1.048
Los Angeles Angels	$8,730,225	$8,328,900	1.048
New York Mets	$8,844,850	$8,440,400	1.048
Oakland	$14,917,600	$14,255,600	1.046
Detroit	$16,477,450	$15,747,200	1.046
Washington	$15,150,000	$14,502,400	1.045
Kansas City	$12,852,200	$12,313,500	1.044
San Francisco	$10,333,525	$9,916,900	1.042
Los Angeles Dodgers	$7,533,000	$7,274,600	1.036
New York Yankees	$5,470,900	$5,299,400	1.032
Houston	$6,954,500	$6,747,900	1.031
St. Louis	$6,368,500	$6,209,200	1.026
Minnesota	$14,345,600	$14,345,600	1.000
Tampa Bay	$10,872,100	$10,872,100	1.000
Baltimore	$10,534,800	$10,534,800	1.000
Colorado	$11,882,450	$11,909,800	0.998
Miami	$12,767,400	$12,829,600	0.995
Arizona	$11,000,000	$11,084,300	0.992
Pittsburgh	$15,873,300	$16,185,700	0.981
Seattle	$12,865,500	$13,170,900	0.977

In the bonus pool era, no team has ever gone above the 5% overage threshold that triggers pick loss penalties. Under the current system, teams that spend between 0-5% over their bonus pool pay a 75% tax on the overage. Once you go beyond the 5% mark, you lose draft picks. If you exceed the bonus pool from 5-10% you lose a first-round pick and pay a 75% tax on the overage; if you exceed the bonus pool from 10-15% you lose a first-rounder, a second-rounder and pay a 100% tax on the overage; if you exceed the bonus pool beyond 15% you lose two first-rounders and pay a 100% tax on the overage.

No clubs have ever exceeded the 5% overage mark in the bonus pool era, which goes back to the 2012 draft. The industry has collectively decided that pick loss penalties are too costly. 

Simultaneously, most of the industry has also decided that a 0-5% overage is a smart way to navigate the draft. Twenty two teams spent more than 100% of their bonus pool in the 2023 draft and seven went up to the full 5% overage mark: the Blue Jays, the Brewers, the Cubs, the Padres, the Reds, the Guardians and the Rangers. 

Three teams spent exactly their bonus pool: the Twins, the Rays and the Orioles.

Five teams didn’t spend their full bonus pool: the Rockies, the Marlins, the D-backs, the Pirates and the Mariners.

Four teams have spent more than their total bonus pool in each year of the bonus pool era: the Cardinals, the Cubs, the Dodgers and the Giants. Two teams have never spent more than their available bonus pool: the Twins and the Rockies.

It’s notable to see both the Pirates and the Mariners at the bottom of the overage% table, as both teams had extra picks and large bonus pools to work with. With the highest total bonus pool to start with, the Pirates also had the most ability to stretch their available money by going to the full 5% overage mark, which would have effectively taken their bonus pool from $16,185,700 to $16,994,985. Instead, the Pirates spent just $15,873,300 against the pool, which is $1,121,685 less than what they could have spent without going over the 5% threshold and $312,400 less than they could have spent if they simply spent to their bonus pool.

While the Pirates left the most money on the table in terms of spending power, the Mariners—who had three picks among the first 30 selections—used the lowest percentage of their total bonus pool, spending just $12,865,500 of a $13,170,900 pool, a 97.7% mark. If the Mariners instead went to the full 5% overage, they could have spent $13,829,445, or $963,945 more than they did.

The money left on the table between the Pirates and the Mariners (roughly $950,000-$1.1 million) is in the range of the Nos. 80-86 overall bonuses in the 2023 class received:

• RHP Cade Kuehler, Braves second-round comp pick ($1,045,000)
• RHP Juaron Watts-Brown, Blue Jays third-round pick ($1,002,785)
• RHP Cole Miller, A’s fourth-round pick ($1,000,000)
• OF George Wolkow, White Sox seventh-round pick ($1,000,000)
• SS Alex Mooney, Guardians seventh-round pick ($1,000,000)
• RHP Barrett Kent, Angels eighth-round pick ($997,500)
• RHP Andrew Walters, Guardians second supplemental-round pick ($955,275)

The First Round

In 2023 there were 28 traditional first-round picks. Both the Mets and the Dodgers had their first-round picks dropped 10 spots after exceeding luxury tax thresholds, so for this next section, we will only be looking at the first 28 picks to see how teams operated at the top of the draft.

Pick	Team	Player	Level	Slot Value	Signing Bonus	Over/Under
1	PIT	Paul Skenes	4YR	$9,721,000	$9,200,000	-521,000
2	WSH	Dylan Crews	4YR	$8,998,500	$9,000,000	1,500
3	DET	Max Clark	HS	$8,341,700	$7,697,500	-644,200
4	TEX	Wyatt Langford	4YR	$7,698,000	$8,000,000	302,000
5	MIN	Walker Jenkins	HS	$7,139,700	$7,144,200	4,500
6	OAK	Jacob Wilson	4YR	$6,634,000	$5,500,000	-1,134,000
7	CIN	Rhett Lowder	4YR	$6,275,200	$5,700,000	-575,200
8	KCR	Blake Mitchell	HS	$5,980,100	$4,897,500	-1,082,600
9	COL	Chase Dollander	4YR	$5,716,900	$5,716,900	0
10	MIA	Noble Meyer	HS	$5,475,300	$4,500,000	-975,300
11	LAA	Nolan Schanuel	4YR	$5,253,000	$5,253,000	0
12	ARI	Tommy Troy	4YR	$5,043,800	$4,400,000	-643,800
13	CHI	Matthew Shaw	4YR	$4,848,500	$4,848,500	0
14	BOS	Kyle Teel	4YR	$4,663,100	$4,000,000	-663,100
15	CWS	Jacob Gonzalez	4YR	$4,488,600	$3,900,000	-588,600
16	SFG	Bryce Eldridge	HS	$4,326,600	$3,997,500	-329,100
17	BAL	Enrique Bradfield	4YR	$4,169,700	$4,169,700	0
18	MIL	Brock Wilken	4YR	$4,021,400	$3,150,000	-871,400
19	TBR	Brayden Taylor	4YR	$3,880,100	$3,877,600	-2,500
20	TOR	Arjun Nimmala	HS	$3,746,000	$3,000,000	-746,000
21	STL	Chase Davis	4YR	$3,618,200	$3,618,200	0
22	SEA	Colt Emerson	HS	$3,496,600	$3,800,000	303,400
23	CLE	Ralphy Velazquez	HS	$3,380,900	$2,500,000	-880,900
24	ATL	Hurston Waldrep	4YR	$3,270,500	$2,997,500	-273,000
25	SDP	Dillon Head	HS	$3,165,400	$2,800,000	-365,400
26	NYY	George Lombard	HS	$3,065,000	$3,300,000	235,000
27	PHI	Aidan Miller	HS	$2,968,800	$3,100,000	131,200
28	HOU	Brice Matthews	4YR	$2,880,700	$2,478,200	-402,500

Teams spent a total of $132,546,300 on the first 28 picks, which accounts for 37.86% of the total signing bonuses among all drafted players—$350,089,060, which is a new record for total draft spending

Despite that sum, a majority of players selected in the first round did so and signed for under-slot deals. Seventeen players signed to under-slot deals, five players signed for exactly slot value and six players signed for over-slot deals.

Four of the six players who signed for over-slot deals came from the high school ranks, presumably given the increased leverage these players and their agents have at their disposal compared to their college peers (we’ll get into more of this later).

Unsurprisingly, the largest deal cuts came from players selected inside the top 10 picks, where there were more savings to be had thanks to larger slot valuations for the top picks in the draft. The A’s and the Royals both saved more than a million dollars in pool money by taking Jacob Wilson and Blake Mitchell at picks No. 6 and 8, respectively—the biggest under-slot deals in the first round. Still, a few teams picking in the 20s landed significant savings, most notably the Guardians saving $880,900 with Ralphy Velazquez at No. 23 and the Blue Jays saving $746,000 with Arjun Nimmala at pick No. 20.

Overall, MLB teams picking among the first 28 picks locked in $9.7 million in savings toward the bonus pool with their first overall selections.

Draft Strategies

Below we’ll look into a few different common financial strategies that teams typically employ, and see which organizations fell into which camps this year.

Save Early, Spend Later

D-backs, Reds, White Sox, Dodgers, Angels, A’s, Pirates, Padres, Rays

This is one of the most common draft strategies in the league and was the most prominent in terms of the number of teams who used it. 

The D-backs saved $643,800 with first-rounder Tommy Troy and largely put all of that money toward lefthander Grayson Hitt, who they signed to a $602,500 deal in the fourth round. 

The Reds secured under-slot deals with their first three college players, with a combined savings of $1,110,400 on Rhett Lowder, Ty Floyd and Hunter Hollan, with those savings primarily going toward over-slot deals to Samuel Stafura ($499,300 over slot) and Cole Schoenwetter ($1,257,200 over slot). 

The White Sox saved big on first-rounder Jacob Gonzalez ($588,600), gave Grant Taylor the slot amount in the second round and then saved a bit on third-rounder Seth Keener ($33,900). Chicago waited until the seventh round to put most of those savings to use, with a $751,700 over-slot deal to outfielder George Wolkow.

The Dodgers saved $515,200 with Kendall George with the No. 36 pick and then spread that money around to players throughout day two, to three players in particular: fourth-rounder Wyatt Crowell ($130,700 over slot), sixth-rounder Bryan Gonzalez Garcia ($107,400 over slot) and eighth-rounder Jaron Elkins ($218,200 over slot).

The Angels gave first-rounder Nolan Schanuel full slot with the 11th overall pick, but they saved $296,375 with their next five players to give eighth-rounder Barrett Kent a $791,000 over-slot deal. The team also saved $340,800 on a pair of senior signs in rounds nine and 10 to make the match work: Ninth-rounder Chase Gockel and 10th-rounder Chris Barraza signed for just $8,500 combined.

The A’s got massive savings by signing No. 6 overall pick Jacob Wilson to $1,134,000 below slot to start off their draft, then they added $394,900 more with an under-slot deal to second-rounder Ryan Lasko. The bulk of the team’s savings went to third-rounder Steven Echavarria, who signed for a $1,994,300 over slot deal.

While the Pirates did sign first overall pick Paul Skenes to a record-setting $9.2 million deal, they still saved $521,000 with his pick, then added $398,400 more on an under-slot deal with second-rounder Mitch Jebb. Pittsburgh’s big over-slot signing was supplemental second-rounder Zander Mueth, who inked a $669,300 over-slot deal.

The Padres signed fourth-rounder Homer Bush to a slot deal, but otherwise the team’s top five picks were all money-saving deals. The team saved a combined $602,600 with under-slot deals for Dillon Head, JanDaniel Gonzalez, Jay Beshears and Tucker Musgrove and put most of that money to eighth-rounder Kannon Kemp, who signed to a $436,200 over-slot deal.

The Rays saved big on supplemental first-rounder Adrian Santana ($667,650) but combined to save $903,450 with their first five picks. The big over-slot deal for the Rays this year was fifth-rounder Trevor Harrison, who signed to a $458,600 over-slot deal, though Tampa Bay also signed 12th-rounder Garrett Edwards to a big day three contract, of which $349,850 counted against the pool.

Spend Early, Save Later

Mariners, Giants, Rangers, Nationals

It’s more rare to see teams going for big over-slot deals early and saving money later to pay for them, but these four teams employed that strategy in 2023. 

The Mariners aggressively targeted high school players who came with big price tags early in the draft and their first two picks—Colt Emerson and Jonny Farmelo—both signed over-slot deals and combined to go $702,700 over slot. Seattle also signed fourth-rounder Aidan Smith to a $668,700 over-slot deal in the fourth round, which meant every other pick Seattle made signed to an under-slot deal—and the team didn’t surpass the $150,000 mark for a single player on day three. Their biggest savings came from second-rounder Ben Williamson, who inked an $836,500 under-slot deal. 

The Giants did sign first-rounder Bryce Eldridge to an under-slot deal ($329,100), but they had to spend big to sign shortstop Walker Martin in the second round—$1,376,700 over slot, which was the fourth-largest over-slot deal in the draft. Every four-year player the Giants selected after Martin then signed to an under-slot deal, and San Francisco added big savings with a pair of senior signings in rounds nine and 10: $249,700 between Charlie Szykowny and Ryan Vanderhei.

It could have made a lot of sense for the Rangers to cut a deal with the fourth pick and spread a relatively small bonus pool around to try and make up for having no second- and third-round picks. Instead the Rangers just took the best player on the board and signed him to a $302,000 over-slot deal to get it done. The team didn’t have too many big savings pieces to make it happen, instead going to the full 5% overage of their bonus pool. Texas had just three under-slot deals: fourth-rounder Skylar Hales, seventh-rounder Izack Tiger and 10th-rounder Case Matter—all of whom totaled just $157,300 in savings. 

The Nationals were the epitome of the spend early, save later strategy in 2023. They went slightly over slot for Dylan Crews ($1,500) with the second overall pick to get him to a clean $9 million bonus and then went crazy on second-rounder Yohandy Morales ($455,300 over slot) and third-rounder Travis Sykora ($1,578,700 over slot). Six of the next seven picks Washington had among the top 10 rounds were spent on senior signs, and even junior Marcus Brown signed for an under-slot deal. The team combined for $1,387,900 in savings between their fourth- and 10th-round picks. 

Relatively Straight Up

Orioles, Cubs, Rockies, Mets, Yankees, Cardinals, Phillies

These teams didn’t have any significant financial creativity that stood out in their draft classes, for the most part.

The Orioles gave first-rounder Enrique Bradfield the full slot value at pick No. 17, then took a slight discount with Mac Horvath in the second ($182,900 under slot) and handed out their biggest over-slot deal with Jackson Baumeister ($361,800) in the supplemental second round. The Orioles had just one senior sign late who saved them more than $100,000 with Zachary Fruit in the ninth round—otherwise the team made up its needed savings to not exceed its bonus pool by taking slight under-slot deals throughout rounds 3-8, with a combined $341,800 on those seven picks.

The Cubs signed first-rounder Matt Shaw for slot at pick No. 13 and handed out two deals that dug into the bonus pool for an extra $150,000 or more (comp second-rounder Jaxon Wiggins and 11th-rounder Zyhir Hope) but otherwise played things relatively straight up. Third-rounder Josh Rivera was technically a senior, but he was a priority senior who many teams liked and thus signed for just $147,400 under slot at pick No. 81.

The Rockies had a fairly balanced draft financially. First-rounder Chase Dollander signed for exactly slot value at pick No. 9, as did fifth-rounder Kyle Karros at No. 145. Second-rounder Sean Sullivan being signed for $168,400 under slot essentially paid for sixth-rounder Cade Denton’s $163,300 deal and the Rockies made up money for slight overages to supplemental second-rounder Cole Carrigg ($115,900 over slot) and 12th-rounder Bryson Hammer ($50,000 towards the pool) by saving marginally in the third, fourth, seventh, eighth, ninth and 10th rounds. 

The Mets went slightly over slot ($142,500) to sign Colin Houck with the 32nd overall pick, then went straight up with each of their next three college signees. After that, the Mets had reasonable over-slot deals with fourth-round comp pick AJ Ewing ($192,000) and eighth-rounder Boston Baro ($507,100) and primarily made up that cost with $369,100 in savings between college players Austin Troesser, Nick Lorusso and Christian Pregent—as well as being fine going 4.8% over their bonus pool. 

The Yankees gave slight over-slot deals to first-rounder George Lombard Jr. ($235,000) and fourth-rounder Roc Riggio ($186,200) but didn’t have the sort of bonus pool to get too creative in the draft, leaving them with a straightforward, straight up strategy. Most of the savings the team got were thanks to senior signs in the ninth and 10th rounds with Jared Wegner ($100,600 under slot) and Brian Hendry ($116,900).

Perhaps no team in 2023 played things as straight up as the Cardinals did. They signed four of their first 10 picks to slot deals (Chase Davis, Zach Levenson, Jason Savacool, Charles Harrison) and the furthest away from slot they got on any deal was going under by $59,600 with third-rounder Travis Honeyman and over by $58,300 on fourth-rounder Quinn Mathews. It’s worth noting the Cardinals did use $100,000 of their pool on 14th-rounder Jacob Odle, who signed a $250,000 day three deal. 

The Phillies feel like a “best player available” team and their 2023 draft board backs that up. They signed Aidan Miller at pick No. 27 and were one of just six clubs to hand out an over-slot deal in the first round, going $131,200 over slot value for Miller. Beyond that, there weren’t any significant over- or under-slot deals to speak of, until you get to the 11th round when the Phillies decided to use $247,500 of their pool to ink Kehden Hettiger to the fifth-largest day three deal of the draft.

Balance Up Top

Guardians, Tigers, Marlins, Blue Jays

Each of these teams could easily fall into the “save early, spend later” bucket, but the primary difference to me seems to be that their first pick essentially paid for their next one. 

The Guardians consistently seem to spread their pool money around, and they did so in 2023 by saving $880,900 on Ralphy Velazquez in the first round, with those savings essentially going directly to second-rounder Alex Clemmey, who signed for an $897,400 deal right behind him. Cleveland then saved a combined $469,925 on its next three picks—two college juniors and a college senior—which made up the bulk of the savings to sign draft-eligible sophomore Alex Mooney ($768,700 over slot) in the seventh round.

The Tigers secured the largest under-slot deal among the top five picks when they signed Max Clark to a deal that was $644,200 under slot. Those savings went to securing supplemental first-rounder Kevin McGonigle to a $538,000 over-slot deal one pick later, then Detroit basically doubled down with the strategy from there. The team signed second-rounder Max Anderson to a $476,550 under-slot deal and then signed third-rounder Paul Wilson to a $752,400 over-slot deal right after.

Getting Noble Meyer signed to a $975,300 under-slot deal at pick No. 10 seems like one of the best values in the class based on the BA draft board, but it also helped the Marlins push the top-ranked lefthander, Thomas White, down to their next pick at No. 35 and sign him to a deal that was $1,679,100 over slot. The Marlins chose not to go into the 5% overage, which meant the team still needed to secure a combined $766,000 with its next seven picks to make the money work.

The Blue Jays secured one of the larger under-slot deals in the first round when they signed Arjun Nimmala ($746,000 under slot) at pick No. 20. The team split those savings into their next two players with third-rounder Juaron Watts-Brown ($231,285 over slot) and fourth-rounder Landen Maroudis ($952,900 over slot), though going fully up to the 5% overage was necessary as well.

Aggressive Savings With Seniors

Braves, Red Sox, Astros, Angels, Brewers, Nationals

Every year all teams exploit the lack of leverage that college seniors have in order to make their finances work for higher-priority players elsewhere. Keep in mind, however, that each of these players understands what they are signing for before the pick is made. For the seniors, it’s a shot at pro ball they might not get if they pass on it, and for teams it’s an extremely useful financial tool. Here are the teams most aggressive in targeting senior signs in 2023.

There were only two bonuses of $1,000 handed out to drafted players this year and the Braves were responsible for one of them. The team collectively saved $432,900 with three seniors in rounds 8-10 with both Cory Wall and Riley Gowens signing for $47,500 apiece and Pier-Olivier Boucher signing for $1,000.

Like the Braves, the Red Sox also saved more than $100,000 on three different seniors and signed sixth-rounder CJ Weins, eighth-rounder Trennor O’Donnell and 10th-rounder Ryan Ammons to $50,000 deals each. Combined, the team saved $539,100 in pool money between the three players.

The Astros’ aggression into senior signs was a bit different than most teams on this list, as they seemed to target priority seniors who had more market value and came with significantly fewer cost savings. Fourth-rounder Cameron Fisher, for example, is a senior and added savings with an under-slot deal, but the $100 the Astros saved by signing him for $497,500 is almost not worth mentioning. Additionally, the Astros selected Ryan Johnson and Jeron Williams in the eighth and ninth rounds, but the two players signed for $97,500 and $147,500, respectively, bringing a combined $114,000 in pool savings. Tenth-rounder Austin Deming ($156,900) was a legitimate cost-saving senior sign, and taking senior Jake Bloss in the third round meant the team handed him a sizable $497,500 bonus, but was still able to secure $181,000 in savings toward the pool. 

The Angels are a borderline case here, as they signed just two seniors among the top 10 rounds, but handing out one of two $1,000 deals for drafted players gets them into this bucket. The team signed ninth-rounder Chase Gockel for $1,000 and saved $179,300 toward the pool and then signed 10th-rounder Chris Barraza for $7,500 to save $161,500 toward the pool.

The Brewers were one of the most aggressive teams in targeting seniors in the second half of day two. Perhaps only the Nationals could claim a more aggressive strategy here. The team selected seniors with each of their picks in rounds 7-10 and secured around $150,000 or more on each player, for cumulative savings of $655,100 toward the pool. Seventh-rounder Tate Kuehner signed for $72,500 ($169,900 under slot), eighth-rounder Craig Yoho signed for $10,000 ($186,700 under slot), ninth-rounder Mark Manfredi signed for $27,500 ($149,200 under slot) and 10th-rounder Austin Morris signed for $17,500 ($149,300 under  slot).

As mentioned previously, the Nationals were one of the most top-heavy teams in the 2023 draft and to make their early over-slot deals work, they drafted six seniors among their final seven selections of day two. Fourth-rounder Andrew Pinckney was a priority senior sign who inked a $500,000 bonus, though that still created $160,000 in savings toward the pool. After that, the Nationals signed their 6-10 round players (Gavin Dugas, Ryan Snell, Jared Simpson, Thomas Schultz and Phillip Glasser) each to $20,000 deals, which gave the Nationals a total of $1,113,500 in savings toward the pool. 

Day Three Bandits

Brewers, Padres, Royals, Tigers

From rounds 11-20, signing bonuses of up to $150,000 don’t count against teams’ bonus pools. You can hand out larger deals, but anything beyond $150,000 will come out of the bonus pool. For that reason, many teams will try to get higher priority players to slide to day three, so they can “save” $150,000 on their deal. There’s also no risk of not signing players on day three, because you don’t lose any associated pool money if you don’t sign them. Additionally, college players in this range who sign are typically viewed as better talents than senior signs who sign for far less than $150,000 at the end of the second day of the draft. 

The Brewers were aggressive with college seniors and presumably took that strategy so they could be equally aggressive on day three. No team spent more toward its bonus pool on the third day of the draft than Milwaukee, who in total needed to tap its pool for $1,300,600 for day three bonuses. The team signed 11th-rounder Bishop Letson for $482,600, 12th-rounder Bjorn Johnson for $420,500 and handed out the second-largest day three bonus when it signed 20th-rounder Justin Chambers to a $547,500 deal. Additionally, the team signed 14th-rounder Hayden Robinson to a $347,500 deal and 15th-rounder Josh Adamczewski to a $252,500 deal.

After the Brewers, the Padres were the most notorious day three bandits in 2023. The team spent $625,000 from its pool on day three bonuses and largely did its work early on day three: 11th-rounder Carson Montgomery signed for $200,000, 12th-rounder Blake Dickerson signed for $500,000 and 13th-rounder Dane Lais signed for $350,000. The only other bonus greater than $150,000 on the third day for the Padres went to 19th-rounder Adler Cecil, who signed for $175,000.

The Royals were one of just three teams to spend $500,000 or more from the pool on the third day of the draft, and in total used $570,000 worth of overages. While our first two teams in this category spread money around to a small group of players, the Royals spent it on just two: 11th-rounder Jared Dickey was one of the best players available entering the third day and he commanded the largest day three bonus of the 2023 draft when he signed for $572,500. After that, 12th-rounder Logan Martin signed for $297,500 and the remaining day three signings for the Royals were $150,000 deals or less.

The Tigers were the fourth and final team to spend at least $500,000 from their pool on the third day, and in total used $537,500 in overages. Like the Brewers and Padres, the Tigers elected to spread that money around and signed 11th-rounder Jim Jarvis ($175,000), 12th-rounder Andrew Dunford ($367,500), 13th-rounder Brett Callahan ($197,500) and 15th-rounder Brady Cerkownyk ($397,500) to big deals on the third day.

Facts & Figures

Just one player selected among the top 10 rounds did not sign this year: Cardinals 10th-rounder Caden Kendle. That means 99.68% of the players selected among the top 10 rounds (313 of 314) signed. It’s hugely important for teams to have their signability nailed inside this range, as teams lose the pool money associated with a pick if they don’t sign the player. From 2012-2023, there have been 3,648 players selected inside the top 10 rounds and just 46 have not signed in that range—a 98.7% overall signing rate.

Of the 614 drafted players, 567 signed (92.3%). Of players who signed, here is the breakdown based on school source:

• Four-Year Colleges: 76.72% (435)
• High Schools: 16.75% (95)
• Junior Colleges: 6.53% (37)

Below are the total signing bonus dollars broken down by source:

• 4YR: $211,140,210
• HS: $131,004,350
• JC: $7,944,500

Below are the average signing bonus dollars broken down by source:

• 4YR: $485,380
• HS: $1,378,993
• JC: $214,716

Below are the median signing bonus dollars broken down by source:

• 4YR: $150,000
• HS: $700,000
• JC: $150,000

Below are the average signing bonus dollars broken down into sub-categories of source:

• HS: $1,378,993
• SO: $791,873
• JR: $651,683
• J1: $329,938
• J3: $189,643
• J2: $180,795
• SR: $170,452
• GR: $86,857
• 5S: $64,896

Below are the median signing bonus dollars broken down into sub-categories of source:

• HS: $700,000
• SO: $492,700
• J1: $273,750
• JR: $200,000
• SR: $150,000
• J3: $150,000
• J2: $150,000
• GR: $48,750
• 5S: $47,500

Grant Taylor, RHP, White Sox 

Louisiana State – Round 2, Pick 51

After a star turn on the Cape last summer, Taylor suffered an elbow injury and had Tommy John surgery, missing all of 2023. While he’s unlikely to make his professional debut until later next year, Taylor has a deep arsenal of pitches with feel for his entire mix. Pre-injury Taylor mixed a mid-90s fastball with a curveball with outlier depth, as well as a cutter, a slider and a changeup. Taylor has feel for spin and the ability to create a variety of shapes. It’s a matter of whether or not Taylor regains his previous form post-Tommy John surgery. 

Alex Clemmey, LHP, Guardians

Bishop Hendricken High, Warwick, R.I. – Round 2, Pick 58

A fire-balling lefthander from the Rhode Island prep ranks, Clemmey is raw, particularly when it comes to strike-throwing—his control and command are both below-average. What makes Clemmey so interesting is his high-spin, mid-to-upper-90s fastball and above-average approach angle. This combination of traits portend bat-missing ability. His primary secondary is a high-70s curveball that’s flashed plus but has been inconsistent overall. His high-effort delivery and lack of repeatability in his mechanics make him a project pick. If the Guardians can harness Clemmey’s stuff and improve his strike-throwing, he could morph into one of the more exciting pitching prospects in the game. 

Andrew Walters, RHP, Guardians

Miami – Supplemental second round, Pick 62

Drafted in the 18th round by the Orioles in 2022, Walters didn’t sign and returned to school. The decision proved to be wise as he went in the supplemental second round to the Guardians in 2023. Walters has been exclusively a reliever at Miami, but one has to wonder how his plus fastball and slider combination could play if stretched out as a starter. It remains to be seen whether or not the Guardians will do that. Walters’ fastball sits 94-96 mph, touching 98 mph with high spin rates in the 2,600-2,700 rpm range, generating ride and run. His slider is his primary secondary, sitting mid 80s with moderate sweep and depth. While he has not shown much of a third pitch, Walters does have a changeup. If Walters can develop a true third pitch and show the ability to handle a starter’s workload without losing effectiveness, he has a chance to be another breakout pitcher in the Guardians system. 

Teddy McGraw, RHP, Mariners

Wake Forest – Round 3, Pick 92

Over two seasons with the Demon Deacons and a pair of summers on the Cape, McGraw showed groundball-driving skills with his low-to-mid-90s sinker and hard, sweeping slider. There have been control and command issues in the past, but the Mariners have done a good job of harnessing pitchers with big stuff and command worries. McGraw will likely be on the shelf for the rest of 2023 and most of 2024 after having Tommy John surgery in March.

Brady Smith, RHP, Dodgers

Grainger High, Rutledge, Tenn. – Round 3, Pick 95

An athletic righthander with a projectable build, Smith has several traits that have come to signify the typical Dodgers pitching prospect. He’s athletic, has a flatter vertical approach angle that allows his fastball to play up and he has an athletic, fluid operation and arm slot that allows these traits to culminate in success. He shows a changeup, downer curveball and the occasional slider. He’s been up to 94 mph on his fastball but mostly sat 90-92 mph on the showcase circuit. With the success of recent Dodgers pitching draftees, Smith is a name to watch. 

Jake Bloss, RHP, Astros

Georgetown – Round 3, Pick 99 

After three seasons at Lafayette, Bloss transferred to Georgetown before the 2023 season. Over 13 starts Bloss struck out 96 over 76.2 innings while pitching to a 2.58 ERA. Bloss uses a low-to-mid-90s fastball with above-average ride as well as a sweepy low-80s slider, a mid-70s two-plane curveball and a changeup. It’s not a mix that jumps off the page at you but Astros player development has done well with starters with hoppy four-seam fastballs and two breaking ball shapes. With added velocity, Bloss could break out as a professional. 

Carlson Reed, RHP, Pirates

West Virginia – Round 4, Pick 104 

Draft eligible at 20 years old, Reed was one of the youngest college players in the draft. While he had around a half dozen starts as a collegiate, Reed excelled as a reliever, as he struck out 60 batters across 38 innings for the Mountaineers this season. Reed uses three pitches, led by a mid-90s four-seam fastball with dead zone shape that plays up due to his easy plus slider. His slider sits 83-84 mph with between 14-16 inches of horizontal break. Against the slider this spring Reed generated whiffs on 57% of swings. While it’s clearly a third pitch based on usage, Reed’s changeup performed similarly to his slider this spring as he generated whiffs at the same rate, with a slightly higher chase rate. With size, three pitches with average or better stuff and collegiate success, Reed has a shot to make the transition to a starter as a professional. 

Skylar Hales, RHP, Rangers

Santa Clara – Round 4, Pick 108

One of the better athletes among pitchers in the class, Hales’ collegiate numbers look fairly unassuming, as he worked primarily from the Broncos bullpen. This season, Hales struck out 11.2 batters per nine innings while walking just 2.4 batters per nine. His pitch mix consists of mostly two pitches, led by a mid-90s fastball with some cut and moderate ride, but with a low 5-foot-5 release height that plays up the pitch’s plane. Adjustments to the fastball’s shape via grip adjustments could yield results. He has one secondary in a mid-80s gyro cutter-slider hybrid and it did a solid job of missing bats, with a 37% whiff rate in 2023. He’s likely a reliever long term, but Hales has exciting stuff and an athletic frame to project on. 

Eriq Swan, RHP, Dodgers

Middle Tennessee State – Supplemental fourth round, Pick 137 

Swan’s fastball shape is just average but the pitch plays due to his average fastball velocity of 97-99 mph, touching as high as 101 mph. While his fastball has top-of-the-scale velocity it’s his slider in the mid-to-high 80s with gyro spin that gets the majority of Swan’s swings and misses. In the spring of 2023 Swan generated whiffs at a rate of 50%. He’ll mix in a firm changeup that has solid velocity and vertical separation off his fastball. The biggest issue for Swan has been his well below-average command. If the Dodgers can improve his strike-throwing you could see Swan become another Dodgers success story. 

Alejandro Rosario, RHP, Rangers

Miami – Round 5, Pick 144 

Rosario never quite met expectations while at Miami. While his strikeout rate jumped this spring, so did his walks. This is the struggle Rosario faces—missing bats with his good stuff across his pitch mix and throwing enough strikes for it to matter. His fastball sits 94-96 mph with two-seam shape, generating heavy run from a low release height due to his low three-quarter slot. His firm changeup generates heavy run but is used less than his low-to-mid-80s slider with high spin rates and two-plane break. If the Rangers can help Rosario find his best stuff consistently and get it in the zone, he has a chance to break out in the coming years. If he cannot harness his good stuff he’ll likely end up in the bullpen. 

Brody Hopkins, RHP, Mariners

Winthrop – Round 6, Pick 187

Hopkins spent two seasons primarily as a position player for College of Charleston. He transferred to Winthrop for his junior season and started 12 games for the Eagles while hitting .288/.368/.538 with nine home runs over 185 plate appearances. Announced as a pitcher for the Mariners, Hopkins has untapped potential on the mound. He’s a standout athlete with fairly big stuff for a pitcher with such a limited track record. His four-seam fastball sits 92-94 mph, touching 98 mph at peak. He pairs his fastball with two secondaries in a mid-80s slider with slight depth and some sweep and a high-80s changeup he does an excellent job of killing lift on. It’s a projectable three-pitch mix to dream on and the Mariners are among a handful of organizations on the cutting edge of pitching development. 

Teddy Sharkey, RHP, Orioles 

Coastal Carolina – Round 7, Pick 211

Sharkey is filthy. He had an up-and-down career at Coastal Carolina but finished on a high note in 2023, going 7-2 with 11 saves and 74 strikeouts over 49.2 innings. Sharkey has legitimate stuff, with his fastball (114 Stuff+) and slider (109 Stuff+) ranking favorably on Stuff+ models. His fastball sits 94-96 mph, touching the upper 90s with above-average ride. His slider is a mid-80s offering with above-average spin and gyro shape. His curveball might be his most interesting pitch, sitting 79-81 mph with plus-plus depth. There’s little chance Sharkey is a starter at the next level but he’s certainly an exciting relief prospect with high-leverage bullpen appeal. 

Craig Yoho, RHP, Brewers

Indiana – Round 8, Pick 242

It wouldn’t be outlandish to say that Yoho has the best stuff on this list. A 23-year-old who was draft eligible for the third time may turn out to be one of the better stuff picks of the draft. He missed the 2021 and 2022 seasons due to having Tommy John surgery and a knee injury, but his stuff looked all the way back in 2023 as he showed a nasty three-pitch mix. His fastball sits 92-93 mph, touching 96 mph at peak with two-seam shape and heavy arm-side run. He uses two secondaries in a hammer curveball with depth and sweep in the mid 70s and spin rates that average 2,900-3,000 rpm and a changeup in the low 80s with heavy arm-side run. While Yoho is likely headed to the bullpen, he has some of the most notable pure stuff of any player drafted in 2023. 

Zach Fruit, RHP, Orioles

Troy – Round 9, Pick 271 

It’s been a long and winding road to professional baseball for Fruit. He began his career at Lansing (Mich.) CC before transferring to Eastern Michigan, then transferred to Troy after two seasons with Eastern Michigan. While Fruit didn’t see much success over his collegiate career, he does have notable stuff. His fastball sits mid 90s with ride and run, his slider is a low-to-mid-80s mini-sweeper and his curveball sits 79-80 mph with heavy two-plane break. The long-standing issue for Fruit is his inability to consistently throw strikes—Fruit has issued 5.3 walks per nine innings over his college career. 

Jay Driver, RHP, Guardians 

Harvard – Round 9, Pick 278 

Following a breakout summer in the Cape Cod League with Hyannis, big things were expected of Driver this spring. After performing out of the Harvard bullpen in 2022, Driver made the jump to a starter role in 2023. He made 12 starts this past spring, striking out 69 batters to 29 walks across 67.1 innings. While his command was just pedestrian, he showed the ability to keep the ball on the ground and in the ballpark. Driver’s fastball sat 92-94 mph, touching 95 mph in consecutive summers on the Cape. The pitch has serious sink with heavy arm-side run. The sinker sat just 90-92 mph as a starter this season for Harvard but perhaps the Guardians can get Driver’s velocity closer to his Cape performance in time. He pairs the sinker with a sweepy slider, which is his best swing-and-miss pitch, and a changeup in the low-to-mid 80s with tumble and heavy fade. His low sidearm slot allows Driver to play the east-west game with three different pitch shapes. 

Drew Conover, RHP, Athletics 

Rutgers – Round 11, Pick 316 

Conover spent two seasons at Seton Hall before transferring to Rutgers for his junior season. Drafted in the 20th round out of Seton Hall by the Tigers in 2022, Conover chose not to sign and instead honored his commitment to Rutgers. This spring Conover made 14 starts for the Scarlet Knights to mediocre results. He showed the ability to miss bats, striking out 83 batters over 68 innings, but his lack of command was a consistent problem. Conover mixes a high-spin sinker at 92-94 mph with a sweepy slider in the 82-84 mph range with spin rates in the 2,900-3,000 rpm range. He’ll show a high-80s cutter as well, but his primary pitches are his fastball and slider. Conover’s long arm action and sidearm slot allow his sinker and slider to play up. He’s another arm with relief risk but who provides an unusual look. 

Brett Banks, RHP, Mets 

UNC Wilmington – Round 11, Pick 336 

The Mets have had success drafting college relievers and converting them to starters. While I doubt Banks follows that path, he has the type of stuff that makes him a name to watch. Banks sits 94-96 mph, touching 98 mph at peak with plus ride on the fastball. He pairs his fastball with a slider at 83-85 mph with heavy cut that misses bats. He lacks a true third pitch, but Banks’ fastball and slider combination have potential to settle in as two plus pitches. 

Colson Lawrence, RHP, Marlins

South Alabama – Round 13, Pick 383

A two-way player at South Alabama, Lawrence was announced as a pitcher in round 13. He made 11 appearances out of the bullpen this season while primarily seeing time as a position player. Over his 16.2 innings of work, Lawrence struck out 22 batters to just four walks. Lawrence sits 92-93 mph with heavy bore on his fastball, generating both ride and run. His slider has tight gyro shape, sitting 83-85 mph, and it acts as his primary secondary. Lawrence hasn’t shown a changeup or curveball but could develop a third pitch as a professional. He’s an interesting development project and a good athlete with a starter’s frame.