Kade Anderson Is The Top College Pitcher

LSU lefthander Kade Anderson was already ranked sixth on the BA 500 in our previous update, but after his exceptional run through the College World Series that culminated with a 10-strikeout complete game shutout in the CWS finals, Anderson has claimed the honor of being the top college pitcher in the draft class.

Anderson now ranks fourth overall and is the top college player in the rankings. With this update he’s moved ahead of Florida State lefthander Jamie Arnold and Oregon State shortstop Avia Arquette.

Gage Wood Leaps Forward

Working his way back from Tommy John surgery in 2022, Oklahoma righthander Cade Horton didn’t rank among the top pitching prospects in that year’s draft even as late as mid May. But his final month of work made him a must-see for scouting directors. He eventually went seventh overall to the Cubs.

Arkansas righthander Gage Wood has shown a similar rise in recent weeks. He was a reliever for the Razorbacks for his first two seasons, and his move to the rotation this year was delayed by a shoulder injury that cost him almost all of February and March. When he got back on the mound in mid April, he started showing starter traits, and he’s just gotten better and better as the season wore on.

Wood’s 19-strikeout no-hitter against Murray State in the College World Series is one of the best outings in CWS history. His stuff is as good as the results, with an upper-90s fastball that is one of the best pitches in this year’s class. Wood ranks 18th now, having jumped all the way up from 94 on our previous update, and he’ll be an exciting rising name to watch on draft day.

Potential Prep Picks Who’ve Popped

Tennessee high school shortstop Josh Owens has jumped up 65 spots to No. 77 in the latest update. He’s a well-rounded prospect now with plenty of future projection.

New Jersey prep shortstop Nick Becker moved up 33 spots to 80th overall. Like Owens, his projectability to go with present speed and hitting ability has him climbing into consideration for the top three rounds.

Jacob Parker, the twin brother of potential top 10 pick JoJo Parker, has impressed in his own right and could give the family a pair of draft picks. Parker ranked 209th in our previous update, and he’s moved up 94 spots to 115.

College Prospects Moving Up

Ole Miss infielder Luke Hill made a 90-spot climb to No. 104 in the new rankings. Hill was steady and reliable in his first year with the Rebels, hitting .336/.459/.488.

UNC Wilmington righthander Zane Taylor enters the rankings at No. 151. The senior was dominant at times this year, posting a 1.98 ERA over 15 starts to nab second-team All-American honors. He has excellent command of a solid 93-94 mph fastball and a wide array of secondary offerings.

Southern Miss outfielder Jake Cook climbed a whopping 166 spots to slot in at No. 209. Cook is a speedy center fielder who doesn’t steal bases, but he does make plenty of contact and plays an above-average center field.

Arkansas righthander Ben Bybee is a big righthander who could be a starter or reliever in pro ball. He generates plenty of strikeouts, and his best years may still be ahead of him. He’s a new addition to the rankings at No. 251.

Florida infielder Bobby Boser enters the rankings at No. 283. He has played everywhere for South Florida and now Florida. With a strong record of hitting with wood bats in the Cape Cod League and chance to both play in the dirt and handle multiple outfield spots, he’s a potentially valuable senior sign.

Walters State (Tenn.) JC righthander Aiden Robertson (No. 287) joins the rankings after leading Division I JC pitchers with 130 strikeouts. His low release height helps his low-90s fastball play above its velocity.

LSU outfielder Chris Stanfield (No. 296) is another addition. Stanfield went unpicked last year as a draft-eligible sophomore at Auburn. He moved to LSU this year, won a national title and also raised his draft stock along the way. He’s a slashing/contact-oriented center fielder much like Andrew Stevenson, Zach Watson and Jake Fraley before him at LSU.

Kade Anderson Makes Strong SP1 Case

LSU ace Kade Anderson took advantage of his extra opportunities amid LSU’s championship run and converted them into exclamation points to cap his standout 2025 season. 

He struck out seven batters in seven innings against Arkansas, then threw a complete game shutout against Coastal Carolina with 10 strikeouts on Saturday in game one of the CWS finals. Even before those two outings, Anderson was gaining more momentum than any pitcher in the class to grab hold of the “SP1” designation in the 2025 class—at least among college arms.

After 18 starts and 119 innings, Anderson posted a 3.18 ERA with a nation-leading 180 strikeouts to go along with a 37.4% strikeout rate (third among D-I arms) and a 7.3% walk rate. There are scouts who believe he has the best package of stuff, strikes and delivery in the class. He’s now as likely as any pitcher to be the first selected—with a real chance to go to the Nationals as the first overall pick. 

If Anderson does go first overall he would become just the sixth lefthanded pitcher to ever be drafted first overall, joining a group that includes David Clyde (1973), Floyd Bannister (1976), Brien Taylor (1991), David Price (2007) and Brady Aiken (2014). He would also make history as the first college pitcher to go first overall with a Tommy John surgery already on his resumé. 

Anderson had Tommy John surgery in April of 2022 as a high schooler. He threw more innings than any Division I pitcher this spring, held his stuff deep into games and pitched deeper than six innings in eight of his 18 starts, as well as all four of his final four games. There’s no reason to think Anderson hasn’t put his surgery behind him, but how will his medical history be treated on draft day? 

There have been high-profile pitchers who have gone near the top of the draft with a TJ on their ledger. Just a year ago, Hagen Smith went fifth overall. Smith, like Anderson, had Tommy John surgery in high school before dominating in college with Arkansas. That didn’t stop the White Sox from spending $8 million on him as the second pitcher off the board. Will it deter the Nationals if they think Anderson’s the top player available? 

Josh Owens Could Go In The Top 50

Back in May, we identified Josh Owens as one of several high schoolers with significant buzz. That buzz has only continued. Owens now sounds like he could go among the first 50 picks of the draft. 

Owens is a projectable shortstop with big tools, athleticism and raw power to dream on from the left side. It sounds like there are a handful of teams who would be willing to take a shot on that upside with one of their first picks. 

In our most recent mock draft we mentioned Owens as a potential fit with the Royals. Kansas City picks 23rd, 28th and 61st overall and Owens could be real fit for any of them. He’s also been tied to the Padres, Marlins and Rangers. 

San Diego picks 25th and 99th overall, so it sounds like they might have to take him in the first round if they want to get a shot at his toolset and athleticism. He very much feels like a typical Padres draft pick. 

The Marlins pick seventh overall, 43rd overall and 46th overall. He feels like a better fit with either of those second picks if he’s available than a top-10 draftee.

The Rangers pick 12th overall and 52nd overall, and similar to Miami, he feels like a better fit with their second pick than a top-half of the first round selection. Owens has already garnered some Evan Carter comparisons as a lean, athletic, projectable lefthanded hitter out of Tennessee. If the Rangers take him those comparisons will only increase in frequency. 

Tyler Bremner Feels Safely In The Top 15

The further we get from the 2025 season, the better Tyler Bremner’s draft year looks. That’s been consistent feedback from the industry in recent weeks, and I continue to think he’s more likely to go toward the higher end of his draft range—closer to the Kade Anderson, Liam Doyle, Jamie Arnold and Kyson Witherspoon tier of arms than to falling into the 20s

Bremner entered the season with high expectations but had four fairly modest starts to begin the year which raised some questions. After that, though, Bremner was as dominant as he’s been in college—or more so. Bremner logged double-digit strikeouts in six of his final seven starts. In that seven-start stretch he managed a 74:10 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

His 111 strikeouts in 2025 are the most in a single season. His 35.8% strikeout rate is his best mark in a single season. His 29.7 K-BB% is also his best mark in a single season. His ERA (3.49) in 2025 was higher than his 2024 mark (2.54) but his 2.14 FIP (calculated by FanGraphs) is the best single mark of his three-year career. 

The more granular data looks strong as well. His overall 39% miss rate is the best of his career, per SynergySports. He averaged 95.2 mph on his fastball—also the best mark of his career and marginally better than his 95.0 mph average from 2024. 

His fastball traits should be appealing to most teams, and are comparable to the best college arms in the class. Bremner’s 19.2 inches of induced vertical break is slightly behind Anderson (19.7) and Doyle (19.5). His total horizontal movement of 13.5 inches with the pitch trails only Arnold (13.9). And his -4.21 vertical approach angle is neck-and-neck with Doyle (-4.22) as the second/third flattest fastball of the top arms. Arnold blows everyone away in this category with a -3.84 VAA. 

Add in Bremner’s control and command foundation that could easily be seen as the best of the bunch, and he fits right in with the top arms in the class. Below are the complete resumes for each of the top five college arms in the class. The table is sorted by K-BB%.

Player	ERA	APP	GS	IP	BB	K	HBP	AVG	OPS	BB%	K%	K-BB%	WHIP
Liam Doyle	4.13	58	35	207	73	317	24	0.203	0.649	8.50%	36.70%	28.20%	1.1
Kade Anderson	3.38	37	28	157.1	55	239	12	0.224	0.665	8.40%	36.50%	28.10%	1.17
Tyler Bremner	3.58	50	31	221.1	57	295	10	0.222	0.612	6.30%	32.70%	26.40%	1.08
Jamie Arnold	3.61	58	41	234.1	80	327	38	0.227	0.677	7.90%	32.50%	24.60%	1.19
Kyson Witherspoon	3.14	33	27	175	63	214	17	0.217	0.661	8.40%	28.70%	20.30%	1.17

Ike Irish’s Top 10 Odds

Another first-round talent who I don’t expect to slide much is Auburn catcher Ike Irish. In Mock Draft 4.0 we projected him to go ninth to the Reds. He feels like one of the favorites to be the second college hitter off the board at this point, following Oregon State shortstop Aiva Arquette. 

Irish boasts an impressive combination of college performance, great underlying batted ball data and long-term offensive track record dating back to his high school days. That last point probably carries the least weight of the three, but could be more valuable to some clubs who prioritize a long track record of performance. 

Among projected first-rounders, Irish and Tennessee’s Andrew Fischer dominated many SEC offensive leaderboards. Based on FanGraphs’ calculated wRC+, Irish ranks third among SEC hitters with a 152 mark—trailing only Ryland Zaborowski (171) and Fischer (163). He also ranks:

• Third in batting average (.364)
• Sixth in on-base percentage (.469)
• Fourth in slugging percentage (.710)
• Sixth in isolated slugging (.346)
• Tied for ninth with 19 home runs among qualified SEC hitters

Irish’s underlying batted-ball data supports the production. Among the 11 college hitters currently ranked as first-round prospects with at least 240 plate appearances (excluding only Brendan Summerhill and Ethan Conrad), Irish ranks:

• Second in average exit velocity (94.6 mph)
• Fifth in 90th percentile exit velocity (107.4 mph)
• Third in max exit velocity (113.9 mph)
• First in hard-hit rate (61%)

His impact quality is exceptional. However, his contact rate (81.5%, eighth) and chase rate (23.3%, seventh) rank either modestly or toward the lower end compared to his first-round peers.

Irish’s separator from most other college hitters is his potential to play a premium defensive position. Even if most amateur scouts view Irish as a real risk to move off catcher, recent history for college catchers offers reason for optimism. Austin Wells, Cal Raleigh and Ryan Jeffers all faced similar questions about their defensive ability to stick behind the plate and each, to varying degrees, developed into high-end receivers.

That development track could be a big boost for Irish’s stock on draft day, especially if teams get the idea that he really wants to stick at the position. 

Gage Wood Dominates Down The Stretch

Gage Wood finished the season by doing his best Cade Horton and Ty Floyd impression. The Arkansas righthander missed multiple months of the season, but returned in mid April and flashed some of the best stuff in the class in a few exceptional outings deep into the postseason. 

So how does his draft year resume compare to those recent college pitching risers? Quite well actually: 

Player	Year	ERA	APP	GS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	OPS	BB%	K%	K-BB%
Gage Wood	2025	3.82	10	10	37.2	27	17	16	7	69	0.592	4.70%	46.00%	41.30%
Ty Floyd	2023	4.35	19	17	91	70	50	44	37	120	0.703	9.60%	31.00%	21.40%
Cade Horton	2022	4.86	14	11	53.2	56	31	29	15	64	0.761	6.40%	27.40%	21.00%

Floyd is in a different tier to both Wood and Horton when it comes to overall workload. He pitched his entire draft year and wasn’t returning from injury, as much as putting together a few dominant outings under the bright lights of the College World Series. 

In that sense, Wood compares much better to Horton. Wood does have the advantage of having multiple seasons as a college reliever on his resumé, while Horton missed his freshman year with Tommy John surgery and was draft-eligible during his 2022 sophomore season.

All three pitchers turned in excellent final college starts: Horton struck out 13 and walked none in 7.1 innings vs. Ole Miss in Omaha; Floyd struck out 17 and walked one in eight innings against Florida in Omaha; and Wood struck out 19 and walked none in a complete game, no-hitter and shutout against Murray State. Wood’s no-hitter was the third in College World Series history and the most strikeouts by a CWS pitcher in nine or fewer innings. 

Wood showed dominant stuff to go with his dominant performance. 

Analysts dream about fastballs like Wood’s. This spring he averaged 96.3 mph and touched 98. It’s a hoppy fastball that has great riding life and generated a silly 23.5% swinging strike rate. It looks like a fairly clear 70-grade pitch. Wood backs it up with a hard hammer curveball in the low-to-mid 80s that has above-average potential and this spring and last year has shown great control. 

It’s hard to see how this profile doesn’t go in the first round given how the industry has treated pitchers like Horton and Floyd in the past.

Premium Talents

Dylan Seward, SS, California

Seward came into the showcase as the No. 9 prospect in the 2027 class. By the end of the week, he made a clear case to move higher. Seward checks a lot of boxes consistent with players who go in the first round of the draft. He’s 6 feet, 175 pounds, a quick-twitch, athletic shortstop with plus-plus speed. He projects to stick at shortstop, where he has swift footwork, soft hands, a good internal clock and a strong arm. Seward is a switch-hitter with a mature offensive approach, using a compact swing with good bat-to-ball skills. For a player who isn’t that physically imposing, Seward generates impressive power as well thanks to high-end bat speed, giving him a well-rounded, high-upside profile as a true shortstop who can deliver impact toward the top of a lineup.

Kyler Meccage, OF/LHP, Florida

The No. 7 player in the 2027 class, Meccage is a pure hitter. It’s a polished, professional approach in batting practice to drive the ball in the air consistently to both gaps, and it translates in games with a knack for being on time and on the barrel consistently. It’s an easy lefthanded swing with good rhythm and balance, typically with a hit-over-power game but with flashes of power in games, where he had three hits including a home run and a double. Meccage is a center fielder with good defensive instincts and a plus arm that was up to 96 mph from the outfield during the workout. He’s a talented pitcher too—up to 89 mph during this showcase, registering a couple ticks higher in other looks—and should continue as a two-way player, but his talent in the batter’s box is especially exciting.

Cooper Goff, OF, Utah

Take Meccage’s report as a hitter, copy and paste, and it isn’t far off from Goff. The No. 10 player in the 2027 class, Goff has a thin 6-foot, 165-pound frame with a loose, smooth lefty stroke with great barrel control. It’s a calm, low-effort swing that produces surprising power, something he showed throughout the week in Georgia including during the showcase when he pulled an elevated fastball for a home run to right field. Goff is an average runner underway who projects best in an outfield corner. 

Chase Fuller, SS, Florida

Fuller, the No. 5 player for 2027, stands out quickly for his size (6-foot-3, 205 pounds), athleticism and power. His barrel explodes through the zone from an aggressive righthanded swing to produce some of the best raw power in the class. It’s likely a power-over-hit profile at higher levels with the ability to tap into that power in games and project as a potential 25-plus home run threat in the big leagues. Fuller has the tools to play on the left side of the infield with a strong arm and defensive actions that looked better than they did at this time last year. He should get a chance to continue to develop at shortstop, but as he gets closer to the majors he could ultimately profile well at third base. 

Max Hemenway, SS, Washington

A Washington native at IMG Academy in Florida, Hemenway showed why he’s the No. 2 player in the 2027 class. He’s 6 feet, 175 pounds with an accurate barrel from a compact lefthanded swing. He regularly puts together quality at-bats by recognizing pitches, making good swing decisions and covering all quadrants of the strike zone with little swing-and-miss and an all-fields approach in a hit-over-power offensive game. Hemenway is a high baseball IQ player with quick, athletic actions at shortstop, where he projects to stick with good footwork, soft hands and a nose for the ball. He’s a Tennessee commit. 

Harry “Chubb” Jones, RHP/SS, Georgia

Jones is one of the most exciting players in the country for 2027 and ranked No. 4 overall. He’s 6-foot-4, 190 pounds, a wiry athlete with plus speed and an extremely fast arm. He has been up to 97 mph, and while he didn’t show that top-end velocity here, the projection to throw triple-digits heat in the future was still evident. With a loose, whippy arm, Jones touched 93 mph with his fastball and paired it with a sharp slider above 2,700 rpm at times to miss bats. Jones will need to dial in his control—there was a lot of gloveside miss in this outing—but his excellent athleticism bodes well for his ability to make adjustments. It also showed at shortstop and at the plate, where he turned around a 90 mph fastball for a double that one-hopped the wall in left-center field. 

Graham Houston, SS, Florida

Wake Forest shortstop Marek Houston is a projected first-round pick next month. His younger brother, Graham, is one of the most talented shortstops in the 2027 class. Houston is 6 feet, 172 pounds and moves around gracefully in the field. He’s an above-average runner who is light on his feet with good actions and instincts to project to stick at the position. The No. 13 player in the 2027 class, Houston has a short swing from both sides of the plate with good bat-to-ball skills and gap power that should continue to tick up as he fills out. 

Samir Mohammed, RHP, Florida

Mohammed is 6-foot-5, 240 pounds at 16 with a power arm that was up to 95 mph here. It’s an extra-large frame with a big fastball for his age from a long arm stroke, but Mohammed is more than just a physically mature arm strength guy. He showed the ability to turn over a quality changeup in the low 80s that had more than 20 inches of fade at times to get swing-and-miss and should continue to pile up empty swings at higher levels. The No. 20 player in the 2027 class, Mohammed showed the ability to land his low-80s breaking ball for strikes, too.

Connor Wells, LHP, South Carolina

Wells has been one of the early up-arrow players of the summer. He’s 6-foot-6, 210 pounds with velocity that has trended up from last year, touching 93 mph here with a lot more still in the tank. Wells showed the ability to manipulate shape on a slider that got multiple swings and misses, deploying it with shorter action at times and wider sweeping action at others. Like most long-limbed pitchers who are still 16, Wells is still learning to sync up everything to repeat his delivery more consistently, but he has emerged as one of the best lefties in the 2027 class. 

Grant Sperandio, RHP, Texas

Sperandio is an athletic righthander with fast arm speed and one of the better fastballs in the 2027 class. A Texas commit, Sperandio is 6-foot-2, 205 pounds with a compact arm stroke and a fastball that touched 94 mph. Sperandio flashed a changeup that showed solid fade in warmups, but in game, it was a fastball/breaking ball attack with aptitude to spin a curveball above 2,700 rpm at times from the No. 24 player in the class. 

Connor Salerno, LHP, North Carolina

Salerno offers an impressive mix of both stuff and pitchability. The No. 32 player in the 2027 class, Salerno is 6-foot-4, 225 pounds with a fastball that he ran up to 93 mph from a low release height. Salerno has feel to spin a low-80s slider (typically above 2,400 rpm) with sharp bite and good lateral tilt to miss bats. 

Will Brick, C, Tennessee

Brick showed why he is the top ranked catcher in the 2027 class. He’s 6-foot-2, 195 pounds with elite defensive tools for his age. He’s a flexible, agile defender who is a skilled receiver, blocker and has the tools to control the running game with a strong arm and quick release, something he showed by erasing a basestealer on a 1.87-second pop time. A righthanded hitter, Brick has some unorthodox components to his swing, but he has a track record of high contact in games, strong hands, fast bat speed and big power for a young catcher with a chance to grow into a 20-plus home run hitter. 

Infielders

Bear Calvo, INF, California

Calvo has a hitterish look from the right side of the plate. He has good separation and sequence in a balanced swing that takes a tight turn of the barrel to keep his hands inside the ball and produce line drives all over the field in games, with his best hit coming on a 91 mph fastball that he drove for a double to center field. Calvo showed good timing throughout the week in Georgia with plenty of hard contact in a hit-over-power profile. A fringe-average runner, Calvo is an offensive-oriented infielder whose defensive tools fit best at second or third base in pro ball. 

Deuce Jenkins, 1B/OF, Mississippi

It takes a lot for scouts to get excited about a high school first baseman, but Jenkins (No. 36 in the 2027 class) has the skill set to get their attention. He’s 6-foot-1, 210 pounds, a lefty with a strong build and some of the better raw power in the class. While a lot of young power hitters have longer strokes or have to sell out their swing to generate their power, Jenkins delivers big impact from a compact swing, something he flashed earlier in the week during the PG Beast of the East tournament with an opposite field home run. Jenkins has some sneaky athleticism for his build and moves well enough to play left field for now, but it’s his offensive game that will drive his value.

Blake Ragsdale, SS, Illinois

A TCU commit, Ragsdale showed some of the best defensive actions of any shortstop at the showcase. He’s not a burner—he ran a 6.95 in the 60-yard dash—but he’s light on his feet and plays low to the ground with smooth actions, good body control and a strong arm. He just turned 16, so he’s young for the class, and showed a short righthanded swing, delivering an opposite-field hit during the game.

Malcolm Blaqman, SS, Maryland

A lean, athletic 6-foot-1, 175 pounds, Blaqman is an above-average runner with strong hands, quick wrists and good bat speed from the right side of the plate. He performed well in games too, going 3-for-4 with a home run on an 0-1 curveball he pulled over the big wall in left field and a double off an 0-1 fastball that was nearly a second home run but hit off the right-center field fence. 

Lubin Rincon, SS, Texas

Rincon has impressive actions in the batter’s box and at shortstop. It’s a hitterish look from the left side of the plate, where he has a smooth swing that gets into the hitting zone early with a tight turn of the barrel. He’s 6-foot-3, 170 pounds, a frame with significant strength projection remaining to add to his flashes of over-the-fence power. He’s an average runner with a good chance to stay at shortstop. 

Carter Hadnot, SS, California

Hadnot is an athletic, switch-hitting shortstop with plus speed, good hands, footwork and agility in the field. At 6-foot-2, 170 pounds, Hadnot will need to get stronger to do more damage on contact, but he he a good offensive foundation with his ability to recognize pitches, control the strike zone and make frequent contact with his compact swing from both sides. 

Frank Thomas III, 1B, Florida

Thomas—the son of Hall of Fame first baseman Frank Thomas—has a professional look with his approach in the batter’s box. He’s 6-foot-2, 195 pounds, sets his hands high above his head and uses the whole field. It’s not elite power for a first base prospect, but he makes hard contact with the strength projection for more power still to come, and he has good actions around the bag at first.

Aiden Salinas, SS, Texas

Salinas is a Miami commit with solid-average speed, fluid defensive actions and a strong arm from shortstop. His smoothness in the field has long stood out, but he’s also off to a hot start at the plate this summer, starting at the Beast of the East tournament and carrying over to the PG Junior National showcase, where he walked and homered on a 1-1 fastball. A 6-foot-3, 185-pound righthanded hitter, Salinas will turn 20 in October after his draft year, so he’s on the much older end of the 2027 class and would be a draft-eligible sophomore if he gets to Miami. 

Levi Leathers, 3B, Texas

Leathers is 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, a tall, well-proportioned build that jumps out immediately for a player who just turned 16 and is on the younger end of the 2027 class. He’s a good athlete with strong hands, good bat speed and the physical projection to grow into big righthanded power. 

Hayes Maginnis, SS, Georgia

Maginnis is steady across the board. He’s an average runner with at least an average arm from shortstop with the defensive actions to stick in the dirt. At 5-foot-11, 180 pounds, Maginnis has a compact build with short levers to the ball from the right side of the plate and a track record of producing consistent quality contact in games with a low swing-and-miss rate. 

Sullivan Reed, 3B/1B, Mississippi

Reed recorded a 103 mph exit velocity off the tee, the highest of any player at the showcase. He’s 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, a righthanded hitter who has been on a home run binge to start the summer with the potential for plus or better raw power. There’s some risk Reed could end up at first base long term, so scouts will be closely watching his defense as the draft gets closer.

Mac Morris, SS, South Carolina

Morris showed a mix of power and speed. He’s 5-foot-11, 180 pounds, an above-average runner and a righthanded hitter who loads his swing with a big leg kick. He unleashes the barrel in a hurry with good bat speed, and when his timing is right, he’s able to drive the ball out of the park with big power to his pull side. 

Jayson Parker, 1B, Florida

At 6-foot-4, 218 pounds, Parker’s size and power is reminiscent of Miami infielder Daniel Cuvet when he was at this showcase a few years ago. Parker launched towering shots in BP, demonstrating some of the better raw power of any player in attendance. As a first base prospect, Parker will have to mash, so scouts will be closely following how his pure hitting ability translates in games over the next couple years, but he also showed surprising speed for his size with a 6.76-second 60-yard dash and has a strong arm.

Hudson Holt, INF/OF, Texas

Holt is 6-foot-2, 185 pounds and drew attention in BP with a sound righthanded stroke and the ability to snap the barrel into the hitting zone quickly with good bat speed and hard contact all over the field. He’s off to a strong start at the plate this summer as well, working quality at-bats with a sense of the strike zone and good bat-to-ball skills. He’s a fringe-average runner with a strong arm who has experience in both the infield and outfield, potentially fitting at third base or a corner outfielder at higher levels.

Brayden Landry, SS, Washington

Still 15, Landry is one of the youngest players in the 2027 class. He’s an athletic shortstop with plus speed who could still get faster once he adds more strength to his 6-foot, 165-pound frame. Landry has a quick-first step with the defensive instincts and actions to stay in the middle infield. He’s a righthanded hitter whose game will benefit from getting stronger to more damage on contact, though he flashed some of that in game with a double into the left field corner. 

Outfielders

Sebastian “Sushi” Wilson, OF, Illinois

An Illinois native at IMG Academy in Florida, Wilson came into the PG Junior National showcase after a huge showing at the Beast of the East tournament, where he went 6-for-16 (.375) with three home runs. A Tennessee commit ranked No. 31 in the 2027 class, Wilson has a strong 6-foot, 190-pound build with a loud tool set, especially with some of the best lefthanded power in the country for 2027 with an aggressive mindset at the plate. Wilson runs well underway with plus speed and could see some time in center field but likely projects best as a corner outfielder with the arm strength for right field. 

Jordin Griffin, OF, Louisiana

An LSU commit and a top 50 player in the 2027 class, Griffin is just 5-foot-8, 170 pounds, but his bat speed enables him to drive the ball with raw power that stacks up with some of the top power hitters in the country. Griffin takes an aggressive, whippy swing from the left side to produce startling power for his size. He has a track record of being a patient hitter to draw his walks and is also a good athlete with plus-plus speed and good defensive instincts in center field. 

Anderson Lambert, OF/INF, Maryland

Lambert is a lean 6 feet, 170-pound righthanded hitter with quick wrists that he uses to snap the barrel through the zone with good bat speed. He’s not that physical, but he’s wiry strong with the bat speed to make hard contact with occasional over-the-fence juice now and projection for more of his doubles to turn into home runs as he fills out. He’s an average runner with a strong arm who could move around between the infield and outfield at higher levels. 

Lash Henderson, OF, Texas

Henderson was only at the workout portion of the showcase, though he did play in games right before the event during the Beast of the East tournament. He jumps out right away for his ultra-athletic 6-foot-4, 210-pound frame with some of the best tools in the class. He’s a plus runner, his arm is above-average and he has some of the best raw power in the class with a chance for that to develop into a plus to plus-plus tool. There’s still some crudeness for Henderson to iron out at the plate to be more consistent with his swing and timing, but there’s big upside if everything clicks.

Noah Goettke, OF, Indiana

Goettke was another player who stood out during the working for his athleticism and tool set. He’s a quick-twitch athlete at 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, an above-average runner with a plus arm and explosive bat speed that he used to put on a show during BP with some of the better raw power of any hitter in the 2027 class. Goettke will need to improve his pitch recognition to make more frequent contact and translate that power with more consistency against live pitching, but it’s an exciting power/speed mix if it all comes together.

Caden Dawson, OF, Atlanta

Dawson is 6-foot-2, 210 pounds and a lefthanded hitter with a promising offensive skill set. He took a smooth, controlled round of BP and has a strong offensive track record, combining an accurate barrel with the ability to drive the ball for extra-base damage, something he showed earlier in the week during games at the Prep Baseball Report’s National Program Invitational tournament. He’s an offensive-oriented player who projects best in an outfield corner. 

Nico Moritz-Toledo, OF, Virginia

Moritz-Toledo is a burner with plus-plus speed, running the 60-yard dash in 6.32 seconds, the second-fastest time of the showcase. A Virginia Tech commit, Moritz-Toledo is 5-foot-11, 190 pounds with strong hands and good bat speed to drive the ball for hard contact from the left side of the plate. 

JD Aufderheide, OF, Georgia

Aufderheide showed one of the better raw tool sets among the position players at the showcase. He’s 6-foot-1, 198 pounds, a strong, athletic build and a plus-plus runner who ran the 60-yard dash in 6.4 seconds, tied for the No. 4 time of the event. He’s a center fielder who showed a strong arm and drove the ball well from the right side of the plate during batting practice, launching multiple balls over the left field well and a couple off the fence.

Catchers

Dariel Carrion, C, Puerto Rico

Carrion already has an above-average arm and is still just 15, so within a few years he could end up with a well above-average arm. It’s a strong, physically mature build for his age at 5-foot-10, 210 pounds with an aggressive swing and approach from the right side of the plate and a likely power-over-hit offensive game. Carrion went 3-for-4 in games at the showcase, including a double that he drilled for a line drive into the left-field corner. 

Blake Lundy, C, Tennessee

Lundy is a physical catcher (6-foot-3, 225 pounds) ranked No. 46 in the 2027 class. That size and strength has produced a pair of standout tools with his raw power and arm strength. He’s a righthanded hitter with big bat speed and power to drive the ball with impact when everything is synced up and on time—something he showed with a triple over the center fielder’s head on a curveball—from an aggressive approach and a likely power-over-hit offensive game. His above-average arm is one of the strongest of any 2027 catcher. 

Tyson Moore, C, Minnesota

Moore has a strong catcher’s frame (6 feet, 195 pounds) with good catch-and-throw skills for his age. He’s athletic behind the plate with quick feet and a swift transfer to an average arm. A righthanded hitter, Moore sets up with a narrow base before taking a longer stride with strong, quick hands to drive the ball for hard contact and a chance to grow into a 15-20 home run threat. 

Quincy Pratt, C/INF, Mississippi

Pratt is the type of player who looks better in games than he does in a showcase setting. He has a rangy 6-foot-4, 195-pound frame, and while there’s not one standout tool that jumps out, it’s his hitting ability that’s his calling card. Especially for a young, longer-limbed hitter, Pratt is able to keep his swing relatively compact and efficient to make frequent contact against live pitching. Pratt has experience both as an infielder and a catcher and looked most comfortable here as an infielder, where he shows good rhythm and fundamentals and the arm strength for the left side of the infield, likely best suited at third base in pro ball.

KJ Anderson, C, Tennessee

A lefthanded hitter, Anderson had one of the louder BP sessions of the event, putting multiple balls over the fence including one high up into the right field trees, blasting deep fly balls throughout his BP. Anderson is 6 feet, 190 pounds and has one of the better offensive track records among 2027 catchers. He turns 20 in October after his draft year, so he will be a draft-eligible sophomore if he gets to college, with the offensive skill set that could make him an immediate contributor.

Caden Borcherding, C, Georgia

Borcherding just turned 16, so he’s young for the class but already generates impressive righthanded bat speed from his lean 6-foot-1, 175-pound frame to project bigger power to come once he fills out. He delivered a pair of hits during game action and showed what should be at least an average arm as he continues to layer on more strength.

Pitchers

George Ferguson, RHP, Texas

The No. 26 player in the 2027 class, Ferguson filled the zone with power stuff, pitching off a fastball that touched 93 mph while striking out four batters in two innings. A strong 6-foot-4, 210 pounds, Ferguson has some effort to his delivery but he continued his track record of good control (he threw 73% strikes here) and got empty swings on both his curveball and changeup. Ferguson’s curveball has sharp bite and has long been an effective swing-and-miss pitch for him, while his changeup looked improved from a year ago with good sink and fade, giving him a quality three-pitch mix to project as a starter. 

Hunter Wieckowski, RHP, Florida

One of the up-arrow pitchers of the early summer, Wieckowski showed starter traits and promising upside at the PG Junior National showcase. Pitching from a sound, repeatable delivery, Wickowski is 6-foot-3, 190 pounds with a lot of space left to fill out and add to a fastball that touched 91 mph here. He showed feel to manipulate multiple secondary weapons, mainly a tight slider above 2,700 rpm with 14-15 inches of horizontal break and a promising changeup that should become a bigger part of his repertoire with more experience. 

Oliver Van Tiem, RHP, North Carolina

Van Tiem showed promising projection indicators. He’s 6-foot-3, 195 pounds with a fastball that got a lot of swing-and-miss in this look. He touched 90 mph and looks like he should eventually reach the mid-90s or better once he packs on more weight. Van Tiem’s fastball was his most effective pitch here, but he showed feel to spin a slider north of 2,500 rpm at times. 

Konnor Briggs, LHP, Florida

Last year we had Briggs as the sleeper of the PG Sophomore National showcase when he was throwing 84 mph. That label still fits him here as a young lefty who doesn’t throw as hard as other top arms in the 2027 class but who has a lot of favorable projection indicators. Briggs is still 15 and will be 17 on draft day, so he’s one of the younger 2027 players. He’s 6-foot-5, 203 pounds with a fastball up to 87 mph and projection to eventually sit in the low-90s or better. His long arms and near over-the-top slot create a high release point with good carry behind his fastball. His curveball spins around 2,300-2,400 rpm with good depth and plays well off his heater.

Cole Cinnamond, LHP, Virginia

It was a quick outing on the mound for Cinnamond, but it didn’t take long for his stuff to stand out. Cinnamond has an extra-large build (6-foot-5, 210 pounds) with loose arm action into a fastball that touched 93 mph. Cinnamond didn’t throw many pitches here to gauge his offspeed stuff but he flashed a tight slider to complement a big fastball for his age. 

Cooper Vais, RHP, Colorado

An athletic righthander at 6 feet, 180 pounds, Vais snapped off one of the better breaking balls of the event. He touched 92 mph with a high-spin fastball and showed tight rotation on a hard curveball that spun in the 2,600 to 2,800 rpm range and should be a swing-and-miss pitch for him at higher levels. Vais stood out most on the mound, though he also worked out at shortstop and the outfield, showed above-average speed with impressive raw power from a compact righthanded swing and doubled during the game. 

Drew Davis, RHP/SS, Mississippi

Davis is a two-way player with intriguing traits on both sides of the ball. That’s especially true on the mound, where at 6 feet, 175 pounds, he doesn’t have the prototype projectable pitcher’s frame, but he throws strikes with a fastball up to 90 mph and can rip off a tight curveball with high spin in the 2,700 to 2,800 rpm range. He’s an instinctive, high baseball IQ player with a line-drive, contact-oriented swing from the right side of the plate. 

Bubba Day, RHP, Nebraska

An athletic righthander, Day is 6-foot-4, 190 pounds, a lean, long-limbed frame with lots of room to add weight and grow a fastball that has already reached 93 mph with good armside run. His fastball was his best pitch, though he showed some flashes of feel to get fade on a low-80s changeup that could end up a better pitch than his breaking ball with more reps. 

Cooper Jones, LHP, South Carolina

If there’s another sleeper pitcher to watch from the event, it’s Jones. He’s 5-foot-10, 175 pounds, a smaller frame that won’t draw immediate attention from scouts, but his ability to manipulate a pair of advanced secondary weapons stood out. Jones pitched off a fastball that touched 90 mph and separated himself with his ability to spin a tight, upper-70s curveball north of 2,900 rpm at times and flash a lively, tailing changeup. 

Statcast Standouts

Bullpen Velocity (mph)

1. Nate Snead, 99.2
2. Zane Taylor, 97.7
3. Jayden Stroman, 97.3
4. Blaine Wynk, 96.8
5. Mason Pike, 96.6

Bullpen IVB (inches)

1. Jayden Stroman, 21
2. Joshua Flores, 20.5
3. Connor Hamilton, 19.9
4. Collin McKinney, 19.7
5. Blaine Wynk, 19.7

Bullpen Spin Rate (rpm)

1. Matt Barr, 3,061 (SL)
2. Matt Barr, 3,010 (CB)
3. Marcos Paz, 2,952 (SL)
4. Ma’Kale Holden, 2,946 (CB)
5. Will Hynes, 2,809 (SL)

Batting Practice Average Exit Velocity (mph)

1. Landyn Vidourek, 103.9
2. Jacob Walsh, 102.8
3. Bruin Agbayani, 102.2
4. Cam Maldonado, 101.5
5. Trevor Cohen, 101.1

Batting Practice Max Exit Velocity (mph)

1. Sebastian Norman, 113.8
2. Landyn Vidourek, 113.4
3. Jacob Walsh, 113.2
4. Sam Parker, 111.5
5. Ty Harvey, 110.5

Batting Practice Max Projected Distance (feet)

1. Mason Braun, 450
2. Trevor Cohen, 431.5
3. Sebastian Norman, 428.4
4. Jacob Walsh, 427.9
5. Gabe Graulau, 427.6

10 Notable Prospects

Marcos Paz, RHP, Hebron HS, Carrollton, Tex.

BA Rank: No. 170

Paz has been a conundrum for teams to deal with in the 2025 class. As an underclassman, he looked like one of the very best pitchers in the prep class thanks to big stuff, a big frame and starter traits. However, he had Tommy John surgery at the beginning of the summer in 2024, which largely put him out of place and out of mind for the scouting community. 

Now back on the mound and healthy, Paz’s day two combine bullpen session was one of the most anticipated of the event. 

He’s a physical righthander listed at 6-foot-2, 220 pounds and works from the middle of the rubber with an easy and repeatable delivery. Paz mixed a three-pitch arsenal in this bullpen session with a fastball in the 92-95 mph range, as well as an 87 mph changeup and a short-breaking 83-86 mph slider. The slider had tight movement but huge spin rates. Paz spun the breaking ball in the 2,800-2,900 rpm range, which was good for the third-highest spin on a breaking ball on the second day, behind only Matt Barr’s slider and curveball. 

His fastball control was more sharp than his secondaries in this brief look. Paz spiked a few of his breaking balls, let a few others pop out of his hand to the arm side and also missed high on one changeup. Ultimately, however, he looks the part of a workhorse starter and is showing the same sort of velocity post-surgery that he showed before it. He’s committed to LSU and could be a tough sign, but he is one of the most fascinating players in the class. 

Tim Piasentin, 3B, Foothills Composite HS, Okotoks, Alberta

BA Rank: No. 121

It’s becoming an annual tradition to have a big-bodied, lefthanded-hitting Canadian slugger put on a show on the second day of the combine. Last year, Nathan Flewelling showed huge raw power. This year, it was Piasentin, who is the top-ranked Canadian prospect in the class and has the impact ability to follow Flewelling as a third-round pick on draft day. 

Piasentin is a physically-advanced hitter with a powerful, 6-foot-3, 205-pound frame. He pairs big strength with big bat speed that led to a handful of towering home runs to the pull side during BP. He sets up with a slightly-open stance featuring a head-high handset and a quiet hand load before firing his hands through the zone with an uphill path and steeper finish. It’s a ready-made swing to drive the ball with authority in the air.

Piasentin has even more room on his frame to add strength and looks like the sort of hitter who could develop double-plus raw power and become a monster in the box in a few years. His hardest ball came off the bat at 110.2 mph, and he averaged a 98 mph exit velocity. Piasentin’s farthest hit ball went a projected 423.5 feet. 

Defensively, he has a good arm for third base that could be a nice tool if he can stick at the position. 

Jayden Stroman, RHP, Patchogue-Medford (N.Y.) HS

BA Rank: No. 167

Stroman is a talented high school shortstop and righthander, but he is more likely to follow in his older brother Marcus’ footsteps as a pitcher at the next level. He’s been getting nationally cross-checked as a pitcher this spring, and his bullpen on Wednesday shows why. 

Jayden is a lot more physical than his older brother. He’s already listed at 6-foot-1, 195 pounds and has lots of strength throughout his muscular frame. He works from the first base side of the rubber and features a deeper, plunging arm action and also has a bit of tilt in his leg lift before firing to the plate with a high-three quarters slot and good arm speed. 

Stroman settled in after a high fastball to start things off and showed solid feel for a three-pitch mix. He threw his fastball in the 94-97 mph range and touched that 97 mark multiple times. In addition to big velocity, Stroman gets above-average riding life on the pitch. The fastball averaged 17.7 inches of induced vertical break, and his biggest IVB heater registered 21 inches flat—the hoppiest fastball of the second day. He also showed a solid 84-87 mph changeup and a power curveball in the 83-85 mph range with solid biting action. 

Michael Oliveto, C, Hauppauge (N.Y.) HS

BA Rank: No. 143

Oliveto has one of the smoother lefthanded swings in the prep class, and he has been a big-time helium name from the Northeast region of the country this spring. He’s a projectable hitter with a lean, 6-foot-3, 185-pound frame who sets up with an even stance that features a toe tap and leads to a smooth, level bat path. It’s a line-drive oriented stroke that comes with impressive rhythm, balance and timing. Considering his longer levers, Oliveto did a nice job putting the barrel on the ball consistently and also flashed some pullside home run power when he got fully extended. 

Oliveto is a hit-over-power offensive player now, but it’s easy to see him packing on more strength and developing solid-or-better power at physical maturity. His 92.7 mph average exit velocity in BP was a modest number for the second day of hitters, but he was also just one of just eight batters to have a max exit velocity north of 110 mph alongside present sluggers like Sebastian Norman, Landyn Vidourek and Jacob Walsh. 

Zane Taylor, RHP, UNC Wilmington

BA Rank: NR

Taylor was slated to land on BA’s senior sign list before the draft, but his 2025 season was so dominant and his stuff so exciting that he warrants a place on the BA 500 on our next draft board update coming next week.

Taylor’s bullpen Wednesday was quick and loud. He threw just 14 pitches but showcased a strong four-pitch arsenal that was led by a hard, upper 90s fastball. He sat in the 95-97 mph range and touched 98, and his 97.7 mph max velocity was good for second best of the day, behind only Tennessee’s Nate Snead (more on him below).

Taylor also showed a hard 88-90 mph cutter with solid movement in that velocity band, an 86-87 mph changeup and a hard spike-grip curveball at 83-85 mph with solid depth. 

Sebastian Norman, 3B, Glendale HS, Springfield, Mo.

BA Rank: No. 296

Norman is a physical righthanded hitter with some of the loudest raw power in the prep class. On the second day of batting practice, his 113.8 mph max EV topped not only all the high school hitters, but all of the college hitters, as well, and showed his impact ability when he made his best contact. 

Norman has a wide stance with a hitch in his load, and he takes a slightly unusual stride to the ball, with a long, level bat path. While Norman’s top-end exit velocities were among the best we saw at the combine, the delta between his max and his average exit velocity (90.8 mph) highlighted some of the questions about the consistency of his contact. At times, he was under the ball too much, which led to some weak pop flies.

Defensively, Norman has a big arm that could be a nice fit at the hot corner, but he’ll need to stay on top of his conditioning, footwork and mobility to stick there. 

Nate Snead, RHP, Tennessee

BA Rank: No. 82

Snead, who ranks as a top 100 draft prospect for 2025, was one of the higher profile pitchers to toe the rubber and throw a bullpen session at this year’s combine. A flamethrowing righthander with some of the best pure velocity in the class, he’s been up into the triple digits with his fastball. On Wednesday he only touched 99.2 mph, which was still good for the day two velocity lead as well as the event’s overall high mark.

Snead works from the first base side of the rubber and features a crossfire landing and three-quarters slot. He averaged 97-98 mph in this bullpen session and gets a lot of armside running life with his sinking fastball. He paired it with a 92-95 mph cutter and a firm, higher-spin changeup at 89-91 mph. He also snapped off a high-spin power curveball in the 82-85 mph range. 

Despite Snead’s loud power stuff, he’s had a sub-20% strikeout rate in each of the past two seasons with Tennessee while pitching out of the bullpen. 

Lorenzo Meola, SS, Stetson

BA Rank: No. 130

Meola is coming off a career-best offensive season with Stetson, which is a nice addition to a profile that’s driven by his glovework at shortstop. He’s got a chance to be an above-average defender at the position and turned in one of the slicker infield sessions of the combine. 

Meola has quick, fluid and graceful actions on the dirt, with deft footwork to go with reliable hands and a fast transfer. He works low to the ground and sees the ball deep into his glove. He displays solid range to both sides and showed a nice ability to cut down ground and take efficient angles to the baseball. Meola’s arm strength isn’t a super loud tool, but it could play up thanks to his quick hand-glove transfer.

Offensively, Meola has a slightly closed-off setup in the box with a simple setup and swing that features an uphill path and fringy raw power. His contact quality in Wednesday’s BP session was solid, and he topped out with a 104.7 mph exit velocity. 

Tyler Baird, RHP, William Amos Hough HS, Cornelius, N.C.

BA Rank: No. 278

Baird has starter traits and a projectable frame to dream on. He wasn’t seen a ton over the 2024 showcase circuit, so his bullpen session on Wednesday was another key data point for teams in the leadup to the draft.

Listed at 6-foot-4, 190 pounds, Baird has a great pitcher’s frame with long levers and plenty of room to add strength. He was impressively synced up and repeated his delivery well, showing an easy operation and a clean, fluid delivery that featured a three-quarters slot and what looks like good extension. 

Baird threw a three-pitch mix that included a 93-95 mph sinking fastball, an 85-89 mph changeup which with he did a nice job throwing strikes and a slower curveball in the upper 70s that has solid pure spin but needs a touch more consistency. Occasionally, Baird’s curveball would hop up out of his hand or back up a bit to the arm side, but it features solid movement vertically and to the glove side in general. 

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

BA Rank: No. 463

Flores is a young-for-the-class righthander with a number of exciting traits to like. He has a strong and stocky build at 6-foot-1, 200 pounds, has run his fastball up to 96 mph and also has impressive ability to spin the baseball. Over the 2024 summer, Flores flashed a plus curveball, but in Wednesday’s bullpen session, he showcased a hard mid-80s slider that looked like a potential plus pitch.

Flores works from the first base side and features some tilt in his leg lift with a deep take-back in his arm action and fast arm speed. In this look, he threw his fastball in the 94-95 mph range with solid riding life and also showed an 84-85 mph changeup. His slider looked like the most electric single pitch in his arsenal—a hard 84-87 mph breaking ball with impressive power, bite and tilt.

Statcast Standouts

Bullpen Velocity (mph)

1. Dean Livingston, 97.6
2. CJ Gray, 96.5
3. Mason Estrada, 96.3
4. Gavin Lauridsen, 94.9
5. Gabe Davis, 94.3

Bullpen IVB (inches)

1. Vaughn Neckar, 21.7
2. Gabe Davis, 20.4
3. Gavin Lauridsen, 19.9
4. Pierce Coppola, 18.9
5. Joe Ariola, 18.6

Bullpen Spin Rate (rpm)

1. Reid Worley, 3,201 (SL)
2. Joe Ariola, 2,892 (CB)
3. Mason Estrada, 2,761 (SL)
4. Dominick Reid, 2,578 (CB)
5. Gabe Davis, 2,546 (SI)

Batting Practice Average Exit Velocity (mph)

1. Brandon Compton, 110.1
2. Taitn Gray, 102.0
3. Josiah Hartshorn, 101.1
4. Jacob Parker, 101.1
5. Quentin Young, 100.5

Batting Practice Max Exit Velocity (mph)

1. Brandon Compton, 116.9
2. Quentin Young, 115.4
3. Taitn Gray, 114.5
4. James Quinn-Irons, 112.1
5. Josiah Hartshorn, 111.8

Batting Practice Max Projected Distance (feet)

1. Brandon Compton, 459.8
2. Josh Hammond, 438.5
3. Nick Dumesnil, 435.5
4. Taitn Gray, 434.2
5. Tate Southisene, 430.7

11 Notable Prospects

Brandon Compton, OF, Arizona State

BA Rank: No. 42

A year ago, PJ Morlando lit up Chase Field with the most electric batting practice session of the 2024 draft combine. After a full first day of 2025, the batting practice crown easily belongs to Compton. 

Compton was in one of the final batting practice groups of the day, but left a mark by barreling the ball over and over again, with towering home runs hit to the pull side and consistent standout exit velocities.

He’s a broad-shouldered lefthanded hitter with plenty of strength, obvious bat speed and an uphill path that’s geared to launch balls in the air. If the sound of the bat and the sight of balls flying into the right field stands weren’t enough, the batted ball data paints a strong image, too.

Compton led all hitters with a max exit velocity of 116.9 mph, a max projected distance of 459.8 feet and an average exit velocity of 110.1 mph. It was an eye-opening effort, and while all of the scouts in attendance had a clear idea of Compton’s impact potential, his draft combine BP showing was certainly a good reminder in the lead up to draft day. 

Quentin Young, 3B/OF, Oaks Christian HS, Westlake Village, Calif.

BA Rank: No. 55

Young has the toolset to thrive in a workout environment like the draft combine. He’s an ultra-physical high school hitter with a 6-foot-5, 215-pound frame and raw power that matches it. Young is a righthanded hitter who has some moving parts in his swing—including a bat tip, an early load with his hands and a steep path that can lead to some inconsistent contact at times—but when he’s synced up and on the barrel, his contact is exceptionally loud. He had the highest average launch angle (33 degrees) of any hitter on day one.

Young hit a few balls that were shocking to see for a high school hitter, including one straightaway homer into the Chase Field batter’s eye. He has easy plus raw power now and could grow into 70-grade juice in the future. 

His 115.4 mph max exit velocity was second behind only Brandon Compton, and that mark was good for best among all high school hitters. Young hit six different balls harder than 110 mph and six balls further than a projected 400 feet.

In addition to having some of the best raw power in the class, Young has one of the better throwing arms. He took infield at shortstop where he didn’t fully let loose with his 70-grade arm strength, but moved around reasonably well for a player of his size. 

Taitn Gray, C, Dallas Center-Grimes Community HS, Dallas Center, Iowa

BA Rank: No. 126

Gray jumped up draft boards this spring by showing huge raw power for a switch hitter and high school catcher. He doubled down on his reputation as an impact bat with a strong showing in the morning batting practice session. 

Gray is a 6-foot-3, 215-pound hitter who has a more fluid and dangerous looking swing from the left side. As a lefty, Gray sets up with an open stance and takes a big stride to get back to a closed position. He was ultra pull-heavy in this look with tons of balls yanked down the right field line, but his strength and ability to backspin the ball were impressive. 

Only Compton and Young topped Gray’s 114.5 mph max exit velocity, and his 102.0 mph average exit velocity was good for second of the day—behind only Compton’s 110.1 mph average.

Gray also made a few throws from behind the plate in catcher drills. He popped in the 1.97-2.08 second range on Baseball America’s stopwatch, with one errant throw that he sailed too high, but a few other balls that were thrown with solid carry and accuracy to the second base bag. 

Dax Kilby, SS, Newnan (Ga.) HS

BA Rank: No. 75

Batting practice isn’t always about huge power and big exit velocities. Showing a professional hitting approach and a consistent ability to make high quality contact is just as important—if not more so. Kilby’s batting practice stood out for its consistency, fluidity and an ease of operation that screams advanced pure hitter. 

He entered the combine with a reputation for having good rhythm, balance, a sound approach and an easy lefthanded swing that’s led to plenty of hard-hit line drives across the entire field. His batting practice backed up that reputation. At 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, Kilby has a lean and projectable frame and was consistently on the barrel with plenty of well-struck, low line drives. 

He snuck a few balls over the fence to his pull side, and it’s easy to see how he could layer on more strength in the future as he fills out and adds more raw power to what seems like an excellent foundation to hit. 

In Kilby’s batting practice session, he had a 99.1 mph average exit velocity, a 107.5 mph max exit velocity, a 399-foot max projected distance and a 19.9 degree average launch angle. 

Gustavo Melendez, SS, Colegio La Merced HS, Cayey, P.R.

BA Rank: No. 119

Melendez is the top Puerto Rican prospect in the class and is also exceptionally young for the draft. He’s 17 years old now and doesn’t turn 18 until October. Like many Puerto Rican shortstop prospects, Melendez stands out for his work on the defensive end. 

His shortstop session was one of the sharpest of the day, and he has obvious tools and skills that should allow him to stick at the position and be quite good there. Listed at just 5-foot-9, 160 pounds, Melendez makes the most of his smaller size by playing low to the ground and getting the ball in and out of his glove extremely quickly. 

He’s a sure-footed defender who takes good angles to the ball and does a nice job resetting his feet to position himself to make strong throws from different angles. His reliable hands stood out on a few different ground balls that took sneaky sharp hops. Melendez was unfazed throughout his infield session and showed the sort of glove work and soft hands that give him a chance to be an above-average defender at the position. 

Melendez has enough arm strength for the position—and his exchange should allow it to consistently play up—when his feet are set, though on one tough backhand in the hole, his arm strength was exposed more while throwing on the run away from the first base bag. He could add more arm strength as he gains physicality, though his frame doesn’t suggest a significant amount of more strength to come. 

Offensively, Melendez is light on power but has an uphill swing from a crouched setup and a lower handset. His 101.2 mph max exit velocity was the third-lowest of the 38 hitters who took part in BPs. 

Kayson Cunningham, SS, Johnson HS, San Antonio

BA Rank: No. 12

Cunningham was one of the top-ranked players to take part in on-field action on the first day of the combine. He and Jojo Parker—ranked No. 11 overall—are both solid middle-of-the-first-round talents, which makes their appearance in the workout setting of the combine notable in and of itself. 

For those who know Cunningham, his batting practice performance would be unsurprising. The draft’s best pure hitter continued to look the part with a minimal operation that’s simple, easy and repeatable with quick and snappy hands that consistently put the barrel on the ball in all sorts of hitting zones. He takes his hands directly to the ball with very little wasted movement and always seems to finish his swing with great balance.

Cunningham has the ability to spray hard line drives to all fields, and while he’s very much a hit-over-power lefty bat now, he did hit one ball a projected 419.9 feet and pushed his max exit velocity up to more than respectable 107.2 mph. 

He also took grounders at shortstop. Many in the industry expect him to slide off the position eventually, but he has the quickness, hands and actions to get a shot at shortstop to start his professional career.

CJ Gray, RHP, Brown HS, Kannapolis, N.C.

BA Rank: No. 112

Gray is one of the most exciting projection arms in the class. He took the mound first among the pitchers throwing bullpens on Tuesday and woke the radar gun up quickly. 

Listed at 6-foot-1, 180 pounds, Gray works from the first base side of the rubber and has a long arm action with some of the best pure arm speed in the class. He averaged just over 95 mph with his sinking fastball and ran the pitch up to 96.5 mph at peak velocity—the second-best mark of day one pitchers. 

Gray also mixed in a firm changeup at 88 mph and an 85-86 mph slider with spin rates in the 2,400-2,500 rpm range. Gray got around a few of the sliders he threw and lacks command with the pitch—as well as his arsenal at large—and is more stuff-over-polish at the moment. 

He’s a tremendous athlete and dynamic mover on the mound who could be a monster in a few seasons with more reps and some refinement with his delivery and feel to repeat his arm slot. 

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

BA Rank: 173

Livingston was the velocity king from the first day of the combine. His 97.6 mph heater was the hardest of the day and the lone pitch that could boast the 98 mph mark when rounding. 

Livingston has a projectable frame at 6-foot-4, 195 pounds and throws with excellent arm speed. Both of those traits should lead to fairly easy triple-digit velocity projections in the near future. He averaged 96.1 mph in this brief bullpen session with fairly modest life that could cause the pitch to play down from its velocity at the next level. 

Livingston mixed in one firm 88 mph changeup where his arm trailed a bit, and he spun a slurvy breaking ball in the 79-83 mph range that looked like a true curveball at times and more of sweeping slider at the 83 mph velocity range.

Gavin Lauridsen, RHP, Foothill HS, Santa Ana, Calif.

BA Rank: NR

Lauridsen entered the combine not ranked on the BA 500, but he put together a bullpen session that was very much deserving of being on the board. Lauridsen has a great pitcher’s frame at 6-foot-4, 200 pounds with plenty of room to add more weight. He works from the third base side of the rubber with solid arm speed from a higher three-quarters slot and has a tick of a head snap with some effort in his finish. 

He threw a four-pitch mix that was led by a 94-95 mph fastball with strong riding life. The pitch averaged 18.4 inches of induced vertical break, which was one of the better riding fastballs of the first day of bullpens. He also showed two distinct breaking balls. The first a 75-78 mph curveball with impressive depth that he kept low in the zone, and the second an 82-83 mph slider with more of a gyro look.

Lauridsen did mix in an 83-84 mph changeup, but he needs to improve his ability to sell the pitch with more fastball-like arm speed. 

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

BA Rank: No. 139

Worley has long had a reputation as one of the better breaking-ball pitchers in the class. He has an innate feel to spin the baseball and showed some of the best pure spin in Tuesday’s bullpen session. Worley was the only player to generate a 3,000 rpm or better breaking ball—and he did so with three different breaking balls in the 82-83 mph range. 

A 6-foot-2, 180-pound righthander, Worley showed a four-pitch mix that included a 90-92 mph fastball, an 85-86 mph changeup, one 87-mph cutter and his hammer breaking ball in the low 80s. The pitch was tagged as both a slider and a curveball on Chase Field’s pitch-tracking unit, but it mostly looks like one breaking ball that he’s able to manipulate a bit with great depth, snappy action and tons of horizontal movement. 

It’s an easy plus pitch that might only be limited by Worley’s ability to consistently land it for strikes. He was around the zone enough in this bullpen session but doesn’t have precise command or advanced touch and feel just yet. 

Joe Ariola, LHP, Wake Forest

BA Rank: 163

At the 2024 combine, Brandon Clarke showed better control in his bullpen session than might be expected given his scattered strike-throwing history. That improved control has translated for Clarke early in his pro career after signing with the Red Sox in the fifth round. Perhaps Ariola is the next lefthander with big stuff and scattered strikes to begin his transformation at the combine.

Ariola’s Tuesday bullpen session didn’t look like a pitcher who consistently struggled to throw strikes in college and posted a career-high 23% walk rate with Wake Forest this spring. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound lefty looked as dialed in as any pitcher who threw in terms of consistency and command.

He works from the middle of the rubber and throws from an over-the-top arm slot that he repeated nicely, and he consistently hit his spots with the entirety of his four-pitch mix. After sitting at 93.3 mph this spring, Ariola threw his fastball a bit more than a tick slower in this bullpen session. He averaged 91.8 mph and topped out at 92.8 mph but showed solid control with the pitch.

He also spotted an 82-83 mph changeup with fading life, an 82-86 mph short slider and a consistent 79-81 mph curveball with late downard bite. The curveball looked like Ariola’s best pitch in a vacuum, with impressive movement and spin rates in the 2,700-2,900 rpm range—making it the highest spin pitch from someone not named Reid Worley.