RHP Jacob Mayers (LSU Baseball) is an interesting arm... in this year's Draft class. Was outstanding as a true Freshman and pitched his way to a 2.02 ERA with 105 Ks to 58 BB across 75.2 innings en route to taking home Southland Conference Pitcher of the Year honors and being named a First Team Freshman All-American. Took a bit of a step back in 2024 and compiled a 4.58 ERA with an SLC-leading 106 Ks to go along with 76 BB in 70.2 IP. Mayers has a projectable, high-waisted frame at 6'5" and 205-pounds. He doesn't have the cleanest or simplest delivery and he'll struggle to repeat it at times. Mayers has a somewhat abbreviated arm stroke and attacks from an over-the-top slot with present arm speed. Front side will sometimes fly open which has led to command issues, but there's some pretty low hanging fruit to clean up in his operation going forward (Ex: getting more into his lower-half, refining it to become more repeatable). Adding strength and explosiveness will be key. Mayers' fastball is his bread-and-butter pitch. It sits in the 92-95 range, but has been up to 97 out of an outlandish 7-foot release height. His release height is certainly a contributing factor here, but the pitch also averaged an eye-popping 24.3" of ride and nearly 2,400 rpm. Mayers threw his heater a whopping 91% of the time and was still able to generate a 35% whiff rate, including a 30% (!) IZ whiff rate, on it. There are plenty of outlier traits, but his command is below-average. If he can up his competitive pitch % and stay in and around the zone on a more consistent basis, it will make it that much more effective. While his FB is the money-maker of his arsenal, Mayers will occasionally mix in a gyro SL in the low-80s that lacks teeth right now. He's still gaining a feel for the pitch and there is work to be done on it going forward, but it could be a potentially above-average offering in the future. 40/45 currently. One of the biggest question marks with Mayers is the development of a third pitch. He mixed in a handful of mid-to-upper-80s and a couple piqued my interest; one showed some fade to the arm side and another flashed late tumbling life. It's clear he isn't comfortable throwing it yet, but this could be the pitch to develop at least to the point where it's serviceable. Mayers right now is very much a work in progress and all signs right now point to him ending up in a relief role long term. However, he's a very fun, moldable ball of clay to try and develop and get the most out of. As the low hanging fruit continues to get cleaned up—whether it be at LSU or in pro ball—polish will hopefully follow. 5th-8th round pick right now. (📽️: Nicholls Baseball)show more

LHP Zach Root (Arkansas Baseball) is one of the... best college lefthanders in this year's Draft class. After splitting time between the bullpen and rotation as a Freshman, Root last year was a full time starter and pitched his way to a 3.56 ERA with 76 Ks to 21 BB across 68.1 IP. Slightly undersized at 6'1" and 186-pounds, but there's present strength and physicality in his lower-half. Natural funk and deception in his delivery that includes a high leg lift and some tilt in his upper-half. Average arm stroke with a slight wrist coil, attacks from a mid-three quarter (maybe a tick lower) slot with a bit of cross fire. Root's FB will sit in the 91-94 range, but it was up to 97. Will flash arm side life through the zone and is best when located on either third (arm or glove side) of the plate or in the top-half. Not a real bat-misser right now, so refining its shape should be a point of focus both this spring and beyond. Bread and butter offerings are his secondaries. Root's low-80s CH gets averaged almost 10 MPH of separation off his heater and it's a pitch he throws with conviction. Consistently flashes fade to the arm side as well as late diving life. Generated a 46% miss rate last spring, would stick a plus grade on it. High-70s-to-low-80s CB flashes big-time depth with some sharpness. 11-to-5 shape against RHH, but will be longer than it is deep against LHH. Has a decent feel for the pitch, and last season it held opposing hitters to a minuscule .048 average while generating a 48% miss rate. Rounds out his arsenal with a mid-to-upper-80s CUT/SL that against LHH will flash sweeping life with some late bite. Potentially average offering. Would like to see his strike-throwing improve this season. Day 1 profile this July. (📽️: ECU Baseball)show more

RHP Cole Leaman (Lehigh Baseball) is an arm I'm... really looking forward to following this spring. Fresh off a strong Sophomore season in which he worked a 2.31 ERA with 49 Ks to 23 BB across 46.2 IP. Showed some positive flashes on the Cape. While slightly undersized, Leaman has a strong and athletic build at 6' and 190-lbs. Has put on a lot of good weight over the last couple of years. Leaman has almost a "check point" delivery in which he takes a noticeable side step towards the 1B side, gathers himself and breaks into the rest of his motion. Lengthy arm stroke and attacks from a high-3/4 slot from a low release height. Leaman is a high-level athlete and a dynamic mover on the mound. Sits really well on his back glute and his lead leg block enables him to generate power and drive his back side through. Drop and drive delivery. Little bit of effort, but plenty of arm speed. Leaman's FB sits in the 91-94 range, but it was up to 96 this summer and 98 this fall. Jumps out of his hand from a ~5'3" release height and flashes riding life through the zone. Averaged 15" of carry this summer and 2,361 RPMs. Gets over the barrels of opposing hitters when located in the top-1/2 of the zone, which is where the pitch is at its best. Command can be erratic at times. Would give it a 55. Leaman's most-used off speed pitch is a high-70s-to-low-80s CB. Shape is inconsistent and it can get a little slurvy at times, but he snapped off a handful of really good ones between the spring and summer. When it's at its best, it will flash a bigger shape with sharp, downward tilt. Leaman will also mix in a low-to-mid-80s SL that's distinct in shape. Another pitch he's still gaining a feel for, but like his CB it's also shown big time flashes. Shape of it will vary, but it will sometimes flash plus with sharp, two-plane break (more sweep than depth) and essentially take a late, hard left turn. Rounds out his arsenal with a high-80s cutter and a mid-to-high-80s CH. The former is more intriguing than the latter. Curious to see how much he uses the cutter this spring, threw a couple this summer that had late glove-side life. Leaman has a very intriguing blend of athleticism and stuff, though he'll need to iron out his command and control in order to maximize his upside. As mentioned, it's a bit scattered right now and has hindered him in some starts. 5th-8th round type this July. (📽️: Falmouth Commodores)show more

RHP Justin Mitrovich (Elon Baseball) is one mid-major arm... to follow this season. Was excellent as a true Freshman and pitched his way to a 3.68 ERA with 66 Ks to 21 BB across 63.2 IP. Last spring he worked a 5.06 ERA and collected 96 Ks against 30 BB in 80 IP. Mitrovich also showed positive flashes on the Cape this summer and notched 17 Ks in as many IP. Mitrovich has an athletic frame at 6'3" and 200-lbs. Room to fill out physically. Worked exclusively out of the stretch during the spring, but went back to the windup this summer. Works on the 1B side of the rubber, starts his motion with a small side step then gathers himself. Leads into a high lift, and the rest of his operation is up-tempo. Plenty of depth on his long arm stroke, attacks from a three-quarters slot with present arm speed. Some effort. Mitrovich's FB sits in the 91-94 range, but has been up to 96 with some life in the top-1/2 of the zone. Figuring his heater out is going to be the key for him going forward. Threw mostly 4-seamers during the spring, but went 2-seam heavy during the summer and still generated a whiff rate < 20%. A handful of the latter flashed late arm side life, particularly against LHH. Both play well in the top-1/2 of the zone. Needs to iron out the shape and maximize it. Mitrovich's bread-and-butter offerings are his secondaries. His low-80s CH is one of the best of its kind in the college ranks. Averaged over 12 MPH off his FB last spring and is a legit swing-and-miss pitch against both LHH and RHH. Throws it with conviction and will use it in any count. Consistently flashes fade to the arm side as well as ample late tumbling life. True "falling off the table" look. Mitrovich's feel for the pitch is highly advanced, and last spring it generated a 52% whiff rate, 47% chase rate and held opposing hitters to a .198 average. Comfortably a 60. Rounds out his arsenal with a low-to-mid-80s SL that is a particular weapon against righthanded hitters. Gyro look that's not big in shape, but will flash some lateral glove-side life with late bite. Flashed above-average at times last spring and garnered a 45% miss rate. Gets whiffs both in and out of the zone. Mitrovich is a strike-thrower who looks the part of a starter at the next level. As mentioned, the key with him is developing the FB. Fits as a 5th-7th rounder for me right now. (📽️: Elon Baseball)show more

RHP/1B Trace Phillips (Middle Tennessee Baseball) is an interesting... draft-eligible sophomore on which to keep close tabs. Last spring, he hit .304/.360/.547 with 8 2B, 13 HR and 47 RBIs, but it’s his ability on the mound that's the root of his buzz. Phillips' back of the baseball card numbers last season are modest, but there is more to it than meets the eye. At 6'3" and 185-lbs, Phillips has an athletic, high-waisted frame. In the box, he has a simple setup with an ear-high handset and the bat horizontal above his back shoulder. Phillips has a slight load in which he has a noticeable barrel tip and a small stride. He moves well in the box and has some scissor action with his back leg. Phillips’ pure hit tool is fringey, but he has plus raw power and has shown the ability to drive the baseball to all fields. Max EV last spring of 109.4, if he's able to lift the ball more it will lead to a more impressive power output. Phillips’ current prospect status is largely driven by his ability on the mound. His numbers were unimpressive last season, but he took a step forward this fall. There’s some low hanging fruit to clean up in his delivery, but he has a short, whippy arm stroke and attacks from a low-three quarters slot with plenty of arm speed. Phillips’ FB has been up to 96 with ride through the zone (particular life at the top), though his best pitch is a high-70s-to-low-80s CH. He does a nice job of killing spin on it, and It averaged almost 15 MPH off his fastball this fall. It’s a plus pitch that flashes both fade to the arm side as well late tumble. Phillips completes his arsenal with a mid-80s slider that flashed above-average this fall with sharp, two-plane tilt. Both his changeup and slider profile as legitimate swing-and-miss offerings. Another positive development with Phillips this fall is that his strike-throwing took a step in the right direction. Mid-4th-6th round type this July. (📽️: Middle Tennessee Baseball)show more

Shifting focus to 2025, RHP Tyler Bremner (UC Santa... Barbara Baseball) is one of my favorite College arms in the class. As a freshman, Bremner split time between the bullpen and the rotation and pitched his way to a modest 5.37 ERA with an impressive strikeout-to-walk ratio of 80-to-17 across 55.1 innings. Bremner has a lean, athletic build at 6'2" and 180-lbs. He has room to fill out physically and as he does, his already-electric stuff will only tick up. Bremner has a low maintenance, under control operation with present arm speed. He attacks hitters from a high-three quarter slot and his fastball sits in the 93-96 range and tops out at 98. It has elite riding life (averaged over 21" of IVB in '23) and is most effective when located in the top-half of the zone. Between its velocity and shape, it is a 60-grade offering. He boasts two quality secondary offerings in a mid-80s changeup and low-80s slider. Bremner’s changeup is the more polished of the two, but his sweeping slider has plus potential. In 2023, Bremner’s changeup generated an impressive 48% miss rate. He has advanced feel for the offering, and he will throw it to both left and righthanded hitters. It plays well off his mid-90s fastball and flashes big time late tumbling life and some fade to the arm side. Bremner threw his slider just 12% of the time in 2023, but it has the chance to be a true out pitch in the future. It features ample late sweeping life as well as some depth, and is a real weapon especially against righthanded hitters. It has reportedly taken a step forward this fall and could be a lethal offering in 2024. Between his plus control, low effort delivery, and the chance to have three plus or better pitches, Bremner profiles as a starter professionally. He has a chance to become a household name this spring and with two strong seasons pitching in the rotation, Bremner has 1st Round upside in 2025. (📽️: UC Santa Barbara Baseball)show more

While he won't toe the rubber this spring for... the Hoosiers, RHP Luke Sinnard (Indiana Baseball) is an arm to be familiar with come July. Began his college career at Western Kentucky, but blossomed last year as a Sophomore at Indiana and pitched his way to a 4.27 ERA with 114 Ks (led the Big Ten) to just 25 BB across 86.1 IP. Earned a Second Team All-Big Ten selection. Towering, workhorse frame at 6'8" and 230-lbs. Sinnard attacks from an ultra high-three quarter slot and possesses an outlier release height north of 7-feet. Somewhat of a deep pull here, but his arm slot is a little reminiscent of former College of Charleston RHP William Privette, though not as sling-shotty or true OTT. His FB sits in the 91-94 range (T96) but it plays up thanks to the carry Sinnard is able to get on it through the zone. Last year, it averaged over 2,500 RPMs and over 19" of IVB. Sinnard's low-80s CB is a true bat-misser. Flashes immense depth and almost true 12-to-6 shape with some teeth. He has good feel for the pitch and it is effective against both right and lefthanded hitters. Held opponents to a .118 average and generated a 46% miss rate last spring. Also features an effective high-80s Cut/SL hybrid. Boasts late lateral life with a touch of depth. Gets under the hands of LHH. Another pitch that Sinnard has plus control of. Lastly, Sinnard throws a low-80s Split/CH. Feel for it is inconsistent, but it gets good separation off the FB and at times flashed tumbling life. It's an okay 4th offering. Sinnard has pro-level starter written all over him and even though you won't see him this season, he profiles as a potential 4th-7th round pick in this year's Draft. (📽️: Indiana Baseball)show more

Today's #SaturdaySleeper is RHP Derek Vartanian (Campbell Baseball). He... comes to Campbell by way of Gaston College, where last season he pitched his way to a 3.08 ERA with an impressive strikeout-to-walk ratio of 76-to-9 across 76 IP. Slender build at 6'4", 200-lbs. Short, quick arm stroke and attacks from a high-three quarter slot. Vartanian's FB will sit in the 93-96 range, but this fall he topped out at 98. Features big time carry through the zone with upwards of 24" of IVB. There is still likely more in the tank, especially with better use of his lower-half. Vartanian features two distinct breaking balls with a SL and CB. High-80s gyro SL is still developing, but at times flashes effective late, lateral movement. Low-80s CB boasts big time depth with some teeth and almost true 12-6 break. His best secondary pitch is his Splitter. It plays really well off his FB as it sits 80-82, and features big time fade to the arm side with some tumble. Vartanian does an excellent job of killing spin, and the spin rate on his changeup will get as low as 800 rpm. Vartanian this spring will anchor Campbell's rotation and be the cornerstone of the Camels pitching staff. An advanced strike thrower whose stuff will only tick up, Vartanian profiles as a starter professionally and a potential Top 5 round pick this July.show more

The A's continue to stack up on young left-handed... pitching, selecting Mason Edwards (2nd round, pick 47). Edwards wields a 91-94 mph four-seam averaging ~21 iVB, although the pitch plays below its raw carry from a very high 6.6 ft. release height. Likely needs to be 93-95 for big league success, swing-and-miss somewhat lacked. The secondaries and their potential make Edwards the prospect he is. From the over-the-top release, his 80 mph curveball generates strong two-plane movement (-10/11) at a very steep approach. Strong command of the offering, ability to use at high frequency. While he didn't use it too often, Edwards' changeup has massive promise, also on a very steep plane from his heavily vertical release. Showed velocity and movement separation from his four-seam, projects as a great weapon vs. RHH. Boasted an elite whiff rate >50%. Needs more consistent feel and usage. The southpaw's slider is also a work in progress and was non-existent in many outings this year, but it will be a critical bridge pitch in his arsenal. 80-82 mph with inconsistent shape. With such a large vertical distinction between his four-seam and curveball, Edwards needs a hard, tight slider to sit between the pair and make swing decisions tougher. Hopefully, the A's can find a mid-80s pitch in gyro territory. The largest area for growth with Edwards is his command, as he posted a walk rate >10% in each of his three collegiate seasons (11.9% junior year). In my opinion, it seemed like he was always pitching for punchouts and around the edges of the plate. I think more strikes should come with more in-zone emphasis in early counts, and he has the stuff to never worry about being over the plate. With some velocity progression and refinement of his changeup and slider, I find it very likely Mason Edwards becomes at least of middle of the rotation starting pitcher. A's have a stellar crop of young southpaws.show more

Was very impressed on Friday by East Carolina RHP... Trey Yesavage, who allowed just 1 ER and struck out 11 across 6 IP. FB sat 93-96, topped out at 97. Jumped out of the hand from his near over-the-top slot. Plenty of carry through the zone, shape of the pitch is outstanding. Control and command of it were both impressive, threw it for strikes 73% of the time. 55, borderline 60 pitch. Mixed in two distinct breaking balls with a high-70s CB and mid-80s SL. It's clear on Friday he didn't have the best feel for his CB. Threw a couple good ones that flashed plenty of depth, but it lacked its usual sharp, downward bite. Will typically flash plus. Gyro SL was a lot better. Threw it with conviction, confidence in the pitch was there. Flashed late teeth with some depth, generated 7 whiffs. Would give it a 55. I was most impressed with his SPL-CH. Got nice separation off his heater with a 10+ MPH difference. Threw it to both LHH and RHH. Flashed ultra-late tumbling life; seemingly fell off a table ~1-2 feet in front of the plate. Kills spin really well. Maintained arm speed. Looked like a plus pitch. Yesavage this year has a 1.80 ERA with 19 Ks to just 3 BB across 10 IP. He is one of the premier college arms in this year's draft class and has first round upside. (📽️: ACC Network)show more

LHP Lucas Nawrocki has some of the best stuff... among HS arms in the ’26 draft class. He features an above-avg fastball in the low-to-mid 90s, but his calling card is the slider. A true ++ offering, it sits in the low-to-mid 80s and has been up to 3,200 rpm. LSU Baseball commit 📹: Shooter Hunt Prep Baseball Texasshow more

Will Ray (Wake Forest Baseball) was one of the... most dominant relievers on the Cape this summer. The former two-way showcased a high 80s - low 90s sinker from a sidearm slot with plenty of run and a sweeping slider that limited hitters to an average of 68.2 mph EV and a 0.59 xFIP (per Anthony Marotta as of 7/19). It's a plus pitch that was used more than the sinker and acts as his best offering. He also mixed in a splitter with some sink to get miss in and out of the zone. He appeared in 14 games for the Whitecaps on the Cape, limiting hard contact and base-runners with a 1.18 WHIP, 23 K/2 BB in 22 IP. Ray's stuff played well in the lower half of the zone but was susceptible to the long ball at times. Perhaps adding a four-seam FB that could get some chase at the top of the zone could help his overall profile. As of 7/23, Ray was 100th percentile in hard-hit % and 93rd percentile in opponent average exit speed (per Anthony Marotta). Ray made significant progress in his control and as a result, dropped his 4.9 BB/9 in 44 IP last spring to just 0.8 BB/9 in 22 IP this summer in the CCBL. He was able to make some of the top offensive college bats look foolish (Kurland - sinker, Burress - slider, Martinez - splitter; shown below).show more

INF Gavin Kilen (Tennessee Baseball) will be a key... piece within a loaded Tennessee lineup this season. Earned the starting 2B job as a Freshman and contributed, but broke out last spring to the tune of a .330/.361/.591 slash line with 23 2B, 3 3B, 9 HR and 41 RBIs. Kilen is slightly undersized and has an average build at 5'11 and 180-lbs. Some room to fill out and add ~10 pounds or so. Relaxed, slightly crouched stance in the box with a medium high handset. Minimal load in which his hands drift slightly, leg lift leads into a small stride. Short, compact swing and takes a direct path to contact. Above-average hand speed, it's an operation that's tailored towards spraying line drives all over the yard. Kilen is a hit-over-power profile with an aggressive approach in the box. He has plus bat-to-ball skills and his feel for the barrel is evident. Last spring, Kilen worked a 93% IZ contact rate, including 95% against FB. His aggressive approach and somewhat free-swinger mentality does lead to some chase up against FB and secondaries down, but it hasn't been a hindrance to his production. Kilen pounces on pitches in the zone and steps in the box ready to hit. Would give his hit tool a 55. It's more gap power than it is over the fence power for Kilen, but he did tap into some more impact last season. Part of that is due to getting the ball up in the air more: between '23 and '24 he increased his FB+LD% from 44% to 51%. It will always play as slightly below average (fringy), but he did post a Max EV of 108.5 during the spring and 101.4 this summer. Kilen's HR impact and highest quality of contact comes to the pull side. Vast majority of his XBH power comes on pitches in the bottom-half of the zone, which makes sense given his bat path. Has shown the ability to work from gap-to-gap. Kilen was Louisville's every day SS last spring, but he'll slide over to 2B this season for Tennessee. I actually think that's where he profiles best defensively as a professional, where he has an average arm with some range. After seeing him at SS for a couple of summers, his actions and clock translate better at 2B. Kilen is a day 1 type this July with top-55 overall upside.show more

Vanderbilt LHP JD Thompson may be the most underrated... arm in the 2025 class. Up to 95, sitting 91-93, with a gaudy 37 percent whiff rate on the FB despite 60% usage. Induced a 36% chase rate on the heater too. Two elite marks. Absolutely pounds arm-side zones. Throws a CB, SL and CH, all of which boast >30% whiff rates. Above average athlete with good extension down the mound and some natural occlusion to his delivery. A quiet, effortlessness to his operation. Should firmly be in play on day one if one of his breaking balls takes a more dynamic step forward.show more