MLB Draft for 2022

The son of seven-time All-Star Matt Holliday, Jackson not only has some of the best bloodlines in the high school class but also is one of its better hitters. Though he struggled at times on the showcase circuit last summer when he got too focused on homers, he finished strong and has taken his game to another level as a high school senior and should go in the first five selections. Gatorade's Oklahoma prep player of the year, he broke J.T. Realmuto's national high school record for hits in a season with 89 in 41 games while batting .685/.749/1.392. Holliday has an advanced approach, no surprise given his roots, and a knack for putting the barrel on the ball. He usually makes consistent hard contact, though he didn't during the summer when he let his simple left-handed stroke get too long. After getting bigger and stronger, he's hitting the ball with more authority than ever this spring, and he also looks more relaxed at the plate and is letting his considerable power come naturally. Holliday has gotten faster as he has gotten stronger, and he now flashes plus-plus run times as a senior and is a consistent plus runner. He's throwing better too, and his solid to plus arm strength and enhanced quickness give him a better opportunity to remain at shortstop. His high baseball IQ also helps his chances after many evaluators previously believed he was destined for second or third base. In the unlikely event that he makes it to college, he'll play for his uncle Josh, the head coach at Oklahoma State, where Matt is a volunteer assistant.

Andruw Jones made five All-Star teams and won 10 Gold Gloves in a 17-year career in the Majors, and his son reminds scouts of his father's game. Druw is taller and leaner than his dad was as a teenager, but he has similar five-tool potential as a center fielder. He improved throughout the summer on the showcase circuit and he has impressed scouts this spring with a more selective approach and more consistent at-bats. He led Wesleyan (Norcross) to the Georgia Class A private school state title en route to winning Gatorade's Georgia high school player of the year award. While Jones' right-handed swing is still somewhat of a work in progress, he understands it well, shows the ability to make adjustments and does damage against quality pitching. He already has plenty of bat speed and drives balls to the gaps, and as he fills out his 6-foot-4 frame he should develop plus power. He's a plus-plus runner when he turns on the jets and is capable of beating out ground balls to the left side. Jones is the best defensive center fielder in the 2022 high school crop and might be the best defender in the entire Draft. His speed and instincts combine to give him tremendous range and his well-above-average arm strength stands out at a position not known for many cannons. Scouts who have seen the Vanderbilt recruit take infield say he has the tools and actions to play a fine shortstop as well.

After entering 2021 as that Draft's top-rated prospect, Rocker is this Draft's biggest enigma despite two spectacular full seasons at Vanderbilt. As a freshman in 2019, he threw a 19-strikeout no-hitter against Duke in the NCAA Super Regionals and earned two victories and Most Outstanding Player honors at the College World Series. In 2021, he helped the Commodores return to the CWS finals and topped NCAA Division I in wins (14) and strikeouts (179 in 122 innings, tying teammate Jack Leiter). The Mets selected him 10th overall July in and agreed to a $6 million bonus, but they walked away from the deal after a post-Draft physical created unspecified concerns about his shoulder and elbow. Rocker's velocity fluctuated during the 2021 season, with his fastball averaging 93 mph, sitting in the low 90s at times and touching 99 at others. His heater features some run and sink but also flattens out on occasion. All 19 of his strikeouts against Duke came on his slider, a mid-80s wipeout pitch with power and depth when at its best, and he also employs a low-80s curveball with more vertical break. Rocker also has a sinking mid-80s changeup that shows signs of becoming an average offering, though it gets too firm at times and he doesn't use it much. The son of former NFL defensive lineman Tracy Rocker, he's a physical right-hander who throws strikes but possesses just average command. Even though teams were getting more details about his health, and some information about a September shoulder surgery was made public weeks before the Draft, it's still difficult to figure out where he'll fit into the 2022 Draft. Rather than return to Vanderbilt, he opted to go to the independent Frontier League, where he showed his high-end stuff during controlled outings leading up to the Draft.

Though he's a high schooler who projects as a second baseman, Johnson is a potential No. 1 overall choice because he might be the best pure prep hitter in decades. He has a track record of pummeling pitchers on the showcase circuit and some evaluators give his bat top-of-the-scale 80 grades. One scout gave him a double Hall of Famer comparison by calling him a combination of Wade Boggs' plate discipline and Vladimir Guerrero Sr.'s bat-to-ball skills. Johnson's hand-eye coordination and swing decisions make him an elite contact hitter from the left side of the plate. He isn't fazed by mid-90s fastballs or quality breaking balls, using his quick, compact stroke to drive the ball to all fields. Though his listed 5-foot-10 height might be a bit generous, his ability to barrel balls along with his bat speed and strength could make him a 25-30 homer threat in the big leagues. A shortstop in high school, Johnson will change positions as a pro because his quickness and arm are more average than plus. His hands work well in the field as well as at the plate and he profiles best at second base, where he should be at least a solid defender. He committed to Arizona State in May.

Green is the son of former NFL Pro Bowl tight end Eric Green, and at 6-foot-3, 225 pounds, he looks like he could have followed in his father’s footsteps had he not desired a future on the diamond. Green really jumped on the map with a strong performance at the Area Code Underclass event back in the summer of 2020, leading some to wish he'd reclassified for the 2021 Draft, but he’s shown off his tremendous raw tools at IMG Academy this spring to put himself in position to be a very high Draft pick in 2022. A right-handed hitter, Green is capable of doing just about everything very well. He can make very loud contact and has proven he can drive the ball to all fields and hit the ball out of the park just about anywhere with at least plus raw power, and he’s done that this spring in front of a lot of decision makers. . The one question that had arisen about his offensive upside had been about the swing-and-miss in his game. He’s struggled in the past against elevated velocity and there are some concerns about his ability to adjust to offspeed and breaking stuff, but had assuaged many of those fears with how he has swung the bat this spring. Green is an elite-level runner who can steal bases and cover a ton of ground in the outfield, where he should be able to man center field, with a plus arm, for a very long time to come. His complete toolset doesn’t come around very often, so it’s likely someone in the top of the first round will call his name even if there are remaining questions about his hit tool.

Berry received national freshman of the year recognition in 2021 after batting .352/.439/.676 with 17 homers at Arizona, setting school first-year records and leading the Pacific-12 Conference in extra-base hits (41), total bases (167) and RBI (70). When Wildcats coach Jay Johnson moved on to Louisiana State, Berry followed him to Baton Rouge and continued to rake. Though his defensive home remains a question, he'll still be one of the first college bats off the board in July. Equally productive from both sides of the plate, Berry has drawn some comparisons to a switch-hitting version of Andrew Vaughn (the No. 3 choice in 2019) for his ability to hit for power and average while controlling the strike zone. He hammers fastballs and handles breaking balls and changeups well. He has a quality swing and approach from both sides, makes repeated hard contact and shows a propensity for driving the ball in the air. Berry spent most of his freshman season as a DH and played just nine of his 63 games in the field at third base, which has been his primary position with the Tigers. He has below-average speed and average arm strength and he's rigid at the hot corner, so most scouts believe he'll have to move elsewhere as a pro. He has looked decent at times in right field but there's a good chance that he winds up at first base -- where he'll have no problem fitting the offensive profile.

One of the top two-way prospects and two-sport talents in the 2020 high school class as a right-hander/shortstop/quarterback, Horton had second-round ability but went unselected because he was all but unsignable. He missed all of his first season at Oklahoma following Tommy John surgery in February 2021 before opening this year as the Sooners' starting third baseman and not taking the mound until March 29. After he finished the regular season with a 7.94 ERA, his stock soared when he logged a 2.61 ERA with 49 strikeouts in 31 innings over five postseason starts as Oklahoma finished second at the College World Series. Horton's fastball velocity came back quickly but his life and command didn't, so his heater got hit until the playoffs, when he sat at 94-96 mph and topped out at 98 with improved armside run and carry. His biggest difference-maker was a slider that got much better after he toyed with trying to add a cutter before the Big 12 Conference tournament, giving him a wipeout breaking ball that parks in the mid-80s and reaches 90 mph with two-plane depth. It's an upgrade over his low-80s downer curveball. Horton also dabbles with a fading changeup, though it's too firm in the upper 80s and he doesn't land it for strikes. A quality athlete who looked rusty but not out of place at third base for the Sooners, he pounded the zone with his fastball and slider during the postseason. He doesn't come with a long track record of college performance but his ceiling as a No. 2 or 3 starter could land him in the top 40 picks.

One of the top two-way prospects and two-sport talents in the 2020 high school class as a right-hander/shortstop/quarterback, Horton had second-round ability but went unselected because he was all but unsignable. He missed all of his first season at Oklahoma following Tommy John surgery in February 2021 before opening this year as the Sooners' starting third baseman and not taking the mound until March 29. After he finished the regular season with a 7.94 ERA, his stock soared when he logged a 2.61 ERA with 49 strikeouts in 31 innings over five postseason starts as Oklahoma finished second at the College World Series. Horton's fastball velocity came back quickly but his life and command didn't, so his heater got hit until the playoffs, when he sat at 94-96 mph and topped out at 98 with improved armside run and carry. His biggest difference-maker was a slider that got much better after he toyed with trying to add a cutter before the Big 12 Conference tournament, giving him a wipeout breaking ball that parks in the mid-80s and reaches 90 mph with two-plane depth. It's an upgrade over his low-80s downer curveball. Horton also dabbles with a fading changeup, though it's too firm in the upper 80s and he doesn't land it for strikes. A quality athlete who looked rusty but not out of place at third base for the Sooners, he pounded the zone with his fastball and slider during the postseason. He doesn't come with a long track record of college performance but his ceiling as a No. 2 or 3 starter could land him in the top 40 picks.

Lee was a well-regarded prospect out of the California high school ranks, but wasn’t taken until the 35th round because scouts knew he wanted to go play for his father, Larry, the head coach at Cal Poly. After missing nearly all of the shortened 2020 season following knee and hamstring surgery, Lee came back in 2021 to earn co-Big West Player of the Year honors by hitting .342/384/.626. He further solidified his bona fides as one of the top college bats in the class by hitting very well both for Team USA and in the Cape Cod League last summer, then showed he was the best college hitter in this class in 2022. Talk to any scout about the switch-hitting infielder and the first thing that comes up are his otherworldly bat-to-ball skills. He almost never strikes out and has made consistent hard contact everywhere he’s been, including his 21-game stretch with a wood bat on the Cape, where he hit .405/.432/.667 with six homers in just 84 at-bats. He can drive the ball from both sides of the plate and as he’s gotten more physical, it’s easy to project him having better-than-average power in the future. That physicality will mean he’s very likely to move off of shortstop at the next level, with third the most likely destination to take advantage of his above-average arm. As the son of a coach, he thinks like one on the field and plays like a veteran, giving more certainty that he’s going to maximize all of his tools as a pro.

A relatively unheralded prospect coming out of the Tennessee high school ranks, Cross served notice he might be a college bat worth tracking when he hit .369 in 16 games during his shortened 2020 freshman season. He jumped onto the must-watch radar with a 1.035 OPS in 2021, landing on the All-ACC First Team in the process, and he was arguably the best hitter in competition with USA Baseball over the summer before continuing to rake for the Hokies this spring. A left-hander at the plate, Cross does have the chance to be an above-average hitter with above-average power. Some evaluators have some concern about his contact rates and strike zone control, though he’s greatly improved his walk rate and cut down on the strikeouts this season while driving the ball consistently. A tick-above-solid runner, he’s played center field this spring, but is better suited for a corner outfield spot. He’s also seen time at first base and could be an outstanding defender there. Cross’ improved approach at the plate has helped Virginia Tech be one of the surprises of the college season. There are several Hokies who have the chance to go in the top five rounds and Cross is almost certain to become the first Virginia Tech hitter to go in the first round since the Dodgers took Franklin Stubbs in 1982.

It’s been a little while since Gonzaga University has produced any early-round Draft talent, with Wyatt Mills a third-rounder in 2017 and lefty Marco Gonzales a first-round selection back in 2013. Hughes, who like Gonzales, has been a two-way player for the Zags, threw well in the weekend rotation in 2021 before pitching for USA Baseball over the summer, and has taken a nice step forward as Gonzaga’s Friday night starter, while focusing only on pitching, this spring. Hughes has an exciting combination of size, repertoire and feel for pitching. The 6-foot-4 right-hander has electric stuff, starting with a fastball that’s regularly in the 94-97 mph range with ease, leading some scouts to wonder if he might touch triple digits someday. His slider can be a wipeout pitch, up to 89-90 mph, and he even shows very good feel for his changeup. The big right-hander can fill up the strike zone with all three pitches, throwing them to both sides of the plate and commanding his breaking stuff well. He gets high grades for his makeup, a tremendous student-athlete who is on pace to graduate in three years. Some evaluators see him as the best arm on the West Coast, one who is shooting up Draft boards with his strong spring in Washington.

One of the best high school catchers in the 2020 Draft, Parada could have gone in the second or third round if he hadn't been set on attending Georgia Tech. After a strong freshman season and summer with the U.S. collegiate national team, he's expected to be the first backstop selected in 2022. His defense drew some mixed reviews during his college debut but his bat earned praise throughout and he set a school record with 26 homers this spring. Parada doesn't try to do too much at the plate, keeping his right-handed swing under control and lashing line drives all over the park. He has good feel for the barrel, makes repeated hard contact against all types of pitching and he's showing increased power to all fields this year. He projects as a potential .280-.300 hitter with 20-25 homers per season who could fit into the middle of a big league batting order. Parada runs well for a catcher but isn't the most agile or physical behind the plate, and he wore down over the course of last spring and summer with Georgia Tech and Team USA. He has looked better as a sophomore and scouts credit him for working diligently on his defense. He earns average to solid grades for his receiving and needs to improve his fringy arm strength and his throwing accuracy after erasing just 12 percent of basestealers as a freshman.

After the Rangers selected Texas Tech third baseman Josh Jung eighth overall in 2019, the Red Raiders replaced him at the hot corner with his younger brother. Jace shifted to second base in 2021 and won Big 12 Conference player of the year honors, just as Josh had two years earlier, and he's primed to go in a similar area in the 2022 Draft. Jace has more power but Josh was a more well-rounded player at the same stage of their careers. Jung's upright setup at the plate is unorthodox but doesn't prevent him from destroying all types of pitches and pitchers. The left-handed hitter has no discernible weakness at the plate, drawing more walks than strikeouts in each of his first two college seasons while making repeated hard contact to all fields. His hitting ability, strength and bat speed produce home runs from foul pole to foul pole and he makes two-strike adjustments without sacrificing much power. Most of Jung's value will come from his bat, which is fine because he may hit .300 with 30 homers on an annual basis. His aggressive nature helps him play better than his below-average speed on the bases but his defensive home remains in question. He has fringy arm strength, was erratic at third base and may not be more than adequate at second base.

A lock to become the first first-round pick in Campbell history, Neto barely played during the shortened 2020 season before winning Big South Conference player of the year honors the next two years. He batted .403/.500/.751 in three seasons and proved himself with wood bats against tougher competition last summer in the Cape Cod League. He's not only one of the better hitters in the college class, but he also could have at least average tools across the board. Neto has an unconventional setup with a huge leg kick that includes a pause and an uphill right-handed swing, but he has the exceptional hand-eye coordination to make it work. He looks to drive balls in the air to his pull side yet makes consistent contact despite his approach. He has at least solid bat speed and constantly gets into good position to do damage. Neto enhances his average speed by running the bases aggressively. He has quick hands and feet and his instincts may help him be an average defender at shortstop, though his range may be better suited for second base at the next level. His arm isn't a question -- he has hit 93 mph as a reliever for the Fighting Camels -- and he started games at all four infield positions last season.

At 5-foot-8, Williams might be the smallest player on our Draft Top 250, but he's also a favorite gut-feel guy for a lot of scouts. One crosschecker called him the best hitter on the summer showcase circuit, where he raked despite an injury to his right shoulder. The Mississippi State recruit could factor into the middle of the first round, especially to a club that thinks he can stay at shortstop. With quick hands, feel for the barrel and a quality right-handed stroke, Williams rarely swings and misses and makes line-drive contact with ease. He has no problem handling premium velocity or quality breaking pitches, and his size belies his power. He should produce at least 15 homers per year with his bat speed and deceptive strength, perhaps more if he gets more aggressive about pulling pitches. Williams has at least plus speed and knows how to use his quickness on the bases and in the field. He has the hands and actions for shortstop, but he didn't throw well during the summer when his shoulder was bothering him. Some evaluators believe he has solid arm strength when healthy and can stay at short, while others think his arm is more fringy to average and he'll wind up at second base or center field.

Lesko became the first junior ever to claim Gatorade national baseball player of the year honors in 2021, when he went 11-0 with a 0.35 ERA and 112 strikeouts in 60 innings. A dominant start to his senior season along with his combination of stuff, polish, athleticism and projection had the Vanderbilt recruit poised to become the first pitcher -- college or high school -- selected in July. But he injured his elbow in early April and had Tommy John surgery, clouding his status. Lesko already works at 92-95 mph and tops out at 97 with his fastball, which features good carry up in the strike zone and armside run and sink when he keeps it down, and he should add more velocity as he gets stronger. He has the best changeup in the Draft, a dastardly low-80s offering that scoots sideways and also has some depth. His curveball is his least reliable pitch, but his upper-70s bender has high spin rates and the potential to become a plus weapon. Lesko generates premium stuff with ease and locates it well thanks to his ability to repeat a sound delivery with little effort. He gets good extension, making him even tougher on hitters, and draws praise for his intelligence and maturity. He has ace potential and may need little more than a return to health and innings against pro competition to finish refining his stuff and reach his lofty ceiling.

The best player by far to come out of James Madison University has been Billy Sample, a tenth-round pick back in 1976. After hitting extremely well in abbreviated seasons in 2020 and 2021, then tying for the Cape Cod League lead in home runs last summer, DeLauter has the chance to become the first true first-rounder in the history of the school and surpass Sample’s big league production. He was well on his way to cementing that position with a .437/.576/.828 line in 24 games when he broke his foot in April sliding into second base. DeLauter could be a middle-of-the-order type of hitter. He’s put up gaudy numbers at JMU, beating up the pitching in the mid-major Colonial Athletic Conference. He has at least plus raw power and even though there’s a little drift to his lower half that causes him to be more of a front-foot hitter at times, he’s so big and strong he can still out-leverage pitching. Some might question the length in his swing path and some scouts point to being overmatched against Florida State to start the season as proof that it won’t work against better pitching, but he had no problem getting to his power with wood on the Cape, and the fact he has more walks than strikeouts in his career points to a solid approach. DeLauter runs well, especially for his size, which helps him now in center field, though most see a move to a corner in the future. He’s shown a strong arm that has fired 90-92 mph fastballs as a pitcher in college, but has played more as average in the outfield, with a power profile that would fit well in right field.

The son of former All-Star outfielder Carl Crawford, Justin comes from Las Vegas high school power Bishop Gorman High School, alma mater of Joey Gallo and eventual Yankees first-rounder Austin Wells, among others. The younger Crawford showed off many of his tools on the summer showcase circuit to ensure scouts headed to Vegas this spring, and they haven’t been disappointed.Anyone who remembers watching his dad play should not be surprised that Crawford is one of the better athletes in this class. He regularly records easily plus run times and that near-elite speed will allow him to be a threat on the bases and cover a ton of ground in the outfield. At the plate, the left-handed hitter has very good bat-to-ball skills, showing the ability to make adjustments. He’s more of a slap hitter now, content to let his legs do the work, but there’s some whip in his swing and he can sit back and drive the ball the other way, with added strength to help him in the power department in the future. Crawford has the chance to be a plus defender in center field when all is said and done. Teams who believe he’s going to fill out that 6-foot-3 frame and consistently impact the ball will be interested in trying to sign him away from his Louisiana State commitment, perhaps making him just the second Bishop Gorman product to go in the top three rounds (Tyler Whitaker was a third-rounder in 2021) since Gallo was a supplemental first-round pick in 2012.

The son of former big leaguer Lou Collier, Cam began the summer as one of the more intriguing prospects for the 2023 Draft. But the Georgia high school standout decided to reclassify for the 2022 Draft, get his GED and head to Chipola Junior College for his spring season. After a summer of showing off impressive offensive skills and a strong showing at Chipola’s scout day this fall, Collier has been watched as one of the more intriguing -- and one of the youngest -- bats in this Draft class. Most of the excitement about Collier centers around his left-handed bat. He has a loose stroke with outstanding bat speed and uncanny bat-to-ball skills. For most of the summer, he squared just about everything up, using the whole field and not being bothered by premium velocity, and he continued to show professional at-bats this spring. There’s good raw power in his swing, with more likely to come. While he’s not a burner, he’s a solid runner. With an arm that has hit the low-90s from the mound, Collier has the chance to fit nicely at third base, where his offensive upside could fit well. If the hot corner doesn’t work, a move to an outfield corner or first base could be in his future, but it’s the Louisville recruit’s bat that will carry him and puts him in conversations about the first round.

The younger brother of one-time big league catcher Andrew Susac, Daniel was a legitimate high school prospect from Northern California in 2020, but went undrafted in the five-round Draft that summer. He went on to the University of Arizona and earned freshman All-American honors, as well as being named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, before playing well for USA Baseball’s Collegiate National team over the summer. It’s carried over to a big 2022 season, especially at the plate. Now a Draft-eligible true sophomore, Susac has the chance to be an impact player on both sides of the ball. A switch-hitter when he joined the Wildcats, he’s hit almost exclusively right-handed, which scouts thought was his better side as a prepster anyway. Big and physical, Susac has shown the ability to drive the ball to all fields, using the gap very well during his freshman season. There’s legitimate power to tap into as well. A former high school quarterback, he’s a better athlete and moves better than you’d think given his size. Behind the plate, Susac’s plus arm plays well, and he did show off above-average defensive skills last spring, though he wasn’t receiving quite as well in the fall. Even so, he’s one of the best college backstops in the class, cementing his place in the first round with a very strong spring.

A legitimate two-way prospect, Murphy led all pitchers with 10 strikeouts in four scoreless innings and went 4-for-9 with a home run at the PDP League last July before pulling double duty on the U.S. 18-and-under national team in September. Gatorade's 2022 Illinois state player of the year, he posted a 0.12 ERA with 137 strikeouts in 58 1/3 innings while also batting .548 with 18 homers. While he might go as high as the fifth round as a third baseman, he's trending up as a pitcher and his future is definitely on the mound. Murphy's fastball velocity increased over the summer, and he's now sitting in the low 90s, with his heater playing as a plus pitch at times because of its shape and riding action. He backs it up with a mid-80s slider with depth, and he also can turn that offering into a tighter cutter. He lands his slider more consistently than his mid-70s curveball, and he's beginning to develop a mid-80s changeup that's a bit firm but features some fade. Murphy has advanced feel for multiple pitches and a strong competitive makeup. The Notre Dame recruit is athletic and repeats his three-quarters delivery, allowing him to provide plenty of strikes. The only knock is that he lacks projection at 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, which may limit his upside to that of a mid-rotation starter.

The Pittsburgh area might not seem like a high school baseball hotbed, but it has produced some solid Draft talent, from 2020 first-round pick Austin Hendrick back to 2004 first-rounder Neil Walker. Young, who attends North Allegheny High School in the suburbs north of the city, was a mainstay and steady performer on the summer showcase circuit, and a solid, if unspectacular spring, gives him the chance to join them in the opening round. Young is the kind of player who needs to be seen more than once to be truly appreciated, as his feel for the game is greater than any jump off the page tools. That said, he does have impressive bat-to-ball skills from the left side of the plate. He doesn’t swing and miss much, doesn’t look overmatched against velocity and shows the ability to use the whole field. While he’s not a huge power guy, there is some impact here, with gap power. An above-average runner who is capable of taking the extra base, Young has enough range and savvy, to go along with an above-average arm, to stay at shortstop long-term. The Duke recruit has received comps to left-handed hitting infielders like Adam Frazier, with more extra-base impact and a better chance to stick at short, and former first-rounder Stephen Drew.

Hjerpe was a talented lefty from the California prep ranks who didn’t get much attention from Major League teams, and he headed to Oregon State. After pitching out of the bullpen briefly as a freshman in the shortened 2020 season, he moved into the Beavers’ weekend rotation, pitching on Saturdays for a team that made the NCAA Regionals. The southpaw has moved into the Friday night role this year and seen his stock improve greatly as one of the more consistent starters in the country. While Hjerpe doesn’t light up radar guns, he does a have a full starter’s repertoire, a ton of deception and a huge competitive streak. His fastball will typically sit in the 91-93 mph range, occasionally touching a bit higher. It plays up because of a funky, cross-fire delivery that makes the ball hard for even right-handed hitters to pick up, and because he combines it with his breaking ball so well. It’s kind of a Laredo, coming from a low three-quarters slot, and Hjerpe can vary its shape. One is more of a slow sweeping curve, thrown in the mid-70s, and the other is tighter with more slider characteristics, thrown up around 80 mph. His average changeup features good fade and should be a weapon for him in the future. Even with the funk in his delivery, Hjerpe tends to always finish online, leading to a belief that he’s going to throw more than enough strikes in the future, and he is fearless on the mound. His ceiling is a bit limited, but mid-rotation southpaws who perform well in big college conferences tend to do decently when the Draft comes around.

American Heritage High School in Plantation, Fla., has churned out a good number of professional players, from All-Star Eric Hosmer to Red Sox prospect Triston Casas. Pitchers have been tougher to come by, with Shaun Anderson the one big league arm to come from the school, via the University of Florida. Barriera -- a smaller lefty with electric stuff who threw very well on the summer showcase circuit, including a perfect inning at MLB’s High School All-American Game in Denver -- has a very good chance of being the next. It was more of the same for him this spring, though he made his last start on April 19 as he shut things down out of caution, not injury. While there are high school pitchers in this class who are more projectable, there aren’t that many who have better stuff than Barriera. His fastball sits in the low-90s and touched as high as 96 mph over the course of the summer. He has a low-80s slider that misses a lot of bats, and his changeup, which he sells with excellent arm speed, has the chance to be plus in the future. Barriera, who reminds some longtime scouts of former Yankee great Ron Guidry, throws a ton of strikes and goes right after hitters. The only concern around the Vanderbilt recruit is about his size and whether he will hold up as a starter, but his stuff and feel for the strike zone have had scouts running to south Florida all spring and puts him firmly in first-round conversations talent-wise.

Orange Lutheran High School in Southern California has generated some serious Draft talent over the years, from 2018 first-rounder and current Rangers prospect Cole Winn to future first-rounders like Garrett Mitchell and, most notably, Gerrit Cole. Romero doesn’t quite profile as high as those players went (though it should be noted Mitchell and Cole went on to UCLA before becoming first-round talents), but he does have the chance to be the highest position player drafted from the high school powerhouse since Josh Morgan was a third-rounder in 2014. With impressive bat-to-ball skills, Romero has the chance to perhaps be a plus hitter in time. He rarely strikes out and can use all fields. He does need to continue to add strength, but though he struggled a bit against velocity early in the summer, he was one of the best hitters at Perfect Game’s World Wood Bat Association World Championship in Jupiter, Fla., in the fall, showing off bat speed, quick hands and good timing from the left side of the plate, though he wasn’t particularly productive at the National High School Invitational or Boras Classic this spring. He may never be a huge power guy, but there’s enough for him to impact the ball. Romero is a smooth defender with more than enough arm to go along with the range, instincts and footwork to stay at shortstop for a long time. He’s not quite Marcelo Mayer, the lefty-swinging prep shortstop from SoCal who was the No. 4 pick in the 2021 Draft, but the LSU recruit is in the conversation of best high school shortstops in this year’s class.

A California high school product, Jones was one of the best two-way prospects in the 2019 Draft but required surgery to repair a small fracture in his pitching elbow. He slid to the Angels in the 31st round because of his strong commitment to Vanderbilt, and he required Tommy John surgery in July 2020 after trying to pitch again in summer ball. He missed part of last season while completing his rehab and didn't become an everyday position player for the Commodores until this spring, when he has hit his way into the top two rounds. Jones has the potential to hit for average while producing solid power, but he also swings and misses frequently against non-fastballs. Though he generates plenty of bat speed and has impressive strength and leverage in his 6-foot-7 frame, his size also creates a naturally long left-handed swing. He uses the opposite field almost to a fault, rarely turning on pitches, and there are concerns about whether he'll be able to handle quality fastballs on the inner half. Very athletic for his size, Jones shows average speed out of the batter's box, is quicker once he gets going and has some basestealing ability. He covers ground in right field and has regained average arm strength. He also played some first base last year at Vanderbilt and is a solid defender there.

With his 6-foot-9 frame and low three-quarters arm slot, Schultz conjures physical comparisons to Randy Johnson. He can't match the power in the Hall of Famer's arsenal, but Schultz is a lot more polished than Johnson was as a teenager. He's also difficult to figure out because he barely pitched as a high school senior and is strongly committed to Vanderbilt. Schultz's biggest weapon is an upper-70s slider with horizontal break that's nearly impossible for lefties to track because of the angle he presents, and he also can back-foot it against righties. His fastball sat at 89-92 mph and peaked at 94 with good carry and armside run on the showcase circuit last summer, and he's not afraid to work it inside on right-handers. He hasn't had much need for a changeup yet but shows some aptitude for throwing one with some fade. Schultz has unusual athleticism and body control for such a tall youngster and he keeps all of his moving parts in sync by working out of the stretch. Scouts would like to see him add some more velocity and he began to trend up a bit during the fall before dealing at 92-96 mph and also showcasing a sharper, harder slider in a two-inning outing to open his senior season. But he came down with mononucleosis soon afterward and displayed shaky control when he returned.

Brown has an unusual setup at the plate, holding his hands high and pointing his bat toward the mound before starting his load, but it doesn't prevent him from making consistent contact. Factor in his ability to stay at shortstop and his high baseball IQ, and he could match Mickey Brantley, Kirt Manwaring and Mike Costanzo as the highest-drafted position players in Coastal Carolina history (second round). He earned Cape Cod League all-star honors last summer while playing for Cotuit manager Mike Roberts, who said Brown reminded him of his son -- two-time All-Star Brian. An offensive catalyst, Brown has tremendous hand-eye coordination that allows him to barrel balls regularly even though there's a lot going on in his right-handed stroke. He has a quick bat and some sneaky pop that should translate into 15-20 homers per season, and he controls the strike zone well. He's an aggressive baserunner with a knack for stealing bases despite his average speed. Brown's instincts also allow him to cover ground in the field. He's one of the better defensive shortstops in college baseball despite playing second base alongside Kentucky's Ryan Ritter on the Cape. With quick hands and feet, at least solid arm strength and a good internal clock, he can play anywhere in the infield if needed.

Some scouts thought Gilbert had the second-best stuff among upper Midwest high school pitchers in the 2019 Draft (behind Pirates first-rounder Quinn Priester), but his 5-foot-9 frame and college commitment dropped him to his home-state Twins in the 35th round. Although he has pulled double duty at Tennessee and has run his fastball up to 93 mph in a relief role, he has emerged as a better prospect as a center fielder. He homered four times in seven postseason games last June to help the Volunteers reach the College World Series for the first time since 2005, then was the best hitter on a club that ranked No. 1 in the nation for much of this season. A fiery competitor who plays with a lot of emotion, Gilbert has an aggressive approach but also the hand-eye coordination to regularly barrel balls. His left-handed swing can get big when he gets too concerned with home runs, and he'd be a better hitter if he focused more on making quality contact. His bat speed and strength give him enough raw pop to hit 15-20 homers per season without selling out. Gilbert has solid to plus speed and will steal and take extra bases. While he's not a true burner, his quickness and instincts allow him to run down balls from gap to gap in center field. His plus arm strength would allow him to play anywhere in the outfield, and he also showed feel for spinning a curveball and aptitude for throwing a changeup while drawing some Tim Collins comparisons in high school.

East Forysth HS (Kernersville, N.C.) spawned one of the best college hitters in the 2021 Draft in Connor Norby, who went to the Orioles in the second round after starring at East Carolina. Now the Eagles offer one of the top prep sluggers for 2022 in Isaac. He has been hard to get a read on, however, because he missed most of his junior season and all of the showcase circuit with a foot injury. Isaac's massive 6-foot-4, 240-pound frame packs plenty of strength and bat speed that give him close to top-of-the-scale raw power from the left side of the plate. He does a good job of focusing on hard contact rather than selling out for home runs that will come naturally, leading to hope that he'll hit enough to make the most of his pop. But he has almost no track record of at-bats against quality pitching, so projecting his bat involves a lot of guesswork. Almost all of Isaac's value will come from his offensive production. He's a well-below-average runner and a substandard defender at first base, though he does have average arm strength. A team that believes in his bat could take him in the top three rounds, though it's also possible clubs will let him prove he can do damage in college at Florida before paying him.

A two-way standout from the University of Connecticut who hit 13 homers as a first baseman and logged 7 2/3 innings on the mound, Crawford got the scouting industry excited in his left arm when he touched triple digits over the summer while pitching for USA Baseball. The thrill was dashed in the fall when the Huskies star hurt his elbow and required Tommy John surgery, which will keep him out for all of the 2022 season. It’s hard to know exactly what Crawford is, other than big, strong and left-handed. The strength and power definitely showed up at the plate, but the southpaw’s velocity points to a professional future on the mound once he’s healthy. While with Team USA and during a quick stop in the Cape Cod League, his fastball averaged a tick over 97 mph and touched 100, showing an ability to throw it for a strike. In his brief mound time at UConn, he hadn’t thrown much more than the heater, but he did show off a plus 84-85 mph slider that he also landed in the strike zone and missed bats with over the summer. While many teams don’t shy away from amateur pitchers coming back from TJ surgery, the fact that Crawford has just eight official collegiate innings on his resume makes him even harder to evaluate. That said, this kind of arm strength from the left side doesn’t grow on trees.

Thompson was a solid prospect as a Florida high schooler, landing in MLB Pipeline’s Top 200 in 2020. He wasn’t taken in the shortened five-round Draft that summer and he headed to Florida with the scouting industry knowing he’d be eligible again in two years. He put up solid numbers as a freshman with the Gatos then hit well in a brief stop in the Florida Collegiate Summer League, a trend that’s continued this spring, allowing him to move up Draft boards. Thompson has long shown a good feel to hit from the left side of the plate with a very good approach. He can use the whole field and drive the ball to the gaps, rarely missing a fastball, though he struggles a bit more with softer stuff. The question in terms of his offensive profile comes in trying to project how much power he’ll have. There’s plenty of raw pop there and a sense there will be strength gains in his 6-foot-3 frame, but he has more of a hit over power approach. A shortstop in high school, Thompson played right field with Florida as a freshman and saw time there and at third this past fall, but most scouts feel an outfield corner is his best long-term home at the next level. Wherever he plays, it’s his left-handed bat that will carry him and potentially get him drafted in the top three rounds.

Westminster Christian School in the Miami area has generated some serious baseball talent over the years, led by Alex Rodriguez, and most recently, Royals prospect MJ Melendez. Stewart could be next in line in terms of hitters with thump to come from the school after showing off his hit and power tools over the summer. That included advancing in MLB’s High School All-American Game Home Run Derby, allowing him to take hacks during the big league Derby over the All-Star break in Denver. This spring, he’s proven to be one of the better pure high school bats in the class. Most of Stewart’s value comes from his right-handed bat. He has the chance to hit with a solid approach at the plate and legitimate raw power he already knows how to tap into. Some scouts think he’s power over hit, but there’s plenty of belief he’ll hit enough to get to the power consistently at the next level. While he’s a below-average runner, he’s more athletic than you’d think given his size for someone who just recently stopped playing basketball at a competitive level. The lack of speed has led some to wonder where Stewart will play defensively long-term, with some thinking he might eventually have to move to first base. But his feet work fine and he has enough arm to start out as a third baseman, if a team can sign him away from his commitment to Vanderbilt.

The college ranks in northern California have a pair of toolsy, left-handed-hitting outfielders, both with considerable upside. One is Brock Jones from Stanford and the other is Beavers, who hit 18 homers and slugged .630 at Cal in 2021. A rough summer in the Cape Cod League and with USA Baseball last summer drew concerns, but the power was back on display this spring. When Beavers is locked in, he’s the proverbial five-tool player. During the spring of 2021, he reminded some scouts of Christian Yelich as a left-handed hitter who makes good swing decisions and hard contact in the strike zone. But using a bit of an unorthodox setup with lower hand positioning, he does have some timing issues and there are some holes in his swing. He was tied up inside at times over the summer. He was streaky in the fall, though he did show some flashes of brilliance, especially getting to his easily plus raw power, something that continued this spring. While he’s big at 6-foot-4, Beavers is an above-average runner who has the chance to stay in center field, though his near-plus arm would work just fine in right. He hasn’t received a ton of instruction in terms of making adjustments mechanically at the plate, but there will be teams willing to look past the hit risk and bank on helping him tap into all of his tools at the next level.

Sims entered his 2019 senior season as a Georgia high schooler with a chance to go in the top three rounds, but inconsistency with his secondary pitches and control combined with his commitment to Mississippi State left him undrafted. He was unhittable in his first two college seasons as a reliever, posting a 1.44 ERA with 13 saves, a .151 opponent average and 100 strikeouts in 56 1/3 innings as the Bulldogs won their first-ever College World Series championship in 2021. This spring, he attempted the same bullpen-to-rotation transition that landed fellow CWS hero Will Bednar in the first round last July, but he blew out his elbow in his third start (while fanning 10 of the 11 Tulane hitters he faced) and required Tommy John surgery in March. Sims' high-spin fastball sits at 94-96 mph and touches 98 with a difficult approach angle and tremendous carry up in the strike zone, resulting in outstanding swing-and-miss (38 percent) and chase (29 percent) rates on his heater last season. His tight mid-80s slider is just as hard to handle and works against both left-handers and right-handers. He didn't utilize a third offering as a reliever and didn't pitch in the fall, but he says he believes in his changeup and is looking forward to using it. With his strong 6-foot-2 build and strike-throwing ability, Sims is equipped to handle starting. While he does feature some spin and recoil at times in his delivery, he has shown the aptitude to control his mechanics in longer outings. He comes with a ceiling of a mid-rotation starter and the likelihood that he's a high-leverage reliever and perhaps a closer. Area scouts love his makeup and he reminds some of them of Wallace State (Ala.) CC star Craig Kimbrel, albeit with better control and a better chance to succeed in a rotation.

Bainbridge Island in Washington state can be found across Elliott Bay from Seattle and is home to roughly 25,000 people. A player hasn’t been drafted from the island since Brian Coleman went in Round 55 back in 1990. Ritchie, an athletic right-hander who first stood out as an underclassman on the summer showcase circuit in 2020, should have the combination of stuff and feel for pitching to him become the first Bainbridge resident to get drafted in over 30 years. Ritchie showed off three or four outstanding offerings this past summer, and it's largely been more of the same this spring. He’s touched as high as 97 mph but typically sits in the 93-95 mph range with his fastball. His go-to breaking ball had been his curve, and he still throws it, but he featured a sharper low-80s slider that missed a ton of bats against good competition. He throws his changeup with good arm speed and similar velocity as his slider. Ritchie can throw strikes with all of his offerings and has a simple and repeatable delivery that points to future strike-throwing. The UCLA recruit doesn’t play against a high level of competition in Bainbridge, but that hasn't stopped scouts from crossing the bay to evaluate him.

Harrington went from walk-on to Big South Conference freshman of the year at Campbell in 2021, capping his season with five one-hit innings against eventual champion Mississippi State in the NCAA Regionals. He encored this spring by winning Big South pitcher of the year honors, topping NCAA Division I in victories (a school-record 12) and setting another Fighting Camels mark with 111 strikeouts in 92 2/3 innings. He has a chance to pass Seth Johnson (40th overall, 2019) as the highest-drafted pitcher in the program's history. Harrington's heater will range from 90-93 mph on some days and 93-96 on others, but it regularly misses bats with its run and carry. His best offering is a mid-80s changeup with tumble that elicits swings-and-misses in and out of the strike zone. He'll flash a plus mid-80s slider with depth, though it comes and goes, and he also has a show-me curveball in the upper 70s. A quality athlete who also played quarterback in high school, Harrington repeats his low three-quarters delivery well and pounds the strike zone. He has a projectable 6-foot-2 frame and continues to get better, showing good feel for sequencing his pitches to keep hitters off balance. A Draft-eligible sophomore, he offers one of the higher floors in the 2022 college pitching crop, as well as the ceiling of a No. 3 starter.

An 18th-round pick by the Astros out of a California high school in 2019, Campbell opted instead to attend Oklahoma State and pull double duty as a pitcher and DH. He immediately won a spot in the weekend rotation in 2020 and was a finalist for the John Olerud Award as NCAA Division I's best two-way talent in 2021, when he threw a 99-pitch no-hitter against Kansas. More of an on-base guy than a slugger at the plate, he focused solely on pitching this season and could fit toward the end of the first round after finishing seventh in D-I with 141 strikeouts in 101 1/3 innings. Hitters just don't seem to see the ball well against Campbell, who has a 6-foot-7 frame and deceptive mechanics with an unusual approach angle. His fastball sits around 92 mph and touches 97, and it features high spin rates and running action that generate a lot of harmless contact. He has a pair of solid secondary pitches that he'll use against both left-handers and right-handers: an upper-70s changeup with even more horizonal movement than his heater and a mid-70s curveball that creates a lot of empty swings and groundouts. Campbell also fiddles with a low-80s slider but primarily operates with three pitches. Extremely athletic for his size, he provides plenty of strikes and can win on days that he lacks his best stuff. He's a high-floor starter with a good probability of filling a No. 4 slot in a rotation.

Several evaluators draw parallels between Beck and former Mississippi State star Hunter Renfroe. Both were physical, tooled-up right fielders in the Southeastern Conference, and both were drafted by the Red Sox as raw high schoolers (Beck in the 14th round in 2019). Renfroe slugged his way into the first round after improving in his third college season, and Beck is doing the same this spring. Beck uses his bat speed, strength and the leverage in his 6-foot-3 frame to create well above-average raw power to all fields. He gets too aggressive at the plate, however, and he struggled to make contact and drive the ball with wood bats in the Cape Cod League last summer. Developing more discipline and making adjustments against breaking balls and changeups has helped him make the leap Renfroe did. Beck runs very well for his size, displaying solid speed and the ability to steal an occasional base. His plus arm strength adds to his profile in right field, where he's a better-than-average defender. Though he doesn't play center field for the Volunteers because they have Drew Gilbert, he did see some action in center on the Cape and may merit a look there in pro ball.

Last summer, Snelling hit the showcase circuit as a big, strong left-handed pitcher who was also a big-time football recruit. Originally planning on heading to Arizona to play both sports, he changed gears when Jay Johnson was named Louisiana State's head coach. Snelling switched his commitment, and with it, the chance to play football at the next level. This spring, he’s continued to show he has a strong future on the mound. Snelling is a big, physical presence on the mound, one who shook off tacklers as a quarterback and punished offensive players as a linebacker. The 6-foot-3 left-hander has plenty of fastball, routinely up to 94 mph, touching as high as 97 over the summer. His best pitch is his curveball and he can really spin it, a plus breaker thrown in the upper 70s that misses a ton of bats. He has a changeup that has the chance to be average, but he doesn’t use it much. In addition to the strong fastball-curve combination, Snelling does a very good job of filling up the strike zone. He brings a football mentality to the mound and has the frame to be able to handle a starting pitcher’s workload. Scouting directors have spent a lot of time in Reno, and it’s possible Snelling goes high enough to not follow Johnson to LSU.

Henry Davis went No. 1 overall to the Pirates in the 2021 Draft, and his successor as Louisville's catcher is climbing up Draft boards. Rushing accumulated just 93 at-bats and started only two games at catcher in his first two years with the Cardinals, but he emerged as one of the best offensive performers in the Cape Cod League last summer. After proving up to the task behind the plate while sharing the catching job at Louisville and drilling 23 homers this spring, he could go in the first two rounds. Rushing translates his impressive strength and well above-average bat speed into solid power. He repeats his compact left-handed swing well and has displayed a more patient approach in his first season as a full-time starter. He's drawing more walks and showing an improved ability to drive the ball in the air and to all fields. Rushing needs more experience and agility as a catcher, though area scouts believe he can become at least an adequate receiver and possibly better than Davis in that regard. He has solid arm strength and makes accurate throws, even from his knees. With his lack of quickness, first base is his only other feasible defensive option, though at 5-foot-11 he'd be short for that position.

Henry Davis went No. 1 overall to the Pirates in the 2021 Draft, and his successor as Louisville's catcher is climbing up Draft boards. Rushing accumulated just 93 at-bats and started only two games at catcher in his first two years with the Cardinals, but he emerged as one of the best offensive performers in the Cape Cod League last summer. After proving up to the task behind the plate while sharing the catching job at Louisville and drilling 23 homers this spring, he could go in the first two rounds. Rushing translates his impressive strength and well above-average bat speed into solid power. He repeats his compact left-handed swing well and has displayed a more patient approach in his first season as a full-time starter. He's drawing more walks and showing an improved ability to drive the ball in the air and to all fields. Rushing needs more experience and agility as a catcher, though area scouts believe he can become at least an adequate receiver and possibly better than Davis in that regard. He has solid arm strength and makes accurate throws, even from his knees. With his lack of quickness, first base is his only other feasible defensive option, though at 5-foot-11 he'd be short for that position.

Last summer on the showcase circuit, Coffey emerged as an intriguing two-way prospect, one with power at the plate and on the mound. This spring, back at his Bakersfield, Calif., high school, he’s continued to garner a lot of attention in an area that’s not always easy to get to, though most of the focus has been on his skills as a hitter. While he’ll still pitch when his team needs him, it does appear that Coffey’s future will be in the batter’s box. He’s been a bit inconsistent, but the right-handed hitter has shown the ability to make loud contact with some excellent raw power to tap into. He recognizes spin well, especially for a young player, but can get beat up in the zone at times, with some moving parts to his swing making it tougher for him to catch up to velocity up in the zone. Fairly athletic and physical, Coffey plays shortstop for his high school team now, though few believe he can stay there at the next level. He could move to third, where his arm -- which fires 94-mph fastballs from the mound -- would play well, or he could be an offensive-minded second baseman with fringy speed. He’s part of an exciting University of Texas recruiting class that includes fellow California prep standout Henry Bolte.

Wagner batted just .214/.305/.345 as a Clemson freshman in 2021 and began this season as a defensive replacement at third base. He worked his way into the starting lineup by the end of February and began to take off in mid-April when he homered seven times in five games. He went deep 17 times in his final 24 contests to tie Khalil Greene's school record with 27, ranked second in NCAA Division I in slugging (.852) and third in homers and was named Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year. Teams still aren't quite sure what to make of Wagner because the sophomore-eligible has little track record, though he did perform well with wood bats in the Northwoods League last summer. He has at least plus raw power, though he does create it more with strength than bat speed, and even while struggling in 2021 he showed the ability to work counts and draw walks. He has made adjustments to his right-handed stroke and approach that have allowed him to make more consistent contact this spring and he's no longer helpless against sliders. Wagner is a capable defender at third base with good body control, decent range and solid arm strength. He needs to improve his consistency at the hot corner because the game speeds up on him at times. He's a fringy runner but not a liability on the bases.

Melendez starred for two seasons at Odessa (Texas) JC before transferring to Texas in 2021, when he led the Longhorns with 13 homers, including a ninth-inning game winner off eventual national champion Mississippi State at the College World Series. Scouts viewed him as a one-tool player and his bonus expectations didn't line up with their evaluations, so he dropped to the Marlins in the 16th round and declined to sign. He has been phenomenal as a fourth-year junior, winning the Golden Spikes Award as the top amateur player in the country after hitting .387/.508/.863 and leading NCAA Division I in homers (a school-record 32), RBI (94), total bases (214) and slugging. With the strength in his 6-foot-3, 225-pound frame and an uphill right-handed swing, Melendez is geared to drive balls in the air and produces plus-plus raw power that plays from foul pole to foul pole. Though he topped Kris Bryant's previous record of 31 homers since the NCAA adopted BBCOR bat restrictions in 2011, he doesn't have standout bat speed, so there are some concerns about how he'll handle quality velocity against more advanced pitchers. He's doing a much better job of controlling the strike zone this spring and has improved his ability to do damage against breaking balls and changeups. Melendez still doesn't offer much value beyond his bat and a righty-hitting first baseman is the least attractive profile for pro teams. He's a well below-average runner with limited range and an average arm. He's an adequate defender at first base and his only other alternative is DH.

Barco was the highest-ranked high school lefty in the 2019 Draft class, but wasn’t taken until Round 24 because of his very strong commitment to play at the University of Florida. The southpaw pitched very well during the shortened 2020 season, and while he wasn’t as dominant as a sophomore in 2021, he was a solid member of the Gators' weekend rotation. He was making a large step forward performance-wise in 2022 when he was shut down with elbow discomfort. That led to an early May announcement that he had Tommy John surgery, ending his season. When healthy, Barco has been very similar to the prospect he was back in high school, albeit now with a track record of SEC success. The 6-foot-4 southpaw relies mostly on his fastball-slider combination. His fastball typically sits around 92 mph and touches 95. When he commands it well, that's plenty, given the life it has and the lower-slot, cross-body delivery that causes some deception. His 80-mph sweeping slider misses a ton of bats and he can manipulate the shape of it to give it more of a curveball look at times. He sells his changeup well with excellent arm speed. Barco has done an excellent job of consistently finding the strike zone in college, though there’s improvement that can be made in terms of command within the zone with that funky delivery tough to repeat at times. He has a ceiling of being a No. 3 or 4 starter.

Bennett pitched with current Nationals top prospect Cade Cavalli at Bixby (Okla.) High and followed him to Oklahoma after turning down Washington as a 39th-round pick in 2019. They're a contrast in styles, with Cavalli a flame-throwing right-hander and Bennett a polished left-hander. While he won't emulate Cavalli by becoming a first-rounder out of college, Bennett could factor into the top two rounds after pitching the Sooners to the College World Series finals by winning four of his five postseason starts. Bennett is more effective against right-handers than same-side hitters because his 82-85 mph changeup is a legitimate plus pitch that tumbles at the plate, and he uses it almost exclusively against righties. Although his four-seam fastball has touched 98 mph, it usually operates at 91-94 with some arm-side run, and he must locate it up in the zone to be effective. He uses a slider with similar velocity to his changeup against left-handers, and it lacks consistency while flashing solid sweep at times. At 6-foot-6 and 234 pounds, Bennett is built to be a workhorse starter. He has an easy yet somewhat deceptive delivery that he repeats well, allowing him to pound the strike zone throughout his college career. He stands out more for his floor than his ceiling with a good chance of becoming a No. 4 or 5 starter.

Miller excited scouts by reaching 97 mph with his fastball in his opening start of 2022, and he continued to bring the heat all spring. He could factor into the first round thanks to his improved velocity as well as his quality secondary pitches and pitchability. Gatorade's Ohio state player of the year, he has better feel for spin than most of this year's prep arms and should be an immediate contributor at Louisville if he decides to attend college rather than turn pro. Miller features high spin rates and depth on both of his breaking balls, with his 78-82 mph curveball devastating hitters more regularly than his tighter 83-87 mph slider. His fastball climbed to 91-95 mph with some armside run by midsummer, and he focused his offseason on adding more strength and velocity. He also shows the makings of a potentially solid 82-86 mph changeup with fade. While Miller isn't very physical and doesn't have the prettiest delivery, he's loose and athletic, and his arm works well. He attacks hitters and throws strikes, displaying aptitude for landing his curve where he wants. He uses a high three-quarters slot to create angle and stay on top of his breaking pitches, and his competitive makeup is another point in his favor.

Scouts have poured in to watch IMG Academy outfielder Elijah Green on a regular basis all spring, but they also tried to time it for whenever Ferris takes the mound. One of the best prep left-handers in this class, Ferris certainly made a name for himself last spring, when he outdueled eventual Phillies first-round pick Andrew Painter, then threw at a number of summer showcase events -- including MLB’s High School All-American Game in Denver. He came out of the gate red-hot this spring and while he’s shown off his considerable upside, he’s been a touch more inconsistent as the season wore on. When everything is in sync and online, the 6-foot-4 Ferris can show off three pitches that have the chance to all be plus pitches. His fastball typically sits in the 92-95 mph range with good riding life and he has shown the ability to command the pitch well. He throws close to a true 12-to-6 curve in the mid-70s and has excellent feel for his mid-80s changeup with good fade. Tall and projectable, the Mississippi commit could have more in the tank as he matures, and he can already hold his stuff deep into outings. He does have a bit of an unorthodox delivery that can get out of whack occasionally, leading to some command issues, but he has No. 2-3 starter potential if it all comes together.

Scouts have poured in to watch IMG Academy outfielder Elijah Green on a regular basis all spring, but they also tried to time it for whenever Ferris takes the mound. One of the best prep left-handers in this class, Ferris certainly made a name for himself last spring, when he outdueled eventual Phillies first-round pick Andrew Painter, then threw at a number of summer showcase events -- including MLB’s High School All-American Game in Denver. He came out of the gate red-hot this spring and while he’s shown off his considerable upside, he’s been a touch more inconsistent as the season wore on. When everything is in sync and online, the 6-foot-4 Ferris can show off three pitches that have the chance to all be plus pitches. His fastball typically sits in the 92-95 mph range with good riding life and he has shown the ability to command the pitch well. He throws close to a true 12-to-6 curve in the mid-70s and has excellent feel for his mid-80s changeup with good fade. Tall and projectable, the Mississippi commit could have more in the tank as he matures, and he can already hold his stuff deep into outings. He does have a bit of an unorthodox delivery that can get out of whack occasionally, leading to some command issues, but he has No. 2-3 starter potential if it all comes together.

Gatorade's Wisconsin high school player of the year and the state's top Draft prospect in 2019, Prielipp slid to the Red Sox in the 37th round because of his commitment to Alabama. He immediately became the Crimson Tide's No. 1 starter as a freshman and didn't allow a run while striking out 35 in 21 innings before the coronavirus pandemic ended the 2020 season. He looked like a potential No. 1 overall pick for 2022 before injuring his elbow in his first start as a sophomore, leading to Tommy John surgery last May. He returned to the mound with a bullpen workout in front of more than 100 evaluators in late May and showed that he had fully regained his stuff three weeks later at the Draft Combine. Prielipp's slider is one of the most devastating pitches in the college class, sitting in the mid-80s and touching 90 mph with two-plane break that has it drop off the table as it approaches the plate. He also can elicit swings and misses with a low-90s fastball that peaks at 95 mph with run and downhill plane. He has a quick arm and could add more velocity after completing his rehabilitation from elbow reconstruction. Prielipp hasn't used his changeup much but shows feel for an 82-85 mph offering with some sink. He pitches with confidence and while he doesn't have the smoothest delivery, he's athletic and locates his pitches where he wants. Assuming a return to full health, he has all the ingredients to become a frontline starter.

Wallace ranked as Arkansas' top prep position prospect in 2020, though questions about his pure hitting ability and ultimate defensive home, along with his commitment to the Razorbacks, left him undrafted. He made an immediate impact in 2021, tying the school freshman record of 14 homers held by former first-round picks Zack Cox and Heston Kjerstad. He continued to build momentum with a strong summer in the Cape Cod League and he may have played his way into the first round after leading Arkansas to the College World Series this year. One of the best power hitters in the 2022 college class, Wallace generates impressive exit velocities with his bat speed, strength and relatively compact right-handed stroke. Most of his present power comes to his pull side, and some scouts question his ability to handle quality stuff and pitches on the outer half. He'll need to do a better job of using the opposite field and staying back on changeups. Wallace has gotten stronger and improved his tools in college, going from an average to solid runner and plus to perhaps double-plus arm strength. Primarily a right fielder as a freshman, he has moved to third base in his second season and also played a lot of center field during fall practice. While he should be at least an average defender on the hot corner, some evaluators believe he'll wind up in right field as a pro.

The state of Washington has had its fair share of high school arms go in the top five rounds and make it to the big leagues, though most of them have been left-handed, with Jon Lester and Blake Snell topping that list. There have been some right-handers, with Trevor May and Jeremy Bonderman finding the most big league success in recent years, but never have there been two of them in one class with a chance to go early on. That’s what’s happening this year, with J.R. Ritchie the name most know, but with Cox not too far behind after a strong summer and start to spring. Cox is an athletic right-hander with the chance to have three pitches that are at least above-average when all is said and done. He’ll sit around 92 mph with his fastball and is up to 96 with ease, thrown with excellent running life. His real calling card right now is his curve, a plus hard slurve with deep and late bite that routinely registers spin rates over 3,000 rpm, giving him one of the better breaking balls in the class. He has very good feel for a changeup, which could develop into another out pitch. The Oregon recruit repeats his delivery very well and can fill up the strike zone with all three of his offerings. Cold weather this spring in the Pacific Northwest has made it a little tougher to evaluate him, but there are some scouts who like him as much as Ritchie, who was considered to be a first-round contender when the Draft season began.

Graham wasn't a big-name recruit but made an immediate impact at Oklahoma, batting .358/.457/.612 with three homers and eight steals in 18 games during the truncated 2020 season. His numbers weren't nearly as loud last year with the Sooners or in the Cape Cod League, but he heated up after a slow start in 2022 and could become the program's first infielder ever selected in the first round. He helped Oklahoma to a second-place finish at the College World Series while becoming the first NCAA Division I player with 20 homers and 30 steals in a season since Texas Tech's Josh Brady in 2004. Though Graham has good feel for the barrel, he struggled at the beginning of this season when he became too aggressive with his right-handed swing and didn't make consistent contact against anything beyond fastballs. He made adjustments in the final three months, doing a better job of staying back on breaking pitches and understanding that his combination of bat speed and projectable strength will allow him to develop into a solid power hitter without swinging for the fences. He's also a plus runner who's dangerous on the bases. Graham has drawn some comparisons to Brian Anderson and his defensive versatility adds to his appeal. His quickness, reliable hands and strong arm make him an average defender at shortstop, where he moved this season, and solid at third base, where he spent his first two years at Oklahoma and likely will return in pro ball if he slows down as he matures physically. He might be able to handle second base at the next level and impressed scouts when he played the outfield in the Cape.

Tidwell teamed with Ryan Weathers to lead Loretto HS to the Tennessee state Class A championship in 2017 and a runner-up finish in 2018. Now in his second year at Tennessee, Tidwell could join Weathers (selected No. 7 overall by the Padres in 2018) as a first-round pick, though he missed the first six weeks with shoulder soreness and took another month before rejoining the weekend rotation. In his college debut, he won 10 games (second-most in school history for a freshman behind R.A. Dickey), including the super-regional clincher over Louisiana State that sent the Volunteers to the College World Series for the first time in 16 years. Tidwell can light up radar guns with a fastball that parks at 93-96 mph and tops out at 99 with some arm-side run, though it also straightens out and gets hit when he doesn't work up in the strike zone. He has a full array of secondary pitches, led by a low-80s slider that hits 88 mph and features sweep and some depth. His sinking low-80s changeup generated the best swing-and-miss rate (39 percent) of any of his offerings in 2021, and he'll also drop in a mid-70s curveball to give left-handers a different look. After adding 20 pounds to his 6-foot-4 frame since arriving in college, Tidwell does a good job of maintaining his stuff deep into games, and he still has room to add some more strength. He throws strikes but needs to improve the consistency and command of his pitches. While he didn't have a fully healthy or dominant 2022 season, he still could join Dickey as the only Volunteers pitchers ever taken in the first round.

One of the best 2022 Draft prospects among NCAA Division I transfers, Mazur spent his first two college seasons as the No. 1 starter at South Dakota State. After posting a 5.50 ERA in 16 starts over two years with the Jackrabbits, he opened eyes by earning all-star honors in the Cape Cod League last summer with a 1.55 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 29 innings. The 2022 Big Ten Conference pitcher of the year, he should become the University of Iowa's first top-three-rounds choice since the Royals selected Wes Obermueller in 1999's second round. Mazur throws two different fastballs, a four-seamer that sits at 93-95 mph and tops out at 99 and a two-seamer at 90-94 mph with good sink. His best offering is an 82-86 mph slider that reaches 89, features two-plane break and grades as plus when it's on. His changeup is a bit firm in the mid-80s but dodges bats with some late tumble, and he also can mix in an upper-70s curveball to give hitters a different look. Mazur has a quick arm and plenty of room to add weight to his lean 6-foot-2 frame, so he could continue to get better. After averaging 4.4 walks per nine innings at South Dakota State, he cut that rate to 1.9 on the Cape and 2.9 at Iowa. He ranked seventh in NCAA Division I in opponent average (.178) this spring and has the makings of a legitimate three-pitch starter.

Messick pitched sparingly, but effectively, out of Florida State’s bullpen in 2020, appearing in just six games in the pandemic-shortened season. After pitching well in the Florida Collegiate Summer League, he not only earned a spot in the Seminoles’ rotation in 2021, but served as the Friday night starter, finishing with a 3.10 ERA, 12.6 strikeout per nine innings and 5.48 K/BB ratios. He capped it off by throwing well for Team USA last summer and has been effective again at the top of FSU’s rotation this spring. The six-foot-tall Messick fits the advanced college lefty prototype well. He has a legitimate four-pitch mix he knows how to use well, starting with a fastball that touches 95 mph, but averages around 91 mph more often that not. He has a softer curve he can fold in, but his newer slider, which is firmer and shorter, is a better breaking ball that he throws more frequently. His changeup is his best secondary offering, a low-80s offspeed pitch that misses bats both in and out of the strike zone and gets weak contact on the ground. Messick throws a ton of strikes with a very strong feel to pitch. He doesn’t have the highest ceiling in the world, but he does have a pretty high floor as a left-handed starter, giving him the chance to become the second southpaw to come out of Plant City High School to reach the big leagues, following former All-Star Kenny Rogers.

A two-way prospect as a Mississippi prepster, Tanner had a fastball that reached 96 mph but became a full-time catcher once he arrived at Mississippi State. He led the Bulldogs' 2021 College World Series championship team with 15 homers, including one in the clincher against Vanderbilt, and his defense stands out more than his offense. Though his power regressed this spring, he still should go in the top two rounds. Tanner has one of the strongest arms in the college ranks, earning plus-plus grades from most evaluators and top-of-the-scale 80s from some, and he shuts down the running game. He can get more consistent with his receiving and blocking but is solid in both regards. He works well with pitchers, has handled Mississippi State's live arms with ease and shows promising leadership and game-calling abilities. Tanner's strength and bat speed give him legitimate power to all fields from the right side of the plate, and he might provide 20 homers per year if he can lift more balls in the air. He draws walks, makes contact and has done damage against quality pitching at the college level. He's a well below-average runner but that's excusable for a catcher.

Some intriguing outfielders have been drafted out of Palo Alto High School in northern California over the years, with one -- Joc Pederson -- making it to the big leagues. Bolte has the raw tools to be the next and showed off both his skills and the need for a lot of refinement over the course of the summer. In a class deep in high school outfielders like top-of-the-Draft considerations Druw Jones and Elijah Green, Bolte belongs in the conversation in terms of raw tools; they just don’t always show up in games. When he does make contact, there’s serious juice in his bat to all fields. He’s capable of making a ballpark look small with his easily plus raw power and the basepaths look short with his close to elite-level speed. His hit tool is the biggest question mark, as there’s been some swing-and-miss in the zone and a tendency to chase offspeed stuff out of it. Bolte’s speed is an asset in the outfield as well and his average arm should play at the next level. He has a higher ceiling than just about anyone in his area and compares favorably upside-wise with other high schoolers in the class. Whether a team thinks his swing issues can be addressed will be a big determination in trying to sign him away from his commitment to the University of Texas.

Phillips hit triple digits with his fastball this spring and was pushing to become the first Texas high school pitcher taken in the first round since Grayson Rodriguez (now the top pitching prospect in the Minors) in 2018. His chances may have ended when he had Tommy John surgery in April, but he did get seen and crosschecked enough to still go in the top two rounds. Phillips' entire game took a leap forward during his senior season, starting with a fastball that went from topping out at 95 mph last summer to parking in the mid-90s and regularly reaching the upper 90s with running action. His 82-85 mph breaking ball combined curveball depth with slider velocity and showed flashes of becoming a plus offering. He didn't have much need for a changeup but displayed a mid-80s cambio pitch with some fade. In addition, Phillips added strength to his 6-foot-3 frame and did a better job of repeating his delivery and providing strikes. He has drawn some comparisons to fellow Texas flamethrower Nathan Eovaldi, who blew out his elbow as a high school junior in 2007 before launching a successful career. If he winds up attending college at Arkansas, he'll be Draft-eligible as a sophomore in 2024.

Locklear, whose uncle played six seasons of pro ball, jumped on radars when he smashed 16 homers for Virginia Commonwealth in 2021. He became a more serious Draft prospect when he crushed nine more with a wood bat in the Cape Cod League, and he’s continued to flex his muscles as the best hitter and run producer in the Rams' lineup this spring. Locklear’s carrying tool, obviously, is his raw power from the right side of the plate, which is better than plus. He’s shown he can use it in his mid-Major conference, and he’s strong enough to hit the ball out with wood in his hands as well. He makes a lot of contact at this level and has walked more than he’s struck out in his college career, though his strikeout rate did climb a little on the Cape. He’s much more strength over bat speed, though, and scouts are worried that his stiff swing will keep him from barreling up the baseball consistently against better pitching. It's Locklear's bat that will have to carry him to the big leagues, however. While he plays third at VCU and has above-average arm strength, he’s likely going to have to play first at the next level. The right-right profile is tougher there, though analytics fans do like his exit velocities and launch angles quite a bit.

Mautz spent the first two years of his career at the University of San Diego largely pitching out of the bullpen, though he did make five starts in 2021. He pitched well, again in a relief role, in the Northwoods League last summer, but has taken a huge step forward with a move into the rotation, serving as a very effective Saturday starter for the Toreros in 2022. The 6-foot-4 left-hander has always had swing-and-miss stuff, but has stepped it up to an entirely different level this spring. His fastball sits in the low 90s more often than not and has topped out at 95 mph as a starter this year, though he’s been up to 96-97 mph in shorter stints in the past. Coming from a very deceptive three-quarters arm slot with excellent arm speed, the pitch features a ton of sink and hard, running life, getting a lot of ground-ball outs along with missing bats. He tunnels his low-80s slider off of his fastball very well, a big reason for his huge strikeout rate, as hitters don’t see it well and he gets them to chase the pitch frequently. He doesn’t throw his changeup much, but it’s shown enough action to fool hitters at times. More than anything, it’s been Mautz’s ability to find the strike zone much more consistently that has led to his success. He’s cut his walk rate by more than half this spring, and while there is some concern about his unorthodox delivery, he’s been repeating it and the new strike-throwing ability provides more hope he can start at the next level.

The University of Oregon has produced some solid offensive talent in recent years, with outfielder Aaron Zavala going in the second round in 2021 and infielder Spencer Steer being selected in Round 3 in 2019. It’s Steer who comes up the most when talking about Kasevich, a talented shortstop for the Ducks who came off a very successful summer as one of the best hitters in the wood bat Northwoods League and continued to show outstanding bat-to-ball skills this spring. Kasevich has the chance to be a solid hitter from the right side of the plate at the next level. He has outstanding plate discipline and makes a ton of contact, walking nearly as much as he struck out at Oregon in 2021 and more than he struck out during his time in the Northwoods League. He uses all fields well and while he’s definitely hit over power, there is the chance he could grow into a little more pop in the future. While he’s just an average runner, Kasevich has every chance to stick at shortstop and is considered perhaps the best defender in the Pacific Northwest. His arm is above-average and very accurate and he has excellent hands and footwork to go along with it. All of his skills play up because of his instincts and if his bat continues to come along, he could go in the top three rounds just like Steer did a few years ago.

Scouts have headed to Cal Poly on a very consistent basis in 2022 to see potential top of the first round talent Brooks Lee in the lineup. They can get a 2-for-1 deal on Fridays, when Thorpe takes the mound. The right-hander was the Mustangs’ Friday night starter in 2021 and has excelled serving in that role again this coming spring on the heels of a summer pitching for USA Baseball and a brief stop in the Cape Cod League. At 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds, Thorpe is an intriguing combination of stuff and projection in a college arm. He’s missed bats consistently since joining Cal Poly’s weekend rotation in 2020, thanks largely to what might be the best changeup in the class. He throws it in the low-80s with excellent arm speed for deception and with a ton of sink, getting outs via the strikeout as well as weak contact on the ground. He throws it almost as frequently as his 91-93 mph fastball, a heater that has good riding action and sink at the bottom of the zone and could increase in velocity as he adds strength. Thorpe has been pitching off his fastball and has folded in his slider, which he now throws a bit harder in the low-80s, a bit more than in the past, something scouts wanted to see. They do like his projection and his feel for finding the strike zone. His steps forward on those fronts, to go along with his Kyle Hendricks-esque changeup, have helped him move up the college arm rankings.

A relatively unheralded recruit as an Arkansas high schooler, Pallette pitched just 5 2/3 innings as a Razorbacks freshman during the shortened 2020 college season before establishing himself as one of the top pitching prospects in the 2022 Draft last spring. His season ended prematurely when he came down with elbow problems last May, and he initially tried to rehab the injury. But after he worked just one inning during fall practice, his elbow bothered him again in January and he was diagnosed with a ligament tear that required Tommy John surgery. Pallette draws comparisons to Walker Buehler with his wiry 6-foot-1 build and quality stuff. His quick arm produces fastballs that sit at 93-95 mph and climb as high as 99 with riding action, though they generated a surprisingly low 19 percent swing-and-miss rate last spring. His best pitch is a hammer 78-83 mph curveball with high spin rates and depth that confound both left-handers and right-handers. Pallette also uses a changeup against lefties, and it's a bit firm in the upper 80s but he keeps it off barrels with some fade and sink. He has more velocity but less polish than Buehler exhibited in college at Vanderbilt, and he'll need to repeat his mechanics more consistently to develop better than average control. He could profile as a No. 2 starter if he proves he can handle the workload.

Misiorowski has flashed tantalizing potential going back to his Missouri high school days, but he was hard to see prior to 2022. A hamstring injury hampered him on the showcase circuit heading into his 2020 senior season, which got cancelled by the coronavirus pandemic. He tore the meniscus in his right knee in his first start for Crowder (Mo.) JC last spring, ending his season in February, but he returned this season to rank third in NJCAA Division I in strikeouts (136) and strikeout rate (16.1). Fully healthy again, Misiorowski has hit 100 mph with his four-seam fastball and sat in the mid-90s for several innings at a time. His extension, high spin rates and induced vertical break create carry up in the strike zone, and he might find even more velocity if he can add some muscle to his skinny 6-foot-7 frame. His mid-80s slider features good depth and is a well above-average offering at its best, though it's more of a chase pitch than one he can land consistently for strikes. Very much a work in progress, Misiorowski primarily operates with two pitches and rarely breaks out a curveball or changeup. The Louisiana State recruit still is learning to keep his long limbs in sync and he needs more strength to repeat his delivery. He started finding the zone more often down the stretch and helped his cause with the most impressive bullpen workout at the MLB Draft Combine, giving him a chance to surpass Aaron Ashby (fourth round, 2018) as the highest pick in Crowder history.

After a stellar high school career at South Bedford High School in Oregon, Melton began his college career at Linn-Benton Community College, also in the Beaver State. From there, Melton moved on to Oregon State and after barely playing in the shortened 2020 season, he hit .404 over 32 games in 2021. He’s continued to swing the bat well in 2022 while becoming the everyday center fielder. Melton has the chance to do some damage from the left side of the plate. He has an advanced approach at the plate and makes a ton of contact. He also has a good amount of juice to his pull side, and he’s tapped into that power even more in 2022, leading some scouts to think he might have better than average pop in the future. A plus runner, Melton can take the extra base and is an efficient basestealer as well. In 2021, Melton showed that not only is he capable of playing center and the outfield corners, but he saw a good amount of time at first base as well. He has a good chance of sticking up the middle now, however, with a strong enough arm for right should the need arise.

A tremendous athlete from the Fresno area in northern California, Jones headed to Stanford for both football and baseball. A safety who played special teams as a freshman, Jones gave up the gridiron to focus on baseball after that first season and his game took off. He hit 18 homers and stole 14 bases for Stanford in 2021 before playing well for Team USA last summer. That hasn’t carried over this spring, as he’s struggled to be an impact bat as a junior. A confident athlete who started to tap into his tools in 2021, he has shown that he could have an intriguing power-speed combination, using a fairly simple and conservative setup to get into a good position to hit. In 2021, he was making good swing decisions with a short stroke and has very strong hands, with plus pull raw power. He’s always swung and missed a fair amount and in 2022, his strikeout and chase rates have gone up even more, keeping him from getting to his power. While he’s close to maxed out from a physicality standpoint, that’s not a concern because of plus speed that pairs nicely with his instincts on the basepaths. The former safety has good reads and routes to give him a chance to play center field long-term, though his arm is fringy at best from the outfield. There might be some concerns about a platoon risk and a Joc Pederson-like profile, but a team who feels he can learn to make better adjustments at the next level might roll the dice on his raw tools and athleticism in the first round.

Whisenhunt was on the scouting radar as a North Carolina high schooler but went undrafted in 2019 because he lacked present stuff. He headed into 2022 as the best healthy college left-hander available but won't pitch in a college game after getting a yearlong suspension from the NCAA after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug he said came from a supplement he bought at a national nutrition store chain. He still could give East Carolina a first-round pitcher for the second straight Draft, following Gavin Williams, and is similar to Kansas State southpaw Jordan Wicks, who went 21st overall to the Cubs last July. Like Wicks, Whisenhunt has one of the best changeups in his Draft, an 82-85 mph weapon that drops at the plate and generated a 59 percent swing-and-miss rate in 2021. He sets it up with a 91-95 mph fastball with the same arm speed, though his heater features more downhill plane than life and gets hit if he doesn't locate it well. While scouts rate his upper-70s curveball as average at best and he doesn't use it very much, it dodges more than its share of bats. Whisenhunt's classic pitcher's build, athleticism and delivery all endear him to evaluators. He shows some feel for working both sides of the plate with his fastball, and his control and command should continue to improve with more experience. A potential mid-rotation starter with a high floor, he showed he hadn't lost his stuff during a stint in the Cape Cod League this summer.

After graduating from high school early to enroll at the University of Florida in time for the 2019 collegiate season, Fabian struggled initially as a freshman, though he put that in his rearview mirror with a strong Cape Cod League performance that summer. He showed off his power in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and again in 2021, albeit with some swing-and-miss, leading to him being selected in the second round of the Draft by the Red Sox. He opted to return to the Gators for another season when he and the team could not come to terms. Fabian brings the same offensive upside from the right side of the plate with him into the 2022 Draft. He’s answered a lot of questions but cutting his strikeout rate this spring (25.4 percent in his Florida career heading into 2022), and his bat speed and the power generated from it are legit, producing 20 home runs a year ago. He’s shown this year he is capable of making more consistent contact while not sacrificing power to help convince teams it will work at the next level. Fabian doesn’t have blazing speed, but his above-average wheels along with his excellent instincts, reads and routes point to a long-term future in center field. Because of his decision to leave high school early, Fabian still is age appropriate and will be 21 at the Draft, still with an upside to be an up-the-middle impact bat if he can continue to cut the whiff rate.

As a freshman at Virginia Tech in 2021, Schobel started every game, shuttling between second base and shortstop while having a fairly nondescript year offensively. He then hit over .300 in the Cape Cod League last summer, and that’s carried over to a huge Draft-eligible sophomore season, where he’s been the surprising Hokies’ No. 3 hitter and regular shortstop. While Schobel is more a “sum of his parts” type of player, he does use his largely average tools very well. He has a solid approach from the right side of the plate and has shown a better ability to impact the ball this year, something scouts had felt had limited his profile. His power has largely been to the pull side and some aren’t sure if he’ll hit the ball over the fence with wood at the next level, but he has the chance to have extra-base authority. A bit undersized, he reminds some area scouts of former Maryland standout Brandon Lowe in terms of body type. Teams may decide to send Schobel out as a shortstop and see how it plays, but most feel his defensive skills would fit best at second base as an everyday player. An average runner, Schobel could end up being a very skilled super-utility type if a regular role doesn’t happen, with a Jamey Carroll-esque potential trajectory.

After a decent first full season at Michigan last spring, Elliott was one of the biggest breakout performers in the Cape Cod League. He led the prestigious summer circuit in batting (.344) and on-base percentage (.464) while getting a chance to play center field after manning right field for the Wolverines. He should become their fourth outfielder taken in the top three rounds since 2019, following Jordan Brewer, Jordan Nwogu and Jesse Franklin. There's little debate about Elliott's ability to hit quality fastballs, work counts and make line-drive contact from the left side of the plate, but there's split opinion about how many home runs he'll provide. His biggest believers think he'll grow into average power and see some parallels between him and Michael Brantley, while others point to his .405 slugging percentage in his first two years at Michigan and low exit velocities with wood bats and see below-average pop. He did increase his home run output from five to 16 and his slugging percentage from .428 to .630 from 2021 to 2022. There aren't many quibbles with the rest of Elliott's game and he draws praise for his makeup as well. His speed earns grades from solid to well above-average and plays better on the bases and in the outfield than it does out of the batter's box. He may not man center for the Wolverines but showed enough quickness and range on the Cape for most scouts to believe he can as a pro, and his solid arm should allow him to fit anywhere in the outfield.

Simpson topped Conference USA in stolen bases (24) and strikeout rate (8 percent) while at Alabama-Birmingham last spring. As an encore during the summer, he set a Northwoods League record with 55 swipes in 51 games while also finishing second in the batting race at .377. After transferring back home to Georgia Tech, he has displayed perhaps the best speed in the Draft and outstanding contact skills while leading NCAA Division I in batting at .433. Simpson comes with an extreme offensive profile, with multiple evaluators joking that he has 90 speed and 10 power on the 20-80 scouting scale. He can get from the left side of the plate to first base in less than 3.8 seconds after taking a full swing, and his quickness allows him to beat out routine grounders and run wild on the bases. He has tremendous feel for the barrel and rarely swings and misses, and he's also doing a better job of drawing walks this spring. Although he understands his game is to get on base and create havoc once he does, Simpson lacks strength and produces low exit velocities and a lot of soft opposite-field contact. While he has more than enough quickness and the instincts to play shortstop, his slingy arm action detracts from his throws and will dictate a position change. He played second base at UAB but likely is destined for center field, where his speed could make him a plus defender.

Illinois State has produced a pair of recent big league position players in Paul DeJong (fourth round, 2015) and Owen Miller (third round, 2018), and Cermak has a broader array of tools and could get drafted earlier than both of them. After leading the Redbirds with 11 homers during his first full season in 2021, he has become a more well-rounded offensive player this spring. He's controlling the strike zone much better and set school records with homers in four consecutive plate appearances (capped by a 470-foot blast) and a 10-RBI game in April. Cermak's right-handed stroke features effort and an uphill path, but he's doing more consistent damage now that he has cut down on his chases and his swings and misses. He still looks to drive the ball and his combination of bat speed, strength and leverage give him well-above-average raw power. He's doing a better job of tracking pitches since toning down his approach, though he still has a pull-heavy mindset and his production will come with strikeouts. Cermak has some of the best all-around tools in the 2022 college class. He can get down the first-base line in less than 4.1 seconds with his well-above-average speed, and his strong arm has been clocked up to 95 mph during a brief stint on the mound. A quality center fielder, he spent most of his first college season and opened his second at third base before shifting to the outfield last spring and winning Missouri Valley Conference defensive player of the year honors in both 2021 and 2022.

Moore likely would have gone in the first five rounds of the 2020 Draft had he not graduated early from a Kansas high school and enrolled early at Arkansas, where he became an immediate starter at second base. He homered 16 times in his first full season in 2021, helping the Razorbacks rank atop the college polls for much of the season and becoming known as "Big Game Bob" for his propensity for clutch hits. Scouts rave about his makeup and instincts the way they did about Bobby Witt Jr. as an amateur, but he batted just .232 with eight homers this spring. A switch-hitter listed at 5-foot-9 and 170 pounds, Moore derives power from his bat speed and aggressive approach at the plate -- though almost all of his pop comes from the left side. While he looks to drive the ball, he doesn't chase pitches or swing and miss excessively. He draws a healthy amount of walks and plays quicker than his fringy speed on the bases. The son of Royals president of baseball operations Dayton Moore, he's a quality defender at second base with quick hands and an outstanding internal clock. Though he has fringy arm strength, some scouts believe his instincts would allow him to get the job done at shortstop, but he didn't get the chance to do so at Arkansas after Jalen Battles returned for his senior season. With his relentless hustle and feel for the game, Moore comes with a high floor.

Oregon State has churned out some of the best college hitting prospects in various Draft classes, from No. 1 overall pick Adley Rutschman in 2019 to when they had a pair of first-rounders in Nick Madrigal and Trevor Larnach in '18. This year’s crop might not be considered as elite, but there's an impressive tandem in outfielders Jacob Melton and Boyd, who didn’t play at all in '20 and wasn’t an every day player in '21 before taking a huge step forward this season. In 2021, Boyd was a backup at third and in the outfield, but he showed up last fall in very good shape and brimming with confidence. That’s carried over to the season as he’s settled in as the team’s right fielder while hitting in the top third of the lineup. He has a very relaxed approach at the plate with gap-to-gap power, and while he doesn’t have a ton of raw pop, his ability to keep his barrel in the zone for a long time gives him the chance to have some extra-base authority. He’s an easily plus runner with outstanding instincts, which makes him a legitimate base-stealing threat. Long, loose and athletic, Boyd has shown very good instincts in right field, with some scouts thinking he could play center field, though he has enough arm strength and carry for the corner spot. He’s become a favorite of evaluators to watch alongside Melton, with both having a good chance to go in the top several rounds.

Ford began the summer as a two-way high school talent from Alabama who looked like one of the more exciting prospects for the 2023 Draft. By the time he got to the end of the summer, especially after performing well for USA Baseball, he had reclassified for the 2022 Draft and made plans to move back to his hometown of Pace, Florida, for his senior season. While he’s been a bit inconsistent this spring, he’s still shown off the premium raw stuff on display over the summer. While Ford does have some serious raw power as an infielder, his future is on the mound thanks to some very big stuff. The 6-foot-2 right-hander has been up to 96-97 mph, sitting comfortably in the low 90s with a fastball that comes from a quick arm and features good riding life in the zone, though his velocity backed up a little this spring. He throws a solid low-80s slider that misses a lot of bats and while feel for a changeup is fringy, scouts feel it could develop into an average offering in the future as he commits to throwing it more. Ford has had some issues with repeating his delivery this spring, as he’s tried to over-throw at times and has been too quick to the plate, resulting in more sporadic command. He is athletic on the mound, so there’s hope he can settle in and have solid control and command in the future. Just 17 years old, scouts were really just getting to know him since he didn’t reclassify until the end of the summer. Even with some inconsistencies this spring, there’s a ton of interest in the early rounds for this Alabama recruit.

A year ago, there was a high school infielder in Virginia who was a big popup prospect, one crosscheckers and scouting directors were running in to see late. James Triantos ended up a second-round pick of the Cubs. This spring, Morabito has a lot of the same qualities and is rising up Draft boards in a hurry as the Virginia native stars for Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C. Small and compact, Morabito is built like a football player, though he doesn’t play the sport, reminding some of Chad Curtis or a smaller Clint Frazier-type physically. The right-handed hitter has a short, compact swing and above-average bat speed. It enables him to make hard contact with solid power, especially for someone his size. He’s a plus runner who has the chance to make an impact on the basepaths. What is unclear is where Morabito might play defensively. He’s a shortstop in high school, but his below-average arm will rule that out at the next level. Some have seen an arm slot that could work from second base, while others have thought letting his athleticism play in the outfield would be the best move. Wherever he plays, it’s his bat and wheels that will have teams interested in signing him away from his Virginia Tech commitment.

Burkhalter was effective as a reliever but had trouble locating his pitches in his first two seasons at Auburn before pounding the strike zone and taking off in his third. He finished second in NCAA Division I with 16 saves this spring, including both of the Tigers' super-regional wins and their lone College World Series victory. His 10.1 K/BB ratio would have ranked fourth if he had logged enough innings to qualify. Burkhalter scrapped a slider he couldn't land for strikes and replaced it with an upper-80s cutter that shows signs of becoming a plus offering and works against both left-handers and right-handers. He sets it up with a 92-95 mph fastball that touches 98 and features carry and armside run. He also has upgraded his control of his 82-85 mph changeup, a solid pitch with fade and sink. Though he has three pitches and cut his walk rate from 6.8 per nine innings in 2020-21 to 1.4 this season, Burkhalter is strictly a reliever. He never started a game in college and is a 6-footer with some effort in his delivery. If he can improve his command in similar fashion to the gains he made with his control, he could serve as a set-up man at the next level.

The son of longtime college coach Jim Toman, who currently heads the program at Middle Tennessee State, Tucker grew up around the game and has developed into one of the more polished hitters in the 2022 high school class. He had an uneven summer on the showcase circuit because he hunted home runs at times, but he has shown enough with the bat to go in the top two rounds. He's committed to Louisiana State but unlikely to make it to college because he's a potential first-rounder. A switch-hitter, Toman shows better bat speed with his left-handed stroke but is proficient from both sides of the plate. He understands his swing and barrels balls with ease when he just concentrates on making hard contact to all fields. He got too aggressive and pull-happy at times last summer but has the hittability, bat speed and strength for at least average and perhaps plus power without swinging for the fences. Toman has the bat to profile all over the diamond, but it's unclear where he'll wind up with below-average speed and average arm strength. The best-case scenario would be third base, where his arm and hands might be a little light but he has the work ethic to possibly make it to happen. Second base seems like a bigger stretch with his lack of quickness, and he could wind up on an outfield corner.

Gatorade's Louisiana high school player of the year in 2019, Doughty could have factored into the top three rounds of that Draft if not for his commitment to Louisiana State. He's the third member of his family to play for the Tigers, following his father Richard and brother Braden. He became an immediate starter in college, playing second base as a freshman and third base last spring. Doughty has exhibited nice feel for the barrel and a quick, compact right-handed swing since he was a regular member of U.S. national teams in high school. One of the better contact hitters in the Southeastern Conference, he has grown into at least average power after adding 20 pounds since arriving on campus. He's an average runner with good instincts on the bases. With potential No. 1 overall pick Jacob Berry mainly playing third base for LSU this spring, Doughty has started at second while also seeing action at shortstop and the hot corner. He profiles best at second base or in a super-utility role. With average range, quick hands and average to solid arm strength, he gets the job done at second and third base but is a bit stretched at shortstop.

Anthony was well-known on the summer showcase circuit and made a big impression at Major League Baseball’s High School All-Star Game in Denver, hammering a 450-foot homer in the exhibition. His stock took a bit of a hit when scouts grew concerned about the swing-and-miss that came with his power, but he started rising up boards over the course of a strong senior year at Florida’s Stoneman Douglas High School, alma mater for big leaguers like Anthony Rizzo and Jesús Luzardo. There hasn’t been much question about Anthony’s raw power from the left side of the plate, showing it off in batting practice and swinging the bat well at this year’s National High School Invitational. But there were enough questions early about whether he’d hit enough to get to his power to concern many scouts. He’s made more consistent contact as the spring has progressed, moving up boards as a result. While Anthony plays center field for Stoneman Douglas, he’s likely going to need to move to a corner outfield spot, especially as he fills out his 6-foot-3 frame. That puts more pressure on his power bat to play, with more teams having confidence it would leading to some helium for the Ole Miss recruit.

Taylor was spectacular in his first full college season in 2021, earning Mid-American Conference pitcher of the year and consensus All-America honors while setting a Central Michigan record with 125 strikeouts. He broke his own mark with 126 whiffs this spring, though he also left starts in April and May with elbow tightness. He didn't miss a turn in the rotation, however, and he looked good in an NCAA regional start against Florida and could become the first Chippewas pitcher to go in the top four rounds since Kevin Tapani in 1986. Taylor's fastball sits at 90 mph and tops out at 94, but it's an analytics darling with its high spin rates and carry. Add in the extension he creates with his skinny 6-foot-5 frame, and hitters struggle to get good swings against his heater and repeatedly get beat with it up in the zone. He uses his fastball roughly 80 percent of the time and his most reliable secondary pitch is a solid 78-82 mph changeup with fade and depth. While he has improved his breaking balls, a soft mid-70s downer curveball and a nascent 78-83 mph slider, they're no more than average offerings. Taylor keeps his long limbs in sync, allowing him to repeat his delivery and provide strikes. While there are some questions about his health, there's also some thought that he has more upside remaining if a pro club can help him increase his strength and feel for spinning the ball.

One of the better two-way prospects in the 2020 Draft, McLean also wanted a chance to play quarterback in college and turned down overtures from pro teams to enroll at Oklahoma State. After not getting on the field for the Cowboys' football team in his first year on campus, he decided to focus on baseball. Few players in this Draft can match his combination of raw power and arm strength, though he has had an up-and-down year at the plate while setting an NCAA Division I record with 107 strikeouts. Scouts initially preferred McLean as a pitcher but that changed in his senior season as a North Carolina high schooler when he cleaned up his right-handed swing and his body. His bat speed and strength allow him to produce high exit velocities and make him a threat to drive the ball out of the park to all fields. But he also struck out at an alarming rate this spring and struggled to make contact even against fastballs, and when he did put the ball in play he hit it on the ground far too often. Though he's a well below-average runner, McLean has the hands, reactions and work ethic to become an average third baseman. There are no questions about his arm, which delivers fastballs up to 98 mph and a pair of breaking pitches (downer curveball, power slider) that have a chance to become plus offerings. He's averaging nearly two strikeouts per inning as a high-leverage reliever for Oklahoma State and evaluators are beginning to wonder if his future might be brighter on the mound.

When Savino was a senior in high school, he was thought to be one of the prep left-handers in the country, one who could have been a high first-round pick in the 2020 Draft. Intent on attending the University of Virginia, he graduated early, in December of '19 and headed straight to Charlottesville. He didn’t progress as many hoped over his first two springs on campus, but generated some buzz with an uptick in stuff last fall and at the outset of the '22 season, but he was struggling with maintaining it. A little more velocity to his fastball and a little more sharpness in his slider helped Savino’s stock rise as the spring began at Virginia. His fastball has averaged over 91 mph this spring, compared to just 87.4 mph in 2021, and his slider climbed to 81.6 mph from just over 78 mph last year while mixing in an effective changeup as well. That’s led to more missed bats as he’s nearly doubled his strikeout rate from the '21 season. Savino has been a solid strike thrower, but as the season turned to April, however, Savino’s stuff backed up a bit and scouts were seeing more 88-92 mph fastballs than the ones that were touching 95. That led to some rough starts, leading scouts to wonder who the real Savino was. His ceiling isn’t what many predicted back in high school, but if the early spring version is for real, he has the potential to be a back-end starter in the big leagues.

Brannigan has the best college arm in the Midwest and can look like a first-rounder at times -- but it's hard to scout him on the mound. He worked just 14 2/3 innings this season, giving him 23 1/3 in three years at Notre Dame, and he prefers to play third base and wants to sign as a position player. A pro team may have to give him the opportunity to hit before trying to persuade him to become a full-time pitcher. Brannigan's fastball sits at 95-97 mph and reaches 100 with armside run, and he generates premium velocity with little effort. His mid-80s slider can be a wipeout pitch at times with quality depth as well as some horizontal action. He even shows some feel for a fading changeup with similar velocity, though he doesn't use it very often. Primarily a reliever for the Fighting Irish, Brannigan has the three-pitch mix, resilience and athleticism to make it as a starter. He'd need to improve his control and his consistency, which should happen if he focuses on pitching. A solid defender at third base with obvious arm strength, he makes contact from the right side of the plate and has the potential for average power but didn't drive the ball with wood bats in the Cape Cod League last summer.

In his first three years at Tennessee, Lipscomb played behind future pros Andre Lipcius and Jake Rucker while accumulating just 12 starts and 69 at-bats. He went deep five times in his first eight games after finally winning the third-base job this spring and hasn't looked back, leading the Southeastern Conference in extra-base hits (44) and RBI (84). He has made himself into one of the more attractive four-year college players in the Draft and could go as early as the third round. Lipscomb has a disciplined approach, waits for pitches to attack and makes consistent hard contact. Though his right-handed swing is relatively flat, his bat speed and strength generate power to all fields and his line drives have a tendency to carry out of the park. There's some concern that 18 of his 22 homers came at Tennessee's hitter-friendly Lindsey Nelson Stadium, but he produced against quality competition and may tap into more pop if he adds some loft to his stroke. Lipscomb has the tools to become at least an average defender at third base with more experience. He has quick reactions and a solid arm, but his instincts and footwork need improvement. He's a fringy runner with some savvy on the basepaths.

Milbrandt doesn't have the highest profile in a Vanderbilt 2022 recruiting class that features No. 1 overall prospect Druw Jones and four pitchers with first-round aspirations. Milbrandt didn't spend a lot of time on the showcase circuit and he has divided his time between baseball and basketball, earning all-district hoops honors as a senior. Scouts don't love how often he has pitched on short rest this spring, but he has shown top-three-rounds ability when he's fresh. Milbrandt features some of the best fastball spin rates in this year's high school crop, generating 2800 rpm on a four-seamer that can sit in the low 90s and top out at 96 mph. After struggling with his feel for spin in the past, he has shown more power and break this spring with his upper-70s curveball, and his harder slider has improved as well. While he doesn't use his changeup much, and it gets too firm at times, it does have promising fade. More athletic than most pitchers, Milbrandt could improve rapidly as he adds more strength and focuses on baseball. He throws strikes, but he will need time to refine his secondary pitches and command. Gatorade's Missouri state player of the year may be difficult to sign away from the Commodores.

There are a number of intriguing high school infielders from California who, while not in the upper tier of the Draft conversations, are getting serious looks for the top four or five rounds. That group includes names like Jacob Reimer, Cutter Coffey and Paciolla, an athletic shortstop from Temecula Valley High School, a program that has produced 10 draftees, but only one big leaguer (Brooks Pounders), with Paciolla having the chance to be the first player selected from the school since 2014. Paciolla has the chance to be a very good hitter from the right side of the plate. He has a knack for making contact and does not swing and miss very often, using a very comfortable and relaxed setup in the box. He’s capable of driving the ball, with quick hands and bat speed pointing to a future ability to have good extra-base pop. While he is athletic, running isn’t really a big part of his game. That lack of speed could mean he doesn’t stay at shortstop long-term, though he has good hands and footwork. Paciolla has a solid arm, can make all the throws and likely would play well should he move to the hot corner, the spot most scouts see him playing at the next level. Should the Draft not go his way, it’s easy to see him getting the chance to stick at short at UCLA in the coming years.

Auburn features three pitchers who could get drafted in the first six or seven rounds, and Barnett has better pure stuff than Trace Bright and Blake Burkhalter. He also never nailed down a regular turn in the Tigers' Southeastern Conference rotation in three college seasons, making him an enigma to scouts. Some believe he could succeed as a starter in pro ball, while others think he's destined for the bullpen. Barnett's best pitch is an 82-85 mph slider that touches 87 with plenty of depth. His fastball sits at 93-96 mph and reaches 98, though it lacks life and gets whacked when he doesn't locate it well. He also employs a mid-70s downer curveball and a mid-80s changeup but can struggle to land them in the zone. When his pitches are at their best, Barnett can display a plus fastball and slider and a solid curveball and changeup. While he made some progress in 2022, he never has displayed consistency with his stuff and strikes, and his long arm action costs him deception and command. He'll probably get the chance to start at the next level but most likely will wind up as a fastball/slider reliever.

Palmquist wasn’t a Draft prospect when he attended Riverdale High School in Fort Myers, Fla., and headed to the University of Miami without much fanfare after graduating in 2019. He established himself as a solid reliever in his shortened freshman year and then became one of the nation’s top closers in 2021, finishing third among Division I relievers with 14 saves while posting an otherworldly 9.38 strikeout-to-walk ratio. A highly anticipated move into the Hurricanes rotation this spring has largely been successful, but it’s unclear what his long-term role will be. With a loose arm and a funky, lower-slot delivery, Palmquist has a sneaky fastball that tops out at 96 mph, but sits in the low 90s, in shorter relief stints. As a starter, he’s topped out at 93 mph and averaged just over 90 mph, but it plays up because of the deception from his delivery and his excellent command of it. His upper-70s slider features some quick break, is extremely tough on lefties and misses bats consistently. He had mostly used those two pitches coming out of the pen, but has gone to his fading changeup a lot more frequently as a starter. While Palmquist’s willingness to use that third pitch perhaps gives him the chance to start, scouts are unsure if he has the overall command, especially of his secondary stuff, to do so long-term, particularly with his funky delivery. Teams considering taking him in the first few rounds can always send him out as a starter knowing they can put the southpaw in the bullpen and get him to the big leagues in a hurry.

Joyce's velocity quickly went viral in February after he hit 103 mph in his second appearance for Tennessee. He began his college career at Walters State CC (Tenn.), where he sat out 2019 and hit 98 mph while making five starts during the truncated 2020 season. He blew out his elbow that fall after joining the Volunteers, requiring Tommy John surgery in October, and missed all of 2021. Joyce has averaged 101 mph and touched 105 this spring, with his fastball arriving on a flat approach angle from a low slot that makes it extremely difficult to catch up to when he works up in the zone. His heater features some armside run but can straighten out and get hit when he doesn't command it well. He gets some ugly swings-and-misses with his mid-80s slider when batters gear up for his fastball, though he struggles to throw it over the plate, and he dabbles with a low-90s changeup that features nice fade at its best. Scouts aren't sure what exactly to make of Joyce, who missed most of two years in 2018-19 while dealing with shoulder, elbow and growth-plate issues and has little track record. He throws about 80 percent fastballs, usually works on three days or more rest and rarely pitches in close games or Southeastern Conference contests. He has a strong 6-foot-5 frame but still has to prove that he's durable and can keep his delivery in sync.

Often, college pitchers at programs like the University of Florida are known quantities, and it’s that track record that teams bank on when drafting them, with someone like Brady Singer fitting in that category. Then there are complete wild cards, pitchers with huge stuff, but without a resume of success or consistency. That’s where Sproat lives, with a strong turn with Team USA over the summer having had some evaluators hoping he might turn a corner in 2022, but it’s been mostly inconsistent performances with flashes of that stuff. Sproat has four pitches all coming from a prototypical 6-foot-3 frame. He showed flashes of all of it in the small sample with USA Baseball. His fastball averaged over 97 mph with Team USA and touched 99-100, he was still averaging over 95 mph this past fall and has been just over that this spring while touching triple-digits, though it gets hit harder than it should. His slider and curve are distinct pitches, with the former the better offering, a hard, 85-88 mph wipeout power breaking ball that misses bats, while the curve is a softer get-me-over option. He has solid feel for a changeup as well. One of the biggest things that has held Sproat back has been his command. He’s been a bit better this spring, but still walking too many tHe’s walked 5.9 per nine in his limited innings, nearly entirely out of the bullpen, with the Gators, though he was more consistently in and around the zone over the summer. He needs more mound time and if he can throw enough strikes to get it this spring, he could soar up Draft boards.

Lightly scouted as a Connecticut high schooler, Williams worked just 37 2/3 innings in his first two years at Duke because of arm issues and missed more time during fall practice. Yet scouts still believed he had first-round upside -- until his elbow gave out and required Tommy John surgery in December. He's just scratching the surface of his potential and could have three pitches that grade as solid or better when he's fully developed. Williams pounds the lower half of the strike zone with a fastball that sat at 90-92 mph last spring but more regularly hit 94-95 during the fall, and he might miss more bats with it if he elevated it more often. His most effective offering is a low-80s slider that lacks consistency yet has plus potential. His mid-80s changeup features nice fade but needs more velocity separation from his heater. There's still projection remaining in Williams' 6-foot-5 frame and his athleticism and delivery allow him to fill the strike zone. They should lend themselves to durability as well, but he had a sore arm in 2020 and missed two months with a forearm strain in 2021 before experiencing more discomfort in the fall. The rehab associated with elbow reconstruction often leaves pitchers stronger than ever, so Williams could have even better stuff once he returns to full health.

Casa Grande High School in California has fed some pretty good players to Santa Rosa Junior College over the years, most notably former big league outfielder Jonny Gomes and current Marlins reliever Anthony Bender. Lampe followed the same route, then moved on to Arizona State after one year. After a solid, but unspectacular first season hitting at the bottom of the Sun Devils lineup in 2021, Lampe has opened eyes as their leadoff hitter and center fielder this spring. Lampe has the chance to be a table-setting type of player at the next level. The left-handed hitter has impressive bat-to-ball skills, rarely strikes out and knows how to get on base. There is some extra-base pop and more over-the-fence power has come this season, mostly to his pull side. He’s always been able to punish fastballs and a big reason for his improved numbers this year has been his ability to do more damage against breaking stuff than he did in 2021. A plus runner who can steal a base, Lampe has every chance to play center field long-term, named a finalist for the ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove in 2021. He and fellow Draft prospect Sean McLain have hit atop the ASU lineup this year and many scouts feel Lampe will hear his name called first come Draft time.

Rincones’ father, Gabriel Sr., pitched briefly in the Mariners organization. His son is a pure hitter who played for H.B. Plant, the Tampa school that produced Wade Boggs and Kyle Tucker, among others. Rincones went from high school to starring at St. Petersburg Junior College in 2020, then posted a 36-game hitting streak in 2021 and was a first-team All-American. He was drafted in the 19th round by the Padres, then moved on to Florida Atlantic in 2022, earning Conference USA Newcomer of the Year honors by hitting 19 homers with a 1.110 OPS. It’s Rincones’ left-handed bat that has scouts interested. He’s always been able to hit with an advanced approach at the plate, something that continued with high walk and low strikeout rates after the move to Division I baseball. The power started really showing up this season, especially to his pull side, but he can drive the ball to all fields. He punishes fastballs with pitchers only finding success in getting him out with offspeed stuff. Rincones is going to have to hit to become a big leaguer because he is limited defensively. He has a below-average arm and doesn’t run well, meaning he’s likely either a left fielder or a first baseman. He likely has shown enough on the offensive side for teams that like college performers to consider him on Day 2 of the Draft.

Florida State has a pair of left-handers sure to get attention in the spring. Friday night starter Parker Messick is a high-floor pitchability-lefty type and he’ll be followed in the weekend rotation for the second straight year by Hubbart, who might have a little more upside than his rotation mate but has more need to improve in terms of command and consistency. He did raise his profile by being one of the better pitchers in the Cape Cod League, where he finished tied for the league lead in strikeouts and was effective behind Messick again in the Seminoles rotation this spring. A solid athlete on the mound, Hubbart’s fastball typically sits in the low 90s, but has been up to as high as 97 and averaging 94-95 mph in shorter stints. Even at the lower velocities, his fastball plays up because of high spin rates and life to the pitch. He can miss bats with a sharp curveball and he worked on the Cape to add a distinct slider. He has a decent feel for his changeup as well. Hubbart has gotten better in the strike-throwing department since he started at Florida State, but still needs to work to refine his control. He made strides on that front on the Cape and continued to find the zone consistently over the course of the ACC season, giving him the chance to go in the top couple of rounds.

A 37th-round pick by the Orioles out of a Georgia high school in 2019, Thomas led the Southern Conference with five homers in 16 games as a Mercer freshman during the shortened college season the following spring. He got too aggressive at the plate and struggled throughout 2021 before starting to get back on track in the Cape Cod League. He's showing more discipline this spring and has played his way into the top three rounds, making him the Bears' best prospect since Kyle Lewis went 11th overall in 2016, though his season ended in early May after he injured the labrum in his right (throwing) shoulder and required surgery. Before he got hurt, Thomas challenged for the NCAA Division I home run lead while chasing fewer pitches out of the zone and missing fewer over the plate. His right-handed swing can still get too uphill, but his combination of bat speed, strength and loft gives him well-above-average raw power. He's doing a better job of working counts and drawing walks, leading to optimism he'll hit for a decent average while posting a healthy on-base percentage. One of the better athletes in the 2022 college class, Thomas is a solid to plus runner with arm strength to match. He has the savvy to steal bases and covers more ground than a typical right fielder. Scouts believe he has the quickness and instincts to perhaps play center field, though he hasn't gotten that opportunity with the Bears.

A two-time all-Wisconsin hockey forward in high school, Baldwin led the state with 43 goals as a junior. Both the Badger State and Missouri State are underrated sources of baseball talent, and he has played his way into the first five rounds of the 2022 Draft. After splitting time between catcher and DH a year ago, he has taken over full-time duties behind the plate and emerged as one of the better offensive prospects at that position. Baldwin employs a simple approach with a modest leg lift at the plate, making consistent hard contact to all fields. The left-handed hitter rarely chases pitches out of the zone, doing damage when pitchers challenge him and accepting walks when they don't. He's doing a better job of tapping into his power this spring, showing 20-homer potential, and his pop plays to all fields. Though he's a well below-average runner, Baldwin is athletic and takes charge behind the plate. There were questions about his receiving entering 2022, but he has made strides and the consensus is that he's adequate and can get to average with more development. He has average arm strength but he'll need to improve the quickness and accuracy of his throws to combat the running game.

A classic pitchability left-hander, Hansen has excelled for three years at Texas despite rarely topping 90 mph with his fastball. He worked just nine innings as a California high school senior in 2019 because of a leg injury and 17 as a Longhorns freshman before the 2020 pandemic shutdown, then saw his stuff dip after a bout with COVID-19 in 2021. Undrafted as a 21-year-old eligible last July, he could go as high as the third round this time around. Hansen thrives in large part thanks to his plus 78-82 mph slider, which features plenty of horizontal and vertical action that makes it effective against both left-handers and right-handers, and he also has an effective 72-76 mph curveball with more depth. His breaking stuff helps his fastball play up, as does his ability to locate his heater wherever he wants. He's operating at 88-90 mph with his fastball this spring after dipping to 85-87 a year ago, and scouts wonder if he might have some untapped velocity after seeing him work at 89-92 and touch 94 in the fall of 2020. Hansen also mixes in a low-80s changeup with modest fade and sink to keep right-handers off balance. Employing a simple delivery with little effort, he's able to locate his pitches with precision and sometimes will sneak his heater by hitters up in the strike zone. He has a high floor as a back-of-the-rotation starter who might not need much time to reach the Majors.

After redshirting at Creighton in 2019 and playing just three games during the shortened season in 2020, Roden won Big East Conference freshman of the year honors in 2021 and shared the league's player of the year award this spring. He turned down interest from pro teams a year ago because he wanted to complete his physics degree in 2022, when he has again put up big numbers and established himself as one of the top contact hitters in the Draft. He batted .387/.492/.598 and ranked first in NCAA Division I in BB/K ratio (3.6) and second in strikeout rate (3 percent). Roden has elite bat-to-ball skills and does a nice job of using the entire field while masterfully controlling the strike zone, with outstanding rates of swings and misses (9 percent, including just 4 percent on fastballs) and chases (15 percent). There is a divergence of opinion as to how he'll fare in pro ball because he operates out of an open stance with a deep crouch and a high back elbow. His biggest supporters point to his exit velocities and hitting prowess and believe he'll be able to add more loft to his left-handed swing to provide 15-20 homers per season, while some scouts question whether he'll offer enough pop to profile as a regular. He also performed well with wood bats in the New England Collegiate League last summer. Roden is opportunistic on the bases despite fringy speed and swiped 28 bags in 29 attempts in the NECBL. He gets the job done at first base with decent range and hands. He has seen some action on the outfield corners for the Bluejays and may have enough range and arm strength to play there at the next level.

Rogers has pitched at three colleges in three years, going from Southeastern Louisiana to Jones County (Miss.) JC to Southern Mississippi. He helped the Golden Eagles reach the NCAA super regionals this spring, recording a 1.95 ERA, six saves, a .128 average and 57 strikeouts in 37 innings. Though he relies heavily on a 92-95 mph fastball with good shape, he can flash a solid slider and changeup (both in the low 80s) at times. He's just 5-foot-11 and 172 pounds and will need to throw more strikes to succeed at the next level.

Scouts head out regularly to see Gonzaga Friday night starter Gabe Hughes. If they were lucky, they got to stick around for the weekend to see Vrieling, who made it a bit easier by moving from Sunday to Saturday in the Zags rotation. The right-hander pitched largely out of the bullpen over his first two years, including a strong Cape Cod League performance, but he’s shown this spring he has the goods to start. The 6-foot-4 right-hander has a legitimate four-pitch mix at his disposal. He’ll throw his fastball anywhere in the 91 to 95 mph range, and it plays up because he can command it to all four quadrants. He throws both a curve and a slider, with some scouts preferring the former, a low-80s breaker with true downer action that has power and command at times. His mid-80s slider does have some cutter action to it and his changeup is a true weapon, thrown with excellent arm speed and deception. The only thing that hasn’t always been consistent for Vrieling has been his control. While his walk rate is a touch high and he’s had outings in which he hasn’t had great feel, he’s also shown the ability to throw all four of his pitches for strikes with a repeatable and athletic delivery, giving teams confidence he can start long-term.

Cannon entered 2021 as a potential first-rounder but missed the first three weeks with mononucleosis and was rarely in top form during the season. Though he made three starts with a 0.69 ERA in the Cape Cod League before the Draft, he wasn't going to be signable where he would have been picked and ultimately went unselected. In a down year for college pitchers, he could fit in the top two rounds but did give clubs pause when he missed two starts in April with a forearm strain. Cannon maintains a heavy 92-96 mph fastball when he's at his best, but his heater sat at 91-94 with less life and got hit hard in 2021. The biggest difference for him this spring has been an improved cutter that parks in the upper 80s and regularly misses bats. His low-80s slider looks sharper than last year, though he has lost some trust in his sinking mid-80s changeup and has mostly shelved his curveball. Strong and physical, Cannon keeps his 6-foot-6 frame in sync and pounds the strike zone on a regular basis, walking just 12 batters in his 13 starts this spring. Now that he has regained his former heater and developed an out pitch, he could be a mid-rotation option. His strike-throwing gives him a high floor as at least a No. 4 or 5 starter.

Knorr spent his first three college seasons at Cal State Fullerton, where he threw strikes but got pounded for a 6.45 ERA. He has added velocity and had much more success after transferring to Coastal Carolina, where he gave up two runs or fewer in nine of his 11 regular-season starts before fading a bit in the postseason. He overcame a bout of biceps tendinitis in March to lead the Sun Belt Conference in strikeouts per nine innings (11.2) and K/BB ratio (6.6). Batters teed off on Knorr's fastball in 2021 when it parked at 90-92 mph, but he has dodged more barrels this spring while operating at 94-96 and topping out at 98. His heater still features only modest armside run, so he must locate it well to be effective. His best secondary offering is an 83-85 mph changeup with some fade and depth that he sells well with fastball arm speed. Knorr doesn't have as much feel for spin, struggling to land his mid-70s curveball and low-80s slider in the zone. His short arm action provides some deception without compromising his ability to provide strikes. To remain a starter in pro ball, he'll need to improve his fastball command and come up with a more dependable breaking ball.

Scouts have had a difficult time figuring out Martin, whose fastball velocity and secondary pitches fluctuated during a season in which he made five starts but spent the bulk of his time in the bullpen. He saved his best outing for last, striking out an Oklahoma State-record 16 in 6 2/3 innings of relief as the Cowboys overcame an early 12-0 deficit to outslug Missouri State 29-15 in an NCAA regional playoff. Martin averages 94 mph with high spin rates and carry on his four-seam fastball, but he'll mix in outings in which he deals at 94-98 with others in which he operates at 90-94. He relies heavily on his heater, because while his slider sits at 82-85 mph and reaches 89, he doesn't land it for strikes and its modest break means it often gets pounded when he does. He can morph his slider into a harder cutter and also messes around with a curveball and a sinking changeup, but none of them are particularly effective. Draft-eligible as a 21-year-old sophomore, Martin is more about potential than present stuff. A team that believes it can teach him a better breaking ball could turn him into at least a quality two-pitch reliever and perhaps more. His 6-foot-3, 238-pound frame is built for durability and a potential starting role if he can develop his secondary offerings, though he'll also need to become more efficient with his strike-throwing.

Freeland was a solid infield prospect coming out of Mariner High School in Cape Coral, Fla., after his pandemic-shortened senior season. He wasn’t taken in the abbreviated five-round Draft that June, but scouts knew he would be eligible again as a sophomore at Central Florida two years later. He stepped right into the Knights’ lineup as a freshman and has been a mainstay offensively and at shortstop since. Freeland is a switch-hitter who has the chance to have some impact with the bat. He’s had excellent plate discipline while at Central Florida, drawing a ton of walks in both seasons, and he’s cut his strikeout rate considerably as a sophomore. He has legitimate extra-base pop, especially to his pull side, from both sides of the plate, showing more power right-handed this season. While he’s played shortstop exclusively at UCF, scouts don’t see him sticking there at the next level, with a lack of quickness limiting his range, though he does have good hands and actions to stay on the dirt. He played second and third during his time in the Cape Cod League last summer, and some evaluators think his best shot at being a regular will be as an offensive-minded second baseman at the professional level.

Freeland was a solid infield prospect coming out of Mariner High School in Cape Coral, Fla., after his pandemic-shortened senior season. He wasn’t taken in the abbreviated five-round Draft that June, but scouts knew he would be eligible again as a sophomore at Central Florida two years later. He stepped right into the Knights’ lineup as a freshman and has been a mainstay offensively and at shortstop since. Freeland is a switch-hitter who has the chance to have some impact with the bat. He’s had excellent plate discipline while at Central Florida, drawing a ton of walks in both seasons, and he’s cut his strikeout rate considerably as a sophomore. He has legitimate extra-base pop, especially to his pull side, from both sides of the plate, showing more power right-handed this season. While he’s played shortstop exclusively at UCF, scouts don’t see him sticking there at the next level, with a lack of quickness limiting his range, though he does have good hands and actions to stay on the dirt. He played second and third during his time in the Cape Cod League last summer, and some evaluators think his best shot at being a regular will be as an offensive-minded second baseman at the professional level.

Scouts who like college pitching have had the ability to head to watch Gonzaga play and stay all weekend. Friday night starter Gabe Hughes looks like a solid first-rounder and Trystan Vrieling has stepped into the Saturday role and opened some eyes. Kempner, who transitioned from a relief role to a starting one in 2021, began the year as the Saturday guy, missed nearly two months with a finger ligament issue, and has come back effectively as the Sunday starter. There’s a lot to like stuff-wise about the 6-foot Kempner. He throws a very heavy fastball that has flirted with triple-digits, has been up to 97 mph consistently and has averaged close to 95 mph this spring as a starter. He misses bats and gets ground ball outs with it and he backs it up with a solid low-80s slider that features good lateral break and has been a strikeout pitch for him. His upper-80s changeup flashes average at times, too, though throwing that pitch might have been the cause of his finger injury. Kempner uses a cross-fire delivery with a sidearm slot, which makes for an uncomfortable at-bat. It’s also not an easy delivery to repeat, and Kempner’s command has been inconsistent. He likely profiles as a reliever at the next level, but one who could be a really tough arm coming in late in games.

Danny Ardoin spent parts of five seasons in the big leagues as a defensive-minded backup catcher. His son Silas has a similar profile as one of the best defensive backstops in the college game. A 36th-round pick by the Rockies in 2019 as a Louisiana high schooler, he has started for three years at Texas and has improved offensively this spring. Ardoin's upbringing shows because he's extremely polished for a college catcher. He has soft hands and receives, frames and blocks balls well. He not only has plus arm strength but also a quick release and impressive throwing accuracy. In his first two seasons with the Longhorns, the righty-hitting Ardoin showed an eye for drawing walks but racked up strikeouts without producing much power. He's making more consistent and harder contact in 2022, using the whole field while displaying enough strength and bat speed to provide 12-15 homers per season. Like most catchers, he's a well-below-average runner with no value on the bases.

Ray had Tommy John surgery before he threw his first pitch at Alabama. After missing the entire 2021 season, he came back this year to lead the Crimson Tide with eight saves while striking out 49 in 31 1/3 innings. His best pitch is his mid-80s slider, and he also can run his fastball as hot at 97 mph. He has helped his cause by dominating in the Cape Cod League leading up to the Draft.

The top pitching prospect in the Draft, Porter won three Michigan state titles in three seasons at St. Mary's Prep (Orchard Lake), Division 2 crowns in 2019 and 2021 and a Division 1 championship at part of a 44-0 team in 2022. Gatorade's state player of the year in 2021, he repeated this spring and earned Gatorade's national honor as well after going 9-0 with a 0.41 ERA, 115 strikeouts in 58 innings and three no-hitters. He's the state's best prep pitcher since Steve Avery went No. 3 overall to the Braves in the 1988 Draft. Porter has the best fastball in the high school crop, sitting at 94-97 mph for innings at a time, topping out at 100 and generating that velocity and plenty of armside run and carry with relative ease. He also owns one of the better changeups in the Draft, as he throws his with deceptive arm speed, good velocity separation in the low 80s and outstanding horizontal action. He has made encouraging progress with his slider this spring, flashing some plus slide pieces as hard as 87 mph, and he'll mix in a downer curveball in the upper 70s. Other than continuing to refine his feel for spin, Porter doesn't need much beyond experience and continued good health. He has a strong 6-foot-4 frame with some projection remaining, repeats a delivery that features little effort and provides plenty of strikes. He's committed to Clemson and would be Draft-eligible in 2024 as a sophomore if he doesn't turn pro this summer.

Upstate New York may not seem like a place to look for high-end baseball talent, but in the last several years, scouts have found some, from catcher Joe Mack, taken at the end of the first round in 2021 to Ian Anderson, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2016 Draft. The top talent from the area in 2022 is Kennedy, a young lefty with projection and a really good feel to pitch. That was on display across the summer, landing him a spot on USA Baseball’s 18U National Team and helping him stand out at events like the Area Code Games. He was slowed a bit early with a non-arm injury, but threw well once he got going in mid-April. Kennedy has a solid three-pitch mix and a very advanced idea of how to use it. The 6-foot-1 southpaw doesn’t light up radar guns now, with a fastball that tops out at 92 mph, but it has good riding life up in the zone, he hides it well and he’s not afraid to go after hitters with it. He’ll miss bats consistently with his slider, a breaking ball he will throw in the upper-70s more often than not. He’s not afraid to throw his changeup to lefties and righties, thrown around 81 mph with good arm speed and deception. A good athlete who exudes confidence on the mound, Kennedy holds runners well and repeats his delivery consistently, leading to excellent overall command. There’s more in the tank to come as he physically matures and that, along with the fact he’ll still be 17 at Draft time, should add interest in this LSU recruit.

There's some late buzz that Cox may be signable away from his commitment to Texas. A quality athlete who also starred at quarterback, he has a sound left-handed swing, projectable strength, solid speed and a strong arm. He has been clocked up to 94 mph as a right-handed pitcher, but his future is as an everyday player.

In 2021, Duke won its first Atlantic Coast Conference championship since 1961 and first ACC tournament title ever with Johnson playing a key role. After he led the team in ERA (3.05), wins (five), saves (seven) and appearances (30) as a reliever, he made the transition to starter this season. His stuff hasn't been as crisp in longer outings but he still could factor into the top three rounds. After sitting at 92-95 mph and hitting 97 out of the bullpen in 2021, Johnson has worked more at 90-94 as a starter. His heater features some armside run but flattens out and is more hittable than it should be when it's not near the top of the strike zone. His best pitch is his high-spin slider, which operates at 82-85 mph and has two-plane depth at its best, and he's also making strides with a fading changeup in the mid-80s. Johnson not only has room to add more strength to his lanky 6-foot-6 frame but he also has the athleticism to keep his long limbs in sync. He has a clean delivery and throws enough strikes to succeed in the rotation. If he can't find a way to miss more bats with his fastball in pro ball, he could be headed back to the bullpen.

All summer long, Mule, showed off power -- at the plate and on the mound -- at showcase events from Major League Baseball’s All-American Game to the Perfect Game All-American Classic. The New Jersey high school product seemed like a legitimate two-way threat, though he came out hot on the mound in front of a lot of decision-makers this spring, with the industry mostly talking about his pitching future. Big and physical, the 6-foot-3 right-handed hitter has a ton of raw power at the plate and has, at times, gotten to it, posting some high exit velocities, with solid defensive actions at shortstop. But strides he made as a pitcher have put his position player skills on the back burner. He made waves over the summer by touching triple-digits with his fastball, but has shown better pitchability this spring with his fastball in the 93-96 mph range. The slider can flash plus and has been more consistent and he continues to show some feel for a changeup, even if he doesn’t use it much. He has shown below-average command in the past when he was hitting 100 mph, more of a thrower than a pitcher, and while his control has been a bit up and down, he’s found the strike zone more reliably this spring. Committed to go to Miami, Mule may tempt a team to send him out as a position player and see if he can tap into that power, but teams are really preferring him as a pitcher at the moment.

Morris starred for three years at Colorado Mesa, helping the Mavericks reach the NCAA Division II championship game as a 17-year-old freshman in 2019 and becoming the school's best pitching prospect since Sergio Romo in 2005. Rather than seek pro opportunities after a dominant junior season a year ago, he opted to transfer to Texas Tech. He fared well with the Red Raiders as part of an all-prospect rotation that could find him, Brandon Birdsell and Chase Hampton all selected in the first six or so rounds. Morris employs an over-the-top delivery that creates unusual angle with his fastball, which sits at 91-94 mph and tops out at 96 with some riding action. His best offering is a solid low-80s slider with more depth than horizontal movement, and he also works in a mid-70s downer curveball. His mid-80s changeup is too firm but features some fade. Though his unusual mechanics also include huge shoulder tilt, they add to Morris' deception without compromising his ability to throw strikes. He'll probably need to refine his command to succeed as a starter in pro ball because he can't overpower hitters and gets into trouble when he catches too much of the plate. While his floor stands out more than his ceiling, he does a nice job of pitching off his fastball and has a reliable breaking ball.

Zobac began his college career at California as a two-way player, a corner outfielder who pitched as a reliever in both the shortened 2020 season and the full 2021 campaign. Focusing only on pitching in 2022, Zobac started out as the Bears’ Saturday starter, moved back into a bullpen role and then really helped his Draft profile by finishing the year starting on Fridays with back-to-back shutout starts against New Mexico and Utah (13 IP, 6 H, 3 BB, 23 K), which really gave scouts an idea that his stuff could work in a rotation. The 6-foot-3 Zobac showed an ability to fill the strike zone with a full repertoire of pitches this season. He leaned heavily on his fastball, throwing the low-90s offering more than two-thirds of the time, topping out at 96 mph. He backed it up with a low-80s slider with decent bite that missed bats more frequently, a pitch he could subtract from to give it more of a curveball feel. He didn't throw it a ton, but he showed feel for a changeup that could get hitters out in front, eliciting weak contact on the ground. A focus on pitching certainly seemed to help Zobac’s command, as he cut his walk rate considerably this past season. The former outfielder’s athleticism plays on the mound, with a repeatable delivery and the likelihood of solid strike-throwing in the future, giving him the chance to start long-term.

A 33rd-round pick by the Cubs out of an Illinois high school in 2019, Ritter attracted more scouting attention the following year at John A. Logan (Ill.) CC but went unpicked in the shortened five-round Draft. He transferred to Kentucky and became one of the top defensive shortstops in the Southeastern Conference last spring. His glove alone might land him in the top three rounds in 2022, though persistent questions about his bat could knock him down a bit. Capable of playing anywhere on the diamond, Ritter is a smooth defender with nice actions at shortstop. His quickness gives him plenty of range and he has soft hands and a good internal clock. He features plus arm strength and makes consistently accurate throws from a variety of angles. The question is how much Ritter will hit because he has down little damage with the Wildcats and initially struggled with wood bats in the Cape Cod League. Scouts don't love his right-handed swing and he doesn't make consistent contact against non-fastballs, though he did make adjustments and rallied at the end of his stint on the Cape. Built along the lines of Marcus Semien, he has some strength that could produce at least 15-homer power if he figures things out at the plate, and he's also a solid runner out of the batter's box and plus underway.

Despite having thrown just 25 innings in 2019 and 2020 combined, Melton climbed onto MLB Pipeline’s Draft Top 250 in 2021 despite an uneven season thanks to his size and arm strength. An offseason of work with San Diego area pitching guru Dom Johnson, who has worked with big leaguers like Joe Musgrove, has led to a new delivery and more consistent results as the Aztecs’ Friday night starter. The 6-foot-4 Melton has the makings of a full starting pitcher’s repertoire. He has a big fastball with good life, up to 97 mph and averaging around 93 mph, and he relies on it heavily. While his slider has been effective at missing some bats, the low-80s breaker is not a true out pitch. He has worked to develop a truer curve, though he hasn’t used it in games much. He has a changeup, but it’s often too firm. In the past, there were concerns about the length in Melton’s arm action and the shaky command as a result. But Melton has worked to shorten that up and be much more compact, leading to much better strike-throwing. He’ll have to work on some pitch design as a pro, but his size, athleticism on the mound and new delivery should lead to interest in the top five rounds.

Madden hails from Harrisburg, Pa., and was initially committed to pitch at South Carolina. But after needing Tommy John surgery following his senior year of high school in 2020, he opted to change gears and head to Northwest Florida State, a two-year school in the Florida Panhandle. He jumped on area scouts’ radars this past fall, his first real return to the mound, and while his results have been a bit inconsistent -- partially because he’s tried to pitch through a blister issue -- his pure stuff had a lot of high-level evaluators pouring in to see him. At 6-foot-6 with a loose arm, Madden certainly looks the part and has the power repertoire to go along with it. He can dominate with his fastball alone when he commands it, a heater he can dial up to 98 mph consistently. When he keeps it down in the zone, it has the chance to be a real bat-breaking kind of heavy fastball. His slider has improved from the fall and when he’s on top of it, it’s been at least average and flashed better than that. He’s also shown pretty good feel for a changeup, though less consistently. Madden’s command was well-below-average in the fall and it looked like he was taking a step forward in that regard as well early on in the spring. That’s come and gone as the year has worn on, with him trying to pitch through the blister certainly not helping his control or the overall sharpness of his stuff. Teams that saw him when everything clicked might consider him in the first few rounds.

Back in 2009, Yucaipa High School had a right-handed corner infield bat type who ended up being taken as a supplemental first-rounder by the D-backs -- Matt Davidson -- who has gone on to play parts of five seasons in the big leagues, hitting 46 homers combined in 2017 and 2018 with the White Sox. Reimer fits a somewhat similar profile and has the chance to give Yucaipa it’s first hitter taken in the top few rounds since Davidson. While Davidson had a reputation of being more power over hit, even back in high school, Reimer profiles as a potentially much more balanced bat. The 6-foot-3 infielder routinely finds the barrel and makes a lot of hard contact, using a slightly open stance and a small toe tap for timing, though he simplifies things more with two strikes. There’s legitimate power he can tap into, particularly from the pull side. A solid athlete for his size, Reimer plays shortstop in high school, but will almost certainly move to third at the next level, where he does have a solid arm and the tools to play there long-term. But it’s the Washington recruit’s bat that teams will be buying, with the chance for him to become the first Yucaipa High product of any kind to go in the top three rounds since right-hander Taijuan Walker was a Mariners supplemental first-round pick in 2010.

McFarlane moved from the U.S. Virgin Islands to attend Habersham Central High School for his senior year of high school. His athleticism and projection garnered plenty of interest, but his strong commitment to Miami led him to slide to the Cardinals in the 25th round, so he headed to pitch for the Hurricanes. He’s gotten some opportunities to start since 2020, including this spring, but has spent the bulk of his college career coming out of the Hurricanes bullpen. A right-hander who has added good strength to his athletic 6-foot-4 frame since heading to college, McFarlane succeeds largely with two very good pitches: his fastball and slider. His fastball has averaged over 95 mph this season, topping out at 99, and there’s good run on the pitch. His slider, which he’s run up to 89-90 mph, flashes plus and misses bats at a very impressive rate. He does have some feel for his mid-80s changeup as well. With that kind of potential in a three-pitch mix and an ideal durable pitcher’s frame, it might be tempting to give McFarlane another chance to start at the next level. But his long arm action in back is very tough to repeat, which has led to issues with command. Perhaps a team could try to retool his mechanics, but it might be wiser to keep him in the pen and let that fastball-slider combination carry him to the big leagues.

An alumni of Major League Baseball’s Breakthrough Series, Huggins was one of Louisiana’s better high school prospects and he attended MLB’s first Draft combine in 2021. After going undrafted, Huggins switched gears from his initial commitment to Louisiana Tech and headed to Chipola Junior College. While he certainly benefitted from the presence of potential first-rounder Cam Collier in the lineup, he did plenty to help himself as a dependable member of Chipola’s rotation all spring. A 6-foot-3 right-hander with a strong and athletic frame, Huggins steadily improved as the year went on. He has the chance to eventually have two plus pitches in his fastball and slider. His heater touches the mid-90s now and sits around 93 mph, and it’s particularly effective when run down in the zone. He misses a ton of bats with his mid-80s slider, and while he gets hitters to chase it often, he does a solid job of landing it for strikes. He does have a changeup that might be an effective third pitch, but he doesn’t throw it much and there will need to be more velocity separation from his fastball. In addition to that third pitch, Huggins will also need to refine his command. While he struck out nearly 12 per nine this spring, he also walked close to four per nine. He’s still only 19 and given the strides he made this year, it wouldn’t be surprising if a team rolled the dice on his upside in the top several rounds.

Watters spent his first two seasons at West Virginia pitching almost exclusively out of the bullpen and he even closed some games in 2021, showing off high-octane stuff with very little idea of how to throw it for strikes. He began his junior season this spring as a reliever, but got the chance to start in March and has been part of the Mountaineers weekend rotation. He’s shown enough stuff, especially in a 15-strikeout performance against Texas, to substantially raise his profile. The 6-foot-4 Watters has the chance to have two at least plus pitches. His fastball has been up to 99 mph as a starter this spring, averaging close to 96 mph, and he can touch triple digits in shorter relief stints. He complements the heater with a true 12-to-6 power curve thrown in the mid-80s, that can miss a ton of bats. He does have some feel for a mid-80s changeup, but it’s well behind the two other offerings. For Watters to be able to have a chance at starting at the next level, he’s going to have to continue improving his command. He has gotten better at finding the strike zone after walking 10.7 per nine in 2021. In all likelihood, he’ll end up back in the bullpen, where he could have an 80 fastball to go along with a 65 or 70 curve.

McCabe has produced at Charlotte, including hitting .386/.513/.784 with 16 homers and 40 walks in 42 games this year, but the pandemic and injuries have limited him to 96 games in three seasons, including just 65 in the field. A 6-foot-4, 235-pound switch-hitter whose power is his best tool, he's probably limited to first base in pro ball but has seen some brief action at the hot corner.

Though potential first-round pick Noah Schultz was sidelined indefinitely by mononucleosis after his initial two-inning outing, scouts still had reason to flock to Oswego (Ill.) East HS. Izzi impressed at the World Wood Bat Association World Championship in October and showed top-three-rounds stuff in his first appearance of the spring. He has been a bit inconsistent since while pitching in cold early-season weather in the Midwest. Izzi has an extremely projectable 6-foot-3 frame and already can reach 97 mph with a four-seam fastball that sits in the low 90s and has modest life. His low-80s slider has good depth and can be a solid offering at its best, but devolves into a slurve when he doesn't stay on top of it. He shows feel for a low-80s changeup with fade that should improve as he uses it more often. Izzi has a loose arm and a clean delivery that allow him to provide strikes with relative ease. The Wichita State recruit should continue to get better as he gets stronger and it's easy to project him as a starter. His higher arm slot may be more conducive to a curveball than a slider in the long run.

Crooks was known more for his bat than his catching prowess as a Texas high schooler and during his pandemic-shortened 2020 season at McLennan (Texas) CC. That reputation persisted last year after he transferred to Oklahoma, but it's starting to change during his second season with the Sooners. He improved behind the plate while his power regressed for much of the spring before he homered four times in 12 NCAA tournament games en route to the College World Series finals. Scouts love Crooks' grinder makeup and he has worked hard to improve his receiving skills and footwork. He has gotten better at framing and blocking pitches, and he's getting more out of his solid arm strength after upgrading his throwing mechanics. He has answered questions about his ability to remain at catcher by becoming an average to solid defender. A left-handed hitter whose strength stands out more than his bat speed, Crooks is vulnerable to breaking pitches but makes decent contact and draws a fair amount of walks. After homering 10 times in his first year at Oklahoma, he showed little pop with wood bats in the Cape Cod League and didn't drive the ball with any consistency in 2022 until the end of the season. A well below-average runner out of the batter's box, he's quicker once he gets going and shows some savvy on the bases.

Relatively unscouted when playing high school ball in San Diego, Hall was taken in the 35th round of the 2019 Draft by the Braves before he began his college career at the University of Oregon. He broke out a bit as a sophomore in '21, then finished strong after a rough start in the Cape Cod League. His offensive game has taken another step forward as a junior, further raising his profile. A left-handed-hitting and throwing outfielder, Hall has the chance to be an impact bat. There’s some definite juice in his swing with plus raw power, especially to the pull side, but he’s shown the ability to hit the ball out the other way, too. His approach got better on the Cape, as he took more pitches and used the whole field more consistently, and that has helped him get to his power more this spring. He crushes fastballs, but he needs to continue to refine his recognition of softer stuff. An outstanding athlete who can record above-average run times, Hall hasn’t been a basestealing threat and his instincts in the outfield are just average. He has the wheels to play center, but he is probably best suited in a corner, with left the most likely landing spot. Teams interested will be buying the power potential, with many scouts confident he’ll get to it consistently at the next level.

As a slightly undersized high school infielder from Palm Desert, Calif., Sprinkle wasn’t drafted and wasn’t heavily recruited, getting some interest only from a few mid-majors before deciding to head to UC Santa Barbara for his college ball. He barely played during the shortened 2020 season, but established himself as the everyday shortstop for the Gauchos in 2021, playing well enough to be named Co-Big West Freshman of the Year and a third-team All-American, then continued to play well for USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team over the summer. He hasn’t been able to replicate his offensive success in 2022, hurting his overall stock. If you’re looking for a college shortstop who can stay at the position, Sprinkle might be your guy. He shows off light, quick feet at the premium position, with his plus speed helping him have outstanding range. He showed off an improved arm that flashed plus over the fall, impressing scouts with some jump throws from the hole. Sprinkle’s speed plays up on the bases thanks to his excellent instincts, allowing him to be a threat to steal. Added strength to his frame did enhance his extra-base authority from the right side of the plate, but he’s lost his way a bit this spring. There is some bat speed there, and the team that takes him in the top few rounds will hope that pro instructors will help him rediscover the mechanics and approach that has worked for him in the past.

Penn State hasn’t had a position player taken in the first two days of the Draft since catcher Ben Heath was a fifth-rounder back in 2010. Thanks to a big 2022 season in which Wood finished among the Big 10 leaders in several offensive categories, the fellow backstop has the chance to break that schneid. Wood finished the season with a 1.147 OPS thanks to a strong approach from the left side of the plate -- he walked more than he struck out -- and an ability to tap into his raw power more consistently. He’s more strength than bat speed but tapped into his pop this spring to reach double digits in home runs, more to the pull side. The backstop has decent defensive tools, with solid arm strength and the ability to stay behind the plate long-term. Those who believe in him see a lefty-hitting catcher, always a commodity, with tremendous on-base skills and some pop. Doubters see a guy who had a good year in a bad conference. Either way, he should join Heath on that list of Nittany Lions hitters taken on Day 2, giving him the chance to be the first Penn State player to reach the big leagues since 1998 first-rounder Nate Bump spent parts of three seasons in the Marlins bullpen.

The last pitcher from Monmouth University to get drafted and make it to the big leagues was Pat Light, a supplemental first-round pick of the Red Sox back in 2012, while Brad Brach was taken in the 42nd round back in 2008 by the Padres and has parlayed that into a long big league relief career. Dombroski put himself on the 2022 Draft map with a strong performance in the Cape Cod League last summer and he has continued it this spring at Monmouth. Dombroski is a 6-foot-5 starter who perfectly fits the “advanced college lefty” label. He’s never going to wow with pure stuff, but he sure knows how to use what he has. His fastball is typically only in the 88-92 mph range, but he’s so good at locating it that he can use it effectively even if he’s behind in the count. He has two legitimate breaking balls, both of which flash above-average. He changes the shape and adds/subtracts from his breaking stuff, with the slightly harder slider missing a few more bats than the curve. He mixes in a very good changeup he sells well. Despite the seemingly light stuff, Dombroski gets a lot of swings-and-misses and weak contact on the ground because of his feel for pitching and his ability to keep hitters guessing. He might have the best control and command in the class and walks virtually no one. His ceiling might be limited because his repertoire lacks teeth, but most feel he’s a safe bet to be a big league starter in the future.

A backup catcher on Vanderbilt's 2019 College World Series championship team, Keegan was set to take over behind the plate for the Commodores in 2020 before offseason surgery to remove a rib and a complicated recovery left him at less than full strength during the pandemic-shortened season. He didn't become a full-time player for Vanderbilt until 2021 but has been the team's most productive hitter each of the past two years. He spent last season at first base, turned down the Yankees as a 19th-round pick after sliding in the Draft because of signability and finally saw significant action at catcher this spring. Keegan is exceedingly strong and the ball jumps off his bat to all fields despite what looks like an effortless right-handed swing. His ease of operation allows him to provide consistent hard contact and he has made adjustments to do much more damage against breaking balls this year than he has in the past. Though he's a fourth-year college player, he won't turn 22 until August and his track record in the Southeastern Conference is hard to ignore. Keegan has helped his cause by improving his defense and showing he can be an adequate catcher. He has the work ethic to continue to get better and has quickened his transfer and release to get more out of his throws, though his solid arm strength plays more as average. He's an average defender at first base and moves well enough to perhaps play left field.

Part of a powerful Virginia Tech lineup, Biddison could be an interesting senior sign option after hitting .351/.434/.598 with 14 homers and 21 steals. He could fit a super-utility role well as someone who has played just about everywhere on the diamond defensively. He’s a plus runner with some power, especially to his pull side.

Bright led Auburn's College World Series team with 94 strikeouts in 80 2/3 innings and notched the Tigers' lone victory in Omaha. He can be inconsistent, as his 5.13 ERA this spring attests, but he has the makings of four pitches that can be average or better. His best offerings are a 92-94 mph fastball that touches 97 and a mid-80s slider.

Woodward Academy (College Park, Ga.) hasn't had a player drafted since the Astros took Delino DeShields eighth overall in 2010, but that should change this July. Pollard has boosted his stock with a strong spring -- he finished sixth in the nation among prepsters with 59 steals in 61 attempts -- and offers an impressive assortment of tools. Pollard doesn't have the smoothest right-handed swing, but he has cleaned it up some and is showing more feel for hitting as a high school senior. He has a quick stroke and displays plus raw power, and he should tap into it more as he fills out his lean 6-foot-2 build. He's a well-above-average runner who should maintain at least plus speed once he matures physically. Pollard will need time to develop at the plate and to find a defensive home. He has the twitchy athleticism and strong arm that scouts want in a shortstop, but he doesn't look natural getting his tall frame down to field grounders. The Washington State recruit will get a chance to stay at short and might be able to handle third base, though most evaluators think he'd fit nicely in center field despite his lack of outfield experience.

Gonzalez had some of the best bat-to-ball skills among high schoolers in the Southeast in the 2019 Draft, and he has lived up to that reputation since turning down the Dodgers as a 37th-rounder. He finished second in the Cape Cod League with a .331 batting average last summer and has walked more than he struck out in each of his two full seasons at Georgia Tech. A team that thinks he can develop some power and play center field could take him as early as the third round. Gonzalez employs a simple, compact left-handed swing and uses the entire field. He'll turn on pitches occasionally, yet rarely drives the ball and makes a lot of ground-ball contact. He has admirable on-base ability but presently projects to top out at 10-12 homers per season, which will hurt his chances of becoming a big league regular unless he makes some adjustments. While Gonzalez has plus speed and can flash some well above-average run times, he's not a prolific basestealer. He has the quickness and instincts to play center field, though he has seen little time there at Georgia Tech in deference to Colin Hall (whose father Danny is the team's coach). Gonzalez has fringy arm strength and has spent most of his college career in left field.

McKenzie established himself as one of the best pure hitters in college baseball by batting a school-record .389 in his first two seasons at Baylor. Then he left scouts scratching their heads with his performance in the Cape Cod League last summer, when he hit .225/.316/.245. He didn't exactly rebound this spring, batting .197 in the first month of the season and finishing at .288 with 64 strikeouts in 54 games. Utilizing a pretty left-handed swing, McKenzie has an aggressive approach that produces line drives to all fields. He has made contact with ease at Baylor and showed some developing power in 2021, then stuck out 31 percent of the time and made no impact with wood bats on the Cape. He should hit for average but may not have more than 15-homer pop, and his propensity for putting balls in play means that he doesn't walk much. McKenzie isn't much of a threat to steal despite his solid speed, which plays better in center field. He has fine instincts and gets good jumps, which should allow him to remain up the middle in pro ball. His arm strength is fringy, which precludes him from playing right field.

White first became a pitcher of interest in 2021 when he mostly relieved for the Cal Bears. He moved on to many scouts’ follow lists when he struck out 12 in eight innings of work for USA Baseball’s College National Team and got evaluators excited when he registered double-digit strikeouts in each of his first three starts with a move to the rotation as Cal’s Friday night starter. He wasn’t able to maintain that, however, losing his spot in the rotation and struggling in conference play, though he was finding his footing a bit and closing some games late in the year. At 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, White does not fit the “projectable right-hander” label, but he does have a four-pitch mix. He can run his fastball up to 97 mph, especially in shorter stints, though he sits more in the low 90s as a starter. He is capable of throwing a tight slider in the low to mid-80s and a distinct slower curve, and misses a lot of bats with both, but they can run into each other and commanding his breaking stuff has been an issue. He has a changeup that can be effective at times as well. White’s biggest issue has been his command, especially of his secondary stuff, both in and out of the zone, leading to inflated hit and walk rates. That, plus the effort in his delivery, likely points to a future as a reliever.

Birdsell first put himself on scouting radars when he reached the low 90s as a Willis High (Texas) freshman in 2015, but he blew out his elbow as a sophomore and missed his junior season following Tommy John surgery. After turning down the Astros as a 39th-round pick in 2018, he pitched just 71 1/3 innings at three different colleges over the next three years: seven as a little-used reliever at Texas A&M, 29 before the pandemic ended his 2020 season at San Jacinto JC (Texas) and 35 1/3 last year before straining his rotator cuff in April. He avoided surgery, spurned the Twins as an 11th-rounder and won Big 12 Conference pitcher of the year honors this spring with the Red Raiders. Birdsell's fastball sits at 94-96 mph and peaks at 99, though its velocity stands out more than its armside run and gets hit when he catches too much of the plate. He misses more bats with his slider, which features good depth in the mid-80s and more cutter action when he throws it in the upper 80s. He doesn't use his hard upper-80s changeup very often but it's an effective third offering with significant fade when it's on. Though Birdsell doesn't have a smooth delivery, he repeats it easily and throws strikes. His stuff is worthy of the top three rounds, but his medical history concerns clubs and he has yet to prove he's durable enough to hold up in the rotation over a longer pro season. He has the upside of a No. 3 or 4 starter and could become a setup man if he winds up in the bullpen.

Birdsell first put himself on scouting radars when he reached the low 90s as a Willis High (Texas) freshman in 2015, but he blew out his elbow as a sophomore and missed his junior season following Tommy John surgery. After turning down the Astros as a 39th-round pick in 2018, he pitched just 71 1/3 innings at three different colleges over the next three years: seven as a little-used reliever at Texas A&M, 29 before the pandemic ended his 2020 season at San Jacinto JC (Texas) and 35 1/3 last year before straining his rotator cuff in April. He avoided surgery, spurned the Twins as an 11th-rounder and won Big 12 Conference pitcher of the year honors this spring with the Red Raiders. Birdsell's fastball sits at 94-96 mph and peaks at 99, though its velocity stands out more than its armside run and gets hit when he catches too much of the plate. He misses more bats with his slider, which features good depth in the mid-80s and more cutter action when he throws it in the upper 80s. He doesn't use his hard upper-80s changeup very often but it's an effective third offering with significant fade when it's on. Though Birdsell doesn't have a smooth delivery, he repeats it easily and throws strikes. His stuff is worthy of the top three rounds, but his medical history concerns clubs and he has yet to prove he's durable enough to hold up in the rotation over a longer pro season. He has the upside of a No. 3 or 4 starter and could become a setup man if he winds up in the bullpen.

A product of the New Jersey high school ranks, Staine began his college career at the University of Maryland, pitching sparingly out of the bullpen as a freshman in the shortened 2020 season, then getting inconsistent work in 2021. That led him to transfer to Central Florida for a better opportunity to start, and he’s served largely as the Friday night guy for the Knights this year. He didn’t allow an earned run until mid-April. Staine is a 6-foot-5 athletic right-hander with a loose arm and some upside. His fastball has been up to 96-97 mph and has averaged just over 93 mph this year at Central Florida, a bit of a velocity spike from earlier in his college career. His 80-81 mph slider has also improved, and while it’s probably fringy now, it has an up arrow next to it and it’s easy to see it being an average breaking ball that misses bats. He can fold in a slower get-me-over curve, and while he doesn’t throw it much, he shows feel for at least an average changeup. While he’s largely been around the strike zone, Staine’s command has come and gone at times this season. A minor back issue slowed him a bit, as did a blister, but his size and pure stuff provide some projection and a college arm to dream on in the top few rounds.

In 2021, Boston College was chock full of talent, with outfielder Sal Frelick going in the first round and infielder Cody Morissette a second-round selection. The most consistent performer last spring may have been Gold, who had a .940 OPS for the Eagles and then hit six homers and drove in 23 runs in 27 Cape Cod League games to cement him on follow lists for 2022. He’s done nothing to hurt himself in ACC action this season. Gold’s carrying card will be his right-handed bat. He’s a student of hitting with a solid overall approach, showing off a compact swing that helps him drive the ball to all fields. It’s more hit over power, but as he showed with wood in his hands on the Cape, there’s a good amount of present strength and there’s more than enough thump in his bat for there to be average power in the future. A fringy runner, Gold has been Boston College’s second baseman all spring and he's acceptable there. He does have a strong arm and very good instincts, so a team might want to let him start out at third, where he has seen plenty of action, and could work to be an average defender there. It’s definitely bat over glove, but guys who hit in college conferences like the ACC tend to do well in the Draft.

DiChiara led the Southern Conference with 18 homers last year at Samford before transferring to Auburn and winning co-Southeastern Conference Player of the Year honors in 2022. He batted .383/.549/.777 with 22 homers in 61 games, ranking second in NCAA Division I in on-base percentage and walks (68) and fifth in OPS (1.326). While his power and patience are enticing, he's also a bottom-of-the-scale runner and athlete as well as a tough profile as right-handed hitter who realistically will be limited to DH at higher levels.

A product of SoCal’s San Dimas High School, perhaps best known for producing the pitching brothers duo of Jimmy and Peter Lambert, Smith went undrafted in the pandemic-shortened 2020 Draft and headed to Southern Cal. He played somewhat sparingly but hit well as a freshman in 2021, then looked solid offensively in the new Appy League that summer. He’s been the Trojans’ everyday shortstop as a Draft-eligible sophomore. When Smith was in high school, the 5-foot-9 infielder got some attention for his knack for making contact. While that largely has continued at USC, the right-handed hitter has been selling out for power a bit more, leading to a slightly higher strikeout rate and not as positive results as some hoped for when this season began, though he was drawing a fair amount of walks. An average runner, Smith plays with very high energy at short, but most scouts think he’s overachieving there. His arm likely isn’t reliable enough to stick there, but he could find a home at second base at the next level. Scouts who like him were hoping he could put up numbers like 2021 second-rounder Connor Norby did, but his struggles in conference play have hurt his stock a bit.

Martorella was a late-round pick in 2019 out of Salinas High School in the Monterey, Calif., area, a school that has produced one big leaguer in Xavier Nady, who went on to college before beginning his pro career. Martorella, who has been in Cal’s starting lineup since he got there in 2020, is hoping to parlay an all Pac-12 season this spring into following in Nady’s footsteps. A left-handed hitter, Martorella is a strength-over-bat speed kind of hitter, one who really started to use that strength more effectively as the year went on. He showed considerable patience at the plate and walked more than he struck out for the year, striking out just 10.7 percent of the time. He led the Pac-12 with his .388 average in conference play while hitting eight of his 11 homers in conference, mostly to the pull side. He absolutely punishes fastballs, struggling more against breaking and offspeed stuff. Martorella is going to have to hit to advance at the next level because he’s limited defensively. He’s a first baseman only, with some thinking time at DH might be in his future. Teams who feel his power discovery and willingness to lift the ball more are legit this year might take a chance on his left-handed bat.

A bit of a late bloomer, Kerkering didn’t make his Venice High School varsity team until his junior year but then helped the Florida power win back-to-back state championships as a starter. He began his career at South Florida as a reliever, scuffling a bit initially in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, then thriving as the Bulls’ closer in 2021. He moved into the Friday night starter role and opened a lot of eyes early, but after struggling, he has largely been back in a reliver role since late April. Always pitching from the stretch, Kerkering does have three pitches in his arsenal. The 6-foot-2 right-hander tops out at 97 mph with his fastball, especially in shorter stints, and has averaged around 93 mph. He hasn’t always commanded it well and it’s been squared up more than it should. His best pitch is his slider, a sharp 83-85 mph breaker that flashes plus and can be a nasty strikeout pitch at times. His mid-80s changeup isn’t as good, but it does offer some fade away from left-handed hitters. Kerkering does a nice job of hiding the ball and creating some deception with his delivery. And while his overall command needs to improve, he’s done a better job of finding the strike zone than he did in 2021. A team taking him at some point on Day 2 of the Draft might want to give him a chance to start, but there’s a pretty good chance he lands in a bullpen, where that slider could really play.

How do you figure out where to put a college bat without much history that explodes in his Draft year? It’s a question that gets asked constantly, and this season it’s definitely on decision-makers' minds regarding Hunter, the son of Mariners scouting director Scott Hunter. After the pandemic cut short his first year in 2020, hamate surgery ruined year two in '21, but he’s moved himself from a late Day 2, early Day 3-type of college hitter to one who’s being brought up in the top five rounds. A left-handed hitter, Hunter isn’t really doing anything differently at the plate than in the past; he’s just healthy and getting regular reps. Data-driven folks love him, as he records serious exit velocities and shows plenty of ability to lift the ball, leading to double-digits in home runs this spring. He has a solid approach at the plate and can definitely drive the ball. He’s been absolutely punishing fastballs, hitting well over .400 against heaters while not faring nearly as well against soft stuff. Hunter’s receiving has received mixed reviews at best, though some feel he can clean that up with pro instruction. He has plenty of arm strength and has recorded some good pop times even if he hasn’t thrown that many runners out. Teams have been scrambling to get back in to see Hunter as he’s piled up numbers, with left-handed hitting college catchers with pop always a hot commodity.

Fluharty has spent the entirety of his career at Liberty as a reliever and had a big 2022 season, striking out 14.7 per nine while walking just 1.8. He does it basically with two pitches, starting with a plus cutter, thrown 89-91 mph, that could be a bat-breaker with hard, late break. He combines that with an upper-70s slider with bigger sweep, which misses a ton of bats. He’s a reliever all the way, but could move quickly in a bullpen role.

Any talk about Old Dominion pitching prospects in the Draft obviously has to start with future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2004 Draft. But there have been several other arms to come from the Monarchs and make it to the big leagues, with lefty Ryan Yarbrough the most recent to go in the top five rounds as a fourth-rounder in 2014. Dean, a fellow southpaw, has the chance to join that list, albeit as a reliever. Dean has had success out of the Old Dominion bullpen largely pitching off his fastball. It’s a heater he can run up to 97 mph, and it averages close to 94 mph. It plays up and misses a ton of bats because it has excellent riding life, though it’s not as dynamic when he’s pitching from the stretch. He does back up the fastball with a breaking ball that can get caught between a curve and slider. It tends to have more traditional 2-to-7 curveball shape with decent spin and he struggles at times to land it for strikes. Some scouts feel he’d be better off using a more sweeping slider, especially because he has some cross-fire in his delivery, making it more difficult to stay on top of a true curve. He throws his fastball 80 percent of the time and a reliable breaking ball will have to come in order for him to find high-leverage opportunities at the next level. He also had nerve relocation surgery in the summer and hasn’t shown the ability to pitch in back-to-back games, though he hasn’t shied away from the pressure of serving as the team’s closer.

Ball State produced a pitcher who went in the top four rounds of each of the last three Drafts: Diamondbacks first-rounder Drey Jameson (2019), Marlins second-rounder Kyle Nicolas (2020) and Astros fourth-rounder Chayce McDermott (2021). Schweitzer doesn’t light up the radar gun like they can but could approach the same territory this July. A reliever in his first two seasons with the Cardinals, he won Mid-American Conference pitcher of the year honors as a starter this spring and finished second in NCAA Division I with 11 victories. Schweitzer’s fastball parks around 90 mph and only occasionally reaches the mid-90s, but it gets swings and misses up in the strike zone with its induced vertical break and high spin rates. He backs it up with three average secondary pitches, the most effective of which is his upper-70s slider with two-plane depth. Both his slider and slower, more downward-breaking curveball can be plus offerings at their best. Schweitzer also utilizes a low-80s changeup with depth against right-handers. He has significantly improved his control and command this year while holding up well in his first season as a college starter. His feel for mixing his pitches and locations adds to his package as a high-floor, back-of-the-rotation type.

One of the best defensive shortstops in college baseball, Battles has solid range and well above-average arm strength. While he's a below-average hitter with power to match, he did post the best numbers of his college career this spring, batting .289/.364/.480 with 10 homers in 66 games while helping Arkansas reach the College World Series. He's an average runner.

If nothing else is clear, it’s become fairly apparent the McLain family produces some solid baseball players. Oldest brother Matt was a first-rounder out of high school, went to UCLA and was taken again in the first round by the Reds in 2021. Youngest brother Nick was a solid high school outfield prospect last year, but removed himself from the Draft and is now a freshman at UCLA. In the middle is Sean, an infielder like his older brother, who is coming off a solid season at Arizona State and has positioned himself as a solid college performer this spring as well. McLain has a solid all-around toolset, without one really jumping off the page. A quick-twitch athlete who is a tick above-average runner, he makes hard contact from the right side of the plate with solid extra-base authority. He has good instincts on the bases, though he’s not a huge basestealing threat. He’s mostly been a second baseman with the Sun Devils, but he moved over to shortstop last fall and has seen the bulk of his playing time this spring at the premium position. His arm is a little short for the position long-term, but all of his tools play up because he has a knack for playing at the speed of the game. Teams that covet college performers are watching how McLain produces and consider him in the top five rounds.

If nothing else is clear, it’s become fairly apparent the McLain family produces some solid baseball players. Oldest brother Matt was a first-rounder out of high school, went to UCLA and was taken again in the first round by the Reds in 2021. Youngest brother Nick was a solid high school outfield prospect last year, but removed himself from the Draft and is now a freshman at UCLA. In the middle is Sean, an infielder like his older brother, who is coming off a solid season at Arizona State and has positioned himself as a solid college performer this spring as well. McLain has a solid all-around toolset, without one really jumping off the page. A quick-twitch athlete who is a tick above-average runner, he makes hard contact from the right side of the plate with solid extra-base authority. He has good instincts on the bases, though he’s not a huge basestealing threat. He’s mostly been a second baseman with the Sun Devils, but he moved over to shortstop last fall and has seen the bulk of his playing time this spring at the premium position. His arm is a little short for the position long-term, but all of his tools play up because he has a knack for playing at the speed of the game. Teams that covet college performers are watching how McLain produces and consider him in the top five rounds.

Two years ago, Notre Dame featured Joe Boyle, a tall fireballer who struggled to throw strikes and went in the fifth round. Simon could follow the same path after helping the Fighting Irish reach the College World Series for the first time since 2002. He wowed scouts with 16 strikeouts over eight scoreless innings at the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament and NCAA regionals, though his control deserted him again in the super-regionals and at the CWS. While Simon can't quite match Boyle's height or velocity, he's still an imposing figure on the mound at 6-foot-4 and can reach 101 mph with his four-seam fastball. He usually operates at 94-97 mph with armside run and downhill plane on his heater, which can get hammered if he doesn't locate it well. His slider misses more bats with its combination of 82-85 mph velocity, sweep and depth, though he has even more trouble landing it in the zone than he does with his fastball. As a two-pitch guy who averaged 8.2 walks per nine innings during his college career, Simon is definitely a reliever. The key to his success going forward will be his ability to repeat his mechanics and stay online toward the plate. He yanks a lot of pitches into the lefty batter's box and can't be trusted with a high-leverage role until he proves he can provide more strikes.

Hodo used his speed to star in two sports in high school, finishing second in Texas prep history with 106 steals while also rewriting the Boerne High record books as a wide receiver. Then he followed his father's Doug footsteps to play in the outfield for Texas, which his dad did while helping the Longhorns win the 1983 College World Series and finish runner-up the next two years. Douglas' center-field skills and fearlessness have earned him comparisons to Kevin Pillar and Eric Byrnes. Hodo's speed continues to stand out and he can flash plus-plus run times out of the batter's box. The Longhorns haven't really turned him loose on the basepaths but he runs down balls from gap to gap in center field, where he has a playable arm. His high-energy style of play has made him a favorite of area scouts. While Hodo's right-handed swing can get loopy and he can get overly aggressive and pull-happy at the plate, he has a knack for getting on base. He has some sneaky strength and could provide 12-15 homers per season, with all of his over-the-fence power going to his pull side. He's hitting the ball with much more authority this spring, though most of his pop will come in the form of doubles -- and he tied for the NCAA Division I lead with 26.

The first player from Upperman High in tiny Baxter, Tenn., to ever sign with a Southeastern Conference school, Mabrey totaled just 12 innings in his first two seasons with the Volunteers. This spring, he became a standout in Tennessee's lefty-heavy bullpen. He permitted runs in just six of his 29 outings while posting a 2.63 ERA and a 52/5 K/BB ratio in 41 innings. Mabrey works primarily with two pitches, the best of which is an 83-85 mph slider with sweep and depth that he uses against both left-handers and right-handers. He sets it up with a 90-93 mph fastball that reaches 95, playing better than its velocity thanks to its armside run and downhill plane created by his high three-quarters arm slot. He dabbles with a mid-80s changeup but it doesn't feature enough velocity separation from his heater and has only modest life. Mabrey's athleticism and sound delivery allow him to pound the strike zone. His lack of physicality and a reliable third offering limit him to a relief role, but his effectiveness against hitters from both sides could make him a valuable bullpen piece.

Specht looks the part as a 6-foot-3, 200-pounder with plenty of strength and solid speed and arm strength. The left-handed hitter didn't perform well on the showcase circuit, however, and scouts worry about his ability to handle quality pitching. He may have to head to Kentucky and try to prove himself in the Southeastern Conference before becoming an early-round pick.

Once a candidate to be Mississippi's No. 1 starter in 2022, Diamond instead posted a 6.89 ERA and pitched just once in the NCAA postseason as the Rebels won the College World Series. At his best, he can reach 97 mph with a lively fastball and complement it with a tight mid-80s slider and a decent changeup with fade. But he has trouble maintaining that stuff and will park around 90 mph with his heater and around 80 with his slider. He has a strong, athletic frame and throws strikes, so there's a potential payoff for a club that can get more consistency out of him.

Frisch pitched well, largely in a relief role, for Oregon State in 2021 and was poised to get a crack at the Beavers rotation this year before an elbow injury required Tommy John surgery and wiped out his entire '22. When he’s healthy, he likely profiles as a reliever in pro ball, one with a heavy 91-95 mph fastball and a two-plane slider with lateral tilt and depth, with a chance for that to be a true out pitch.

Tennessee had high hopes for Ortega's bat, but he missed the 2020 season after having Tommy John surgery and failed to make the Volunteers' travel squad last spring, when he accumulated just 27 at-bats. He took over at second base and broke out with 18 home runs this year while slamming more extra-base hits (42) than he had strikeouts (40). He went deep three times in six NCAA playoff games and earned most outstanding player honors at the Knoxville Regional. Ortega's hand-eye coordination and quick right-handed stroke allow him to make consistent hard contact. His bat speed and strength give him 15-20 homer potential and his power plays from the left-field foul pole to right-center. He did much more damage at Tennessee's hitter-friendly Lindsey Nelson Stadium and has no track record of college production before this spring, so some scouts aren't fully sold on his offensive upside. Ortega has fringy speed and isn't a huge factor on the bases. He's an average defender at second base with the solid arm strength to see some action on the left side of the infield at the next level. A possible starter at second or third base, he could wind up as an offensive-minded utilityman.

Dunhurst drew top-five-rounds interest as a Mississippi high schooler but fell to the Rockies in the 37th round of the 2019 Draft because he was committed to attend Mississippi. He immediately took over as the starting catcher for the Rebels, slamming five homers in 17 games in the shortened 2020 season and winning ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove honors in 2021. The best 2022 prospect on Mississippi's College World Series championship club, he scuffled while dealing with a hamstring injury this spring but still could go in the top four rounds to a club that believes he can develop more consistency on both sides of the ball. Though Dunhurst is a no-doubt catcher, scouts would like to see him maintain his focus better behind the plate. Athletic for a backstop, he has the potential to be a plus receiver and blocker if he can avoid concentration lapses. He has well above-average arm strength, a quick release and impressive throwing accuracy. Dunhurst should hit enough to be an everyday catcher but there are questions as to how much offensive impact he'll provide. The left-handed hitter uses the whole field and generally manages the strike zone well, but his strength outshines his bat speed and almost all of his power goes to his pull side. He does most of his damage against fastballs but struggles with breaking balls and changeups.

Part of a Chicago-area pipeline that has served Louisville well, Prosecky was the second-best Illinois prep prospect in 2019 behind Pirates first-rounder Quinn Priester. A top-five-rounds talent who turned down the Phillies after signability dropped him to the 35th round, he was a midweek starter in his first college season but missed most of 2021 with a shoulder strain. He has served as Louisville's closer this spring but may get an opportunity to start in pro ball. Prosecky has more velocity than most left-handers, operating with a 92-95 mph fastball that tops out at 97 with some riding action. He works heavily off his heater, backing it up with a mid-70s curveball that can get swings and misses but also eludes the strike zone too frequently. He also has a firm mid-80s changeup with modest life but doesn't use it much as a reliever. With the potential for three average or better offerings, a strong 6-foot-3 frame and a delivery with no glaring flaws, Prosecky may tempt a pro team to try him as a starter. To succeed in the rotation, he'll have to use his secondary pitches and significantly improve his control. It's more likely that he'll wind up in the bullpen, where his role will depend on his ability to locate his fastball and curve.

Mederos had enough stuff to fit in the top three rounds of the shortened 2020 Draft as a Florida high schooler, but he went unpicked because of his commitment to Miami, where he was the jewel of a top-rated recruiting class. He began last spring in the Hurricanes' weekend rotation but control difficulties relegated him to the bullpen for the final two months. He displayed one of the better arms yet continued to battle the strike zone in the Cape Cod League during the summer, then transferred to Oklahoma State and has continued to light up radar guns while getting hit hard. Mederos can sit at 94-97 mph and reach 99 with arm-side run on his fastball, but his heater doesn't miss many bats because he doesn't command it well and often has to dial it back to find the zone. His mid-80s slider with two-plane depth is his best pitch and he also can get swings and misses with his downer low-80s curveball, but he can't land the latter for strikes. He has flashed a plus mid-80s changeup with quality fade in the past but has barely used his cambio this spring. Strong and physical, Mederos has the ingredients for an intriguing four-pitch arsenal but has yet to prove he can harness it. Given his struggles, the effort in his delivery and his arm action, many evaluators believe he's destined to wind up as a reliever. If he can learn to throw enough strikes, he has the stuff to close games.

Stuart redshirted in 2019 at Southern Mississippi, then missed all of '20 while recovering from Tommy John surgery. A fourth-year redshirt sophomore, he won two games at this year's Hattiesburg Regional, including the clincher against Louisiana State. A massive 6-foot-9, 250 pounder, he throws two- and four-seam fastballs that range from 93-98 mph. He does a better job of landing his mid-80s changeup than his slurvy low-80s slider, and his command is fringy, so he doesn't dominate as much as his velocity might suggest he should. He recorded a 3.38 ERA with 38 strikeouts in 40 innings this spring.

DeLucia spent the first fall of his college career at the College of Charleston before transferring to Northwest Florida State JC. After two seasons there, he moved on to Mississippi and became a legend in Oxford by winning Most Outstanding Player honors at the College World Series as the Rebels won their first national championship. He permitted just one run in 16 2/3 innings in Omaha, including a four-hit shutout against Arkansas that advanced Mississippi to the finals. DeLucia is a 6-foot-1 right-hander without wow stuff, but his 89-95 mph fastball plays better than its velocity thanks to his induced vertical break and command. He can flash a solid slider and possesses an average changeup. He might be more of a two-pitch reliever at the next level, and he could add some power while working shorter stints.

Maxwell attracted scouting interest as a Georgia high schooler with a big 6-foot-6 frame, a fastball that reached 98 mph and flashes of a hammer curveball, albeit with scattered control. After turning down the Yankees in the 30th round of the 2019 Draft to attend Georgia Tech, he presents the same scouting report three years later. He pitched his way out of the rotation a month into the 2022 season and continued to battle the strike zone as a reliever, though he boosted his stock by striking out 11 in six innings against No. 1-ranked Tennessee in the NCAA regionals. Maxwell operates at 95-97 mph and has reached 101 in short stints, though his fastball has modest armside run and gets hit when he works in the bottom half of the strike zone. His breaking ball combines curveball depth with slider velocity in the mid-80s and touches 90 mph, but he has trouble landing it in the zone and tends to miss badly, so he doesn't generate a lot of chases. He fiddled with a changeup as a starter but has scrapped it as a reliever, which will be his role at the next level. Though he's throwing more strikes than he did in his first two years at Georgia Tech, Maxwell still has well below-average control and command. He has lost some weight but still has a soft body and needs to improve his conditioning, which might help him maintain his release point more reliably. He has the ability to dominate with his fastball and curveball but has yet to prove he can do so on a consistent basis.

Milone was a top 100 prospect in high school for the 2019 Draft but didn't get drafted until Round 28 with a strong commitment to South Carolina that he fulfilled. But after struggling in 2020 and '21, he moved across the country to Oregon and found some offensive consistency, hitting .337/.405/.545 with 12 homers for the Ducks this past spring, though he struggled for a second straight summer in the Cape Cod League. The right-handed hitter does have some solid bat-to-ball skills and some pop, particularly to his pull side, but where he can play defensively is very much in question, with some seeing a future as a designated hitter.

A two-way player who typically pitched in relief of teammate and fellow Draft prospect Levi Huesman, Keller stepped into the spotlight by striking out 16 in a start at USA Baseball’s National High School Invitational. A shortstop on the offensive end, the undersized right-hander has been up to 95 mph, with a low-80s slider that has good 11-to-5 vertical break and a solid changeup. A participant in this year’s Draft Combine, he’s committed to Old Dominion.

The Ivy League rookie of the year in 2019 at Penn, Hood barely played the next two seasons. The pandemic ended the Quakers’ 2020 season after eight games and the Ivy League cancelled spring sports in 2021. The Red Sox drafted him in the 20th round last July after he played in two wood-bat summer leagues, but he opted to transfer to North Carolina State. Hood creates plus raw power with bat speed, strength and an aggressive approach. He produces impressive exit velocities but hunts home runs too often, lapsing into lengthening his right-handed stroke and trying to launch balls to his pull side. He might be an average hitter with 20-homer power if he settles down in pro ball, but he’ll have to make adjustments to do damage against non-fastballs. Hood opened the 2022 season at third base but changed positions with Payton Green when the highly touted freshman struggled at shortstop. He has the athleticism and strong arm to handle shortstop, but his instincts are a bit lacking and he profiles better at the hot corner. He’ll likely begin his pro career at short with the potential to be a solid or better defender at third.

A standout in high school who starred at SoCal powerhouse Orange Lutheran and for USA Baseball’s 18U national team, Rajcic went undrafted in the shortened 2020 Draft, partially because of his strong commitment to UCLA. He served as an effective closer for the Bruins as a freshman before making a successful move to their weekend rotation this season. While not the biggest guy in the world at six feet tall and fairly physically mature, Rajcic does have an intriguing four-pitch mix he can use for a solid north-south kind of attack. The right-hander can run his fastball up to 95 mph, averaging around 91 mph. He has two distinct breaking pitches, with his true upper 70s curveball with downer action better than his low-80s slider, though both are usable pitches. He throws his low-80s changeup with conviction and fade. While none of Rajcic’s pitches grade out as plus, they play up because he can throw strikes at the top and the bottom of the zone very consistently. He’s super-competitive on the mound and has never shied away from the spotlight, something that will appeal to many teams, even if his size and delivery carry some reliever risk.

Hampton missed a couple of starts in May but also helped his cause by striking out 30 in 17 innings in his final three outings, including 12 whiffs in six frames against Notre Dame at the Statesboro Regional. He usually operates at 92-94 mph with run and carry on his fastball but topped out at 99 against the Fighting Irish. A four-pitch starter, he'll flash a solid slider and also mixes in a curveball and changeup. He needs to throw more strikes and clean up the lower half in his delivery.

Adler comes from a football family, as his grandfather Marlon Smith was a running back at Missouri and his father Marlon was a quarterback for the Tigers. He earned Cape Cod League reliever of the year honors in 2021 after topping the prestigious summer circuit with seven saves while posting a 1.15 ERA with 29 strikeouts in 15 2/3 innings. He remains one of the more intriguing bullpen prospects in the 2022 Draft despite losing his closer's job because of an inability to throw strikes. There's nothing wrong with Adler's pure stuff, starting with a fastball that parks at 94-96 mph and touches 98 with high spin rates that create difficult carry up in the zone. His hard breaking ball gives him a second plus pitch with curveball depth and slider velocity at 80-85 mph. He also can break out an upper-80s cutter that reaches 92 mph, though he mainly operates with his heater and curve. Though Adler is athletic, he never has been able to provide consistent strikes because he struggles to repeat his three-quarters delivery and stay online to the plate. His control has gotten worse than ever this spring, deteriorating to the point where he was getting few chases because he was missing so badly. He has the upside of a high-leverage relief option but is going to have to significantly upgrade his ability to locate his pitches to get there.

In his fourth season at Central Arizona Junior College, and his second in the rotation, Woessner had his best campaign, thanks to improved stuff. He struck out 122 in 96 1/3 innings with a fastball that ran up to 97 mph and averaged close to 93. He throws both a low-80s slider and an 80-mph curve, getting swings and misses in and out of the zone with both, while also mixing in an 84-85 mph changeup. He was around the strike zone much more in 2022 than he had been previously, something that will have to continue for him to have the chance to start.

Wagner has a similar profile to fellow South Carolina prepster Tucker Toman as a switch-hitter with a chance to hit for average and power who's still seeking a defensive home. Toman is more polished at the plate, so he'll go a round or two earlier than the slightly more athletic Wagner. He played in suburban Chicago before transferring to P27 Academy to face better competition as a high school senior. Scouts prefer Wagner's right-handed stroke because it's more direct and less stiff than his left-handed swing. He didn't wow evaluators on the summer showcase circuit, but he performed well at the World Wood Bat Association World Championship in October and has raked this spring. His ability to barrel balls, along with his strength and bat speed, give him plus raw power. A shortstop in high school, Wagner lacks the quickness to play there in pro ball or in college should he fulfill his commitment to Louisville. He's a fringy runner with solid arm strength who could get a chance to play second base and likely fits best at third base. Even if he winds up in the outfield, he could provide enough offense to profile as a regular.

Committed to Arizona, Crisantes is a high school shortstop with some ability in the batter’s box. The right-handed hitter had a knack for contact, with an elite strikeout-to-walk ratio this season at Nogales, where he was a teammate of fellow Draft prospect Roman Bracamonte. Crisantes should grow into some power as he adds some strength, but the question is where he might play defensively. He’s a decent athlete with decent hands, but his footwork and arm point to a future on the right side of second base.

While Long Beach State has a strong reputation for producing big league infielders like Evan Longoria and Troy Tulowitzki, there have been some very good arms to come from that rotation as well, with 2004 first-rounder Jered Weaver the best example and lefty Adam Seminaris the most recent taken in the top five rounds. Ramirez joined the Dirtbags' staff in that '20 season and had moderate success in the rotation in '21. A strong performance in the Cape Cod League last summer led to a big step forward this spring, though shoulder issues that forced him to miss some starts concerned scouts. There was no doubt Ramirez belonged in conversations about the top five rounds when healthy. His fastball averages around 92 mph and will touch 94-95, and he throws the pitch with a ton of sink, a big reason why he had a ground-ball rate on balls in play over 60 percent. He’s tightened up his 79-80 mph slider and it’s missed more bats, and after working on his changeup on the Cape, it’s been a much more effective pitch. Not only has Ramirez’s stuff been better, he’s been more consistently in the strike zone, cutting his walk rate. But missing starts has raised flags among scouts interested in the Long Beach State Friday night starter as all eyes will be on how he returns to action to determine how early he might go.

Colorado's top talent in 2019 and its best prep pitching prospect since Kevin Gausman nine years earlier, Cornelio went undrafted because he was strongly committed to Texas Christian. Eligible as a 21-year-old in 2021, he again went unpicked, this time because his mechanics and control deteriorated as he worked just 7 1/3 innings that spring. He got back on track in the Northwoods League last summer and he has emerged as the Horned Frogs' best starter in 2022. Cornelio's best pitch is a mid-80s slider that reaches 89 mph and generates a lot of empty swings and chases with its two-plane break. Though he parks at 93-95 mph and touches 99 with his four-seam fastball, it lacks life and doesn't miss many bats. His upper-80s changeup can get a bit firm but neutralizes left-handers with its fading action. Cornelio has found more success this spring by returning to the higher arm slot he employed in his first year at TCU. He's doing a better job of locating his pitches but will need to further refine his control and command to remain a starter. Unless he finds a way to dodge more bats with his fastball, he could wind up as a slider-heavy reliever.

Gatorade's Ohio player of the year and the state's best prep prospect in 2019, Anglin went undrafted because of his strong commitment to Clemson. He might have gone around the fourth or fifth round as a Draft-eligible sophomore in 2021 but returned to college after his price tag dropped him to the Nationals in the 13th round. His scouting report is unchanged from a year ago, as he continues to generate elite spin rates and battle the strike zone. Anglin once again features two of the more intriguing breaking pitches in the Draft, favoring his mid-80s slider with two-plane break over his low-80s downer curveball. Both can be plus-plus weapons at their best. He sits at 92-95 mph and reaches 98 with run on his fastball, though it gets hit because his long arm action enables batters to see his heater well and he doesn't command it. Though he has served as Clemson's No. 1 starter for most of the last two seasons, Anglin profiles strictly as a reliever as a pro. He has below-average control and command, even when he tries to dial back his stuff to find the zone, and he shows little feel or trust for his low-80s changeup with fade. If he can learn to harness his breaking balls and to dodge more bats with his fastball, he could be a high-leverage bullpen weapon.

The son of longtime scout and former professional player Tim Huff, Kody was a solid prep catcher at Arizona powerhouse Horizon High School, garnering enough attention to get taken in Round 32 of the 2019 Draft before heading to Stanford for college. He became the starter for the Cardinal in 2021 but didn’t really put himself on the map as a Draft prospect until his bat woke up in 2022, with a .315/.411/.567 line making him a much more intriguing option. It’s Huff’s makeup and baseball IQ that stand out more than any one tool. He’s always been a solid defender, with decent receiving and blocking skills to go along with a solid average arm that did a nice job helping to control the running game. The right-handed hitter makes a lot of contact, limiting strikeouts and upping his walk rate this year. That helped Huff get to his power, with 13 homers this spring, mostly to the pull side. Huff’s blue collar approach and leadership behind the plate help his tools play up. Add in the fact that he grew up around the game, has gotten better since his high school days and performed well at a top program in the Pac-12, and teams will be giving this over-achiever some serious looks on Day 2 of the Draft.

One of the better two-way prospects in the 2019 Draft, Faltine lasted until the Red Sox took him in the 39th round because of his commitment to Texas and concerns about his bat. He has become one of college baseball's premier defensive shortstops with the Longhorns but hasn't eased any worries about his offensive game. He posted a .553 OPS with wood bats in the Cape Cod League last summer and though he slammed 15 homers this season, he also struck out 104 times, the second-highest total in NCAA Division I history. Faltine has twitchy actions, plenty of range to both sides and good hands at shortstop. He has a strong arm as well and can make all the throws even if his arm action is somewhat slingy. A rare collegian who's a no-doubt shortstop at the next level, he could play quality defense all over the diamond if he winds up as more of a utilityman than a regular. Most evaluators believe that Faltine will need to overhaul his right-handed swing and his approach in pro ball, and a club that believes that will work could take him in the third round. While he has enough strength and bat speed to provide 15 homers per season, he's too aggressive and pull-happy and his uphill stroke leaves him vulnerable to fastballs up in the zone, not to mention offspeed pitches. An average runner with some savvy on the bases, he draws praise for his makeup.

Maier jumped on the map last summer by pitching well in the Cape Cod League as a former two-way player at the University of British Columbia who then transferred to Oregon. Scouts in the Pacific Northwest were excited to get more looks at him given his lack of track record and he did show a fastball up to 95 and a potentially plus slider, both with excellent spin rates, as well as a solid changeup. But he hurt his elbow, which ended his season after three starts. A team interested in drafting him will do so knowing he’ll have to rehab under pro supervision.

Iadisernia established himself as one of the better college hitters in the Southeast with a strong 2021 season and a banner summer in the Northwoods League, but he slumped to .276/.383/.463 with six homers and 14 steals in 55 games this spring. He still showed a quick left-handed swing and a good approach at the plate. With average power at best and fringy speed and arm strength, he's going to have to depend on his bat to carry him.

Though his well above-average raw power is his carrying tool, Williams also makes consistent contact, controls the strike zone and uses the entire field. A 6-foot-5, 250-pound left-handed hitter whose strength stands out more than his bat speed, he hit .335/.464/.622 with 13 homers in 54 games this spring. He has limited athleticism and must maintain his conditioning to remain at first base.

After losing most of 2020 to the pandemic and much of '21 to a back injury, Metzinger finally broke out this spring, batting .312/427/.591 with 19 homers, 11 steals and 51 walks in 64 games. One of the more attractive fourth-year college prospects, he controls the strike zone and could be an average hitter with power to match as well as solid arm strength and third-base defense.

Morgan played on Team USA’s gold medal-winning 15U team in 2015, a squad featuring current Red Sox prospect Triston Casas, then starred at Lincoln High School in Stockton, Calif., before heading to Fresno State. After redshirting in 2019, he played regularly in the shortened 2020 season, mostly at third, before settling in as the regular catcher a year ago. His Draft stock took a jump when he posted a 1.046 OPS in 2022, and he was named a finalist for the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award. The 6-foot backstop gets high marks for being a grinder, one with skills on both sides of the ball. He makes a ton of contact from the right side of the plate, striking out less than seven percent of the time in 2022 while walking nearly 10 percent of the time. He has more extra-base authority than serious home run power, but he did show the ability to drive the ball, with some pop the other way. There is no question Morgan can stick behind the plate, with a solid arm and good receiving skills that were recognized when he was named a finalist for an ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove. He might profile best as a backup, but with his makeup, developing into a starter isn’t out of the question, giving him a good chance to be the first Bulldogs catcher to go in the first 10 rounds since the Angels made Taylor Ward a first-rounder in 2019.

The Puerto Rico Baseball Academy has produced a fair share of shortstop prospects in the Draft, the most notable one being former No. 1 overall pick Carlos Correa, and most recently Mariners 2021 second-rounder Edwin Arroyo. Another shortstop, Rodriguez will represent the Academy as this year’s best Draft prospect from Puerto Rico, though he is not quite as highly regarded as his aforementioned predecessors. Rodriguez is definitely a glove-over-hit middle infielder right now. His soft and quick hands work very well at short and he has more than enough arm, with good carry on his throws, to stick at the premium position long-term. He’s an above-average runner and should have plenty of range for the spot as well. There are more questions about his offensive profile. The right-handed hitter does have some feel for the barrel and contact, though some scouts don’t love his setup at the plate and he’ll need to refine his approach. He also will need to add strength so he can impact the ball more. Teams will surely be interested in the Alabama-Birmingham recruit’s glove and it will be interesting to see how the hot start of Arroyo, who had a similar “needs to add strength” evaluation, might impact decision-making when it comes to Rodriguez.

Drafted in the 40th round by Cleveland in 2019, Nielson is coming off a successful year pitching out of BYU’s bullpen, and he pitched well as a starter in the Cape Cod League. The lefty has a 90-94 mph fastnall and a hard 77-82 mph slider, while showing some feel for a changeup on the Cape. He took a big step forward in '22 in finding the strike zone, with some scouts believing he’s capable of having solid control.

A fourth-year redshirt sophomore, Palermo sat out the 2019 season and pitched just 26 2/3 innings in the next two years before posting a 2.78 ERA with 74 strikeouts in 58 1/3 frame this spring. He's primarily a one-pitch reliever, working mainly off a 93-95 mph fastball that reaches 99 and features armside run. He has some depth on his mid-80s slider but struggles at times to land it for strikes.

Humphries pitched Fuquay-Varina HS to the North Carolina 4-A state title in 2021, winning the clincher for the Bengals' second championship in three years. He raised his profile with a strong performance at the Super 60 showcase in February and looked like he could be the next in line of recent North Carolina standout prep southpaws that includes MacKenzie Gore, Blake Walston, D.J. Herz, Liam Norris and Josh Hartle. His stuff and strikes haven't been as good during his senior season, though he still could factor into the top three or four rounds. At the Super 60, Humphries worked at 93-95 mph with arm-side run on his fastball and generated high spin rates on a low-80s slider and an upper-70s curveball. This spring, he has sat at 90-93 mph with his heater on his best days and had trouble landing his breaking pitches for strikes. He also has a low-80s changeup with fade that has the potential to become a solid offering. Humphries' control and command have wavered as well this spring. He's not particularly projectable or athletic, and it remains to be seen whether he can maintain quality stuff over a long season to remain a starter. He has committed to Campbell, which has produced a pair of early-round arms in Seth Johnson and Thomas Harrington in the last four years.

McElvain committed to Vanderbilt before throwing his first pitch as a Tennessee high schooler and served as a reliever in his first two college seasons. He became the Commodores' Friday-night starter this spring and worked the first seven innings of a no-hitter against Kentucky on April 22. He mostly struggled afterward before striking out 11 in seven frames against New Mexico State in his final start in the NCAA regionals. McElvain's most effective pitch is his solid 81-85 mph slider with depth, and he also can turn it into a harder 85-88 mph cutter. His fastball sits at 91-93 mph and touches 95 with enough riding action to keep it off barrels. He'll flash an average changeup with some tumble, though it's too firm in the mid-80s and he doesn't trust it very much. While scouts praise McElvain's competitiveness and ability to pitch above his pure stuff, he'll need to throw more strikes to remain in the rotation. His delivery should be conducive to better control, and he gets into trouble when he falls behind in the count because he lacks the arsenal to overpower hitters. He'll get the chance to start in pro ball but could wind up as a slider-heavy reliever.

A seldom-used reliever at Oklahoma State, Peterson transferred to Illinois-Chicago for the 2022 season. He posted a 3.89 ERA with 102 strikeouts in 88 innings, coming within three of a Flames single-season whiff record that has stood since 1958. The little lefty pounds the strike zone with four pitches, including a low-90s fastball with good carry and an average slider and changeup.

One of the best fifth-year senior values in the 2022 Draft, Young led NCAA Division I in runs in each of the last two seasons (83 in 2021, 89 this spring) and set Louisiana Tech career records for games (249) and hits (297). He batted .364/.506/.644 with 12 homers and 28 steals in 64 contests this year while displaying bat-to-ball skills, plus speed and fine range and instincts at shortstop. His fringy arm strength likely will dictate a move to second base in pro ball.

One of the best fifth-year senior values in the 2022 Draft, Young led NCAA Division I in runs in each of the last two seasons (83 in 2021, 89 this spring) and set Louisiana Tech career records for games (249) and hits (297). He batted .364/.506/.644 with 12 homers and 28 steals in 64 contests this year while displaying bat-to-ball skills, plus speed and fine range and instincts at shortstop. His fringy arm strength likely will dictate a move to second base in pro ball.

Crampton, who was born in Taiwan and raised in Oakland, batted .296/.367/.367 while playing consistent shortstop at Stanford. His cousin is tennis player Taro Daniel, who represented Japan at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

After being taken in Round 38 of the 2019 Draft, Romero headed to Vanderbilt, but after not playing in the shortened 2020 season and sparingly in '21, he transferred to Miami for this spring. He’s a left-handed hitter with power (12 homers in '22) at a premium position who should be good enough to stay behind the plate. His bat will determine if he has the chance to be a regular, with a backup role more likely.

Lewis was a solid two-way player at Marina High School in Huntington Beach, Calif., before heading to join a Santa Barbara program that has produced first-round arms like Michael McGreevy last year and Dillon Tate in 2015, not to mention Shane Bieber in 2016. After redshirting in 2020, Lewis spent most of 2021 pitching capably as a starter before helping the Gauchos win the Big West title again as their all-conference Friday night starter. The 6-foot-5 Lewis brings a unique array of pitches to the mound, all coming from an athletic frame. While his fastball typically sits in the 90-92 mph range, topping out at 95, he uses excellent extension and high spin rates to get swings and misses on the pitch up in the zone. He throws a solid 11-to-5 downer of a curveball in the upper 70s that misses bats consistently. He’s fiddled with a work-in-progress changeup and mixes in an occasional cutter, though that might be his worst pitch. Lewis also throws a legitimate knuckleball that he would float up around 80 mph that confounded hitters and catchers alike. Though he didn’t throw it much, it’s the kind of pitch he could turn to if being a “regular” pitcher doesn’t work out. Generally a strike-thrower, Lewis got tired at the end of the season and his command suffered, but his combination of size, interesting stuff and strong analytics, not to mention the track record of his school, should have teams interested in seeing how it works at the next level.

A three-star tight end prospect in high school, Cumbest played two sports in his first three years at Mississippi State, catching five passes for the football team before missing last fall after surgery to repair a dislocated shoulder. Also a part-timer in his first three seasons on the diamond, he helped the Bulldogs win the College World Series last June. He has made progress while finally getting regular playing time in 2022 and has the upside to factor in the first five rounds. At 6-foot-6 and 235 pounds, Cumbest is built along the lines of Giancarlo Stanton and his strength and bat speed give him well above-average raw pop. He won't fully tap into his power potential until he gets more upright in his stance to gain more leverage with his right-handed stroke. He also needs more at-bats to continue to refine his approach at the plate and learn how to cope with breaking balls and changeups. Extremely athletic for his size, Cumbest has solid speed and good instincts on the bases. He has seen time in center field this spring but spent most of the season in left field. He has average arm strength and could become a solid defender on the corners with more experience.

Jenkins has an unusual profile as an extremely aggressive hitter who strikes out in nearly a quarter of his plate appearances yet also makes a lot of loud contact. Though he has played only first base at Georgia Tech, he may have some untapped defensive value as well. He batted third in a Yellow Jackets lineup that could have as many as seven players drafted in July. Built along the lines of Andrew Vaughn, Jenkins has a compact right-handed swing with plenty of bat speed and strength. He gets to most of his plus raw power, generating high exit velocities and driving the ball with authority to all fields. He rarely walks and is vulnerable to sliders, so there is some concern as to how his approach will play at the next level. More athletic than he looks, Jenkins can show average run times out of the batter's box and moves well for his size. An average to solid defender at first base, he has a stronger arm than most at the position. A third baseman and catcher in high school, he might merit a look at the hot corner or in left or right field.

Estep hit .302 with 13 home runs and 16 stolen bases for the Wildcats in 2022. His uncle, Chris, was selected in the 12th round by the Pirates in the 1988 Draft and played five seasons in the Minors.

JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano, Calif., has produced a good amount of Draft talent, most notably former No. 1 overall pick Royce Lewis. After three pitchers from the program got drafted a year ago, including current Giants’ Top 30 prospect Eric Silva, this year could be Gough’s turn, especially after he went to the MLB Draft Combine and struck out all five batters he faced in game action. Gough is an aggressive right-hander with arm strength who has the chance to have at least three average or better offerings in the future. His fastball can touch 95 mph, but typically sits in the 91- to 94-mph range, thrown with good spin rates up in the zone. While he typically features a slurvy breaking ball in the upper 70s, he showed a distinct slider and curve, the latter of which led to three of his strikeouts at the Combine. He has some feel for his changeup, but it’s a work in progress. The 6-foot-2 righty is more control over command right now, but he does a solid job of finding the strike zone. He attacks and goes right after hitters, leading some to wonder what he would look like in a relief role where he could just blow it out for an inning at a time. He’s committed to Oregon State, where he’d likely get a chance to start.

Harrison pitched very well out of the Dirtbags bullpen in 2020 and '21, saving 10 games and striking out better than 11 per nine in the latter year. His '22 wasn't as consistent, but he did show off a 90-95 mph fastball that has some darting action to it, as well as a low-80s split change and a slider thrown around 78-83 mph. He'll need to find more consistency with his secondary stuff, but scouts love the way he competes out of the bullpen.

Considering that future big league third baseman Dallas McPherson was drafted out of Randleman (N.C.) HS as a pitcher, Brannon may be the best position prospect ever produced by the Tigers. Part of 2-A state championship teams in 2021 and 2022, he led national high school players with 20 homers and 91 RBI in 34 games this spring. His offensive potential stacks up nicely against this year's prep catchers, but there are questions as to whether he can stay behind the plate. Strong and physical, Brannon generates plus raw power. He has a quick right-handed stroke and routinely produces impressive exit velocities. While he shows a willingness to use the entire field, he may have to tone down his aggressive approach against more advanced pitching. Brannon's best defensive tool is his plus arm, which can record pop times around 1.9 seconds. The North Carolina recruit has a strong work ethic but may not be more than an adequate receiver and needs to improve his framing and blocking. If he has to change positions, third base and left field would be his best-case scenarios.

Turner played his first four collegiate seasons at Kent State before transferring to Arkansas, where he slashed .323/.388/.502 in 2022. His father, Brian, was drafted in the 40th round by the Yankees in 1989.

A swingman on a North Carolina State club that finished third at the 2021 College World Series, Villaman provided three innings of clutch relief in the super-regional finale against Arkansas to help send the Wolfpack to Omaha. He pitched for the U.S. collegiate national team last summer and has operated exclusively out of the bullpen this spring. He increased his Draft stock with a strong performance at the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament, including five shutout innings with eight strikeouts against North Carolina in a championship-game loss. Villaman relies heavily on a 90-93 mph fastball that tops out at 95, using it more than 80 percent of the time overall and more than 90 percent against left-handers, and it plays better than its velocity. He can command it all over the strike zone, with good carry at the top and nice downhill angle at the knees. He keeps right-handers off his heater by mixing in an improved low-80s changeup with fade and sink. Villaman has a strong 6-foot-2 frame and pounds the strike zone, and some scouts wonder whether he could succeed as a starter in pro ball. The biggest question is his lack of feel for spinning the ball and he doesn’t show much faith in a flat, slow slider in the upper 70s. It’s more likely that he’ll remain in a multi-inning relief role at the next level.

After a year at Division II Assumption College in Massachusetts that saw him strike out 16.3 per nine innings, Choate helped himself even more by showing well in the New England Collegiate Baseball League this summer. Being 6-foot-8 and left-handed doesn't hurt, either. Choate is up to 93 mph with his fastball and leans on it heavily. He does have a solid upper-70s slider and 76-77 mph changeup, registering super-high whiff rates on his secondary stuff. Command (5 BB/9 in college) might hurt him, but his strike-throwing has improved over the years.