MLB Draft for 2023

Part of an outlandish Louisiana State recruiting class, Skenes spent his first two college seasons at Air Force and pitched two summers with the U.S. collegiate national team before coming to Baton Rouge and winning a College World Series championship this spring. The only NCAA Division I player to reach double figures in wins and home runs in 2022, he might be the top two-way player in the 2023 class. But he's also the best college pitching prospect since Stephen Strasburg in 2009 and a potential No. 1 overall pick on the mound, so he hasn't picked up a bat this spring. He won Southeastern Conference pitcher of the year honors, led NCAA Division I in strikeouts (209, breaking Ben McDonald's school and SEC record), strikeouts per nine innings (15.3) and WHIP (0.75) and ranked second in wins (12), ERA (1.69) and opponents' average (.165). After working at 93-95 mph and touching 99 with his fastball as a sophomore, Skenes has averaged 98 mph and hit 102 at LSU, with the flat approach angle and carry on his heater making it almost impossible to hit. His slider has improved under the tutelage of Tigers pitching coach Wes Johnson, becoming an 85-89 mph beast with sharp break and absurd swing-and-miss and chase rates. His power changeup arrives at 88-93 mph with fade and is a solid offering when he lands it in the strike zone. Physically imposing at 6-foot-6 and 235 pounds, Skenes is athletic with the body control to repeat a sound delivery and provide plenty of strikes. A classic No. 1 starter, he'd also factor into the top three rounds as a position player thanks to his huge right-handed power to all fields and projected solid defense at first base. He caught some at Air Force but is too big for the position.

Crews generated some first-round buzz as a Florida high schooler in 2020 but ultimately withdrew from the Draft and has had a decorated career at Louisiana State. He led the Southeastern Conference with 163 total bases, set a school freshman record with 18 homers and earned National Freshman of the Year recognition in 2021. He encored by swatting 22 homers, sharing SEC player of the year honors and playing for the U.S. Collegiate National Team for a second straight summer before having his best season yet in 2023. He led the Tigers to the College World Series championship, won the Golden Spikes Award and repeated as SEC player of the year while batting .426/.567/.713 and tying for the NCAA Division I lead with 71 walks. MLB Pipeline's top-rated prospect in the 2023 Draft, Crews is a plus-plus hitter with plus power and some evaluators are even more bullish on his bat. He hits the ball as hard and as consistently as any collegian, thanks to a quick right-handed stroke, the strength and leverage in his 6-foot frame and a selectively aggressive approach. After creating some mild swing-and-miss concerns last summer, he's controlling the strike zone and making contact better than ever, repeatedly hammering velocity and quality pitching. A good athlete, Crews is showing more speed than in the past, with plus run times out of the batter's box despite taking a big swing and well-above-average quickness once he gets going. He can steal an occasional base and has improved in center field, showing the ability to track down balls hit over his head. Most scouts are sold that he'll stick in center at the big league level, and at worst, he'll be an asset in right with solid arm strength.

Clark is the best prospect to come out of Indiana since Bryan Bullington went No. 1 overall in 2002 and the state's best prepster ever. Gatorade's National Baseball Player of the Year, he's a viable candidate for the Pirates with the top pick. Besides his physical ability, he has excellent makeup and a penchant for rising to the occasion, such as when he provided a clutch homer against Canada and three hits in the gold medal-winning game against Taiwan at the 18-and-under World Cup in September. Clark has four tools that grade as at least plus, starting with his hitting ability, which some evaluators rate as plus-plus. He has a sweet left-handed swing and a mature approach that focuses on smoking line drives from gap to gap. He presently concentrates on making hard contact rather than launching balls, but his bat speed and projectable strength should translate into at least 20-homer power that he already hints at in batting practice. Clark is a double-plus runner and his quickness makes him an asset on the bases and in the outfield. The Vanderbilt is a no-doubt center fielder who enhances his physical ability with his reads and routes. He also has a well above-average arm that produces fastballs clocked up to 97 mph when he takes the mound.

Langford played three sports at Trenton High School in Florida before heading to Gainesville to focus on baseball at the University of Florida. He barely played as a freshman but burst onto the scene in 2022 as a sophomore, earning All-American status by leading the SEC and tying Matt LaPorta's single-season Gators record with 26 home runs while finishing with a .356/.447/.719 line. A solid performance with Team USA last summer added to his resume as one of the best hitters in the 2023 Draft class, something he only cemented with another strong spring after shaking off an early injury. Langford has five-tool potential. He can really hit, with excellent swing mechanics and a very good approach at the plate, one that helped him limit strikeouts while drawing walks. It also aided in his ability to tap into his considerable raw power, which some area scouts said is plus-plus. Strong and muscle-bound, he's capable of being at least an above-average runner as well. While he was a third baseman and a catcher in high school, Langford started every day in left field for the Gators in 2022. There was some thought he'd slide over to center field this year, and reports on him there last fall were very encouraging, but he ended up back in left once the 2023 season got underway. He plays hard and aggressively and it would surprise no one if he ended up in conversations for the No. 1 overall pick.

Jenkins has slipped past Indiana's Max Clark as the top high schooler in the 2023 Draft this spring and is North Carolina's best prep position prospect since Josh Hamilton went No. 1 overall in 1999. A hamate injury hampered him on the showcase circuit during the summer and prevented him from making the U.S. national 18-and-under team after he did so in 2021, but his physical ability was still obvious. Scouts also praise his makeup as much as his considerable tools. Gatorade's North Carolina player of the year in both 2022 and 2023, Jenkins is built to hit for power with a strong 6-foot-3 frame and a quick left-handed stroke. He already shows the ability to turn on quality fastballs and drive them out of the park to right field, and his pop extends to the opposite field as well. While his hitting ability doesn't stand out quite as much as his double-plus raw power, he has a sweet swing and makes consistent hard contact. Though Jenkins displayed plus speed earlier in his high school career, he has slowed a bit as he has gotten stronger and now is more of a solid runner. His instincts may allow the North Carolina recruit to remain in center field, with his reads and routes enhancing his range. If not, his plus arm strength will help him to fit the profile of a slugging right fielder.

Wilson played his high school ball at Thousand Oaks High School in California, playing for his father, former big league All-Star Jack Wilson. Jacob went on to Grand Canyon University and was named a freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball in 2021. He was even better in 2022, finishing with a 1.004 OPS as a sophomore before raising his profile even more over the summer with a solid stint in the Cape Cod League and then Team USA. Wilson, whose dad followed him to Grand Canyon and is an assistant coach this season, has an intriguing combination of baseball IQ and tools. He might be one of the better pure hitters in the class, one who consistently finds the barrel and struck out just seven times in 275 plate appearances as a sophomore. He's starting to tap into his power more consistently as well, smashing 12 homers and slugging .585 in 2022. A fringy-to-average runner, Wilson has the skills to stick at shortstop, with good actions, range and an above-average arm. He might not have the pure power profile should he have to slide over to third, where he played as a freshman, but scouts feel he'll hit plenty for the hot corner. That makes him a prime candidate to go near the top of the first round.

After cracking Wake Forest's weekend rotation as a freshman but posting a 6.12 ERA, Lowder nearly halved his ERA to 3.08 last year, ranked second in NCAA Division I with 11 victories, became the first Demon Deacon ever named Atlantic Coast Conference pitcher of the year and pitched for the U.S. Collegiate National Team. This spring, he joined Danny Hultzen as the only players ever to repeat as ACC pitcher of the year and led NCAA D-I with 15 wins and ranked fourth in ERA (1.87) and strikeouts (143, a school record) while pitching Wake to its first College World Series since 1955. He'll be the Demon Deacons' third pitcher taken in the first round in the last four Drafts, and he's a significantly better prospect than predecessors Jared Shuster (2020) and Ryan Cusick (2021). Lowder owns one of the best changeups in college baseball, a plus mid-80s offering with significant fade that he'll use against both left-handers and right-handers. He sets it up with a 92-95 mph fastball that maxes out at 97 and features more sink than ride, so it elicits more ground balls than empty swings. His low-80s slider has more depth than sweep and improved significantly in 2023, grading as a plus pitch at its best. Lowder repeats his delivery well, providing plenty of strikes from a three-quarters arm slot. There's not much projection remaining in his 6-foot-2 frame, but he earns high marks for his feel for pitching and his competitiveness. He has one of the highest floors in this Draft and should become at least a durable mid-rotation starter.

Although the high school catching demographic scares clubs in the first round, it's otherwise hard to find fault with Mitchell, who could go in the top 15 picks come July. He has tools on both sides of the ball, a fallback option as a pitcher and a long track record of performance. He played for the U.S. junior team the last two summers, winning the gold-medal game at the 18-and-under World Cup with 2 2/3 scoreless innings against Taiwan in September. He also led Sinton HS to the Texas 4-A title as a junior and won Gatorade state player of the year honors in both 2022 and 2023. Mitchell's strength, bat speed and patient approach should allow him to hit for power and average from the left side of the plate. A Louisiana State recruit, he shows the aptitude to work counts in search of pitches he can drive and attacks them with a left-handed stroke with loft that produces pop to all fields. He doesn't have the smoothest swing and his power comes with some strikeouts, but he still makes a lot of hard contact. Mitchell would fit the offensive profile in right field if he couldn't stick behind the plate, but there's no reason to doubt he'll be a catcher. Although he's a well-below-average runner, he's an athletic and agile defender who projects at least as an average receiver and blocker with double-plus arm strength. He'd fit into the top two rounds as a pitcher, with an easy delivery that produces a fastball that reaches 97 mph, a downer curveball and a promising changeup with tumble.

Dollander began to blossom as a Georgia high schooler in 2020, but the truncated season didn't give him enough time to impress scouts, so he went undrafted before heading to Georgia Southern. He stymied Tennessee with eight strikeouts in 5 2/3 one-run innings in his college debut -- then joined the Volunteers as a transfer for his sophomore season and won Southeastern Conference pitcher of the year honors in 2022. He entered 2023 as the clear top arm in the Draft and while his stuff remains top shelf, he hasn't been quite as sharp as he was last year. Dollander's devastating arsenal begins with a 95-97 mph fastball that peaks at 99 and produces elite swing-and-miss rates with its combination of velocity and carry. His best secondary pitch is a tight slider that parks in the mid-80s and reaches 91 mph, and it can be a well-above-average offering with sweep at its best. He also has a bigger mid-70s curveball and a fading upper-80s changeup, both of which can be solid pitches but aren't as consistent as his primary weapons.While Dollander continues to display frontline starter stuff, he's not locating it as well. He ranked seventh in NCAA Division I in K/BB ratio (8.3) as a sophomore while repeating his simple delivery with ease, but his control and command have been more average this spring. His athleticism helps him generate his premium pitches with little effort and he still has room to add more strength to his 6-foot-2 frame.

In 2020, Jesuit High School in Oregon had the best high school pitcher in the class in Mick Abel, now one of the top prospects in the Phillies' organization after being taken in the middle of the first round. The 2023 Draft could be a repeat with another Jesuit product in Meyer, who helped establish himself as perhaps the best prep arm in this upcoming class with strong showings on the summer showcase circuit. At 6-foot-5, Meyer certainly looks the part as a projectable high school right-hander. His velocity is tracking upward, frequently touching 97-98 mph over the summer, and while that was in shorter stints, it's continued this spring as he's touched triple digits at times during his senior year. It's easy to dream on more consistent velocity in longer starts as he matures. Meyer backs up that tailing two-seam fastball with a mid-80s power two-plane slider that has good hard bite and spin -- it's a future strikeout pitch that travels laterally with good depth. He also has good feel for a fading changeup, sold with excellent arm speed. Meyer comes at hitters with a bit of a three-quarters arm slot, showing good, whippy arm action, and while there is a little crossfire in his delivery, he has a good feel for the strike zone. Committed to Oregon, he has all the ingredients to be a future frontline starter and could follow Abel as the first high school arm to come off the board.

Schanuel grew up a stone's throw from Florida Atlantic University, attending sporting events at the school regularly. After an outstanding high school career in the region, he stayed in his own backyard for college ball and has been raking ever since. A starter from the get-go, Schanuel slashed .357/.462/.619 in his first two years with FAU, positioning himself as one of the better offensive performers among the college set in this class, though he did not hit well during his stint in the Cape Cod League last summer, he was one of the nation's top collegiate hitters during the 2023 season. The left-handed-hitting Schanuel has the chance to be at least an above-average hitter. He's always had an advanced approach at the plate, drawing more walks than strikeouts over his first two college seasons, and even though his Cape numbers weren't very good, the plate discipline still showed up. He's grown into more power, going from 11 homers as a freshman to 16 a year ago. An average runner, Schanuel played first base almost exclusively for FAU over his first two seasons out of need. Some scouts think he's athletic enough to handle an outfield corner, where he saw some time in the spring. That could raise his profile some, though it's his advanced bat that could allow him to surpass C.J. Chatham (No. 51 overall pick in 2016) as the highest-drafted player in FAU history.

A solid high school prospect from Northern California in Las Gatos -- just south of San Jose -- Troy went undrafted in 2020 due to a combination of the shortened Draft and his strong commitment to Stanford. He's been a regular almost from the get-go and saw his offensive production increase exponentially as a sophomore in '22 before spending his second strong summer in the Cape Cod League, where he was named the circuit's best prospect after slashing .310/.386/.531. Troy's standout tool is his ability to make consistent, hard contact from the right side of the plate. He has impressive bat-to-ball skills and rarely strikes out or chases out of the zone, showing excellent pitch recognition, though there are some moving parts of his swing. There's enough extra-base pop in there for there not to be concerns about impact at the next level and he could have average power in the future. He's answered some concerns about his approach and lack of walks by being more selective in 2023. Troy is an above-average runner, though he hadn't been much of a basestealing threat until this spring, and he slid over and played a good amount of shortstop on the Cape last summer. He moved to the hot corner for Stanford this year, but most teams see him as a future solid second-base type, with enough speed to perhaps play center field, to go along with some offensive upside.

The University of Maryland has produced some solid middle-infield talent that has gone in the top five rounds, notably 2015 third-rounder Brandon Lowe and fourth-rounder Kevin Smith in '17. Shaw has a good chance to beat both Terrapins alumni after hitting .332 as a freshman, blasting 22 homers as a sophomore and then greatly enhancing his Draft stock by capturing Cape Cod League MVP honors thanks to a .360/.432/.574 line.Shaw might be one of the better college hitters in the Draft class. He rarely strikes out and draws walks while making consistently hard contact. He can drive the ball to all fields and he showed off impressive opposite-field power last year for Maryland, with many of his homers going out to right and right-center field. He's a plus runner who is a legitimate basestealing threat. Shaw is currently the Terrapins' shortstop, but he's shown off some defensive versatility, playing second, third and the outfield as a freshman and seeing time on both sides of second on the Cape. A team taking him could certainly send him out as a shortstop, but most feel his arm will push him to second long-term. Wherever he plays, it's his bat that could get him drafted in the first round.

Teel was a very good high school prospect in New Jersey, one who was considered a Top 100 talent, until he removed his name from Draft consideration during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season in order to honor his commitment to the University of Virginia. He's been a full-time starter since he arrived in Charlottesville, putting up better numbers as a freshman than he did as a sophomore and is generally considered to be the top college backstop in the class of 2023. A left-handed-hitting backstop, Teel has the chance to hit for average and power, though he's gotten caught a bit in between trying to be a hitter with some pop or a power guy. He was more hit over power in high school, but he has been trying to show off the pop more, perhaps a reason why he hit just .276 in 2022, though he's found the right balance this spring. He does have an advanced approach, walking more than he struck out last year, and while struggles in the Cape Cod League and with Team USA last summer led some to worry about the hit tool, he's answered them during his junior year. Extremely athletic, Teel has seen time in the outfield and probably could handle playing second or third, but he has every chance to stick behind the plate. He has an easily plus arm and his athleticism helps his overall receiving. He gets high marks for his baseball IQ and leadership skills, and with his bat showing up more consistently, his name is floating up Draft boards.

Gonzalez earned national freshman of the year recognition in 2021 and helped Mississippi win its first-ever College World Series championship last June. The U.S. collegiate national team's starter at shortstop the last two summers, he could be the first player drafted at that position in 2023. He's a lock to become the first Rebels position player ever selected in the first round. Gonzalez has the bat-to-ball skills and control of the strike zone to be at least a solid hitter, and he has been more consistent in 2023 after hunting home runs too much as a sophomore. With his strength, bat speed and the leverage in his left-handed stroke, he has 25-homer potential. He does a nice job of using the entire field, with most of his over-the-fence power going to his pull side. While Gonzalez regularly displays below-average speed out of the batter's box, he may be quick enough to stay at shortstop. His instincts and rhythm help his cause at short, where he covers ground with long strides and has solid arm strength. Some evaluators wonder if he'll have to shift to third base or second base, but if so he'd be able to profile as a quality regular at either position.

Every Draft class has a fair share of interesting two-way players, with it typically being fairly clear whether that player's future lies on the mound or in the batter's box. There were some spirited discussions over the summer with Eldridge, however, with the Virginia high school product excelling both as a pitcher and a hitter on the summer showcase circuit, including as part of USA Baseball's gold medal-winning team at the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup, though it looked like the industry was leaning more toward him as a hitter during his senior season. Eldridge shook off the rust from having missed time, especially on the mound, due a hamstring injury as a high school junior, to show off legitimate ability both ways. On the mound, he shows feel for three pitches, with a fastball up to 95-96 mph, a very effective low-80s slider and the chance to have a solid changeup. He's athletic on the mound and is generally around the strike zone, repeating his delivery well despite his 6-foot-7 frame. At the plate, the left-handed hitter has some serious raw power with leverage but has some feel to hit, with a relatively short stroke. He has soft hands at first base and moves around the bag well, though he is athletic enough with a plus arm where right field could be a very viable option for the University of Alabama recruit.

The fastest player in the 2020 Draft, Bradfield could have gone in the top three rounds as a Florida high schooler if he hadn't been intent on attending Vanderbilt. He led NCAA Division I with 47 steals while winning Southeastern Conference freshman of the year honors in 2021, then finished second last season with 46 (in 46 attempts) and eighth this spring with 37. His speed and defense elicit repeated comparisons to Kenny Lofton, who won five stolen-base titles and three Gold Gloves, and he could become the Commodores' eighth top-10 pick in the last nine Drafts. Bradfield has top-of-the-line speed and knows how to make the most of it. He's a disruptive force on the bases and an elite defender, maximizing his talents by working to refine his craft as a basestealer and center fielder. His quickness bolsters his on-base ability and helps him compensate for a below-average arm by allowing him to reach grounders in a hurry. With game-changing speed and a slender frame, Bradfield understands what he needs to do on offense. He focuses on making contact with a flat left-handed swing, uses the entire field and excels at bunting for base hits. While he'll never be a slugger, he does have some sneaky pop to his pull side and swatted 14 homers the last two seasons after going deep just once as a freshman.

Wilken burst onto the college baseball scene in 2021, setting a Wake Forest freshman record with 17 homers during the spring and winning Cape Cod League MVP honors during the summer. He encored by slamming 23 homers as a sophomore and breaking the school mark with 31 (second in NCAA Division I) this spring, also setting Demon Deacons and Atlantic Coast Conference records with 71 career blasts while burnishing his reputation for having as much raw power as anyone in his class. He fits the classic third-base profile with his pop and arm strength, giving him the chance to become Wake's first first-round position player since Will Craig in 2016. Wilken is geared to crush balls to left field with the strength and leverage in his 6-foot-4 frame and the bat speed and loft in his right-handed stroke. His strikeout rate jumped in 2022, when he struggled with breaking balls in the zone, but he has made more contact this spring. He has shown a more disciplined approach, finishing third in D-I with 69 walks while making better swing decisions that allowed him to make the most of his prodigious power. Although Wilken is a well-below-average runner, he moves well enough to provide adequate defense at third base. His hands work fine at the hot corner, and his strong arm draws plus-plus grades from some evaluators. He caught in high school but is too big for the position in pro ball, leaving first base as his only realistic alternative to third.

Taylor flew under the radar as a Utah high schooler but has developed significantly at Texas Christian, setting the stage for him to become the program's first-ever first-round position player. He doesn't feature a true plus tool but does a little bit of everything and has performed well everywhere he has gone. The Big 12 Conference freshman of the year and a Cape Cod League All-Star in 2021, he played for the U.S. collegiate national team last summer. Using a sweet left-handed swing and fine bat-to-ball skills, Taylor makes repeated contact to all fields. He's not afraid to work deep counts and controls the strike zone well. Though he has sacrificed some batting average while looking to pull and drive more balls this spring, he demonstrated increased power and set TCU records for single-season (23) and career (48) home runs. An average runner, Taylor has played mostly third base for the Horned Frogs and provides solid defense at the hot corner with arm strength to match. He also has seen action at second base and shortstop, and while he lacks typical middle-infield quickness, his instincts help him make plays there. He's younger and more projectable than most college hitters, so he could continue to get better.

The area in and around Tampa has long been a hotbed in terms of producing premium high school Draft talent, and this year is no different, with hitters like Aidan Miller and Nimmala high on most teams' boards. Nimmala's age and offensive upside were on display all summer, including at Major League Baseball's High School All-American Game, and he's poised to become the first draftee ever from Strawberry Crest High School. A 6-foot-1 right-handed hitter and shortstop, Nimmala is all about projection. He calls himself a “patient-aggressive” hitter and definitely doesn't get cheated at the plate. He has at least plus raw power and can drive the ball to all fields, and while there are still some issues about his pitch selection and inconsistency in the quality of his at-bats that sometimes keeps him from tapping into that power, scouts are bullish about his offensive upside. A tick above average as a runner, Nimmala has every chance to play shortstop for a long time, with enough arm and range for the premium position to go along with loose actions. If it all clicks, the Florida State recruit could have plus grades across the board, a big reason why he's vaulted himself into serious first-round conversations.

Davis was a Top 100 Draft prospect as the 2020 Draft approached but went unselected in the pandemic-shortened Draft and headed to honor his University of Arizona commitment. After playing sparingly as a freshman, Davis was a full-time starter in 2022 and slugged 18 homers and performed very well in postseason play. He spent the summer showing off his tools at Team USA trials and in the Cape Cod League. Since his high school days, Davis has been known for his tremendous raw power from the left side of the plate. In 2022, the outfielder started to learn how to really tap into it. He has the ability to drive the ball to all fields, with plenty of opposite-field pop and a buggy whip of a swing. There is some swing-and-miss to his game, though he was starting to show in his junior year that he can hit enough to get to that power. A physical specimen, Davis has average speed to a tick above. He played left field for all of the 2022 season but played center on the Cape. Any team considering Davis in the top couple of rounds might want to send him out at center to see how he plays at the next level, knowing the power profile could fit back in an outfield corner.

Ohio hasn't had a high school position player drafted in the top three rounds since Derek Dietrich in 2007, though Emerson should end that drought as a potential first-rounder in July. He played well throughout the showcase circuit and hit .360 as the starting third baseman on the U.S. national team that won the 18-and-under World Cup in September. He was an all-state wide receiver as a junior before deciding to focus on baseball as a senior, when he earned Gatorade state player of the year honors. Emerson is an advanced high school hitter who makes repeated hard contact with a pretty left-handed swing. He usually drives the ball from gap to gap but shows the ability to pull the ball with authority. Once he does that more regularly, his bat speed and strength should translate into 20 or more homers per season. An average runner with solid arm strength, Emerson is a steady defender at shortstop but probably will move to a different position in pro ball. He looked good at the hot corner with Team USA and his quick hands also would work well at second base. An Auburn commit, he won't turn 18 until shortly after the Draft, which will help his cause with clubs who focus on age.

Huntington Beach High School in California has produced its fair share of Draft talent, headlined by former first-rounders Nick Pratto in 2017 and Hank Conger in 2006. Velazquez has the chance to be next in that line of potential bats, and after a modest summer, he had a big up arrow next to his name with strong performances this spring, especially in front of a lot of evaluators at both the National High School Invitational and Boras Classic. Velazquez is a strong and physical left-handed hitter who has the chance to be an impact bat in the middle of a big league lineup one day. He's been as consistent a hitter as any prepster in Southern California this year and showed an ability to make hard contact and drive the ball when facing excellent competition. There's a feel to hit, with a ton of raw power for him to continue to tap into. Even though he tinkers with his setup, using a wider base now than he used to, he still routinely finds the barrel. While speed isn't a real part of his game, Velazquez is a better athlete and runs better underway than he gets credit for. The big question is whether he can stick behind the plate, where his strong arm and leadership traits play well, and if he could be given the opportunity to at least start his pro career there. He plays a capable first base if a move is necessary, but it's clearly the Arizona State recruit's bat that has him popping up in first-round conversations.

A high school standout from Georgia, Waldrep began his college career at Southern Miss, pitching out of the bullpen as a freshman in 2021 before moving into the weekend rotation a year later. He had a huge year with the Golden Eagles, striking out 14 per nine and helping the team reach the Super Regionals. He entered the transfer portal and joined the University of Florida staff over the summer, when he also played for the U.S. Collegiate National Team alongside his new teammate Wyatt Langford. He's shown the same huge stuff, albeit with more inconsistent results, as the Gators' Saturday starter. The right-hander has a legitimate three-pitch power mix, with all three offerings having the potential to be at least above-average. He was 95-99 mph in his looks this fall and that's carried over this spring, though he's struggled to command the heater at times. His best secondary offering now might be his split-change, an easily plus pitch that misses an extraordinary amount of bats. His hard upper-80s slider also flashes plus and can be an out pitch.While Waldrep is generally around the strike zone, there is a little effort in his up-tempo delivery, causing some inconsistencies with his command and control, which led to an uptick in his walk rate this spring. Those kinds of things can be ironed out, and his pure stuff still has him in early first-round conversations.

Head is the best position prospect to come out of Homewood-Floosmoor (Ill.) HS, which has produced three big league pitchers in John Ely, Eric Hillman and Larry Rothschild. Few players in this Draft can match his combination of hitting ability and speed, and he has pushed his way into the first round after looking a bit stronger at the plate as a senior. He flipped his college commitment from Michigan to Clemson after coach Erik Bakich moved from the Wolverines to the Tigers. Head has top-of-the-scale speed and knows how to use it, especially in center field. His quality reads and routes boost his range, allowing him to chase down balls from gap to gap, and he also enhances his solid arm strength by getting to grounders quickly. His wheels also make him a dangerous basestealing threat and help him turn ground balls into singles. A left-handed hitter, Head generally employs a gap-to-gap approach but can get pull-happy at times. He's not especially physical but does have plenty of bat speed and can drive the ball to right field. Most scouts think he'll max out at 12-15 home runs per year, but he doesn't have to be a big power threat to be valuable.

George Lombard was an exciting high school product in the Atlanta area who was taken by his hometown team, the Braves, in the second round of the 1994 Draft and went on to play parts of six big league seasons in a 16-year professional career. Now the bench coach for the Detroit Tigers, he'll get to see if his son can beat his Draft spot as Lombard Junior showed off some intriguing tools on the summer showcase circuit and took a solid step forward in South Florida this spring. The younger Lombard already looks the part at 6-foot-3 with a pro body that stands out among high school players. The right-handed hitter has a ton of raw pop to tap into and he showed it off at times last summer, though it came with some swing-and-miss concerns and some inconsistent at-bats along the way. Lombard has a long stride and is better runner underway, but he's worked to improve his overall speed. There's some debate over where he lands defensively. While some would send him out as a shortstop, where he does show off a strong arm, good instincts and hands, most see an eventual move to third as he fills out that frame. That might put more pressure on the bat, but the power profile might fit there just fine. Teams will have to decide if they want to take Lombard early enough to keep him from heading to Vanderbilt, where he could develop into a first-rounder in a few years.

In 2020, Jackson Miller came out of J.W. Mitchell High School in Florida as one of the better prep catchers in the class, going in the second round to the Reds. Now it's his younger brother Aidan's turn. After a strong summer on the showcase circuit -- highlighted by All-American Game MVP honors and a Home Run Derby title as part of the All-Star break in Los Angeles -- he has the chance to get taken earlier than his brother, even though he missed much of his senior season because of a broken left hamate. Miller is a corner infielder with the kind of offensive profile pro teams want at that spot. The right-handed hitter has easily plus raw power and has shown he can get to it in games against good competition, showing no difficulty in turning around elite velocity. He already has a lot of strength. When he first got to high school, a leaner Miller played shortstop. As he's physically matured, he's slowed and is bigger and more of an average runner. He has the arm, hands and actions to play third base, his current position, at least in the short-term. Even if he had to move to first, his bat looks like it will play, with the kind of offensive upside that could land the Arkansas recruit in the first round.

One of the best athletes in the Big Ten Conference, Matthews batted just .266 in his first two seasons at Nebraska and struggled making the transition from second base to shortstop as a sophomore. He displayed more patience and drove the ball with more authority in the wood-bat Northwoods League last summer, a prelude to batting .359/481/.723 with 20 homers and 20 steals this spring. With his tools, he could go as early as the second round to a team that believes his offensive gains are real. Matthews has a quick right-handed swing and the ball jumps off his bat with some of the best exit velocities in the Draft. He has 20-25 homer potential, with most of his power playing to left field. Despite his breakout year, there are still concerns about his propensity to swing and miss, in particular on pitches within the strike zone, and his pull-happy tendencies. A Texas all-state quarterback after accounting for 54 touchdowns as a high school senior, Matthews is an impressive athlete with plus speed that he uses well on the bases. He covers ground at shortstop but only has an average arm and struggles with throwing accuracy. He'll get the chance to stick at short in pro ball but projects better as a center fielder or second baseman.

One of the better two-sport prospects in the 2023 high school crop, Houck is a three-star quarterback recruit who passed for 2,189 yards and 24 touchdowns as a Parkview HS (Lilburn, Ga.) senior. He turned down football offers from Power 5 programs to commit to Mississippi State for baseball, though he's unlikely to get to Starkville as a projected first-round pick in July. He's the latest phenom out of Parkview, which has won three national championships and nine state titles in the last 25 years, while producing four big league hitters, most notably Matt Olson. Houck's combination of strength and bat speed give him plus raw power, and the right-handed hitter already shows a propensity for driving balls in the air to his pull side. He does swing and miss and chase pitches more than is ideal at times, though there's optimism that he can improve as a hitter once he concentrates solely on baseball. He has looked more consistent at the plate this spring and does use the entire ballpark, though most of his pop goes to left field. Gatorade's Georgia state player of the year, Houck can flash solid speed but projects as an average runner once he fills out his 6-foot-2 frame. Though he's more physical than twitchy, his plus arm and outstanding body control give him a chance to be a big-bodied shortstop. At worst, he'll move to third base and could be a plus defender while fitting the offensive profile there.

As fast as any high school player in the Draft, George draws repeated comparisons to Vanderbilt outfielder Enrique Bradfield, a no-doubt first-round pick. George went from the left side of the plate to first base in 3.4 seconds on a bunt at the PDP League last July and can get there in less than four seconds with a normal swing. The center fielder on the U.S. national team that won the 18-and-under World Cup last September, he reached base 10 times in 18 trips to the plate and stole five bases at the event. Built along the lines of Juan Pierre, George understands the strengths and weaknesses of his offensive game. He has a compact and consistent left-handed swing built for contact, and he manages the strike zone well as he focuses on getting on base. He has added about 10 pounds as a high school senior but still lacks the strength for power and makes a lot of ground-ball contact, so he'll never be much of a home run threat. Scouts joke that George is a 90 runner on the standard 20-80 scale, and he makes the most out of his speed. He's an aggressive basestealer and runs down balls from gap to gap in center field. The Arkansas recruit has a below-average arm but it's playable in center and he compensates by getting to balls quicker than most players.

Westfield High School in Virginia has had just one player get drafted and sign out of the school -- 2005 first-round pick Brandon Snyder, though big leaguer Justin Bour did go there before heading to George Mason University. Farmelo, who showed off his tools at events like the PDP League and East Coast Professional Showcase over the summer, has the chance to be the next. Farmelo is a physical athlete with a lot of tools to like. He's a plus runner, which helps him on both sides of the ball, and has shown the ability to find the barrel consistently and drive the ball to all fields. There's plenty of bat speed, and he's quick to the ball, with more power to come as the 6-foot-2 left-handed hitter matures. A right-handed thrower, Farmelo has played shortstop for his high school in the past, but he spent all summer in the outfield and that could be a very good fit for him long-term. He has the speed and range to play center field, with the upside of being a dynamic up-the-middle presence. The biggest question facing teams might his commitment to the University of Virginia.

Peete intrigues scouts because he's one of the youngest players (he won't turn 18 until August) and has as much bat speed as anyone in the prep class. He's also somewhat of an enigma because he walked off the mound at the East Coast Pro showcase last August with an apparent elbow injury that has never been clarified. He hasn't pitched this spring after running his fastball to 95 mph and showing advanced feel for a changeup last summer. With an electric left-handed swing and projectable strength and leverage in his 6-foot-2 frame, Peete sports well-above-average raw power. He needs more polish at the plate, as he rarely uses the opposite field and is less effective when he lapses into trying to launch balls as far as possible. He'll also have to prove he can make consistent contact against quality pitching after struggling to do so previously. One of the better all-around athletes among 2023 high schoolers, Peete has plus speed and had displayed similar arm strength in the past. The Georgia Tech recruit rarely has cut loose while throwing from a low arm slot this spring. He has range to both sides at shortstop and should he have to move, he would fit the offensive profile at third base and the defensive profile in center field.

Back in 2017, Christian Santana was a solid high school pitching prospect in south Florida who was taken in the 15th round out of American Heritage by the Milwaukee Brewers before going on to Florida International. Now it's his younger brother Adrian's turn, and the shortstop from Doral Academy has a very good chance of far surpassing big bro's Draft stock. Santana is a premium athlete with quick-twitch actions. A switch-hitter, he comes with some questions about how impactful his bat will be. He does have a solid setup and not a lot of moving parts when he's in the box, leading some to feel like he's going to be able to hit for average. He needs to add strength to his 5-foot-11 frame, but he should be able to grow into more extra-base authority in the future. Easily a plus runner who recorded some of the fastest 60-yard times on the summer showcase circuit, Santana leaves no questions regarding his ability to play shortstop for a very long time. He has a good release and carry on his throws to go along with excellent range, hands and footwork. How high the Miami recruit climbs on Draft boards will depend on how scouts see his bat, and the team thinking he can be an everyday shortstop will take him pretty early.

In 2009, Patchogue-Medford High School on Long Island, N.Y, produced a solid -- albeit undersized -- right-handed pitching prospect. He went on to Duke University and became a first-round pick of the Blue Jays three years later before developing into All-Star Marcus Stroman. There's been only one other draftee from the school since then, in 2013, but as the weather warmed up in the Northeast, Knoth -- himself a slightly undersized righty -- looked like a good bet to break the schneid. While Knoth is only 6-foot-1, he's strong and athletic, reminding some evaluators of a young Lance McCullers with the way the ball comes out of his hand. He has a very quick arm with a fastball that has been clocked up to 96 mph, a tick up from last year, though it's flat at times and can get hit. The real separator right now, though, is his absolutely nasty breaking ball. It's a power curve that routinely tops 3,100 rpm and produces elite-level spin rates. He'll flash a changeup at times, but it's not a real weapon right now as his fastball-curve have been more than enough against high school competition. Knoth tends to find the strike zone more often than not and should have average command and control in the future. There is some effort in the delivery, and that, along with him not showing any real changeup lately, does give him a little reliever risk. His strong outings this spring were bringing decision-makers in to see whether he was worth drafting early enough to sign him away from his Ole Miss commitment.

Soto entered the summer showcase circuit as an intriguing high school pitcher, one who had outgrown shortstop to become one of those projectable right-handers worth keeping an eye on. By the end of it, after stops at events like the PDP League and Major League Baseball's High School All-American Game, not to mention a dominant outing at the East Coast Professional Showcase, he had a huge up arrow next to his name, though he wasn't quite as dominant during his senior year. Now 6-foot-5, Soto does check off a lot of boxes, including his size, stuff and the fact that he'll still be 17 come Draft time. All of his stuff is trending upwards, starting with an electric fastball that has flirted with triple digits and was regularly up to 98 mph over the summer, thrown with excellent life. Both of his secondary offerings have the chance to be at least better-than-average, with a hard slider that features late, hard bite and a splitter he uses as a changeup. With a very quick arm, the Central Florida recruit throws everything hard, all from a prototypical starting pitcher's frame, while showing off solid command. The Florida prepster's name is still coming up in conversations about the top high school pitchers in the class with a strong spring.

There has never been a high school left-hander from Massachusetts taken in the first round of the Draft and the last time a prep pitcher of any kind from the Bay State went in the opening round was back in 2011, when the Blue Jays took Tyler Beede, who instead headed to Vanderbilt. White has at times been tough to scout as he's been picky about which events to attend, but he did show what the fuss has been about both in PDP League and East Coast Pro Showcase action this past summer before taking a nice step forward this spring.White checks off a lot of boxes in terms of his size, he's 6-foot-5, his pure stuff and his left-handedness. He was up to 96-97 mph with his fastball over the summer, missing bats with it up in the zone. He couples it with what could be a plus curveball, thrown with high spin rates in the upper-70s. He doesn't throw it as much yet, but he showed off enough low-80s changeups to give a sense that he's going to have a very good three-pitch mix in the future. Everything works well in terms of White's delivery, and though he did struggle with his command at times over the summer because all of his moving parts can get out of sync, he was repeating well this spring and improved strike-throwing has led to some helium. There's little question he's the best prep lefty in the country, one who'll likely have to go early to not follow in Beede's footsteps and fulfill his commitment to Vanderbilt.

Growing up just outside of Philadelphia, McGonigle loved watching Phillies legend Chase Utley do his thing. As a gritty, left-handed-hitting middle infielder, McGonigle has the chance to follow in his idol's footsteps as an early-round pick, particularly after hitting pretty much everywhere he went on the summer showcase circuit. McGonigle, who also won a gold medal on USA Baseball's 18u team, might be one of the best pure hitters in the class, at least in terms of bat-to-ball skills. He's not afraid to be aggressive and attack fastballs early in counts, trusting his innate knack for finding the barrel and his overall approach to not chase pitches out of the zone. If there's any question about his offensive profile, it's about his future power, but he showed plenty of extra-base, and over-the-fence, pop to all fields against excellent competition over the summer. An average to fringy runner, McGonigle's high baseball IQ and aggressive nature help his baserunning and his defense. His hands work well and he has an average arm, but many see the Auburn recruit needing to move to second eventually because of his range, just like his baseball role model did. That might put more pressure on his bat, but most evaluators think he's more than ready to answer that challenge.

Floyd showed top-three-rounds upside as a Georgia high schooler, but an inconsistent and shortened senior season left him undrafted in 2020 and headed to Louisiana State. Eligible again last year as a sophomore, he once again flashed talent but not regularly enough for a team to meet his asking price and went unpicked. He continued to intrigue scouts despite an up-and-down spring as a full-time starter, and he came up big in his final outing, tying a College World Series nine-inning record with 17 strikeouts in the finals against Florida. Floyd's fastball sat at 91-94 mph and topped out at 97 last spring, ticked up a couple of notches during the fall and is enhanced by quality induced vertical break and high spin rates that produce difficult carry up in the zone. He unveiled a more reliable breaking ball in the fall with a low-80s slider with depth that's superior to his downer mid-70s curveball. He also owns a low-80s changeup with fade but doesn't use it very often. More physical than athletic, Floyd has a quick arm and generates velocity with relative ease. He could be a No. 4 starter at the big league level if he can refine his secondary pitches and throw them for strikes more often. If he can't, then he profiles as a fastball-heavy reliever.

It's time for the third and final Naylor brother to come through the Draft pipeline. Oldest brother Josh went No. 12 overall in 2015 and middle brother Bo went No. 29 in 2018. Whether Myles can make the Naylors just the second brother trio to all be first-round picks, joining the Drews, remains to be seen, though the Canadian prepster is definitely on radars after a solid summer, especially at the Area Code Games. Many scouts see Naylor, the lone right-handed hitter among the brothers, as somewhere between Josh's raw power and Bo's pure hitting ability when they were coming out. The youngest Naylor has a good swing, showing both strength and bat speed to go along with good extension and follow-through. There's raw power, particularly to his pull side, that has yet to show up in games and he can struggle with breaking stuff, leading to some swing-and-miss. There's a little less polish here than there was with Josh and Bo in their Draft years. An average runner now who likely will slow down as he matures, Naylor has played shortstop in high school, but will move to third base at the next level, where his hands and strong arm should work just fine. The Texas Tech recruit is getting the chance this spring to really emerge from his brothers' formidable shadows.

The son of former Cuban National Team member Andy Morales, who played briefly in the Yankees and Red Sox systems, Yohandy Morales was a Top 200 prospect as a Florida high school standout, but wasn't taken in the shortened 2020 Draft largely because of his commitment to the University of Miami. He stepped right into the Hurricanes' lineup in 2021, hitting 11 homers as a freshman, then took another step forward as a sophomore, hitting 18 home runs and finishing with an OPS over 1.000 before hitting .400 for Team USA over the summer. In many ways, Morales has a similar profile to what scouts thought he might be coming out of high school. He's an aggressive hitter looking to do damage and he does consistently barrel up the baseball, showing an ability to drive the ball to all fields. While he's still power-over-hit, he has ironed out some of the moving parts of his swing that hurt him as a prepster, giving him a better chance to hit and get to that power, though some scouts worried about his tendency to chase pitches, especially up and out of the zone.A former shortstop who outgrew the position and moved to third, Morales' strong arm works very well from the hot corner and he has the defensive actions to stay there long-term. That combined with the power profile teams covet from infield corner types should have him in early-round conversations.

Rutgers University in New Jersey has developed some good hitters -- albeit sporadically -- over the years, with Todd Frazier and David DeJesus the most recent and most successful. Lasko, a starter from the get-go for the Scarlet Knights in 2021, had a big sophomore season, and while his overall numbers over the summer at Team USA trials and in the Cape Cod League were modest, he finished strongly on the Cape and showed off some of the offensive traits that make him an intriguing college bat to follow. A right-handed hitter, Lasko is strong and gives off a blue collar toughness vibe, while also showing off above-average athleticism. He has the chance to hit, and with plenty of raw power to tap into. His overall solid approach helped him get to that power last spring, as he hit 16 homers and slugged .643 for Rutgers. He struggled a bit more with making contact and recognizing pitches -- particularly spin -- over the summer, leaving some to worry about future swing-and-miss issues. With above-average speed, Lasko runs well enough to steal a base and has a good chance to stick in center field. He also has a plus arm, which would fit in well with his power profile in an outfield corner if needed.

After hitting .356 as a sophomore at Michigan State, Jebb had a breakout performance in the Cape Cod League. He finished second in the prestigious wood-bat summer circuit in hitting (.356), on-base percentage (.429), OPS (.919), runs (40), hits (53), RBI (22) and steals (26). He's on course to be the Spartans' earliest pick since Mark Mulder went No. 2 overall in 1998, though his numbers have been down a bit as a junior while he has tried to play through a wrist injury. Jebb doesn't have the prettiest setup or swing, but he makes consistent line-drive contact with his compact left-handed stroke. He puts the bat on the ball almost too easily because it cuts into his walk totals, though he still profiles as an on-base guy who could hit atop a lineup. While not a slugger, he has at least average raw power, drives balls to the gaps and should be able to produce 12-15 homers annually. Jebb has well above-average speed and is aggressive on the bases, enhancing his offensive game. He's a decent defender with average arm strength at shortstop and is destined to move to a different position in pro ball. He played primarily third base on the Cape but fits best at second base or shortstop.

There have been some recent Draft success stories among high school shortstops from the Northeast, most notably the Yankees' Anthony Volpe, a first-round pick out of New Jersey in 2021, and most recently, Cole Young, taken out of Pennsylvania in the first round by the Mariners last year. That certainly hasn't hurt Stafura, who hails from New York State and shook off a so-so summer to perform very well this spring and put a big up arrow next to his name. A right-handed-hitting middle infielder, Stafura has gained strength since the summer and that has shown up in his performance. He can drive the ball to all fields, with the ability to hit it hard the other way at times, but it's strength over bat speed with a bit of a stiff swing, leading some to see him more as a power-over-hit type. Stafura is an excellent athlete and plus runner, one who even played some center field over the summer. But there's a stronger belief he can stick at shortstop long term, another reason for his helium, with good actions and enough arm for the premium position. It's been a little tough to evaluate him this spring because the league he plays in isn't super-competitive, but teams buying the bat might consider the Clemson recruit in the top few rounds.

Though Wolters was an all-area basketball player, he gave up hoops as a senior to focus on getting stronger and training for baseball. That move paid off as he caught the attention of scouts by setting a Super 60 showcase fastball record at 98 mph with consecutive pitches in February, and he has been clocked as high as 99 this spring. His power and physicality have prompted comparisons to fellow Illinois prep product Bobby Miller, now a Top 100 prospect with the Dodgers, though Miller didn't throw nearly this hard in high school. After working in the low 90s on the showcase circuit, Wolters now operates at 94-96 mph early in games with good carry up at the letters but less life when he works lower in the strike zone. His slider can run the gamut from a plus breaker in the mid-80s with spin and shape to a less powerful slurve, but it could be at least a solid offering with more consistency. He rarely uses a mid-80s changeup that doesn't feature much movement. Gatorade's state player of the year, Wolters has done a good job of harnessing his stuff as it has taken off this year. An athletic 6-foot-4, 215-pounder, he throws strikes and should be able to hold his velocity deeper into contests as he continues to develop. Originally committed to Purdue, he switched to Arizona but is unlikely to get to campus.

Gatorade's Nebraska high school player of the year in 2020, Anderson had committed to play at Texas A&M but the Aggies didn't have a roster spot for him after several veterans gained an extra year of eligibility following the pandemic shutdown. He opted to stay home and play at Nebraska, where he won the Big Ten Conference freshman of the year in 2021. After providing consistent production in his first two college seasons and two summers in the Cape Cod League, he led the Big Ten in hitting (.410), slugging (.766) and OPS (1.224) in 2023. Anderson has a quick right-handed swing and a knack for finding the barrel that allow him to make consistent hard contact. He stays inside the ball and excels at using the opposite field, with 10 of his first 13 homers this spring going to right field. He makes more groundball contact than is optimal, but his combination of bat speed and strength should give him average power. Almost all of Anderson's value will come from his bat, with scouts seeing the upside of a Ty France or righty-hitting Max Muncy. He can make routine plays at second base in college but isn't suited to play there as a pro with below-average speed and range and fringy arm strength. He played third base in his first two seasons with the Cornhuskers but lacks the arm for the hot corner, so first base may be his best option despite him being short for the position.

Following the trail blazed by 2020 Braves first-rounder Jared Shuster, Sullivan has gone from Tabor Academy (Marion, Mass.) to Wake Forest, though he did spend his first college season at Northwestern. He might have been no more than a midweek starter for the Demon Deacons had Teddy McGraw not been lost to elbow surgery, yet he has ranked among the NCAA Division I leaders in K/BB ratio and whiff rate despite relying almost solely on a fastball that parks around 90 mph. In a Draft bereft of left-handed starters in the college ranks, he was making a bid to go as high as the second round before he sat out his final two regular-season starts with triceps inflammation. He did return for the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament and the NCAA playoffs. Sullivan's fastball usually ranges from 88-92 mph and peaks at 95, and hitters know it's coming because he throws it nearly three-quarters of the time. But they still can't touch it because he uses his 6-foot-4 frame to deliver it from a low release height and wide angle that produce tremendous carry up in the strike zone. It has below-average velocity yet plays as a plus pitch and is the reason he ranked among the NCAA Division I leaders in strikeout rate (14.3 per nine innings, second), WHIP (0.92, fourth) and opponent average (.175, fifth). The rest of Sullivan's repertoire consists of a fringy upper-70s slider and an average low-80s changeup with a bit of fade. He doesn't have textbook mechanics but pounds the strike zone and is difficult to steal against. J.P. Sears gave off a similar vibe while pitching in the area at The Citadel in 2017, and he has gone from 11th-rounder to big league starter.

Alderman's physicality garnered comparisons to Hunter Renfroe when he was a Mississippi high schooler, and he stayed in state for college after going undrafted in 2020. He barely played at Mississippi as a freshman before becoming a vital part of the Rebels' 2022 national championship club, delivering three multihit games at the College World Series. His raw power and exit velocities rank among the best in the 2023 Draft and should get him selected in the top three rounds. At 6-foot-3 and 250 pounds, Alderman has plenty of strength and leverage in his quick right-handed swing, and he has blasted balls 450+ feet and at 115+ mph several times this spring. His plus-plus raw power plays to all parts of the park and he's doing a better job of understanding that home runs will come naturally even if he doesn't swing for the fences. He's keeping his stroke more compact and making more contact as a junior, though strikeouts always will be a byproduct of his pop. Despite his size, Alderman is a fringy runner out of the batter's box and at least average once he gets going. He has improved defensively, playing a capable left field for Mississippi, and he has a strong arm that has produced fastballs up to 94 mph in brief action on the mound. He caught some in high school and has started some midweek games behind the plate for the Rebels, adding to his intrigue.

Groover impressed scouts with his bat but wasn't a regular on the showcase circuit and didn't get much of a chance to show what he could do as a Georgia high school senior in the shortened 2020 season, so he went unpicked in the five-round Draft. He has continued to perform in college, at UNC Charlotte as a freshman and since transferring to North Carolina State, earning an invitation to try out for the U.S. collegiate national team last summer. There are few doubts that he can hit but many questions about where he fits defensively. Groover has quality bat-to-ball skills and likes to attack pitchers early in the count. He has tremendous feel for the barrel and drills line drives from foul pole to foul pole, though his ability to make contact does cut into his walk totals. His left-handed swing is relatively flat but he has the hitting ability, bat speed and strength for 20-homer power if he can add more leverage. With well-below-average speed and fringy at best arm strength, Groover's defensive options are limited. Primarily a first baseman in his first two college seasons, he has moved to third base with the hope that he might be adequate there. He also has played second base and the outfield corners, and he does have fast hands, but his lack of quickness and range is a concern at any spot.

Keaschall spent his first two seasons of college at the University of San Francisco, posting a .916 OPS as a mainstay in the Dons' lineup and infield. He has also spent two summers showing off his offensive skills and defensive versatility with Orleans in the Cape Cod League. After entering the transfer portal and moving to Arizona State, he's showing scouts what he can do in a bigger conference. A right-handed hitter, Keaschall has shown a good feel to hit throughout his college career and on the Cape. He makes a ton of contact and doesn't panic with two strikes, with a solid approach that helped him walk as much as he struck out in his first two years at San Francisco, something that's continued this spring. He started to tap into his power a bit as a sophomore and hit five homers on the Cape last summer, but he's definitely hit-over-power with perhaps average future pop at best. Keaschall can run a little and is aggressive on the basepaths. The big question is where he profiles best defensively. He played shortstop exclusively as a sophomore, but has played second base since moving to ASU, as he doesn't have the arm to handle short long-term. He's also seen time in the outfield on the Cape, but he might best fit as an offensive-minded second-base type at the next level.

Zanetello climbed up Draft boards with a strong showcase circuit, beginning with MVP honors at the Breakthrough Series in June. He stood out in athletic testing at the PDP League in July, raked at the World Wood Bat Association World Championship in October and led Team USA in hitting (.429) at an 18-and-under World Cup qualifying tournament in November. Scouts love his five-tool potential as well as his makeup. Zanetello has a wiry 6-foot-2 frame with room to add more muscle, and his strong hands and wrists produce plenty of bat speed and 25-homer potential. He doesn't have the prettiest right-handed swing but makes a lot of hard contact. He also shows good control of the strike zone and produced against quality pitching throughout the summer. While Zanetello has clocked run times that earn grades from anywhere from 45 to 70 on the 20-80 scouting scale, the consensus is that he'll probably have solid speed once he's physically mature. His athleticism and strong arm help him make plays at shortstop, where he projects as an average defender. The Arkansas commit has looked solid in stints in center field and should provide similar glovework if he shifts to third base.

Taylor is following in the footsteps of Cole Henry, who went from Florence (Ala.) HS to Louisiana State and became a second-round pick as a sophomore (Nationals, 2020). After battling his control as a reliever last spring, Taylor impressed as a starter in the Cape Cod League and showed the potential to sneak into the late first round if he continued to develop. Then he injured his elbow in an intrasquad game in February and required Tommy John surgery that will sideline him for the remainder of 2023. Coming out of the bullpen, Taylor relied heavily on a 93-95 mph fastball that reaches 99 with late hop at its best, though it can straighten out at times. He has maintained that velocity as a starter and developed a sharp low-90s cutter to give himself a second plus pitch. He also employs a downer curveball that parks around 80 mph and a tight mid-80s slider, both of which can be solid offerings. Taylor threw just four changeups in 52 innings between LSU and the Cape in 2022, and he'll need to come up with a cambio to remain a starter in pro ball. He cut his walk rate from 6.1 per nine innings as a freshman to 0.9 on the Cape and has continued to throw strikes since. His strong 6-foot-3 build should lend itself to durability and he'd profile as a late-inning option if he winds up in the bullpen.

While the Colorado high school baseball scene has produced some good talent over the years, most have come on the mound and many have gone on to college to improve their stock before going on to the pro game. A prep position player from the Centennial State hasn't been taken in the top five rounds since the Yankees selected Greg Bird in Round 5 back in 2011. Martin, who hadn't done much in the way of showcase events previously, put on a show at the Area Code Games last summer to position himself as one who could potentially break that streak. A two-sport standout who serves as Eaton High School's quarterback, Martin had football obligations that previously kept him from showing what he could do against good competition. Now scouts think he has the chance to hit, with plenty of power, from the left side of the plate. He has a good swing with excellent rhythm at the plate, showing no difficulty in squaring up balls against elite competition, albeit in a very small sample size. The 6-foot-2 infielder has a lean build with plenty of room to add more strength and power. An average runner, Martin is athletic enough to probably send out as a shortstop, but he has the chance to become more of a physical beast as he matures. The good news is his offense should profile well at third, where he could be a very solid defender. As the weather warmed up in Colorado, scouts pouring in to see the Arkansas recruit liked what they saw, giving him the chance to be the first Colorado prepster to go in the top three rounds since Darnell McDonald was a first-rounder back in 1997.

Horvath long has intrigued scouts with his physical tools but that development came with inconsistency at the plate. That's why no club was willing to meet his asking price when he was a high school senior in 2020 or a Draft-eligible sophomore at North Carolina last year, leaving him undrafted both times. He offers one of the best power/speed combinations in college baseball, so he'll likely go in the top two or three rounds this July despite persistent questions about his hitting ability. Horvath generates at least plus raw power with a combination of bat speed and strength, and his pop played with wood bats in the Cape Cod League last summer. But his uphill right-handed stroke and pull-heavy approach work against him at the plate, and he particularly struggles with quality fastballs, especially up in the zone. Though he shows a willingness to draw walks when pitchers try to work around him, he needs to make more regular contact. His speed and arm also grade as plus tools, and Horvath can use his quickness to steal bases. While he has the range for third base, he's an erratic defender who has struggled with his throwing accuracy in 2023. He may be better suited for right field, where he also has seen action this spring, and could be able to handle center, where he played in the Cape.

The son of longtime baseball coach Jim Boeve, who resuscitated the program at NAIA Hastings (Neb.), Mike has gone from a lightly regarded recruit to one of the best contact hitters in the college class. He struck out just nine times in 47 games this spring and has a long track record of producing, including stints in the wood-bat Northwoods and Cape Cod leagues the last two summers. He's expected to become the highest pick in Nebraska-Omaha history, passing two-time All-Star Bruce Benedict (fifth round, 1976). Boeve has a quick, compact left-handed stroke, tremendous feel for the barrel and a disciplined approach. He rarely swings and misses and concentrates on getting on base. He doesn't do much damage, however, because he has just average raw power and doesn't tap into it, as his swing lacks extension and he generates a lot of groundball contact and mediocre exit velocities. Boeve's lack of pop puts his profile in question because he has limited defensive options. He has worked hard to get better at third base, where he's adequate and perhaps could become average, though his arm isn't particularly strong. His below-average speed leaves first base and left field as his only other possibilities.

Ledbetter spent his first two college seasons at Samford, leading the Bulldogs in most offensive categories before winning MVP and top prospect honors in the summer New England Collegiate League. He has continued to perform after transferring to Mississippi State, establishing himself as one of the better hitters in the Southeastern Conference. He also has looked better in center field than anticipated and could land in the top two rounds. Ledbetter has a calm approach at the plate, keeping his left-handed swing relatively compact while working counts and using the entire field. He makes consistent hard contact against all types of pitches and walked more than he struck out in each of the last two seasons. He hasn't driven the ball in the air as consistently in the SEC as he has in the past, but he has the bat speed and strength for at least average power, which predominantly plays to his pull side. Ledbetter has surprised scouts with his athleticism, as he's an average runner with a knack for stealing bases and a chance to remain in center field. He's more of an average defender than a true asset up the middle, so he'll probably wind up on a corner. His fringy arm is playable in center and likely will land him in left.

Since his high school days, Sproat has tantalized scouts with impressive raw stuff, but hasn't always delivered consistent results. The Rangers took him in the seventh round out of high school in 2019, but he opted to head to Florida. A year in the rotation in 2022 was a little up-and-down, but was enough for the Mets to take him in the third round, but he decided to come back to the Gators for one more season, giving him one more chance to impress scouts. Sproat looks the part with his 6-foot-3 frame and has a potential four-pitch mix to use to get hitters out. He's flirted with triple digits in the past -- his fastball averaged close to 96 mph in 2022 and he was once again in the 94-98 mph range this fall. He does have distinct breaking pitches, with a mid-80s slider a potential true out pitch that misses a ton of bats and a slower get-me-over type of curve. He has feel for a mid-80s changeup that he doesn't throw as much, but it could be a fourth at least average pitch. The right-hander made strides in finding the strike zone last year and showed solid command in fall ball, though his fastball can be too straight at times and he gets hit more than he should given his stuff. Another inconsistent turn in the Gators weekend rotation has once again made it difficult to figure out where he belongs on a Draft board.

The last time a Rhode Island high-schooler was taken in the top five rounds of the Draft was back in 2008, when the Red Sox gave outfielder Ryan Westmoreland $2 million to sign. It's been since 2004 that a prep pitcher from the state went that early (Jay Rainville was a supplemental first-rounder), though the Reds did go over slot to take Ben Brutti in Round 11 last year. As things warmed up in Little Rhody, scouts streamed in to see Clemmey, a big lefty with plenty of arm strength that gives him the chance to go early in this year's Draft. There is no doubt about Clemmey's electric stuff, all coming from a 6-foot-6 frame. The southpaw has been up to 98-99 mph with a fastball that features elite-level spin rates and ride up in the zone. He has a swing-and-miss slurvy breaking ball with sweepy late tilt that has curve tendencies in the 79-82 mph zone and feels more like a slider when it's a bit harder. That leaves some scouts thinking he could have two distinct breaking pitches in the future. His upper-80s changeup serves almost like a baby sinker with enough differential from his heater to be effective. While his stuff is comparable to almost any high-schooler in the class, inconsistencies in his delivery have led to command and control issues that have dampened excitement a little bit. It will be interesting to see whether his size, upside and first-round-caliber pure stuff will entice a team to take him early enough to sign him away from his commitment to Vanderbilt.

In 2022, Virginia Tech rode a juggernaut lineup to a Super Regional appearance and had four hitters taken in the top five rounds of the Draft. At the same time, Hackenberg established himself as one of the more effective freshman starters in the country, earning an invite to USA Baseball's Collegiate National Team Training Camp. Hackenberg's brother, Adam, is a White Sox prospect, brother Christian was a quarterback and a Jets second-round pick in 2016, and brother Brandon was a first-round pick in the 2021 MLS Draft. The right-hander struggled out of the gate in his sophomore-eligible season but might have figured some things out as the calendar flipped to April to help him start creeping up Draft boards. At his best, Hackenberg is a sinker-slider guy with the chance to be a durable workhorse-type of starting pitcher. His fastball touches 95 mph and usually sits around 93, featuring good sink to get ground-ball outs. His 83-85 mph slider flashes above average and can miss bats, especially getting chases out of the zone, but it isn't a true out pitch. He doesn't throw his changeup often, but it does have the chance to be average with some sink to also get contact on the ground. In his two years with the Hokies, Hackenberg has done a very good job of throwing strikes and limiting walks, and that was especially true after he righted the ship from his early struggles this spring. His strength is control over command, and he did get hit without a true weapon to close out an at-bat. A strong finish to the season will help remind teams he could be a solid back-end starter who eats up a lot of innings.

If Gelof needs advice from anyone about how to handle going from the University of Virginia to the pro game, he can ask his older brother, Zack, a 2021 second-round pick and a top prospect of the A's. The younger Gelof broke out in 2022 with a 1.241 OPS, 21 homers and a team-record 81 RBIs. He played briefly on the Cape and tried out for the U.S. Collegiate National Team over the summer and continued to build his case as one of the top power bats in the college game with a strong junior season. A right-handed-hitting corner infielder, Gelof does not get cheated at the plate. He has an aggressive approach, looking to do damage and tap into his huge raw power, especially to the pull side. Gelof takes big swings, but he showed an ability to get to his power in 2022, limit strikeouts, draw walks and make adjustments, even if some think he'll be power-over-hit when all is said and done. The jury is out over where Gelof will play defensively long-term. He has more than enough arm to stay at third and some feel he moves well enough to stick there, but he has seen time at first and some see a move across the infield in his future. Either way, it's that power bat that gives him the chance to be an early pick in July.

Tredwell was an exciting junior at Mater Dei High School in California in 2020 when he needed Tommy John surgery in January, forcing him out of action for that season and the summer showcase circuit. He went on to UCLA and took over the closer's role for the Bruins as a freshman in '22, finishing with a 2.11 ERA and .195 batting average against. A move into UCLA's weekend rotation was slowed a bit this spring with a back issue, though his combination of size and feel for pitching were still on display. Though he's 6-foot-8, Tredwell's strike-throwing ability really stands out, as the freshman All-American walked just 1.1 per nine in 2022. He has plenty of stuff to fill up the zone with. While his fastball averaged around 91 mph last year, he was 92-94 for much of the fall, touching as high as 96; and it looked like those velocity gains were real when he was 100 percent this spring. He backs his heater up with an 80-mph slider that misses a ton of bats and could be a plus pitch in time, a slower average curve and a changeup that's an above-average offering as well. Tredwell is a good athlete on the mound, which helps him repeat his smooth delivery well and fill up the zone with all four pitches. There could be more in the tank here and teams that like taking strike-throwing pitchers and work with them to improve velocity should have interest in the first couple of rounds.

Walters began his college career at Eastern Florida State College, a two-year school in Brevard County. He moved to Miami after the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and pitched well out of the bullpen right away in 2021. A year ago, he was among the Division I leaders with saves and was taken in Round 18 by the Orioles. He opted to return to the Hurricanes, and after some talk about moving him into the rotation last fall, he's been his usual reliable self as a reliever. Walters still leans very heavily on his one plus pitch, his fastball. The right-hander's heater touches 99 mph, sits over 95 and misses bats because of plus life up in the zone and deception in his delivery. He's not throwing it quite as frequently as he did in 2022 (more than 90 percent), but it's still very much his go-to pitch. He has mixed in his mid-80s slider more frequently, and while it's missed a ton of bats this spring, it's a slurvy below-average offering. The reliever's effectiveness is aided by the fact that he's around the zone, walking fewer than two per nine in 2022 and 2023. It's been encouraging that he's committed to throwing his secondary pitch more with Miami, but he'll have to find a way to sharpen it at the next level. Three years of success in the ACC won't hurt his Draft stock, though.

A solid high school prospect who was in MLB Pipeline's Top 100 as the 2021 Draft approached, Baumeister was a converted catcher whose name was moving up Draft boards. On the day of the Draft, however, he announced he would be honoring his commitment to Florida State, so he was not selected. Two years later, he's now a sophomore eligible prospect and still offers size and projection, albeit with mixed results production-wise. After pitching almost exclusively in relief for the Seminoles as a freshman, Baumeister largely threw well as a starter in the Cape Cod League last summer and has been a constant in Florida State's rotation this spring. While his fastball has averaged around 93 mph, he can reach back for 97 mph on occasion and it's not hard to believe he'll get to consistently plus velocity while showing some good riding quality to it up in the zone. His mid-70s curve is playable, with the lower velocity keeping hitters off-balance. Baumeister can fold in a little cutter-like slider and a fringy changeup at times as well. While Baumeister is durable and has a fairly simple delivery, he's struggled at times with limiting walks and has been hit more than expected since he headed to college. The size and raw stuff should still intrigue teams, though they'll have to contend with the leverage he'll have as a sophomore.

Though scouts agreed Grice was South Carolina's best prep prospect in 2020, they were split on whether he was better as a hitter or as a pitcher. Three years later, that debate continues as he draws Joey Gallo comparisons for his frame, power and swing-and-miss tendencies, all of which are massive. He may have more upside as a slugger but a greater chance for success on the mound, though it's unclear how much he really wants to pitch as a pro. He starred both ways and earned MVP honors as Clemson won the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament in May. Grice's 6-foot-6, 250-pound frame provides plenty of strength and leverage, creating raw power that plays to all fields and earns some 80 grades on the 20-80 scale, but his left-handed swing is naturally long and gets out of control. He has toned down his approach some after striking out 97 times in 58 games in 2022, though he still can look helpless against breaking balls. He's surprisingly athletic for his size, flashing solid speed once he gets going and showing the potential to become an average defender at first base, moving there after playing mostly right field as a sophomore. The arm strength that served Grice well in right also translates to a fastball that sits in the low 90s and reaches 95 mph with some boring action in on right-handers. He shows the ability to miss bats with an upper-70s slider and a sinking mid-80s changeup as well, and while he lacks polish and experience, he could get significantly better if he focused on the mound. The best course of action may be to see how his bat plays in pro ball and use pitching as a fallback option.

Carrigg has been a starter for nearly all of his time at San Diego State, playing nearly every day as a freshman and then taking a big step forward by slashing .388/.426/.509 as a sophomore, earning first-team All-Mountain West honors. He dramatically improved his Draft stock by being one of the better hitters in the Cape Cod League, where he hit .329 and stole 15 bases. Carrigg is a particularly intriguing prospect due to his athleticism and defensive flexibility to go along with his feel to hit. The switch-hitter tends to be a bit more in sync from the right side, but he shows an innate ability to make contact from both sides of the plate. He's aggressive and has a solid two-strike approach, but more selectivity gives him the chance to be a better-than-average hitter. He showed some flashes of a little power this fall but hasn't tapped into it in games as of yet. A plus runner who can steal a base, Carrigg has shown ability at three up-the-middle positions. He's natural in center field and has shown he can play a solid shortstop as well. But many scouts agree that his best value might come behind the plate, as a switch-hitting backstop whose plus arm and athleticism play well, though he's played the outfield exclusively in 2023. Even so, his athleticism and feel to hit still have him in early-round conversations.

After having two position players selected in the top five rounds of the previous 15 Drafts, Louisiana-Lafayette could match that total this year with Roccaforte and catcher Julian Brock. One of just three NCAA Division I players to reach 15 homers and 25 steals in 2022, he has changed his approach since seeming overmatched by wood bats in the Cape Cod League last summer. Though he's not hitting for nearly as much power, scouts still appreciate his hitting ability and athleticism, which earn him some Andrew Benintendi comparisons. Roccaforte had a more leveraged left-handed swing last year, when he drove the ball with authority to all fields. This spring, he's using a flatter stroke and both his strikeout and ground-ball rates have risen. If he can make adjustments, he has the potential to be a solid hitter with average power, and he did rank fourth in NCAA Division I with 26 doubles. Roccaforte has plus speed and looks to swipe bags and take extra bases. A right fielder as a freshman and a first baseman as a sophomore, he has made a nice transition to center field in 2023. With his quickness and instincts, he's a solid defender with an average arm in center.

It's inevitable that scouts compare Mueth to Tanner Houck. They're both low-slot right-handers from southwestern Illinois outside of St. Louis, and Mueth's build and stuff are extremely similar to Houck's at the same stage of their careers. After attending college at Missouri, Houck became a first-round pick and a big leaguer with the Red Sox, and Mueth has the same upside. Operating out of a low three-quarters arm slot, Mueth creates a lot of horizontal action and deception with his pitches. His fastball sits at 92-94 mph and peaks at 97 with heavy sink and run. His 80-82 mph slider sweeps in the opposite direction from his heater and breaks so much that he sometimes struggles to land it for strikes. Mueth's mid-80s changeup can become a solid third offering if he can achieve more sink and more velocity separation from his fastball on a consistent basis. While he doesn't come with a traditional delivery, he has a whippy arm action and throws without effort. The Mississippi recruit fashions difficult angle and shape to his pitches but needs to improve his control after battling the strike zone throughout his senior season.

Wiggins has flashed first-round stuff since his days as an Oklahoma high schooler and looked ready to take a step forward after pitching for the U.S. collegiate national team following his freshman season in 2021. Instead, he struggled as Arkansas' Sunday starter last year and barely pitched in the last month while giving up 12 runs in his final five innings. He looked like a frontline starter this fall but his elbow began bothering him in January, and he'll miss the entire season after getting diagnosed with a torn ligament that required Tommy John surgery. A healthy Wiggins sported some of the best fastball velocity in college baseball, sitting at 94-97 mph and peaking at 99, though his heater can get straight and is vulnerable when he doesn't locate it well. He can get swings and misses with a mid-80s slider that reaches 89 mph with two-plane depth, as well as a mid-80s changeup with fade and tumble. He toys with a downer upper-70s curveball as well. The key for Wiggins is control and command, and he has the athleticism and delivery to be average in both regards. But he has a history of falling behind in the count, not having the trust to land his secondary pitches and overthrowing his fastball. His encouraging progress this fall had scouts hoping he was on the upswing before learning the Razorbacks would lose their projected ace for the second straight year, with a similar fate befalling Peyton Pallette in 2022.

Scouts have bemoaned the lack of quality college left-handers in the 2023 Draft, but Whitman's growth has been a pleasant development as he has moved to the top of that group. He worked just 5 2/3 innings in two seasons at Purdue before transferring to Kent State, where he has blossomed under the tutelage of pitching coach Mike Birkbeck. He won Mid-American Conference Pitcher of the Year honors and should be the school's highest pick since 2016 first-rounder Eric Lauer. Whitman's fastball operates at 91-94 mph and hits 96 with riding action, playing up a bit because he locates it well. His best offering is a low-80s slider that he commands even better than his fastball and features horizontal and vertical action. His low-80s changeup features some fade and sink but lags behind his other two pitches in terms of consistency because he hasn't used it much. After battling the strike zone at Purdue, Whitman has cleaned up his delivery, which still includes some effort. He began throwing more strikes last summer in the Northwoods and Cape Cod Leagues, and he has pounded the zone with his fastball and slider all spring. He has performed well and maintained his stuff throughout the season, establishing himself as a legitimate three-pitch starter.

Campbell had never had a player taken before the second round until Rays supplemental first-rounder in 2019 Seth Johnson, who was followed by Angels first-rounder Zach Neto and Pirates sandwich pick Thomas Harrington last July. Kuehler could join that trio in 2023 and like them he dramatically boosted his prospect profile after joining the Camels. He finished his sophomore season with double-digit strikeouts in each of his last four starts, became the first Campbell player ever to make the U.S. collegiate national team and had an even better junior year despite missing two starts with mononucleosis. Kuehler has some of the best fastball metrics in the Draft, generating outstanding spin rates and carry on a four-seamer that sits at 93-95 mph and peaks at 98, and he'll mix in some two-seamers as well. He possesses a second plus pitch in a mid-80s slider with depth that he can turn into a shorter, harder cutter. He also deploys a solid low-80s curveball, a traditional low-80s changeup with fade and a mid-80s splitter/changeup. Despite his stuff, Kuehler gets hit harder than he should because he doesn't always locate his pitches effectively. He has a high three-quarters slot and a short arm action that provide deception but his inconsistency repeating them hampers his command. He probably needs to pare down his repertoire, and some evaluators wonder if his mechanics and mature 6-foot frame will make him more of a reliever than a starter.

Texas hasn't placed a prep pitcher in the first round since 2018, but Sykora could put an end to that dry spell. He has the biggest fastball in the high school class, reaching triple digits on the showcase circuit while showing he was more than just a flamethrower. He was arguably the most dominant pitcher at both the PDP League and the Area Code Games. Sykora's fastball not only parks at 95-98 mph and can reach 101, but it also comes with a flat approach angle and late arm-side run. He shows the aptitude to locate and miss bats with both of his secondary pitches, which could become plus offerings when fully developed. His short slider and his splitter both sit in the mid-80s, and the latter dives when it approaches the plate. Both physical and athletic, Sykora repeats his sound delivery well and pounded the strike zone last summer against top competition. Scouts praise his intelligence and work ethic, and there's still projection remaining in his 6-foot-6 frame. A Texas recruit, he'll be Draft-eligible as a 21-year-old sophomore in 2025 if he attends college.

The New Jersey high school ranks may always be best known for producing Mike Trout, but the Garden State has had a healthy bounty of early-round Draft picks of late, with five picks in the top four rounds since 2019, headlined by first-rounders Anthony Volpe in 2019 and Chase Petty in 2021. While Echavarria doesn't quite look like an opening-round arm just yet, appearances at the Area Code Games and the WWBA World Championships have put him much more firmly on the map, with strong performances this spring moving him further up Draft boards. A 6-foot-1 right-hander, Echavarria does have an intriguing combination of present feel for pitching and projection of his stuff, with a potential four-pitch mix. While he's been described as having “sneaky” velocity in the past with his fastball, up to 93-94 mph consistently, he had gained a tick early this spring, consistently hitting 96 and touching 98 mph. He misses a good amount of bats with it thanks to its ride up in the zone, and he also can throw a 92-93 mph two-seamer down in the zone, with more consistent velocity to come as he matures. He's shown two distinct breaking pitches, with both the slider and curve usable offerings, the sweeping slider perhaps a bit more effective. They can blend at times, and some scouts like it better when it has more of a curve-like shape to it. He shows feel for a low-80s changeup as well. Especially for a prep arm in a cold-weather state, Echavarria shows off very good pitchability and can throw all of his pitches for strikes. He reminds some area scouts of eastern Pennsylvania product Michael Morales, a 2021 third-round pick of the Mariners who got second-round money to sign, and it's not hard to envision Echavarria, a Florida recruit, going in the same vicinity.

Forrester went straight from his Northern California high school into the Oregon State starting lineup as a freshman. The son of former Minor League infielder Gary Forrester, the first baseman was the Pac-12 Tournament Most Valuable Player and a member of the All-Pac-12 First Team in 2022. A year later, he's considered one of the better college bats on the West Coast in this Draft class. A right-handed hitter, Forrester brings an intriguing combination of bat speed, power potential and pitch recognition to the plate consistently. He makes very good swing decisions, sees a lot of pitches and keeps his barrel in the zone for a long time, enabling him to drive the ball to the gaps to all fields while getting his fair share of home runs. While he's a below-average runner, Forrester moves well for his size and is a capable first baseman who has a solid arm that used to look pretty good from third. There was once concern about his body, and while a pro strength and conditioning program won't hurt, he's maintained his frame throughout his time with the Beavers. That should give teams more confidence that his bat, with the upside of being a plus hitter with average or better power, can carry him to the big leagues.

Hollan helped pitch San Jacinto (Texas) to the Junior College World Series in 2021 and 2022, turning down the Brewers as a 15th-rounder after his freshman season to return to the Gators. He went undrafted last July because his stuff hadn't taken a big jump forward, though it did last fall after he transferred to Arkansas. While his pitches have settled back down this spring, he still should be one of the first college southpaws selected. Known more for his polish than his stuff at San Jac, Hollan averaged 87 mph with his fastball last spring before sitting at 93-94 and touching 97 with late life in shorter stints last fall. He has operated at 90-92 mph and hit 97 as junior while flashing three solid secondary pitches, the best of which is a 71-75 mph downer curveball that could use a bit more power but gets swings and misses. He utilizes a two-plane slider that parks around 80 mph and a firm mid-80s changeup with some tumble. Hollan mixes his four offerings well and throws them all for strikes. He has an athletic delivery that he repeats well and a lean frame with room to add more strength. Even though he hasn't held all of the power he added when he first arrived in Fayetteville, his high floor as a pitchability left-hander could land him in the third round.

The state of Connecticut might not seem like a high school baseball hotbed, but it has produced some intriguing mound talent over the last few years, including current Pirates prospect Mike Burrows, Royals 2021 first-rounder Frank Mozzicato and Matt Scott, a 2022 grad who contributed to Stanford's run to the College World Series this year as a freshman. Wyatt is the next in that line and was Gatorade's choice for the Nutmeg State's Player of the Year in 2023. While Wyatt isn't the largest guy in the world with a skinny, narrow 6-foot-1 frame, he has some pretty big stuff that improved as his senior season went on. The right-hander has a very quick arm and was firing fastballs up to 97 mph by the end of the spring. As impressive as the velocity has been, his ability to spin his slider might be even better in the future. At it's best, it has good bite and sweep to it, though it can get off plane too quickly and have inconsistent tilt at times. He'll show some feel for a changeup but largely leaves it in the bullpen. At the start of the spring, Wyatt struggled with his overall command, but later looks at the right-hander were more encouraging in terms of his strike-throwing. Because of his size, some see some reliever risk in the Southern California recruit, while those who want to dream might see a little Josiah Gray in him.

Trevor Wilson is a lefty who went to Oregon State and then spent parts of eight seasons in the big leagues, mostly with the Giants. Now it seems his son Paul, a fellow southpaw, wants to go into the family business. The younger Wilson started making his own name with climbing velocity and sharper stuff as a junior, and though his performances on the summer showcase circuit were a bit more inconsistent, he took another step forward during his senior season. At his peak in 2022, the velocity of Wilson's fastball climbed to the 94-97 mph range, with some reports of him touching the upper 90s, in competition in the Pacific Northwest. This spring he's been back sitting around 93 mph, touching 95, but no one squares it up because it has plus carry and life. He pairs it with a true power downer curve and has feel for a changeup, though that's a bit inconsistent because the timing of his delivery isn't always good. Wilson, who could follow in his father's footsteps and head to Oregon State should the Draft not work out, seemed worn down as the summer went on, something a more consistent pitching routine will help, and he was doing a better job of maintaining his stuff this spring. He's had a tendency to speed up and letting his foot land too quickly, forcing him out of sync and impacting his command and control, but he was showing off a more consistently efficient delivery as the 2023 season went on. He's a good athlete who has become a solid lefty pitching prospect to consider in the top two rounds.

Mahoney thrived as a freshman at South Carolina in 2021, compiling a 1.62 ERA while reaching 96 mph with his fastball, but he blew out his elbow in May. He didn't pitch at all last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, though he did homer twice in 16 at-bats as a third baseman. Back on the mound in 2023, he has been the Gamecocks' most effective starter and enticed scouts with his athleticism and three-pitch potential. Mahoney's fastball velocity has returned since his elbow reconstruction, as he's working at 92-95 mph and touching 97 with tailing action and carry. His mid-80s slider lacks reliability yet shows signs of becoming a solid pitch with horizontal and vertical break at its best. His changeup has similar velocity and inconsistency but has some interesting fade when it's on. A quality athlete who was also a star quarterback in high school, Mahoney repeats his delivery well and throws strikes. He doesn't miss as many bats as his pure stuff suggests he should because his command of the fastball and control of secondary pitches are still works in progress. The consensus is he'll get better with more experience and could develop into a mid-rotation starter.

Vradenburg was lightly recruited as a California high-schooler and did little to attract the attention of scouts in his first two seasons at Michigan State. He performed well in the Coastal Plains League last summer, then broke out this spring to hit .400/.492/.721 with 13 homers this season. Most of his value comes from his bat, but a team that believes he can unlock more power could take him as early as the third round. Though he's 6-foot-7 and 230 pounds, Vradenburg's hitting ability stands out more than his pop. He rarely chases pitches or strikes out, delivering hard contact to all fields with a sweet left-handed stroke. His power comes more from strength and leverage than bat speed, but he has improved his ability to backspin and lift balls while with the Spartans. He still makes too much ground-ball contact, cutting into his home run totals. Vradenburg has surprising speed for his size, recording average run times and moving well on the bases, though he's not a threat to steal. He isn't a twitchy athlete, however, and his hands and footwork may not be good enough for him remain at first base. He moves well and has fringy-to-average arm strength, so left field might be a possibility.

Over his first two years at Stanford, Rios collected a grand total of seven at-bats, all as a pinch-hitter. A high school infielder, he learned how to catch and often served as the team's bullpen catcher during his freshman and sophomore years. Finally given a chance to play in 2023, Rios ran with it and then some, helping the Cardinal reach the College World Series and finishing with a 1.191 OPS en route to being named PAC-12 Player of the Year. While scouts weren't exactly sure what to make of Rios because of the lack of track record, there is some confidence he's going to hit. He has a very advanced approach at the plate and a short, quick stroke from the right side, leading to a lot of walks and a limited amount of strikeouts. His discipline and knack for barreling up the baseball allowed him to tap into his raw power as he hit 18 homers this season. Where a team drafting Rios can put that bat in the lineup is a big question. Rios played left field in 2023, but he's a below-average defender there. His blocking and receiving skills would play behind the dish, but scouts fear his below-average arm at the position could hold him back. Even with that question mark, Rios hit his way firmly into Day 2 conversations.

In 2022, Virginia Tech rode one of the better collegiate offenses in the game to a Super Regional appearance, and that lineup had five players taken in the top five rounds of last year's Draft, led by first-rounder Gavin Cross. Hurley was one of the best performers on the team as a sophomore, finishing with a 1.116 OPS and reaching double digits in home runs and stolen bases. He played briefly in the Cape Cod League and was a member of the U.S. Collegiate National Team over the summer. A left-handed hitting outfielder, Hurley has the chance to be a true five-tool player at the next level. He has excellent bat-to-ball skills and started tapping into his considerable raw power in 2022, with the chance to be an above-average hitter with above-average power in the future. Hurley played left field in deference to Cross last year, but his plus speed and strong defensive instincts enabled him to play center field in 2023 and should let him stay there, with more than enough arm to slide to right field should the need arise. He plays with a ton of energy, reminding some of Tennessee product Drew Gilbert, who was taken by the Astros at the end of the first round of the 2022 Draft.

Rivera was a solid high school prospect at IMG Academy in Florida, but a knee issue and his commitment to play for the Gators knocked him down to the 22nd round. He was never able to quite put it all together at Florida until this spring, his fourth with the Gators, with a consistent performance on both sides of the ball leading him to rise up Draft boards in a hurry. For his first three seasons at Florida (the first cut short by the pandemic), Rivera didn't produce much, if at all, offensively, and dealt with arm issues in 2022. This year, though, he's been healthy and shown he can impact the ball a lot more effectively. He's not necessarily a pure hitter, with a bit of an unbalanced setup at the plate, but he's been barreling up the ball all spring, with an advanced approach that has led to very few strikeouts and a healthy walk rate. All of that has enabled him tap into his raw power consistently. While he isn't overly rangy, scouts do think Rivera has the chance to stick at shortstop. He's good to his glove side and will make the everyday play consistently, but he won't be flashy. Some think that, plus his arm being a little short, might make him a better fit for second base or perhaps a super-utility role. But his big step forward with the bat has made him one of the higher-profile seniors in the class.

Every Draft class has its fair share of high school outfielders who fall in the “five-tool potential” bucket. Winokur, a product of an Edison High School (Huntington Beach, Calif.) program that has produced big leaguers like Kyle Higashioka and Tim Lopes, has the chance to be one of the best in the class of 2023 after showcasing his tools at summer showcase events like the PDP League, the Area Code Games and the Perfect Game All-American Classic. Winokur certainly looks the part at 6-foot-5 and has the chance to have multiple plus tools in the future. The right-handed hitter will have easily plus raw power and has shown he can tap into it at times against good competition. For a young player with such long levers, he's also shown he can be pretty short to the ball, with a more compact swing than you'd expect. He's a plus runner with a strong arm. While his ability to use his raw tools consistently in games is one question, another is where he plays defensively long-term. The UCLA recruit plays a lot of shortstop for his high school team, but most see a better fit in an outfield corner, where his power and speed could profile very well.

Jay Austin went in the second round of the 2008 Draft to the Astros, and 15 years later, Anderson could match him as the highest pick in North Atlanta (Ga.) HS history. He has a chance to hit for power and average, though his future defensive home remains in question. The consensus is that his offensive prowess alone will get him drafted high enough to divert him from a commitment to Georgia Tech. Scouts prefer the switch-hitting Anderson's left-handed swing because he turns it loose more often than his right-handed stroke. He has a balanced approach, shows the ability to make adjustments and can handle breaking balls. With his bat speed and projected strength gains, he should develop at least 20-homer power. Anderson is a fringy runner and lacks the twitchy athleticism to remain at shortstop, his high school position. The best-case scenario is that he becomes an offensive second baseman, though he may not have enough quickness to play up the middle. He does have a strong arm that has clocked fastballs up to 91 mph on the mound, so third base is his likely destination.

After posting a 6.31 ERA in his first two seasons at Wake Forest, Keener broke out with an all-star summer in the Cape Cod League. He has continued to excel this spring, permitting just three earned runs in his first 42 2/3 innings and ranking among the NCAA Division I leaders in WHIP (0.87, second) and opponent average (.167, third). Though he had more success as a slider-happy reliever on a loaded Demon Deacons staff, he's equipped to make it as a starter in pro ball. Keener's best weapon is a plus slider that parks in the mid-80s with two-plane depth, and he can land it for strikes or get chases out of the zone. While he doesn't use it as often, his 91-97 mph fastball with riding action has similar upside. He also has an effective fading changeup in the mid-80s that he employs to keep left-handers honest. Keener has a sound delivery and throws strikes, adding to the belief that he could pitch out of the rotation at the next level. To do so, he'll have to prove he can maintain his stuff and control deeper into games. If he remains in the bullpen, his slider gives him a chance to become a setup man.

The second-best shortstop in the 2020 Texas high school class behind Masyn Winn, who's now a Top 100 prospect with the Cardinals, Foster went unpicked in the shortened five-round draft and headed to Auburn. He barely played as a freshman, started at second base as a sophomore and shifted to shortstop this spring. Improving offensively while proving he can handle a more challenging position could propel him as high as the third round. Foster has changed his approach at the plate in 2023, making more consistent contact and doing a better job of using the entire field rather than trying to launch balls out of the park. A switch-hitter, he has done more damage left-handed this year after the reverse was true last season. He has the upside of a .260 hitter with a decent amount of walks and 15 homers per year. An average runner, Foster isn't much of a threat to steal but has good instincts on the bases and in the field. He's an exceptionally reliable defender with sure hands, average range and a solid arm at shortstop. He has the versatility to handle a utility role if he doesn't hit enough to be a regular.

Lord wasn't a prospect coming out of the California high school ranks, and he headed to Division III Carleton College in Minnesota to continue pitching. As a result of work he put in during his pandemic down time learning about pitch mechanics and design, he started to throw gradually harder, going from the low 80s in high school to sitting around 91 mph in his second year at Carleton. Seeking more exposure, he transferred to Washington and came out of the gate throwing harder in the weekend rotation to raise his profile. The work Lord put in had him firing his fastball up to 97 mph and sitting around 94, though that backed up a bit for a stretch during this season before he regained that velocity. He throws the heater a lot, more than 70 percent of the time, and it has good carry with hitters unable to touch it when he elevates it. He has shown an ability to spin a curve and a slider, with the harder low-80s slider a potential out pitch with two-plane break when he executes it. He doesn't throw his changeup often, but it should be an effective offspeed offering when he commits to it. Long and loose, Lord repeats his full overhead delivery and big leg kick well and has a good track record of throwing strikes. He can run into trouble when he can't find his breaking ball grip and his curve and slider blur into each other. His stock took a hit when his stuff backed up early, but he was back pointing in the right direction as a potential top-four-round-type pick with starting pitcher potential.

Hailing from a smaller private school in San Bernadino, Calif., Bitonti has certainly been seen by the entire scouting industry, especially after a very busy tour of the summer showcase circuit. From the PDP League to the Area Code Games, from Major League Baseball's High School All-American Game to the Perfect Game All-American Classic, Bitonti showed off some impressive raw tools, even if his performance was uneven at times. It's been more of the same this spring, with Bitonti not hitting particularly well at the NHSI in March, but swinging the bat a bit better at the Boras Classic back in California. Bitonti checks off a lot of boxes. He's big and physical, with even more strength to come in his 6-foot-4 frame. He's a left-handed hitter with tremendous raw power, and even though he has long levers, he tends to be short to the ball. Though he has solid plate discipline and can pick up spin, Bitonti didn't hit as well as some expected over the summer. Despite that, some scouts feel he'll be able to make adjustments with professional instruction and has the chance to hit for average and power. A shortstop in high school, there were times over the summer where Bitonti showed excellent body control, especially for his size, but most see a move to third in his future. He has an easily plus arm and could be an above-average defender there. He'll still be just 17 when the Draft rolls around, another plus in his column for many teams, and that, plus his considerable offensive ceiling could have the Oregon recruit in early-round consideration.

A three-year starter at Louisiana State, Morgan has some of the best bat-to-ball skills in the Southeastern Conference and is an elite defender. But he doesn't really fit the first-base profile because he rarely hits home runs, and he did more damage as a freshman than he has since. Like former SEC star and 2017 Mariners first-rounder Evan White, he's a potential Gold Glove first baseman whose power is his worst tool, but he can't match White's average pop. A left-handed hitter, Morgan is a tale of two extremes at the plate. He focuses on working the ball from gap to gap and his uncanny hand-eye coordination means he rarely swings and misses, even against breaking balls and changeups. While he makes plenty of contact, it's not quality contact, as he puts the ball on the ground too much and produces lackluster exit velocities. More athletic than most first basemen, Morgan is an average runner who covers a lot of ground at first. He also has soft hands and makes difficult plays look easy, such as when he made a spectacular game-saving play on a safety squeeze in the College World Series semifinals, without which LSU wouldn't have won the championship. He moves well enough that the Tigers gave him significant action this spring in left field, where he's a fringy defender with arm strength to match.

Watts-Brown originally committed to Texas Tech as a California high schooler, but the Red Raiders backed off him when he injured his shoulder playing quarterback as a senior and he wound up at Long Beach State. After redshirting while getting healthy in 2021, he made his college debut last spring, threw the school's first nine-inning no-hitter and set a school record with 13.6 strikeouts per nine innings (the fifth-best rate in NCAA Division I). He starred in the Cape Cod League during the summer before transferring to Oklahoma State, where he led the Big 12 Conference in strikeouts (124) and strikeout rate (13.6) despite an up-and-down spring. Watts-Brown's best weapon is a plus 83-86 slider that he commands better than his other offerings, showing the ability to get swings and misses in and out of the strike zone. His fastball parks at 90-93 mph and tops out at 96 with decent running action, but it's fairly ordinary in terms of velocity and life and gets hit harder than any of his pitches. He also employs a solid low-80s curveball with bigger break than his slider and an average mid-80s changeup with some fade and tumble. More athletic than physical, Watts-Brown has a slender 6-foot-3 frame and some questions about how well he'll handle a pro starter's workload. He shows some feel for pitching and should be able to refine his control and command as he gets more innings. His biggest need is to add some power or movement to his fastball so he can keep it off barrels.

The Boston College baseball program has produced a good amount of Draft talent, especially in recent years, with four Eagles having been taken in the top five rounds over the last two Drafts combined. The highest selection of that group was outfielder Sal Frelick, who was the No. 15 pick in 2021. Honeyman, who hit well starting for the first time as a sophomore in 2022 and in the Cape Cod League, has the chance to join Frelick as another Boston College first-rounder, though a more inconsistent performance this spring hurt his stock a bit. A right-handed hitter, Honeyman can show off outstanding athleticism, with quick-twitch actions and wiry strength in a Hunter Pence kind of way. He has outstanding bat-to-ball skills and rarely strikes out. There's some raw power he's learning to tap into, especially to his pull side, and he hit four homers in 100 plate appearances with a wood bat on the Cape. Scouts feel he could have average in-game power when all is said and done. Honeyman is a tick above average as a runner, though it's not likely to be a big part of his game. He is starting to show he has the chance to play center field after playing there over the summer, though he got most of his reps this spring in right. A team looking for a college performer who believes in the bat and can play up the middle could still consider his tools in the top two rounds.

McLean could have earned a seven-figure bonus as a North Carolina high schooler in the 2020 Draft, but he wanted a chance to play quarterback in college and enrolled at Oklahoma State to play two sports. He never got on the gridiron for the Cowboys and had to settle for being one of the more intriguing two-way players in college baseball. The Orioles selected him in the third round as a pitcher last July and planned to also let him DH, but they didn't like the results of a post-draft MRI and declined to sign him. Pro teams believe McLean is a better bet to succeed on the mound, with the upside of a mid-rotation starter or late-inning reliever depending on how much polish he could add if he focused on pitching full-time. He generates power stuff with little effort, running his fastball up to 98 mph with arm-side run and flashing a plus slider in the mid-80s. He also has a solid upper-70s curveball, though his changeup, control and command are all works in progress. McLean would prefer to hit and generates high exit velocities and massive raw power to all fields with a combination of bat speed, strength and leverage. But he needs to rein in his long right-handed swing and overly aggressive approach after setting an NCAA Division I record with 107 strikeouts as a sophomore, when he missed an astounding 44 percent of the pitches he swung at. He's a well-below-average runner with well-above-average arm strength, and he shifted from third base to center and right field this spring to reduce the stress on his arm.

After recovering from 2019 Tommy John surgery that cost him his high school senior year, McGraw projected as perhaps the best Saturday starter in the 2023 Draft, but his elbow gave out again right before this season started. He was sitting at 95-98 mph with a wipeout slider in intrasquad action when he went down and required a second elbow reconstruction with an internal brace. He may have more upside than fellow Wake Forest right-hander Rhett Lowder, a lock first-rounder, but McGraw can't match his consistency or health. A healthy McGraw usually operates at 92-95 mph and tops out at 98 with his fastball, though it gets a lot more grounders than swings and misses because it features sinking action rather than carry. His best pitch is a mid-80s slider with sweep and depth that grades as plus when he lands it in the zone. He also dodges bats with an upper-80s changeup with fade and tumble. While McGraw has the potential for three solid or better pitches, he has yet to harness them on a regular basis. He has the athleticism and delivery for at least average control and command, but he walked 5.8 batters per nine innings in his first two years with the Demon Deacons. A potential first-rounder before he got hurt, he's now a wild card.

The most successful alum from Palm Beach Central High School in Florida is Brad Peacock, who was a 41st-round pick of the Nationals as a draft-and-follow in 2006 and spent 10 years pitching in the big leagues. Kayfus wasn't much of a prospect coming out of high school, but he's done nothing but hit since heading a little south to the University of Miami. That includes a strong performance in the Cape Cod League last summer and a bit of an uptick in impact this spring has made him the kind of college performer that gets plenty of attention. While Kayfus isn't the biggest guy in the world, listed at 6-foot even on the Hurricanes' roster, he has shown an outstanding feel to hit from the left side of the plate since he set foot on campus. That's been particularly true the last two seasons as a full-time starter at Miami, where he's shown an advanced approach that has led to more walks than strikeouts and the ability to use all fields. There's been some question about impact, especially since he hit for average but not power on the Cape, but there's been more extra-base and over-the-fence pop this spring. The lack of certainty about his power along with his size makes Kayfus a little tougher to profile as an every day first baseman, though he's a capable defender there. He has played a little in the outfield corners, both early in his Miami career and on the Cape, and a team taking him on Day 2 of the Draft might want to give that a look at the next level.

Ceballos went from the Puerto Rico high school scene to San Jacinto Junior College. In two years at San Jac, he hit .341 and got a late look from the Angels in Round 14 of the 2022 Draft. He headed to the University of Oregon instead of signing and has continued to hit well, though questions about his defensive profile have tempered excitement about his bat to a degree. Most believe Ceballos can hit some, as he's shown the ability to make a lot of contact for three years running. What has his proponents more excited is that his plate discipline has improved and he's shown more ability to drive the ball the other way. He doesn't miss many fastballs and his power has started to show up more as his approach has gotten better, especially to the pull side. Where a team can put Ceballos' bat remains in question. He doesn't have terrible actions at third base and possesses at least an above-average arm. But as a well-below-average runner, most see a move to first in his future, although an adventurous team might want to try him out behind the plate. He saw some time there last summer in the Draft League, showing off that arm and some defensive feel, though there's work to be done on his blocking and receiving.

Grainger HS (Rutledge, Tenn.) produced Twins fourth-round pick Trey Cabbage in the 2015 Draft, and Smith could go in a similar range this July. He's not very physical but his quick arm produces quality stuff and strikes. If he doesn't turn pro this summer, he'll attend Virginia Tech. Despite getting a late start on the diamond because he played basketball over the winter, Smith has come out firing at 90-93 mph and reaching 95 with arm-side run on his fastball. He should gain more velocity once he adds some strength to his skinny 6-foot-2 frame. He notches high spin rates on two distinct breaking pitches -- an upper-70s curveball that grades as plus, and a low-80s slider with more lateral break. Smith also has feel for a low-80s changeup with fade and depth that he hasn't needed much against prep competition. While he lacks size, he compensates with athleticism and arm speed. He has a clean delivery and no trouble filling the strike zone.

The crop of talent coming out of Puerto Rico this year is a little light, with Gonzalez the best of the class despite not having been scouted a ton as he was working his way back from a knee injury. There hasn't been a catcher taken from Puerto Rico in the top 10 rounds since the A's took Santis Sanchez in the sixth round back in 2017, also the last time a player from the island was a first-rounder (Heliot Ramos). Gonzalez has the chance to break the backstop drought, helping himself by getting more exposure at the Draft Combine in June. Gonzalez checks off one box organizations love: He's a left-handed hitting catcher. While he's not been tested that much against top competition, he has shown off considerable raw power, particularly to the pull side, and registered an above-average volume of exit velocities over 96 mph at the Combine. He also has the chance to be an excellent defender in time. He has plus arm strength, though he can get a little long in back, and has the blocking and receiving skills to stick back there, even if it will take a little bit of extra development. Committed to Indiana State, Gonzalez could be an intriguing Day 2 steal who has flown under the radar because of the time he missed this spring.

After graduating from San Marcos High School in California, Carr stayed in SoCal and headed to the University of San Diego as a two-way player. He redshirted after his freshman year in 2021, and after struggling and pitching sparingly in 2022, he transferred to Palomar Junior College. The left-hander has been one of the more productive JUCO pitchers in the country, helping him move up Draft boards in a hurry. A bit undersized at 6-foot-1, Carr uses an overhead delivery to offer up a potential three-pitch mix. His fastball has been up to 97 mph this spring, sitting more frequently in the 90-94 range with some life up in the zone. His slurvy breaking ball is inconsistent but has some sweep when he stays on top of it and can miss bats, and his changeup is a third pitch he doesn't use often that is behind the other two. Carr has done a good job of throwing strikes this year and he's athletic, still getting at-bats for Palomar this spring. Questions about durability -- he has a Tommy John surgery on his resume already -- and a lack of a third pitch have some thinking he's best suited for the bullpen at the next level, though his left-handedness and arm strength will likely give him every chance to start out of the gate.

The state of Hawaii has produced some very good hitting talent, with a guy like Shane Victorino signing out of high school and Kolten Wong going on to college before turning into a first-round pick. Saltiban is hoping to follow in their footsteps and become the latest prep outfielder from the Aloha State to get taken in the early rounds after Kala'I Rosario (2020), Shane Sasaki (2019) and Micah Bello (2018) all went in the top five rounds of their respective Drafts. A right-handed hitter, Saltiban has worked with Kaha Wong, Kolten's father, who has helped him develop into an outfielder with a solid all-around toolset. He has the chance to really hit, with a quick swing and excellent bat speed, which could point to decent power in the future. Challenging himself by competing in MLB's Draft League ahead of the Draft, Saltiban held his own, putting up some good exit velocities and punishing fastballs, albeit in a small sample.Saltiban runs and throws well, with a chance to play center field in the future. If he slows down as he matures, that arm would play well from a corner. He would go on to the University of Hawaii if the Draft doesn't go his way, but he's done everything he can to increase his exposure, going from the Draft League to the Combine in June.

Bloss spent three years at Lafayette, largely pitching out of the rotation, while getting his undergraduate degree with a double major in math and economics. He moved on to Georgetown both to further his studies as a graduate student working towards a master's in finance and to keep pitching. His stuff has all ticked up, as well as his ability to use it, in 2023 en route to him being named Big East Pitcher of the Year and turning into one of the more intriguing senior signs in the class. The 6-foot-3 right-hander has the makings of a legitimate four-pitch arsenal. He's added some velocity since his Lafayette days with a fastball that averages around 93 mph and has touched 97 with good riding life to it, allowing him to miss a good amount of bats. He throws both a true overhand mid-70s curve and a harder, tighter low-80s slider, with the former typically a touch better than the latter, though both can flash above-average and elicit swings and misses. He doesn't throw his changeup often or land it for strikes consistently, but it does show some fade away from left-handed hitters at times. Bloss has done a much better job at finding the strike zone this year, but it's still control over command. Though he is a graduate student, he was just 21 for the entire spring season. Maybe he's a bullpen arm when all is said and done, but he could be a very good Day 2 value.

Kansas lost its 2022 double-play combination to Southeastern Conference schools via the transfer portal, and while shortstop Maui Ahuna (Tennessee) was much more famous than Josenberger, the latter has played himself into the top three or four rounds at Arkansas. He's hitting the ball with more authority than he did for the Jayhawks and has returned to center field, where he played as a freshman. He offers some of the better quick-twitch athleticism and versatility in this year's college crop. A switch-hitter with a controlled stroke, Josenberger does more damage from the left side of the plate. He's more of a tablesetter than a slugger, though he has gotten stronger and been more aggressive this spring. It took him just a month to match his total of three homers in two years at Kansas, and if he continues to progress at the plate, he could be a .270 hitter with 12-15 dingers per season. Josenberger possesses plus speed, and while he's a threat to steal, his quickness is most apparent in center field. His keen instincts enhance his range in center and his average arm is better than most at his position. He plays with constant energy and could be a super-utilityman if he doesn't hit enough to be a regular.

The University of Nevada has sent 20 players to the Majors to date, with Lyle Overbay the most productive big leaguer. There's been just one first-rounder in school history, right-hander Braden Shipley, taken by the D-backs in 2013. Morris isn't likely to challenge Shipley's standing as highest-drafted member of the Wolf Pack, but after spending two years pitching mostly in relief, Morris is in top-five-round conversations. He had brief but solid performances over the summer in the Team USA trials and the Cape Cod League, then showed off solid stuff in the rotation this spring. Lean and slender, Morris has decent now stuff and, with the ability to add some strength, could throw harder in the future. He'll run his fastball up to 95-96 mph, sitting around 93, and it can feature hop with decent finish up in the zone. There is a lack of deception, however, and it can be flat, leading to it being hit this year. His breaking stuff can be inconsistent, with some scouts wanting him to focus on his mid-80s slider, which flashes average depth and width. He has a 12-to-6 type of curve with decent shape, but the mid-70s offering doesn't have enough power for it to be really effective. His changeup might be his best pitch, sold with good arm speed. With a quick and easy arm, Morris has a delivery he repeats well, which makes for consistent strike-throwing. His results have been spotty as his stuff has been inconsistent, but there is some upside here given his raw stuff and athleticism on the mound.

Pinckney has gradually gotten better during four years at Alabama, going from redshirting in 2020 to earning second-team all-Southeastern Conference recognition in 2023. He has some of the best all-around tools in college baseball's top league and could sneak into the top five rounds after going undrafted a year ago. He helped his cause by going 3-for-3 with a home run in an April matchup against Louisiana State's Paul Skenes, the top pitcher in the Draft. The key to Pinckney's improvement has been adopting a more disciplined approach, though he still struggles to make consistent contact against non-fastballs. He has a quick right-handed swing along with plenty of strength and leverage in his 6-foot-3, 215-pound frame. He does a good job of using the entire field and his solid power plays from gap to gap. Pinckney has plus speed and can get from home to first base in less than four seconds on a drag bunt. Including summer ball, he has stolen 43 bases in 49 attempts during the last three years. He saw more time in right field than center with the Crimson Tide, but he has the solid range and instincts to play up the middle as well as a strong arm.

Miller entered the spring as a big, intriguing high school right-hander in California, but most felt he perhaps needed to head to college to reach his potential. With increased velocity and improved stuff, not to mention athletic bloodlines, his name rapidly moved up boards as his senior season unfolded, giving him the chance to be the first Newbury Park High School product to go in the top five rounds since Andrew Lambo was a fourth-rounder back in 2007. The 6-foot-6 Miller has a loose, though not super-fast arm, one that has been delivering a consistently better repertoire this spring. His fastball has excellent movement down in the zone and he's been up to 96 mph with the pitch. His slider has also gotten better with more consistent action as an 81-84 mph short, hard breaking ball. He has feel for a low-80s changeup as well. Some scouts feel Miller could have a plus heater and two above-average secondary offerings in the future, with the chance to become a durable innings-eater in a big league rotation. He's around the strike zone and is super-competitive on the mound. The fact that his father, Mike, played in the NFL doesn't hurt in terms of dreaming of what he can do athletically, with the only question being if he can be signed away from his UCLA commitment.

Ever since Reed arrived at West Virginia, he's shown both an ability to miss a lot of bats and a difficulty in finding the strike zone. He's had the opportunity to both start and relieve for the Mountaineers, and scouts were hopeful to get a long look at him as part of WVU's weekend rotation this spring. That never happened, and while it was a bit harder to see him out of the bullpen, he did earn All-Big 12 First Team status serving as the school's closer. Reed does have a very real three-pitch mix, a big reason why scouts wanted to see the tall, thin right-hander start. His fastball has averaged around 95 mph and touched 98 mph in shorter relief stints this year, but it's actually his third-best pitch, one that he doesn't command well and gets hit when it lacks life. He sells his mid-80s changeup well with good arm speed, and his tight slider, thrown around the same velocity, has also generated a ton of swings and misses. With a longer arm action, Reed's biggest obstacle is his command, as he's put up big walk rates everywhere, including as a starter in the Cape Cod League last summer. A team taking him might want to help him iron out his delivery and send him out as a starter, knowing the stuff all ticks up in shorter stints out of the pen, where he could eventually serve in high-leverage situations.

In 2022, high school right-hander JR Ritchie garnered a lot of buzz coming out of the Pacific Northwest and ended up going No. 35 overall to the Braves. Multiple scouts have compared Schoenwetter, a standout from Southern California, to Ritchie in terms of his stuff and athleticism. Schoenwetter put himself on the map with strong performances over the summer, particularly at the Perfect Game All-American Classic. Schoenwetter has the chance to have three at least above-average offerings in the future. While he typically throws his fastball in the 92-94 mph range, it plays better than some harder fastballs because of its spin and his ability to command it up in the zone, leading to plenty of swings-and-misses. His spike curve has hard, downer depth in the zone and has the chance to be a true out pitch, though he sometimes doesn't stay on top of it, lessening its bite. He sells his fading changeup with good fastball arm speed, and he's confident in throwing it against all hitters. The 6-foot-3 right-hander is athletic and projectable on the mound, repeats his delivery well and should have solid command as a result. The UC Santa Barbara recruit gets high marks for his makeup and focus on the mound, and he could end up landing in the same area of the Draft as Ritchie, who went in Compensation Round A.

A product of a South Portland (Maine) HS program that has produced four big league pitchers, most notably Bill Swift, Owen was his state's top prospect in 2020 but opted to attend Vanderbilt rather than turn pro. After spending his first two college seasons as a reliever, he has made a successful transition to the rotation and may be the best lefty college starter in the Draft. But his status was clouded when he missed four starts in six weeks down the stretch with a tired arm after sitting out the final two months of last season with an unspecified ailment. Before he was sidelined, Owen displayed a fastball that sat at 92-94 mph and touched 97 with a flat approach angle and good carry. He favors his upper-70s curveball over his mid-80s slider but scouts prefer the latter breaking ball because it has more power and misses significantly more bats. He also shows aptitude for throwing a mid-80s changeup with some sink. One of the biggest pitchers in the Draft at 6-foot-6 and 261 pounds, Owen is strong and physical. He's an efficient strike-thrower with all of his offerings and there are no red flags with his delivery, so he should be built for durability. Missing time in consecutive seasons leads to questions about his ability to hold up as a starter, however.

Rucker is a bigger and stronger version of his older brother, Jake, a seventh-round pick of the Twins in 2021, who played three seasons at Tennessee. Carson has had a decorated amateur career, playing on a Goodletsville (Tenn.) club that reached the U.S. championship game of the 2016 Little League World Series and winning Division II Class A Mr. Tennessee baseball honors in each of the last two seasons and a state championship with Goodpasture Christian (Madison) in 2022. If he doesn't turn pro this summer, he'll follow his brother's path and play for the Volunteers. Rucker's most intriguing tool is his raw power, which earns solid to plus grades. He has a quick right-handed stroke geared to drive balls in the air, and as he continues to add strength, he could provide 20 or more homers per season. He doesn't try to do too much at the plate, using the entire field and making enough contact to tap into his pop. A shortstop in high school, Rucker will move to third base in college or pro ball. He has good infield actions, but his average arm and speed are better suited for the hot corner. His bat also would profile on the outfield corners, though there's no reason to suspect he won't be able to remain on the dirt.

Hales is a 6-foot-4 power pitcher who profiles best as a reliever, though he did start as a sophomore at Santa Clara in 2022. His premium fastball can flirt with triple digits and is regularly in the 96-99 mph range. He'll throw both a slider and a cutter and while the former had more shape and depth this year than previously and the latter had progressed as well, they sometimes run into each other.

Coupet has stood out with his ability to spin the ball since he was a freshman at Ohio State. He transitioned from the bullpen to the rotation last spring and significantly improved his control in 2023, though a hamstring injury in early April curtailed him in the final two months of the season. He'll likely be drafted as a reliever but could be one of the first ones off the board in July. Coupet can generate more than 3,000 rpm on both his slider and curveball. He favors his low-80s slider, which has two-plane depth, but his mid-70s curveball is a plus pitch in its own right. His fastball sits at 89-91 mph and tops out at 93 without much life, and it gets hit hard when he doesn't locate it with precision. While Coupet's sinking mid-80s changeup doesn't have much velocity separation from his heater, it still misses bats. He lacks size at a charitably listed 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, so he probably wouldn't have the durability to hold up as a starter in pro ball. His slider and curveball are his only real weapons and he's best suited for a role as a breaking ball-heavy reliever.

Olson joined Nebraska's weekend rotation midway through his sophomore season in 2022, earning second-team all-Big Ten Conference recognition and an invitation to try out for the U.S. collegiate national team. A fast start this spring and a lack of quality left-handers in the Draft gave him some momentum to go in the first four rounds, but his stock took a hit when he faded in May. He's better than any Cornhuskers pitching prospect of the past 15 years, with the exception of 2021 Twins third-rounder Cade Povich (now with the Orioles). A pitchability left-hander, Olson is at his best when his low-80s slider is working well enough to give him a solid offering. It's his lone pitch that grades as better than average at times, while his fringy 90-93 mph fastball tops out at 95 and doesn't miss a lot of bats. He also mixes in a firm mid-80s changeup with some depth that could be solid if he refines it by using it more often, as well as a slow mid-70s curveball that often drops out of the strike zone. Operating out of a high three-quarters arm slot, Olson provides consistent strikes with everything but his curveball. At 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds, he doesn't have any projection remaining. He lacks a high ceiling but has a decent floor as a back-of-the-rotation starter.

Hitt was one of the better high school left-handers in the 2020 class, but his senior season was truncated by the coronavirus pandemic, denying him the chance to pitch his way into the abridged five-round Draft. Though he compiled a 6.61 ERA in his first two seasons at Alabama and had only modest success in the Cape Cod League last summer, he created a lot of buzz during the Crimson Tide's fall practice. Scouts who saw him in abbreviated outings saw enough upside to land him in the upper half of the first round if he maintained similar stuff during the spring, but instead he never looked quite right before getting shut down in April with an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery. After working with a 90-92 mph fastball that peaked at 96 and didn't miss a lot of bats as a sophomore, Hitt operated at 93-97 with improved carry in the fall. He also unveiled an upper-80s cutter that quickly became his best secondary pitch. He has a solid mid-80s slider that he can land for strikes and a mid-70s curveball that he'll use to give hitters a different look. Hitt doesn't utilize his changeup very often, and it's too firm in the upper 80s and gets pounded when he doesn't locate it at the bottom of the strike zone. Also a star wide receiver in high school, he hasn't been able to translate his quality athleticism into consistent control and command. He did a better job locating his pitches in the fall, another reason for optimism before he went down.

Scouts loved Sanders' projectability when he was a Georgia high schooler, but the shortened 2020 season eliminated his opportunity to make an impression that spring. He went undrafted and headed to South Carolina, where he has added 20 pounds to his 6-foot-6 frame and his stuff has gotten stronger as well. An inconsistent junior season ruined his chances of going in the first round, and his stock took another hit when he missed the final three weeks of the regular season as well as the Southeastern Conference tournament with an apparent foot injury. Sanders' difficulties have stemmed largely from his inability to miss bats with his fastball, which sits at 92-94 mph and peaks at 96 but catches too much of the plate and lacks life when he doesn't command it up in the zone. His secondary pitches are all solid, including a mid-80s changeup that tumbles and fades and keeps left-handers at bay. He favors his low-80s curveball over his mid-80s slider, both of which have depth, and he can land both for strikes. Sanders' size helps him create extension and angle that make life more difficult for hitters. Despite his long limbs, he keeps his mechanics in sync and provides a reliable amount of strikes, though his control has slipped a bit in 2023. He still can gain more strength but his biggest need is to improve the movement and command with his fastball.

Southern Mississippi has produced a top-three-rounds pick in four of the last five Drafts and may do so again in 2023 with Hall. Despite averaging slightly less than 90 mph with his fastball, he ranked third in NCAA Division I in K/BB ratio (10.4) and fourth in strikeouts (146 in 109 innings) in 2022. He also pitched for the U.S. collegiate national team during the summer, spinning four scoreless innings against Cuba at Honkbalweek Haarlem in the Netherlands, then won Sun Belt conference pitcher of the year honors while tying for second in D-I with 12 victories this spring. Hall's two best assets are his changeup and his command, though neither has been quite as sharp in 2023 as they were a year ago. Some scouts hang double-plus grades on his changeup when at its best, and it sweeps and sinks in the low 80s. His ability to locate his entire arsenal where he wants helps his pitches play up, especially an 88-90 mph fastball that maxes out at 95 but still misses bats and generates weak contact with plenty of sink and angle from his low three-quarters arm slot. Hall works mostly with his fastball and changeup, occasionally mixing in a decent low-80s slider with sweep and depth. He's not very physical, yet his efficient delivery and ability to repeat it allow him to work deep into games. He doesn't have a classic starter's look, but he continues to exceed expectations and has a high floor as at least a multi-inning reliever with a legitimate out pitch.

Mississippi has had seven catchers drafted in the past decade, including big leaguers Nick Fortes and Stuart Turner, and Harris should continue that tradition this July. He's finally getting the chance to play behind the plate for the Rebels after backing up Royals 2022 sixth-rounder Hayden Dunhurst and seeing most of his action in the outfield and at DH the previous two years. He starred at the College World Series last June, batting .400 with two homers in six games as Ole Miss won its first national title. Harris sports a sound left-handed swing and makes hard contact from gap to gap. He has plenty of strength in his hands and wrists, but his tendency to make ground-ball contact cuts into his power production. He did set a school record with four homers in a single game on May 6 against Missouri, underscoring his ability to drive balls out of any part of the ballpark when he's able to lift them in the air. Though he's athletic for a catcher and quicker than most with below-average speed, Harris gets mixed reviews for his defense. His receiving has improved but could use a little more polish. He had Tommy John surgery before his freshman season and his pop times have run the gamut from well-below-average to solid this spring as teams have run wild on him.

After batting .396/.479/.634 as a sophomore at Kansas last spring, Ahuna looked like he might become the Jayhawks' first-ever first-round pick. Instead, he became one of the highest-profile players to enter the transfer portal and moved on to Tennessee, where he missed the first two weeks of the 2023 season while awaiting NCAA clearance. After a lackluster summer that included brief stints in the Cape Cod League and with the U.S. Collegiate National Team, he has struggled to make consistent contact with the Volunteers and dropped into second-round consideration. Ahuna employs an aggressive approach and uses a leg kick, and he's not barreling the ball as regularly as he had in the past. He's a streaky hitter because his left-handed swing gets too long and he hasn't shown much ability to make adjustments. He uses an uppercut stroke to produce surprising power for someone listed at 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds and has the upside of 15-20 homers per season. While he has slumped at the plate, Ahuna has continued to stand out in other areas. He's a quality defender at shortstop, where he can make all the plays and all the throws with outstanding body control and a strong arm, though he needs to improve his consistency. He has well above-average speed but isn't a prolific basestealer.

After spending his first college season as a reliever at Texas Tech in 2021, Wells transferred to Texas State and got the chance to start. The move paid off, as he earned All-Sun Belt Conference honors, beat Stanford in NCAA regional action and continued to thrive in the Cape Cod League. Despite an up-and-down junior season, he could become the Bobcats' highest-drafted pitcher since 2000 first-rounder Blake Williams. Though Wells' fastball velocity has been down a tick or two this spring, sitting in the low 90s and topping out at 95, he's still getting it past hitters with high spin rates and carry at the letters or downhill plane lower in the zone. He also generates good spin on a pair of breaking pitches, with his 78-82 mph downer curveball grading better than his 84-89 mph slider/cutter with tighter break. He doesn't use his changeup very often and it gets too firm at times, though it does have some bat-missing fade. Wells has improved significantly since high school, when there were questions about his maturity and he threw with significant effort and head whack. He has grown up and cleaned up his delivery, allowing him to provide strikes unless he lapses into overthrowing. Projected as a reliever when he was a prepster, he now looks like a possible four-pitch starter with a bulldog attitude.

Haas started at third base as an Arizona State freshman in 2021 but lost his starting job last year, prompting him to transfer to Texas A&M for his junior season. He has taken over at shortstop for the Aggies and given them consistent performances at the plate and in the field. His floor stands out more than his ceiling and his makeup may be more impressive than any of his individual tools, but he could factor into the first five rounds. A right-handed hitter with a calm approach at the plate, Haas has a history of making consistent contact outside of the Cape Cod League last summer. He has improved his selectivity this spring, doing a better job of looking for pitches he can do damage against and drawing walks rather than just putting balls in play. He focuses on getting on-base rather than driving the ball in the air but has enough dead-pull power to hit 10-12 homers per season. Haas has fringy speed but makes the most out of it on the basepaths. He has average arm strength and is more sure-handed than rangy at shortstop. He's capable of filling in at short but not playing there regularly at the big league level, where he profiles more as a second baseman or utilityman.

Calvary Christian High School in Florida has one of the deepest high school pitching staffs in the country with right-hander Liam Peterson, lefty Hunter Dietz and Maroudis. Also the club's shortstop when he isn't pitching, Maroudis entered the spring third on the depth chart, but many evaluators believed he had vaulted to the top of the list based on his performance and upside. Maroudis is a solid infield prospect, a good athlete who can swing the bat well, but his future at the next level lies on the mound. The 6-foot-3 right-hander has the chance to have an excellent three-pitch mix. His fastball had touched 96 mph early in the spring, though that velocity backed up a bit as he tired a bit thanks to his two-way duties. There's good ride and spin to the fastball, something sure to speak to the analytics fans. His changeup is his best secondary offering, ahead of the spike slurve he throws that's more of a frisbee-like slider than anything else, with some evaluators worrying a little bit about his breaking stuff due to how low his elbow is in his delivery. Committed to North Carolina State, Maroudis does a very good job of throwing strikes, and teams will certainly be interested in his fastball qualities as well as the upside that comes with his athleticism. Teams that think there could be another gear to reach once he stops hitting could be intrigued in the first few rounds.

After spending the shortened 2020 season and full 2021 campaign largely pitching out of Stanford's rotation, Mathews threw well in a four-start stint in the Cape Cod League in 2021. He followed that up by pitching well as a swingman/multi-inning reliever last year, landing on MLB Pipeline's Draft Top 250 list. The Rays took him close to the end of the Draft, and Matthews returned to campus for his senior year, where he's been effective as the Cardinals' Friday night starter. The 6-foot-5 left-hander brings four pitches and plenty of funk and deception to the mound. He can dial his fastball up to 94 mph, and it averages just over 91 mph, but his best pitch is his low 80s changeup, which features a ton of fade to both miss bats and get ground-ball outs. He throws his tight slider around the same velocity, and he also has a slower low-70s curve with three-quarter shape to it. The long and lanky southpaw has done a better job of finding the strike zone compared to last year while continuing to post high strikeout rates. His ceiling might be somewhat limited to a back-end starter, with teams considering him knowing that he knows how to get outs coming out of the bullpen.

The best pure hitter in the Texas high school ranks, Smith performed well at the Area Code Games and struck out just once in his first 20 games this spring. His bat could get him selected in the first three rounds, and if he doesn't turn pro, he'll play at Mississippi State and be Draft-eligible again as a sophomore in 2025. Smith works with Trevor Story's hitting coach and has developed an advanced approach at the plate. He has good balance, takes a small stride and focuses on making hard contact from gap to gap with a quick right-handed stroke. He possesses a hit-over-power mentality but has the bat speed and strength to provide 20 homers per season. There's more to like beyond Smith's bat. He has an athletic 6-foot-3, 190-pound frame that can add more strength, and he's a plus runner with arm strength to match. He has a chance to remain in center field and enough offensive potential and arm to profile in right should he move to a corner.

After going 1-for-16 as a freshman in 2021, Ingle has been one of Clemson's best hitters the past two seasons. He has started games at five different positions: catcher, both outfield corners, DH and second base. Scouts love his makeup and appreciate his bat-to-ball skills, but they wonder whether he's physical enough to handle a full-time workload behind the plate. Ingle does a fine job of controlling the barrel from the left side of the plate and focuses on putting the ball in play. Just 11 percent of his swings resulted in misses this spring, including only 6 percent against fastballs. He draws a healthy amount of walks but displays little power, making a lot of ground-ball contact to the opposite field and rarely driving the ball in the air to his pull side. Quicker and more athletic than most catchers, Ingle can flash solid speed out of the batter's box. But he's also small for his position at 5-foot-10 and 190 pounds and caught just 60 games in three college seasons. He has average arm strength and similar potential as a receiver, though he needs more reps behind the plate.

It's hard not to notice Baumann when he's on the mound, with the kind of 6-foot-8 frame that makes any scout take notice. It comes with plenty of arm strength, which was on display at summer showcase circuit events like PDP League and Perfect Game's All-American Classic. While he didn't pitch well at USA Baseball's National High School Invitational early this spring, his name was floating up as he performed better as the spring wore on at Hagerty HS in Florida. Big and strong with that extra-large frame, Baumann has plenty to dream on. In shorter stints over the summer, Baumann was up as high as 97 mph with his fastball, but he's generally around 93 mph with his heater that features some sink. Right now, his changeup is his best secondary offering, thrown up to the mid-80s with decent fade and sold with arm speed. His breaking ball is behind and inconsistent, a slider that can be good at times, but it gets slurvy and lacks bite to be an out pitch, though some scouts believe he has enough feel for spin for it to be a decent option in the future. Baumann's arm action can get long and he needs to work on refining his delivery, with mechanical inconsistencies leading to spotty command at times. Even with the question marks, though, his size and raw ingredients could have teams interested in drafting him away from his commitment to Central Florida.

Crowell went from the Georgia high school ranks to the Florida State bullpen, appearing in 13 games as a freshman in 2021 then emerging as the best reliver on the Seminoles staff in 2022. After finishing with a 2.12 ERA and 12.7 K/9 rate as a sophomore, he pitched well out of Team USA's 'pen for the Collegiate National Team. Scouts were excited about a possible move to the rotation this spring, but he made just one start and four relief appearances before being shut down with an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery. While Crowell isn't the biggest guy in the world at 6-foot, he's an excellent athlete on the mound with a very quick arm. In shorter stints as a reliever, the left-hander has been 94-98 mph with his fastball that features good riding life down in the zone and gets a lot of ground balls. Working as a starter in the fall, he was more 90-95 mph. His wipeout low-80s slider can be plus at times and missed a lot of bats. Crowell does have a changeup, though he didn't use it much as a reliever, and one key point of emphasis for him will be to develop that third pitch while finding more consistency with the slider. He's always been more control than command, and while he didn't get to show an ability to be more of a complete pitcher this spring, teams could consider taking him in the top three rounds based on his track record of missing bats as a left-handed reliever.

The baseball program at Grand Canyon has grown over the years, though they've had just one player taken in the top three rounds in the past three decades. That will certainly change in 2023 with Jacob Wilson, Jack's kid, looking like an early first-round pick. They could double up with another son of a big leaguer in Bush, whose athleticism was on display during a solid summer performance in the Cape Cod League, putting him more firmly on the map. While Bush has improved tremendously since his Texas high school days, his offensive profile is still a work in progress. He's very much hit-over-power, with an ability to make contact, but he gets too aggressive and lacks rhythm and pitch recognition at the plate at times. He'll tease with raw power in batting practice, and it's not hard to dream on future impact as he fills out his lanky frame. But his swing gets choppier in games, when he's content to put the ball on the ground and let his plus speed do the work. That speed should allow him to steal bases in the future, and it helps him cover a ton of ground in center field. He has good instincts defensively and more than enough arm to boot. He's put up good numbers, albeit without a ton of impact, for the first time this spring, which could give scouts more confidence his swing will work at the next level.

Playing alongside Athletics first-rounder Max Muncy at Thousand Oaks (Calif.) HS in 2021, Riggio might have gone in the first three rounds if he had been signable away from Oklahoma State. He turned down the Brewers as an 11th-rounder and capped his 2022 freshman season with one of the best NCAA regional playoff performances ever, going 15-for-27 (.556) with four homers, five doubles and 17 RBIs in five games. A Draft-eligible sophomore, he has bounced back from a rough summer with wood bats in the Cape Cod League by showing more power and plate discipline this spring. Riggio's small stature and swagger are reminiscent of Dustin Pedroia, and he's similarly aggressive at the plate. He's doing a better job of managing the strike zone and making contact in 2023, but he's still looking to drive balls in the air to his pull side. He has a quick left-handed swing, good timing at the plate and more strength than most players listed at 5-foot-9 -- ingredients that give him 20-homer power. Riggio has below-average speed but is an opportunistic baserunner. With his lack of quickness and fringy arm strength, he's an adequate defender at second base; left field might be his only alternative. His desire and work ethic allow him to get the most out of his tools.

Followers of high school baseball in Virginia talked about the Walton brothers -- Antwan, who is older, and TayShaun -- often a few years back. When Antwan graduated and initially headed to Old Dominion to pitch, TayShaun brought his offensive potential to Florida and IMG Academy. He's jumped on radars with a strong spring at the plate, showing well when scouts came in to see teammates like Cameron Johnson and Zion Rose. Walton is big and physical with the chance to be an impact hitter. Though he's 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, he's been hit-over-power at IMG, but he has shown an excellent approach at the plate and an ability to hit the ball hard consistently. He doesn't lift or backspin the ball much right now, focusing on being a hitter first, but there's considerable strength and raw power for him to unlock at the next level. Athletic for his size, Walton is an above-average runner who records plus run times occasionally. He's destined to be a corner outfielder, likely left, because of a fringy arm. That puts a bit more pressure on the Miami recruit to become a run producer, but a team willing to be patient could take him on Day 2 and work with him to develop into an impact bat.

Fisher redshirted at Mississippi in 2020 before helping Walters State (Tenn.) CC reach the College World Series the following season. He hit 18 homers (including two grand slams in one game) after transferring to Charlotte in 2022 but went undrafted because of worries about his swing and strikeouts. Those concerns still exist, but at age 22 he's one of the top budget savers in this year's Draft after setting school records for single-season (30, third in NCAA Division I) and career (48) homers and breaking another mark with six blasts while winning MVP honors at the Conference USA tournament. Fisher stands upright at the plate with one mission on his mind: launching balls to his pull side with an uphill left-handed stroke. His combination of bat speed and strength, as well as the fact that 23 of his homers landed from the right-field pole to right-center, led one scout to dub him the mid-major version of Kyle Schwarber. Though he ranked fifth in D-I with 64 walks, his approach leads to troubles with non-fastballs and plenty of whiffs. While Fisher isn't the smoothest runner, he has solid speed and can steal an occasional base. An adequate right fielder for the 49ers, he has an average arm and projects as more of a left fielder in pro ball. He also spent some time at catcher during his season at Walters State.

Though Campbell rushed for 1,569 yards and 21 touchdowns as a Texas high school senior in the fall of 2019, he had a brighter future in baseball than football. He has improved throughout three seasons at Texas, boosting his OPS from .564 as a freshman to .864 last year to 1.039 this spring while compiling a Big 12 Conference-record 38-game hitting streak. Some scouts consider him the best pure hitting prospect among Lone Star State collegians. Campbell makes good swing decisions and repeated line-drive contact against all kinds of pitching from the right side of the plate. He puts the ball in play almost too easily and could get more out of his hitting ability if he strays out of the strike zone less frequently. He won't be a big power threat but can drive balls to his pull side enough to produce 15 homers per season. Despite his stocky 5-foot-11, 205-pound build, Campbell possesses solid speed and is a proficient basestealer. His profile would be enhanced if he showed he could handle center field, but he hasn't gotten that opportunity with the Longhorns. He's better suited for right field and has the plus arm strength for that position.

More of a shortstop than a pitcher as a Tennessee high schooler, Swan has seen his velocity jump about 10 mph since moving to the mound full-time at Middle Tennessee State. He has been unable to maintain consistent success, as evidenced by his 6.54 ERA in three seasons with the Raiders, but his athleticism and arm strength rank among the best in the 2023 college pitching class. He did conclude his junior season with the best three-start stretch of his career, permitting three runs while fanning 18 in 15 2/3 innings. Swan looks like he's playing catch while maintaining a 97-99 mph fastball deep into games and topping out at 101. The problem is that his heater features more downhill plane than life and lacks command, and it repeatedly gets hammered when he puts it over the plate. His most effective pitch is a tight mid-80s slider that he locates better than his fastball, and he also can flash some solid upper-80s changeups with nifty fade. Swan's father played football at Louisiana State and his mother swam for the Tigers, and he's extremely athletic for a 6-foot-6, 240-pounder. He has a relatively short arm action and upright delivery, but that doesn't explain his struggles to throw strikes. He's more of a project than most college pitchers, but he offers huge upside if a pro team can help him develop better fastball life and control.

Dettmer was on scouting radars as a Texas high schooler in 2020, but not to the extent that he would get drafted to try to lure him away from Texas A&M. He finished last season with seven shutout innings against Notre Dame at the College World Series, then sparked more interest by popping 99 mph with his fastball during fall practice after peaking at 96 as a sophomore. But he has been hammered this spring, leaving clubs uncertain about where he should fit into the Draft. Dettmer's fastball has maxed out at 96 again this year and lost some of its trademark sink and run, and his heater has gotten hit hard when he hasn't commanded it. His best offering is a solid slider that features tight break in the low 80s. He tries to keep left-handers off the fastball with a mid-80s changeup that has featured quality tumble in the past but has had less life in 2023. Working from a high three-quarters slot, Dettmer has seen his control regress this spring and even when he threw more strikes, command wasn't his strong suit. He has a strong 6-foot-4 frame built for a starter's workload. But after entering the year with first-round upside and a chance for perhaps three plus pitches if he could locate them better, he has become an enigma.

New Jersey's best prospect for the 2020 Draft, Reilly flashed a mid-90s fastball but went unselected because he was strongly committed to Vanderbilt. He showcased electric stuff in college yet never harnessed it enough to claim a regular rotation spot. He got that opportunity in 2023 but lasted just two starts before getting banished to the bullpen for most of the rest of the season. Reilly's greatest strength is his ability to produce 93-96 mph fastballs that top out at 98 with arm-side run and downhill plane. His tight mid-80s slider can be a plus pitch as well, though he doesn't land it for strikes frequently enough, and he can turn it into an upper-80s cutter. He has less faith in his mid-80s changeup, which has some fading action. While Reilly has a quick arm, there's effort in his delivery, and he struggles to keep his mechanics in sync. He walked 5.8 batters per nine innings in three years with the Commodores and 6.8 in the Cape Cod League last summer. He has the stuff to be a late-inning reliever but also would need to upgrade his control in that role.

Burns won three league titles at Lugo High School, missing out on a clean sweep due to the pandemic in 2020. His work behind the plate got him noticed locally, and he headed to Long Beach State. He's spent the last two years as a stalwart backstop, one who was named Big West Defensive Player of the Year in 2022, but it's been strides at the plate, not behind it, that had him moving into Day 2 Draft conversations. Area scouts who have seen a lot of Burns might hang three 70s on the 20-to-80 scouting scale on him, for fielding, arm and makeup. He has a cannon for an arm and it's accurate, allowing him to throw out more than half of would-be base stealers the last two seasons. He's agile behind the plate and is a terrific receiver, working well with pitchers and displaying plus leadership traits. While his glove has never been in question, his bat has. He hit under .200 in his freshman and sophomore seasons with the Dirtbags and hit .204 last summer in the Cape Cod League. While he's slowed a bit in conference play this year, he's taken a step forward with his approach, tapping into his raw power for the first time while hitting in the middle of the lineup. He's an area scout favorite, and if he can hit just a little, he could at least be a very solid backup catcher in the big leagues.

Nivens had a humble start to his college career, redshirting in his first year at Missouri State and having to compete for a roster spot in his second. He responded by winning Freshman All-America honors in 2022 and won the Missouri Valley Conference player of the year honors this season. A club that believes he has average power and can stay in center field could take him as early as the late third round. Nivens had elite non-chase rates in 2022, and while he has been more aggressive this spring, he's still making consistent contact and hitting the ball harder than ever. His left-handed swing has some natural loft and he shows some feel for backspinning balls to his pull side for home runs. He's doing a better job of driving the ball in the air and could get to 20 home runs on an annual basis. Scouts clock run times anywhere from below-average to well-above-average with Nivens, and the consensus is that he's an solid runner if not much of a basestealing threat. A high school shortstop who's still adapting to the outfield, he has the quickness to remain in center, but needs to continue to refine his reads and routes. He has fringy arm strength that's playable in center or left.

Hard-throwing Eriq Swan was the main attraction at Middle Tennessee State's scout day last fall, but evaluators also stumbled upon Hamm, who touched 97 mph and showed a big-breaking curveball. A hot start to the season that included a one-hit shutout with 11 strikeouts against Evansville built up momentum that could have carried him into the top three rounds, but he struggled in the second half. He still could surpass big leaguer Zac Curtis (sixth round, 2014) as the second-highest drafted pitcher in school history, behind only Dewon Brazelton (No. 3 overall, 2001). Hamm's best pitch is a 78-82 mph curveball with good depth, though there are days when he struggles to land it for strikes. His fastball sat at 91-93 mph and peaked at 96 this spring, showing good carry at times but getting hammered when he worked lower in the zone. His low-80s changeup lacks consistency as well. Hamm's control and command fluctuated throughout his junior season, and he struggles to locate his pitches when he gets under the ball in his delivery. Though he's mostly a finished product, he looks like a three-pitch starter with a solid fastball and a plus curveball when he's on. His curve and competitiveness could make him a useful bullpen piece if he can't stick in the rotation.

Rosario was a Top 100 prospect after he reclassified to graduate from high school in 2020, but the combination of the shortened Draft as a result of the pandemic, questions about his profile and his commitment to Miami meant the right-hander went undrafted. He's been a part of the Hurricanes' rotation since and has been fairly enigmatic throughout, including this season, with very good stuff but without the results to match. Pure stuff-wise, Rosario is up there with some upper-echelon college arms. He's touched triple digits with his fastball and averaged better than 95 mph with the pitch this spring. But there's little deception and it's pretty true, leading it to get hit more than it should, though he's had some success in sinking it at times. His low-80s slider has improved and misses a fair amount of bats, and he's been more committed to throwing his upper-80s changeup that can be a swing-and-miss pitch and get ground ball outs. Rosario's command in and out of the zone is spotty at best, and his walk rate went up in 2023, as he tends to let things snowball, leading to big innings. He had a brief but very successful stint in the Cape Cod League last summer and teams that think they can help him unlock that kind of performance more consistently will be interested in taking his pure stuff at some point on Day 2.

Eric Karros attended UCLA before spending parts of 14 years in the big leagues. Both of his sons also have gone on to play for the Bruins -- Jared, a right-handed pitcher who the Dodgers took in the 16th round of the 2022 Draft, and Kyle, a corner infielder like his dad. The younger Karros had a rough Cape Cod League and used it as motivation to put together a very solid junior season in 2023, though he was slowed temporarily by an ankle injury. After his Cape experience, Karros came back to southern California and got to work, adding 15 pounds of strength to his frame. He changed his setup at the plate, utilizing a more closed-off stance. Now he uses the big part of the field well and has shown he can backspin the ball the other way to right-center field. He's cut down on his swing-and-miss and rarely strikes out. With an advanced approach and a willingness to draw walks, he should be able to continue to tap into his plus raw power. While the ankle injury slowed him down and limited his mobility, a healthy Karros has shown he's more athletic and rangy than he had been in past years. He has a plus arm and most feel he has all the tools to stick at the hot corner at the next level. He's become one of the better college bats out west, one who could easily go a few rounds earlier than his dad, a sixth-rounder in 1988.

After two successful years at Walters State (Tenn.) CC and a decent one at Charlotte, Lindsey decided to give up baseball and took the 2022 season off. Coaching a youth team rekindled his desire to return to the game, and after pitching in the summer Appalachian League, he transferred to Tennessee. He worked his way into the weekend rotation by mid-April and was the Volunteers' most reliable starter down the stretch. Lindsey's velocity has increased 2-3 mph on all his pitches this season, and he now operates with a 93-95 mph fastball that tops out at 98 with a flat approach angle and some carry. His most effective pitch is a tight upper-80s slider that reaches 91 mph, and he can land it for strikes or use it to get chases outside the zone. He also dabbles with an upper-70s curveball but hasn't much used a mid-80s changeup with a bit of fade that was effective when he was at Charlotte. Lindsey maintained his improved stuff after moving from the bullpen to the rotation. He also has displayed better control and command than in the past. He's one of the more attractive fifth-year collegians in the 2023 Draft, with a chance to succeed as a starter, while having a nice floor as a fastball/slider reliever.

Chong Soo Shim was a star in Korea's top professional baseball league, earning the nickname “Hercules” by hitting more than 300 homers in a long career in the KBO. He and his family moved to the San Diego area when Kevin was seven, leading to Sim starring at Torrey Pines High School and heading to the University of San Diego for college. He's established some power hitting bona fides of his own with the Toreros over the past two years. Sim has shown he can punish the baseball consistently from the right side of the plate. He's reached double-digits in home runs in each of his last two college seasons and also hit five homers with a wood bat in 92 Cape Cod League at-bats last summer. While he does have a power-over-hit profile, he doesn't strike out much and he has good data behind him with solid zone contact rates and high exit velocities. He's always been able to barrel fastballs and has looked better this year against breaking stuff. In addition to his power potential, Sim brings impressive position flexibility to whatever team drafts him. He's seen a lot of time at both infield corners and has looked pretty good playing the outfield corners this spring. At the next level, it might be mostly a first base and left field look, but that could lead to a lot of big league time as a right-handed power-hitting role player.

After batting .219 as a part-time catcher trying to play through a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder in 2021, Carico broke out as a 19-year-old sophomore last season. He batted .406/.559/.843, led NCAA Division I in on-base percentage and OPS (1.402) and set Davidson records for OBP, slugging, OPS, runs (71), homers (21), extra-base hits (43), total bases (166) and hit by pitches (26). The Atlantic 10 Conference player of the year, he also became the first Davidson player invited to try out for the U.S. collegiate national team. Carico has some stiffness to his left-handed swing, but he has the strength and bat speed to produce solid power from left-center to the right-field line. He struggled in the Team USA trials against better quality pitching, so there's some question as to how good he'll be versus tougher competition. He may not produce high batting averages, but his pop and his plate discipline are real. Carico has well-below-average speed and fringy-at-best athleticism that limits his ceiling as a receiver, though he does have the work ethic to become adequate behind the plate. He has solid arm strength but it plays down because he lacks accuracy on his throws. Though he broke a bone in his left wrist in March and missed most of the next two months, he's still a lefty-hitting catcher with performance and youth on his side, so he might match Robert Eenhoorn (second round, 1990) as the highest pick in Wildcats history.

Questad turned in a series of strong performances on the showcase circuit last summer, including three perfect innings while sitting in the mid-90s with his fastball at the Area Code Games in August. His stuff wasn't as sharp during his Wisconsin high school senior season, though he did earn Gatorade's state player of the year award. He still has a chance to become the first Badger State high school pitcher taken in the top five rounds since 2006 third-rounder Tony Butler. Questad leans heavily on his fastball, which sat at 92-94 mph and peaked at 97 last summer before dropping a tick or two this spring, albeit still with plenty of run and downhill plane coming out of his high arm slot. He gets good depth on his upper-70s curveball and low-80s slider, though he's still learning to land them for strikes. He can impart some nasty late fade on his low-80s changeup but struggles to control it as well. Questad is strong and athletic, but he may be physically maxed out at 6 feet and 200 pounds. His arm works well but to succeed as a starter at higher levels, he'll need to improve the quality of his secondary pitches and his ability to locate them where he wants. He has had more of a reliever look in 2023, which could land him in college as part of Arkansas' top-rated recruiting class.

Oppor was the best high school pitching prospect in Wisconsin a year ago, a lefty who offered athleticism and projection, along with a lot of rawness, on the mound. The A's took a Day 3 flier on Oppor in the 11th round and using the return of the draft-and-follow, sent him off to Gulf Coast State, a junior college located in Florida's panhandle. Oppor, who can sign with the A's up until the start of this year's Draft, made some progress on the mound but also showed he's still very much a project, this spring. Long and loose, Oppor came out of the gate looking like he might be taking a huge step forward, firing his fastball up to 98 mph. He hasn't maintained that kind of velocity, though he's still been consistently up to 95 mph and has shown an ability to maintain it throughout a start. His secondary stuff is a work in progress, though he's made an effort to be a more complete pitcher and incorporate his slider and changeup more. The breaking ball is a bit of a slurvy spinner, thrown in the upper-70s, and he has some feel for a low-80s changeup. A former basketball player, Oppor's athleticism shows on the mound with things like an improved pickoff move. That gives evaluators faith that the southpaw can reach what is his considerable upside, even if it will take some time, instruction and strength/conditioning work. If the A's don't come to terms with him, he could be an intriguing high potential play should he re-enter the Draft.

A product of Ardrey Kell HS in Charlotte, N.C., which has sent three players to the big leagues (most notably Alex Wood), Cunningham stayed home to play in college. He has some of the best all-around tools in the college class, though questions persist about his bat. He dislocated his right ankle while lifting weights, costing him the first two weeks of the 2023 season and keeping him at DH for another month afterward. A well-above-average runner, Cunningham came back before he was 100 percent and didn't show that kind of speed early in the season. When fully healthy, he's a basestealing threat who provides plus defense and average arm strength in center. His combination of strength, bat speed, loft in his right-handed swing and leverage in his 6-foot-4 frame produces well-above-average raw power. Cunningham's stroke gets long and uphill as he looks to launch balls to his pull side, so there are concerns about his ability to handle quality pitching. He hasn't chased pitches or struck out at an excessively alarming rate in college, but he's a career .279 hitter at that level. He also struggled with wood bats in two brief stints in the Cape Cod League.

As the 2023 spring high school season got underway in Florida, scouts were excited to be able to do some 2-for-1 shopping at Mitchell High School, getting to see one of the best prep bats in the country in Aidan Miller while also being able to evaluate Harrison on the mound. After Miller went down with a broken hamate, Harrison became the main attraction, showing off some now stuff and projection to keep the industry intrigued. Harrison has a large, 6-foot-4 frame that has present strength, with room to add and throw harder. He's already taken a step forward in that regard, showing a fastball in the 92-95 mph range this spring. It's easy to dream on more consistent velocity as he matures, and the pitch already has good life. His secondary stuff is behind the heater, though both his slider and changeup have the chance to be decent offerings in the future. He'll need to add some oomph to his slider, thrown around 71-75 mph now with a slurvy look. He hasn't used his changeup much but has shown decent feel for it. While Harrison tends to be around the strike zone, his command is also a work in progress. There are definitely some interesting ingredients and a team interested in the Florida State recruit will likely have to be patient in helping him reach his upside potential.

The son of Greg O'Halloran, who played briefly with the 1994 Marlins, Connor was a mainstay on Canada's 18-and-under teams before heading to Michigan. He barely pitched as a freshman in 2021 before becoming the first hurler in school history to record multiple 100-strikeout seasons. The 2023 Big Ten Conference Pitcher of the Year, he's one of the most polished left-handers in this year's college class. O'Halloran succeeds more with control and deception than stuff. His lone above-average pitch is his low-80s slider, which features plenty of sweep along with some depth and works against both left-handers and right-handers. His fastball hovers around 89 mph and tops out at 93, though it plays up thanks to its flat approach angle and carry up in the zone. His low-80s changeup is a decent third offering with some fade. O'Halloran has little margin for error but makes few mistakes. He has an easy, athletic delivery with a low arm slot that creates deception without compromising his ability to throw strikes. His control and command have improved significantly this spring and he comes with a high floor as a likely back-of-the-rotation starter.

After playing two sports at Lake Howell High School outside of Orlando, Fla., Levenson first went the junior college route, playing a year at Seminole State College of Florida and earning Second-Team All-Conference honors. His performance earned him a spot at Miami, and he showed off his offensive potential, often coming off the bench or serving as the DH. He finished with a .951 OPS. After hitting well in the wood-bat Northwoods League, he's once again displayed some right-handed thump as a regular in the Hurricanes' lineup this spring. Most of Levenson's value comes in his bat and power potential. He's slugged well over .500 in his Miami career and reached double-digit homers this spring. The over-the-fence pop has come to his pull side, and while he doesn't strike out a ton, especially for someone with that kind of power, it's a bit of a grooved swing. He has punished fastballs but struggled more with breaking stuff. Levenson gets high marks for how hard he plays the game and how he competes, but he's just an adequate defender who has a fringy arm. That might limit him to left field at the next level, but the power production in a big college conference should have him in play at some point on Day 2 of the Draft.

Thornton spent two years at Barton Community College and was one of the better junior college players to transfer to a Division I program after logging some summer innings in both the Appalachian and Draft Leagues. He's been a mainstay in Grand Canyon's weekend rotation and has been a steady performer, no doubt benefitting from extra looks with scouts coming in to see teammates Jacob Wilson and Homer Bush Jr. While none of Thornton's individual pitches jump off the page, he has a full repertoire and a good idea of how to use it. His fastball tops out at 93-94 mph and averages around 89-90, but he commands it well. His breaking stuff doesn't have a ton of bite, but he can add and subtract from it and lands it all for strikes. His 80-mph changeup plays nicely off of his fastball-breaking ball combination. Without a true out pitch, Thornton's ceiling is limited to that of a back-end starter, but he never hurts himself with walks and manages to keep hitters off-balance enough to miss a good amount of bats. Athletic on the mound, he's the type of steady left-handed college starter who invariably gets taken on Day 2 of the Draft.

Knapczyk was the second-best prep position prospect in Illinois in 2020, behind Cubs first-rounder Ed Howard, but he wasn't physically ready for pro ball and headed to Louisville. He has some of the best bat-to-ball skills in college baseball, though questions about his 5-foot-9, 165-pound frame persist. His low-risk bat and high floor could land him in the top three rounds. An elite contact hitter, Knapczyk swung and missed at just 10 percent of the pitches he saw as a sophomore, including just 6 percent of the fastballs, and has posted similar rates this spring. He has a quick left-handed stroke and uses the entire field, though his relatively flat bat path produces a lot of groundball contact. He controls the strike zone, draws walks and concentrates on getting on base and taking advantage of his well above-average speed. Knapczyk's size and approach produce minimal power, including just three homers in his first two-and-a-half college seasons, and that severely limits his offensive ceiling. He also faces a move from shortstop to second base in pro ball. His average arm fits better at the keystone and he has been an erratic defender at short, especially when he's not on artificial turf.

A native of Westchester County in New York, Vetrano headed to Boston College as a two-way player, one who spent more time pitching largely out of the Eagles' bullpen (37 innings) than in the batter's box (31 plate appearances) during his freshman year in 2021. After hitting well (.997 OPS) in the Appalachian League, he turned his focus to his offensive game, with 13 homers and a .958 OPS in 2022 and five more homers in the Cape Cod League. Then he raised his profile even more with 22 homers and 64 RBIs, second all-time in a single season for Boston College, with four long balls coming in NCAA regional play. The 6-foot-3 left-handed hitter has the kind of power potential that could fit nicely at his infield corner position. He's power-over-hit, and an improved approach in 2023 led to a lower strikeout rate and higher walk rate, which enabled him to tap into that raw pop even more consistently. While he may never be a Gold Glove winner at first base, he moves well for a player his size and is a better athlete than he might be given credit for. Teams on Day 2 considering Vetrano will be betting he can keep refining his approach and make enough contact for that power to show up at the highest level.

Jaworsky was generating a little buzz late in the spring in Colorado and went to the MLB Draft Combine to increase his exposure. He's an athletic shortstop who can run and might end up at second base or center field. He's committed to Utah Valley University.

The son of former big league catcher Darron Cox, Jonah has posted huge numbers at three different schools in his college career. He spent his first two seasons at junior colleges, batting .397/.472/.683 with 49 steals (second in the NJCAA) at Butler (Kan.) in 2021 and .431/.502/.631 with 43 swipes (sixth in the NJCAA) at Eastern Oklahoma State last year. He earned Summit League Player of the Year accolades and helped Oral Roberts reach the College World Series this spring by batting .412/.470/.646 with 28 steals. He topped NCAA Division I with 114 hits and fashioned a 47-game hitting streak, tied for the third-longest in D-I history. Cox has well-above-average speed and an offensive approach that focuses on getting on base to take advantage of his quickness. A right-handed hitter, he makes consistent contact to all fields, is adept at bunting and can turn infield grounders into singles. While he doesn't look to launch balls, he has good bat speed and enough strength to produce 12-15 homers annually. Cox's speed translates better on the bases than it does on defense at this point. A shortstop in junior college, he's still learning the nuances of center field after shifting there with the Golden Eagles. He's quick enough to become an asset in center, albeit with a below-average arm.

Coached by former big leaguers Brad Wilkerson and Jarrod Saltalamacchia at The King's Academy (West Palm Beach, Fla.), Furtado spent a season at Wake Forest before transferring to Alabama. He has enjoyed only sporadic success, in large part because he lacks control and command. But he did throw five shutout innings at the Southeastern Conference tournament in a rare start and could sneak into the first five rounds in a Draft short on college lefties. Furtado throws harder than most southpaws, working with a 93-96 mph fastball that reaches 98. He's 6-foot-4 and has a high arm slot, and his heater works well with carry up in the strike zone but tends to get hit when he operates lower in the zone. His best offering is a low-80s slider that combines sweep and depth, and it has so much life that he sometimes has trouble landing it for strikes. Furtado also can gets swings-and-misses with a 78-81 mph changeup with sink but struggles to locate it as well. He has a simple delivery but gets out of sync too easily and loses his ability to put his pitches where he wants them. The Crimson Tide only trusted him with 9 2/3 innings in regular-season SEC play, during which he posted a 11.17 ERA, but the ingredients are there for more success if he can add some polish.

O'Donnell spent his first two years of college ball at Northwestern and had a breakout sophomore season, finishing with an OPS north of 1.000 and breaking the single-season school record for doubles. After hitting well in the Cape Cod League last summer, the Colorado native transferred to Virginia and has kept on performing in the ACC to help him climb Draft boards. Just like he did in 2022, O'Donnell has shown a knack for making a lot of hard contact from the left side of the plate this spring, doing it against better competition in the ACC and in a home park not known for being hitter-friendly. Scouts like his swing and think he has the chance to hit for average. There's some sneaky pop in there too, he has the ability to drive the ball to all fields, with some over-the-fence power particularly to his pull side. O'Donnell runs well and has shown an improved acumen for stealing bases. That speed also helps him defensively in center field, where he has a chance to stick at the next level. College performers who have an opportunity to play up the middle tend to keep moving up as Draft Day approaches.

Picard began his career as a reliever at Hartford, but after a year of pitching sparingly and poorly, he transferred to Bryant in Rhode Island. He had a successful sophomore season pitching out of the Bulldogs bullpen, then moved into the rotation as a junior in 2023. He showed some ability to miss bats and limit baserunners, but also missed time with shoulder fatigue. The 6-foot-2 right-hander could have a solid three-pitch mix in the future with the ability to throw all of them for strikes. His low-90s fastball tops out at 95 mph with good life up in the zone. He can spin his upper-70s curveball and he has a mid-80s cutter that's developed nicely with some slider-like tendencies. He has some feel for a changeup, though he doesn't use it much. Picard has a good delivery he repeats well, enabling him to throw a lot of strikes, especially during the 2023 season. He has the ingredients to possibly start in the future, though there are questions about his durability and there's a lack of a track record. He headed to the Cape Cod League this summer to give scouts a few more looks ahead of the Draft.

After posting an 0.41 ERA as a sophomore in 2022, Denton encored this spring by helping Oral Roberts become just the third No. 4 seed to reach the College World Series since the playoff field expanded to 16 four-team regionals in 1999. He tied for the NCAA Division I lead with a school-record 15 saves, closed out all three wins at the Stillwater Regional to earn MVP honors there and picked up a super-regional victory over Oregon. The Summit League pitcher of the year, he's the Golden Eagles' best pitching prospect since 2013 first-rounder Chi Chi Gonzalez. Denton attacks with two pitches that move in opposite directions and work against both left-handers and right-handers. His fastball sits at 93-95 mph and reaches 99, approaching the plate on a flat angle before veering toward the right. His low-80s slider is a slightly better offering that breaks toward the left and also features good depth. Denton occasionally will unveil an upper-80s changeup, but he's mainly a two-pitch guy who racks up a lot of empty swings and weak ground balls with his fastball and slider. He's athletic and repeatedly fills the strike zone while working from a nearly sidearm slot that provides deception. While he's purely a reliever, he's one of the best in this Draft.

Minacci became Wake Forest's closer as a sophomore in 2022 and has been one of the best in college baseball this spring. An integral part of a Demon Deacons team that ended the regular season ranked No. 1, he should be one of the first relievers selected in July. He shouldn't require much development time as a pro and could become one of the first 2023 draftees to reach the Majors. Minacci attacks hitters with two plus pitches. His fastball parks at 94-96 mph and peaks at 99 with armside run. His slider sits in the mid-80s and reaches 90 mph with more depth than horizontal action, eliciting a lot of empty swings and chases. With effort in his delivery and no third pitch, Minacci is purely a reliever. He has the intensity for the role and also has settled down to throw more strikes this spring. He has the ceiling of a setup man in the big leagues.

Scouts poured in frequently to see University of Maryland play with first-round talent Matt Shaw the main attraction. Those who came to College Park, however, were able to get bang for the buck by also evaluating Shliger, who has been the Terrapins' full-time starter for the past two years. He put his name on the map last season by finishing with an OPS over 1.000 and Maryland's captain has swung the bat well this spring, helping his stock in a class that is thin catching-wise. Shliger is a compact, squatty-framed backstop who has shown the ability to make a lot of contact from the left side of the plate. He has a very patient approach, walking more than he's struck out in his college career. While he's put up double-digit home run totals the past two years as he's good at finding the barrel, he's very much a hit-over-power type. The fact that he hit well, but with virtually no pop, in the Cape Cod League last summer adds to the concerns about a lack of future impact. While he's a below-average runner, Shliger is smart on the basepaths and has proven to be an excellent baserunner. Behind the plate, he's an acceptable receiver, and while his arm is average, he has good feet and a quick release. It might be a backup profile in the end, but his multiple years of production in the Big Ten will help him join Shaw in the 2023 Draft class, albeit on Day 2.

Gunnar Henderson went 42nd overall in the 2019 Draft and quickly developed into one of the best young players in the big leagues. Scouts see a lot of similarities between Henderson and Pratt, who finished the showcase circuit as one of the top performers at the World Wood Bat Association World Series in October. They both played at private high schools in the Deep South and had tall, projectable builds with the potential for solid or better tools across the board, though Henderson had the advantages of batting left-handed and a tick more arm strength. Pratt led Magnolia Heights HS (Senatobia, Miss.) to its 11th straight Midsouth Association of Independent Schools 5-A title this spring, pitching a three-hit shutout and driving in two runs in the championship game. Gatorade's state player of the year, Pratt features some of the best bat-to-ball skills and strike-zone awareness in the 2023 high school class. He has a smooth right-handed swing with plenty of bat speed, and his 6-foot-4 frame features projectable strength and good leverage. He drives balls in the air without trying to sell out for home runs, and while most of his present power comes to his pull side, he should have pop to all fields once he's fully developed. An average runner out of the batter's box, Pratt has solid speed once underway. With his instincts and solid, accurate arm, the Mississippi recruit may be able to remain at shortstop despite being bigger than most players at the position. He's a more consistent defender than Henderson was at the same stage and has all the tools to profile at third base if he has to move.

Nichols jumped on scouts' radars the summer before his senior year of high school when the two-way standout starred on the mound at the Area Code Games. Undrafted, he headed to Tucson to play at Arizona and after starting his freshman year in the rotation, moved to the bullpen and finished the year strongly. In 2022, he served as the Wildcats' Friday night starter and continued to show off considerable arm strength, albeit with uneven results. That continued in 2023, when he lost his rotation spot, initially found some footing pitching in relief, but really struggled down the stretch. In many ways, Nichols is still similar to who he was in high school as a long, lean and projectable right-hander with plenty of room to keep filling out his 6-foot-5 frame. He still touches 98 mph with his fastball and averaged around 95 mph, but it's straight and doesn't miss bats, often getting squared up by hitters. His secondary stuff is still a work in progress, with a mid-80s slider that can be effective and a changeup around the same velocity that does have decent sink and fade at times. Nichols was more around the strike zone in 2022 than he was as a freshman, but it regressed this year and he's always been control over command, delivering all three of his offerings from a slightly lower slot. He looks like a reliever-only for sure and while his size, projection and velocity will still garner interest, the shine has faded a bit from this right-hander compared to the start of the spring.

The top position player in a deep 2020 Oklahoma high school class loaded with pitching, Bohrofen was a top-three-rounds talent who ultimately couldn't be lured away from college. He didn't hit enough to claim a regular job as an Oklahoma freshman or Arkansas sophomore, though he did perform well with wood bats in the Cape Cod League in both summers. He has been one of the most dangerous hitters in the Southeastern Conference this spring and regained his former prospect status. A left-handed hitter with a sound swing, Bohrofen has improved at making contact and driving the ball in the air throughout his college career. He tried to do too much in his lone season with the Sooners, but since has learned to let his plus raw power come naturally. He has developed a more discerning eye at the plate and his prodigious strength leads to high exit velocities, though his propensity to swing and miss in the strike zone concerns some clubs. While Bohrofen will get drafted mostly based on his offensive production, he's a decent athlete. He has fringy-to-average speed and good instincts on the bases and in the outfield corners. He's a capable defender in left or right field with an average arm.

Savacool was a solid high school prospect from upstate New York who initially hoped a strong summer showcase circuit performance would vault him onto Draft boards in 2020. The pandemic kept him from throwing a pitch in his senior year and he went unselected in the shortened Draft that year, so he headed to the University of Maryland. In the rotation for three years, he's built a reputation as a dependable workhorse. A strong right-hander, Savacool doesn't light up the radar gun, but he does have a usable four-pitch mix. He typically tops out at 93 mph with his fastball, sitting around 91 and throwing it with good sink to get a ton of ground-ball outs, though he can elevate with a four-seamer occasionally. His low-80s angular slider has more depth and tilt than sweep and it can miss some bats, while his changeup has good sink that generates weak contact and swings-and-misses. He can mix in a slower get-me-over curve as well. Savacool hasn't been quite as sharp this spring as he was a year ago, when he earned first team all-Big Ten honors, but he has a good track record of throwing a lot of strikes. His ceiling maybe limited to that of a No. 4-type starter, but he's gotten plenty of looks with scouts coming in to see his teammate, potential early pick Matt Shaw.

Generously listed at 5-foot-8 and 155 pounds, Hawke is the smallest player on MLB Pipeline's Draft Top 250. A Draft-eligible sophomore, he also was the leadoff man and catalyst for a Wake Forest team that earned the No. 1 national seed and finished third at the College World Series. An organization that values his bat-to-ball skills and speed could take him as early as the fourth round. Hawke makes repeated contact from the left side of the plate, almost never misses fastballs and rarely chases pitches out of the strike zone. His lack of physicality is a concern, however, as he doesn't drive the ball, hits a lot of grounders and soft liners and offers only mild power down the right-field line. He understands his limitations and focuses on reaching base to make use of his speed. A plus-plus runner who can get down the first-base line in less than four seconds on occasion, Hawke has basestealing aptitude and swiped 44 bags in 50 tries in two seasons in college and one in summer ball. He doesn't have great instincts in center field, where he's more of an average defender who uses his quickness to make up for his reads and routes. His below-average arm is playable in center.

Klassen is the 2023 version of Ben Joyce, who went in the third round to the Angels last July after hitting 105 mph with his fastball at Tennessee. He missed his first season at Minnesota in 2021 after having Tommy John surgery and worked just 7 2/3 innings last spring, allowing 14 runs and 14 walks. But he touched 100 mph in those brief looks, reached 102 while making progress in the summer Northwoods League and has continued to bring the heat this spring. Klassen may have the quickest arm in the entire Draft, producing a fastball that averages 98 mph with running action, and he has reached triple digits in most of his outings. He has an 82-86 mph curveball and a sharper 83-88 mph slider, and both can be plus breaking balls when he can command them. He almost never throws his changeup, an upper-80s offering with fade and sink that he can't land in the zone. While his arm speed helps him overcome a lack of physicality, Klassen has significant effort in his delivery and has yet to prove he can throw strikes. A well above-average athlete, he made significant strides improving his timing and keeping his mechanics in sync during the fall, when he pounded the zone, but his control has been well below-average again this spring. He still has a lot to prove, especially if he's going to be a starter, but his fastball definitely demands attention.

Though Woods intrigued scouts in high school as an athletic left-hander with upside, he went unselected in the shortened 2020 Draft. After spending most of his first two seasons at Georgia as a multi-inning reliever, he became a full-time starter this spring. His stuff wasn't as crisp when he worked out of the rotation, and he made just one appearance in the final six weeks after coming down with biceps tendinitis, making his Draft status murky. Woods' fastball has gone from the upper 80s in high school to 92-96 mph with riding action last fall before he parked at 90-92 mph and maxed out at 94 as a starter. His breaking ball is a hard slurve that grades as a plus pitch with sweep and depth at its best, sitting in the low 80s when he came out of the bullpen and dropping to the upper 70s when he worked out of the rotation. He'll need to refine his changeup, which is a bit firm in the mid-80s and has modest action. At this point, scouts are skeptical that Woods can maintain quality stuff or throw enough strikes to thrive as a starter. He's athletic and doesn't have any glaring flaws in his delivery, yet his control has been sporadic at best. He still has value as a lefty reliever who could have two plus offerings in shorter stints.

Pitelli has been a regular for most of his three years at Miami and offers an intriguing combination of speed and defense. He can play shortstop at the next level, but also has the ability to play second and center field, with enough quickness for any of those positions. He did hit 13 homers in 2023 for the Hurricanes, but there is some concern about impact for the left-handed hitter at the next level.

A three-year starter at Pepperdine, Peck got scouts excited with a breakout sophomore campaign in 2022, hitting .361/.417/.578 to earn all-WCC first team honors. He struggled with a wood bat in the Cape Cod League last summer and never really got it going as hoped during his junior year, leading to questions about his future at the next level. Evaluators thought Peck could be one of those middle-infield college-performer types who invariably rises up Draft boards over the course of the spring. Instead, he struggled to find consistency at the plate. The right-handed hitter is handsy with solid bat speed, but there are mechanical issues with his setup and swing that have led to concerns about making contact. He's a long strider who crashes to the ball, which in turn often makes his head move. He did OK against fastballs in 2023, but really struggled to lay off of and do damage with offspeed and breaking stuff. An average runner, Peck does have good defensive actions and at least an above-average arm, which could give him the chance to stick at shortstop, at least at the outset of his pro career. Some see second base as a better long-term fit and the fact he's played three infield positions and some outfield could help him fit in a future utility role. A team taking him on Day 2 will think his hitting mechanics can be fixed and that he has a chance to be an everyday guy up the middle.

The 6-foot-7 Storm made a bigger name for himself in basketball than in baseball while at Madison (Miss.) Central HS. After earning a crucial victory over Louisiana State to help Southern Mississippi reach its second-ever NCAA super regionals in 2022, he played an even greater role to get the Golden Eagles to their third this spring. He won the Sun Belt Conference tournament finale and then earned three of Southern Miss' five victories in the NCAA playoffs. Used solely as a reliever in college, Storm attacks hitters with two pitches. His fastball sits at 90-93 mph and tops out at 95, but it plays better than its velocity because he delivers it from an extremely high release point and creates plenty of carry. He misses a ton of bats with an 82-85 mph slider that combines horizontal action with good depth. Storm's unusual arm angle and crossfire give him deception without costing him control. He maintained his stuff throughout a pair of 5 2/3-inning outings in the postseason, which may tempt a pro club to try him as a starter. He has a more realistic ceiling as a setup man and could move quickly through the Minors as a reliever.

Bruno was a solid high school prospect from Florida who was on MLB Pipeline's Top 200 list for the 2020 Draft, when a combination of the pandemic and a commitment to Stanford led to him being undrafted. So he went west, and after a strong sophomore season pitching out of the Cardinals' bullpen in 2022, Bruno earned a spot on USA's College National Team, leaving many excited to track his progress this year. He looked like he had some helium as he got locked in at one point during the spring, but a clunky finish in Super Regionals and the College World Series raised some more question marks. At his best, Bruno looks like the kind of premium left-handed reliever teams would love to have pitching late in games. He can run his fastball up to 99 mph, sitting easily around 94-95, and he can miss bats with it thanks to good riding life up in the zone. He threw his heater three-quarters of the time on the mound in 2023, backing it up with a nasty changeup that serves as a true out pitch -- a bat-missing, upper-80s off-speed offering that some scouts hang a 70 grade on. He started incorporating his slider back into his mix later in the year, and it could give him a third excellent option. Stuff-wise, Bruno could belong in early Day 2 conversations. But to say he struggles with command is an understatement, with a 9.5 per nine walk rate in 2023, not far off his 9.8/9 career rate at Stanford. An inability to find the zone was apparent under a big postseason spotlight, but there are still likely teams who will find his stuff and left-handedness too enticing to pass up.

Wolkow ranked as one of the top position prospects and a likely first-round pick in the 2024 high school class until he reclassified to this year's Draft in March 2022. He's one of the youngest and most physical prospects in this crop and reminds some scouts of Spencer Jones, the Yankees' first-rounder last July out of Vanderbilt. But he also comes with questions about his bat after mostly scuffling against older competition on the showcase circuit last summer, though he did perform well at the Area Code Games. At 6-foot-7 and 225 pounds, Wolkow already has the strength and leverage for massive power, and he's still growing and adding muscle. But his size also comes with a naturally long left-handed stroke and swing-and-miss concerns. His swing decisions are still rudimentary. He'll miss fastballs in the strike zone, and he doesn't deal well with offspeed pitches. Built like a tight end and athletic for his size, Wolkow takes a while to get out of the batter's box but is at least an average runner once he gets underway. He has played all four outfield and infield corners, and while he handled third base well at the Area Codes, he profiles best in right field with solid arm strength. The South Carolina recruit has a huge gap between his floor and ceiling, but it's a lofty ceiling, and he won't turn 18 until six months after the Draft.

Wild barely pitched as a freshman at Gonzaga in 2021, but pitched his way into the Zags' rotation as a sophomore, finishing off on a strong note by making the all-Regional team with 6 1/3 scoreless innings in a win against Wright State. After his velocity climbed a bit over the summer and last fall, area scouts were excited about what might come in 2023, but the right-hander has been inconsistent, with no velo spike, though he's continued to throw strikes and compete. Even when not at his best, Wild has shown an ability to keep his team in games using a three or four pitch mix. When he's at the top of his game, he can be 93-95 with his fastball, but he was more often around 89-92 mph this spring. He'll show flashes of a solid slider with three-quarter tilt and he'll fold in a distinct cutter at times, but the cutter tends to have more slider traits and his slider can get slurvy. He has good feel for a sinking changeup that's his most consistent secondary offering. Wild is strong with a durable build and tends to be in and around the strike zone, repeating his drop-and-drive delivery well. The ceiling might be limited, but his feel for pitching and his competitiveness do give him the chance to be a back-end starter if it all clicks.

An immediate starter at Kansas State, Goodwin tied the school's freshman home run record with 10 in 2021. He never has posted big numbers for the Wildcats, though he acquitted himself well with wood bats in the Cape Cod League last summer after struggling there the year before. He could become the program's first position player selected in the top five rounds since Jared King a decade ago. Goodwin has made more consistent contact as a junior, though scouts still consider him more of a power-over-hit guy. He uses his right-handed swing to drive balls in the air to his pull side and could provide 15-20 homers per season in pro ball. He works counts and draw walks, though he could be more selective about which pitches he puts in play. With fringy speed and an arm that rates as average to maybe a tick above, Goodwin is unlikely to stay at shortstop at the next level. He has improved his defensive consistency this spring and can make the routine play, but he profiles better as an offensive second baseman or a utilityman. He made eight errors in 27 games at second on the Cape last summer.

Michigan's top prep prospect in 2021, Mooney drew some top-two-rounds interest from clubs but ultimately went undrafted because of his commitment to Duke. After a so-so freshman season, he stood out as one of the best position players in the Cape Cod League last summer. He made a significant leap this spring and should factor in the top three or four rounds despite lacking an obvious plus tool. Mooney has a quick right-handed swing and has been more productive after settling down in his second season. He still will chase pitches out of the zone, but he's making more consistent and higher quality contact. He's doing a better job of launching balls in the air, though he'll probably max out at 12-15 homers per season with wood bats. A solid runner, Mooney has good instincts on the bases and in the field. He possesses solid arm strength and average range at shortstop, with some scouts projecting he'll wind up as a second baseman or utilityman at the big league level. He earns praise for his constant energy and his leadership skills.

Graham didn't play much in his freshman year at Stanford after arriving from Chaminade College Prep in Southern California, but he stepped into the starting lineup in a big way as a sophomore in 2022. He led the Pac-12 in homers with 22 and finished second in the conference with 79 RBIs, ending the year with a 1.041 OPS. While he didn't show much over the summer in the Cape Cod League, Graham shook off a slow start to his junior season and helped Stanford get to the College World Series with 15 homers and 75 RBIs. Graham is a big, burly type with the kind of raw power teams like to see from a corner infielder. When he was scuffling at the start of 2023, he got way too pull-happy, trying to replicate his sophomore power numbers. But when he settled in and started driving the ball to the gaps a bit more, his overall hitting performance improved. He doesn't strike out a ton for a power hitter and punishes fastballs, though he struggles more with soft stuff. A basketball player in high school, Graham is a better athlete than you'd think based on his frame. While he doesn't have a ton of range, that athleticism does enable him to play a capable first base, the spot he'd be most likely limited to at the next level. The right-right profile at first is a tough one, but teams liking performers from big conferences might have an interest at some point on Day 2 of the Draft.

Paul Bako and Jonathan Lucroy had long big league careers as catchers after going in the top five rounds out of Louisiana-Lafayette, and Brock could do the same. He made just 14 starts and only four behind the plate in his first two years of college before earning all-Sun Belt Conference honors in 2022. He has improved as a fourth-year junior, showing more power and patience at the plate. Brock's strength based right-handed swing can get long at times but produces plus raw power. He's been much more selective this spring, controlling the strike zone and waiting for pitches he can drive in the air to his pull side. He handles quality velocity well and makes consistent hard contact. A good athlete for a 6-foot-3, 220-pounder and for a catcher, Brock has below-average speed on the bases and moves well behind the plate. He needs to clean up his receiving but he's a good blocker and should become an overall average defender. He has solid arm strength and gets rid of his throws in a hurry.

After his impressive showcase circuit that included a standout performance at the Area Code Games, several scouts believed Kent was poised to take another step forward this spring. With his strong 6-foot-4 frame and the potential for a quality four-pitch mix, he looked like a top-two-rounds talent. But his stuff has fluctuated rather than getting better, so it's unclear if he'll get picked early enough to divert him from attending Arkansas. Kent's fastball typically ranged from 91-94 mph and peaked at 96 with downhill plane and armside run last summer, but he has only flashed that kind of velocity as a senior and hasn't maintained it for more than an inning or two when he has. His most reliable secondary pitch is an 81-84 mph slider with two-plane break and he also owns an upper-70s curveball with bigger shape, though both have lacked consistency in 2023. He hasn't had much need or feel for a changeup yet, but his low-80s cambio has nice fade at times. Like most prep pitchers, Kent is a work in progress. Gaining more strength would add power to his arsenal and help him repeat his delivery more consistently, though his arm works well and he already does a decent job of throwing strikes. He has the ingredients to become a mid-rotation starter but will need time to develop.

Bostick has played with his older brother Marcus at three different junior colleges in the last three years. He started as a shortstop at Howard (Texas) JC in 2021, played both ways at Hillsborough (Fla.) CC last year and has emerged as the best junior college pitcher in Texas this spring at Grayson County CC. He ranked third in the NJCAA in strikeout rate with 15.3 per nine innings. Bostick has a strong 6-foot-4 frame and maintains the velocity on his fastball deep into games, operating at 91-94 mph and reaching 97 with arm-side run and good carry when he works up in the zone. His low-80s slider gives him a second solid offering with some nasty sweep when it's on. His low-80s changeup lacks consistency but does feature some promising fade. Still very much a work in progress on the mound, Bostick needs to smooth out his delivery and improve his strike-throwing. He works exclusively out of the stretch and while he lacks experience, he does show some feel for pitching. If he doesn't turn pro this summer, he'll transfer to Texas-Arlington.

Henderson stayed in his own backyard when it came time to head to college, going from Clovis West High School in Fresno, Calif., to Fresno State. He made an immediate impact, mostly out of the bullpen, as a freshman in 2021, then earned All-Mountain West First Team honors with a full-time move into the rotation last year. He's been the Bulldogs' Friday night starter this year and has had his most productive season yet, giving him the chance to become the highest-drafted pitcher from the school since Ryan Jensen was the Cubs' first-rounder in 2019. None of Henderson's offerings jump off the page, but the left-hander has a very good feel of what to do with his four-pitch repertoire. While his fastball tops out at 94 mph and averages right around 91, it's a sneaky heater that comes with deception thanks to his arm slot and serves as his out pitch. His secondary stuff supports his fastball and allows it to play up, and he leans on it heavily. The best of those is his upper-70s slider that can miss a decent amount of bats, though he also has a slower curve, with the two blending together at times. There's some feel for his changeup, though he needs to commit to throwing it more. Some scouts feel that's the key to Henderson having success at the next level. He's athletic on the mound, with a free and easy delivery, giving hope that he could throw harder in the future and that he'll continue to improve his strike-throwing ability. The ceiling is a bit limited, but he could be an intriguing middle-round type of pick for teams looking for college arms.

Though he's grown up in southern California, Baro received his first name because his family were all Boston-area sports fans. The infielder has made a name for himself, first over the summer and then with a move to more competitive Capistrano Valley High School as one of the better prep shortstops in the area. At 6-foot-2, Baro has a narrow and athletic frame with a loose, easy left-handed swing that reminds some of former SoCal prep standout Brice Turang. He has an excellent approach at the plate, sees the ball well and doesn't swing and miss much. He may never be a huge power guy, but if he can add strength to that frame, there should be more impact -- the one part of his offensive game in question -- in the future. Baro will record average to above-average run times now, but that added strength should help him be faster as he matures. He should also improve his arm strength over time and that, along with his easy actions defensively, gives him a very nice shortstop starter kit. Initially committed to go to New Mexico, Baro switched gears due to a coaching change and now teams will have a commitment to UCLA to contend with.

Weatherford (Texas) HS has sent three pitchers to the big leagues in the last two decades -- Zack Britton, Beau Burrows and Colt Hynes -- as well as Hippo Vaughn of double no-hitter fame a century ago. The Kangaroos' latest phenom is Kemp, who popped as a prospect last fall when he began reaching 94 mph with his fastball at the Texas State Games and the World Wood Bat Association World Championship. His control improved significantly this spring, though it remains to be seen if he can be lured away from an Oklahoma commitment. Kemp worked at 89-92 mph for most of the spring, occasionally hitting some 94s, and alternately features run and cut on his fastball. His slider is gaining some velocity and now parks in the low 80s, though some scouts question how conducive his short arm action is to spinning the ball. He displays some feel for a changeup with some promising fade, but it's presently too firm in the mid-80s. Kemp has a solid 6-foot-6 build with room to add more muscle, so he should gain more velocity. As he gets stronger, his ability to repeat his delivery and provide strikes is getting better. If he goes to college and continues to improve, he could be an early-round pick in 2026.

Judice exuded projection as a 6-foot-8, 185-pound Louisiana high-schooler in 2019, but he wasn't close to ready for pro ball with a fastball that sat in the low 80s. It took four years for his stuff and control to come together at Louisiana-Monroe, and he's poised to become the first Warhawk selected in the first 10 rounds since 2005 second-rounder Matt Green. A reliever for almost all of his college career, he moved to the rotation in May and maintained his stuff. After averaging 87 mph with his fastball last year, Judice has worked at 91-95 and reached 100 this spring and his average velocity actually went up 1 mph in his first three starts. His huge frame creates angle and extension that enable his heater to get on hitters quicker than they expect. His No. 2 pitch is a solid mid-80s slider with horizontal and vertical action. The athletic Judice has learned to keep his long limbs in sync and provide strikes. He rarely uses his low-80s changeup with modest fade, and he'll need to improve his cambio if a pro team wants to use him as starter. It's more likely that he'll be fast-tracked as a two-pitch reliever who offers a combination of stuff and deception.

In one of the more stunning transformations in college baseball this spring, Van Treeck went from an 11.69 ERA with more walks than innings in 2022 to the Atlantic Sun Conference pitcher of the year. He began the season in the bullpen but worked his way to the front of Lipscomb's rotation and finished sixth in NCAA Division I in strikeout-walk ratio (7.7), seventh in WHIP (0.94) and 11th in walk rate (1.4 per nine innings). Undrafted a year ago, he became the Bisons' best pitching prospect since 2009 supplemental first-rounder Rex Brothers. Van Treeck's fastball parks at 90-92 mph and tops out at 96, but it plays well above its velocity thanks to its flat approach angle and his funky delivery. He did a much better job of commanding his sweeping upper-70s slider this spring, showing the aptitude to get swings-and-misses in the zone and chases outside of it. He also throws a mid-70s curveball that he doesn't locate as well as his slider, and he has little trust in a mid-70s changeup with mild fade. Van Treeck hides the ball well with his unusual mechanics, which include a deep plunge in the back, a low arm slot and good extension. He creates deception yet still pounds the strike zone. He'll need to add more strength to his 6-foot-4 frame to survive as a starter in pro ball and may wind up as more of a lefty reliever.

Jacksonville State's best arm since 2009 Twins third-rounder Ben Tootle, Peppers bounced between the rotation and bullpen this spring. He allowed just one run with 11 strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings against Southeastern Conference opponents and settled in nicely when the Gamecocks made him a full-time starter at the end of the season. He further helped his cause by performing well in the Cape Cod League leading up to the Draft. Though he carries just 160 pounds on his 6-foot-3 frame, Peppers can maintain a 93-95 mph fastball for several innings at a time and reach 98. His fastball arrives on a flat approach angle and features good carry, and he could gain more velocity with some added strength. His two-plane slider sits in the low 80s and generated a 56 percent swing-and-miss rate during the college season. Peppers has some aptitude for throwing an 83-86 mph changeup that fades and sinks, though he doesn't use it very often. He has enough of a three-pitch mix to start at the next level, though he'll have to improve his fringy control and command to succeed in that role. It's more likely that he'll develop into a two-pitch reliever.

The high schooler from British Columbia spent some time in Florida at The Next Level Academy to get more exposure. He's a left-handed hitting middle infielder with solid contact skills, though he lacks impact now. The Xavier recruit might profile best at second base if he can stay on the dirt, but he might best be suited for the outfield.

Driver didn't throw a college pitch until 2022 because the Ivy League canceled the 2021 season due to the pandemic. He put himself on the map by pitching very well out of the Crimson bullpen that year, earning first team All-Ivy League honors. After more work in the Cape Cod League that summer, he got the chance to start this spring and wasn't as effective. As a starter, Driver's stuff backed up a bit. In his 2022 relief work, his fastball was up to 97 mph and averaged over 93. His heater averaged just 91 mph this spring, topping out at 95 and was much more hittable. His low-80s slider remained his best pitch and continued to miss bats at an impressive rate. He does have a changeup, but didn't use it much and couldn't always command it effectively. Driver went back to the Cape this summer in hopes of giving scouts a strong last impression. With a lower slot and funky delivery, he's probably best suited as a fastball-slider bullpen piece and his stuff could tick back up in shorter stints.

Ball State has cranked out a pitcher taken in the first five rounds of each of the four previous Drafts -- Drey Jameson, Kyle Nicholas, Chayce McDermott, Tyler Schweitzer -- and Brown could keep that streak going in 2023. He opened the season by striking out 27 in 11 scoreless innings in February, but he injured his right knee in a play at the plate in mid-March and came down with a sore arm trying to pitch afterward. The redshirt sophomore took the mound just once in the second half of the regular season. Brown owns one of the most devastating changeups in the Draft, earning plus-plus grades from some scouts. He throws his low-80s cambio with a Vulcan grip, and it dives at the plate, resulting in a 70 percent swing-and-miss rate this spring. He sets up his changeup with a 92-94 mph fastball that reaches 96 with some arm-side run and carry. Brown uses his changeup more than his fastball and barely employs his fringy low-80s slider. He has a quick arm but features some effort in his delivery and has walked 60 in 74 college innings. He profiles as a changeup-heavy reliever in the Tommy Kahnle mold, though he'll have to throw more strikes to get there.

Matter is a reliever only who throws really hard but doesn't always know where it's going. He leans very heavily on his fastball, which is up to 97 mph with life, and he'll show glimpses of a mid-80s slider and a separate 80 mph curve, neither of which he throws that often. His stuff is electric enough to help him strike out 12.1 per nine in 2023, but he also walked 7.8 per nine.

Dunn began his college career at Florida State, pitching in relief sparingly as a freshman in 2021. He ended up spending much of 2022 as part of an all-lefty weekend rotation with the Seminoles, joining 2022 draftees Parker Messick and Bryce Hubbart. Dunn struck out 14.4 per nine over 48 innings of work before pitching well for the U.S. Collegiate National Team. The Utah native also entered the transfer portal and moved back west to be a part of Arizona State's rotation in 2023, where he's continued to miss bats but have mixed results overall. While none of Dunn's individual offerings jump off the page, he has a very strong three-pitch mix and knows what to do with it. His fastball sits in the 90-93 mph range and it's a sneaky fastball that hitters don't see thanks to some deception in his delivery. His low-80s slider continues to miss bats at a very high rate, according to Synergy, and he's used his mid-80s changeup very effectively as well. The one thing that could hold Dunn back in terms of his Draft stock is his command, especially with his fastball. While he misses a ton of bats, he's also given up too many free passes, with his walk rate spiking this year. Even with that, a college lefty with a legitimate three-pitch mix still has the chance to land in the first five rounds.