Yesterday, I coated a few of the Midwest prep gamers from this current draft class who I used to be in a position to see in particular person a number of occasions over the previous couple of years. This set of notes will cowl some current faculty draftees (from each four-year packages and junior faculties) who I caught this 12 months in Kansas and Oklahoma.
Hunter Cranton, RHP, Kansas
Group: Mariners Spherical: 3 General Choose: 91
Cranton will flip 24 years previous in October and is a virtually completed product who could be anticipated to maneuver by way of the minor leagues rapidly. He has a rangy 6-foot-3 body and throws from a excessive arm slot, and there’s violent effort in each pitch. His fastball sat 95-98 mph in most of my seems to be and touched triple digits a few occasions all year long. Cranton doesn’t create a lot extension, however he nonetheless creates plus using motion on his four-seamer due to how effectively he backspins it, and he’s absolutely able to bullying hitters within the zone. At its greatest, his upper-80s slider is a tough, two-plane breaker with late sufficient motion to generate above-average chase charges, however Cranton additionally tends to lose the laborious vertical end that’s most answerable for it producing whiffs. Cranton is a power-over-precision single-inning aid sort who signed a below-slot $50,000 deal. He’ll probably be assigned to one in all Seattle’s A-ball associates, and it wouldn’t shock me in any respect if he have been to complete the common season at Double-A or increased.
Braden Davis, LHP, Oklahoma
Group: Cardinals Spherical: 5 General Choose: 142
The headliner of Davis’ three-pitch combine is a changeup that I’d argue warrants a 70 future grade. It ran a 51% in-zone whiff price this 12 months and has late diving motion within the low-80s that he sells particularly effectively together with his arm pace. Davis was within the Sooners’ rotation this season, sitting 90-93 mph together with his fastball and touching 95 when he emptied the tank. He throws from a excessive slot and hides the ball effectively together with his on-line arm path, which permits his fastball to sneak by hitters, particularly when it’s situated up within the zone. His breaking ball is a low-80s slider that can present conventional two-plane motion and at occasions incorporate extra depth. It’s an providing that profiles to play a lot better towards same-sided hitters; Davis will probably must lean rather more closely on his changeup towards right-handed batters. Davis trimmed his stroll price to 10.5% in 2024 after operating a 15% stroll price in Sam Houston State’s bullpen the 12 months prior. His command might want to take one other massive developmental step ahead for him to be viable as a starter on the large league stage, however we might be a strong multi-inning aid sort whose stuff ticks up in shorter bursts, enabling him to maneuver rapidly by way of the minors. Davis and the Cardinals agreed to a deal for the slot quantity of $485,700. He’ll be an arm to observe within the Cardinals system, particularly with that changeup.
Tyson Neighbors, RHP, Kansas State
Group: Padres Spherical: 4 General Choose: 118
Neighbors has a medium body with restricted bodily projection. He throws from a excessive slot and has a vertically oriented arsenal in his four-seam fastball and curveball. His heater sat 93-96 mph and touched 98 every time I noticed him this spring. Neighbors’ fastball shows plus using life when it’s within the higher half of the zone, however he labored on the knees seemingly as typically as he tried to raise, and the life on the pitch isn’t as explosive down there. Neighbors’ curveball is a 81-85 mph 12-to-6 downer with sharp break that performs effectively towards left-handed hitters due to the vertical nature of its form. He’ll additionally combine in a brief cutter at 88-91 mph to provide hitters one other look. In 2023, Neighbors struck out an absurd 46.7% of the batters he confronted, whereas this 12 months he struck out 36.5%. Neighbors’ stroll price ticked as much as 11.4% this 12 months after he restricted free passes (8.7% stroll price) in 2023. Neighbors’ management has at all times considerably outpaced his command, and if he’s in a position to preserve the walks in verify, he may transfer rapidly by way of the minors. He has the potential to be a high-leverage sort. He agreed to a $600,000 deal, barely beneath slot.
Kodey Shojinaga, Catcher, Kansas
Group: Phillies Spherical: 6 General Choose: 192
Shojinaga was a draft-eligible sophomore who I’ve had a entrance seat to for the previous couple of years as he’s performed at Kansas. Shojinaga has superior bat-to-ball capability, which is mirrored in his sub-10% in-zone whiff price this season, and he posted a .335/.402/.485 slash on the 12 months. He tasks for well-below-average sport energy, however his line drive and gap-to-gap strategy will produce a big variety of doubles.
The query with Shojinaga is and has at all times been the place he’s going to play on the defensive facet of the ball. The Phillies introduced him as a catcher, which is the place he performed in highschool and in fall scrimmages annually that he was on campus, but it surely’s at all times been fairly shaky again there and he solely appeared at catcher in a single sport in his two years of faculty ball. He has common arm power, and each his receiving and blocking capability presently grade out as effectively beneath common. He’s primarily alternated between second and third base, however the fingers and footwork goes to should take an enormous step ahead in professional ball for him to be a satisfactory defender at both spot.
Shojinaga’s hit software provides him a shot, however he’ll must discover a method to grow to be a satisfactory defender at a place that may help his below-average energy profile. I don’t suppose that might be at his introduced place of catcher. Shojinaga not too long ago signed with the Phillies for $257,500.
Caden Powell, SS/CF, Seminole State (OK)
Group: Astros Spherical: 6 General Choose: 193
Powell gained the 2024 Nationwide Junior Faculty Participant of the Yr award at Seminole State, a longtime Oklahoma junior faculty powerhouse. In his 253 plate appearances this spring, Powell had 56 complete extra-base hits (1.088 SLG), together with 32 homers, and hit .502 on the season whereas taking part in shortstop for the Trojans. Powell is a premium athlete who nonetheless has important frame-based projection and he’s going to a membership that has arguably had essentially the most success in plucking under-the-radar Midwest junior faculty gamers who later discover their method to the large leagues.
Powell was drafted as a shortstop, however in my in-person seems to be at him this 12 months, I assumed he profiled higher in heart area as a result of his actions at brief can sometimes get inflexible and his fingers aren’t plus. Powell has an aggressive strategy on the plate and there might be some swing-and-miss in his sport, however the pure athleticism and bat pace he brings to the desk are a very good basis to construct on. No matter the place he finally ends up on the defensive spectrum, you’re shopping for the bat and total athleticism with Powell. The comp I’ve on him as he enters professional ball entails one other former prospect from the state of Oklahoma: Lane Adams. The Astros and Powell agreed on an over-slot bonus of $422,500. He’s a high-variance place participant to observe in Houston’s system
Brendan Jones, CF, Kansas State
Group: Yankees Spherical: 12 General Choose: 361
Jones walked (55) greater than he struck out (51) for Kansas State in 2024 on his method to posting a .303/.442/.500 line because the Wildcats’ on a regular basis heart fielder. Jones has a really flat bat path by way of the zone, but in addition whips the bat by way of the zone with above-average bat pace. Barring a serious swing change, Jones’ path and strategy aren’t going to yield a lot dwelling run worth, however his present lower may be very conducive to spraying laborious line drives to all fields.
Jones shouldn’t have any drawback staying in heart area long-term, as his plus pace permits him to cowl each gaps despite the fact that he tends to arrange very deep in heart. Regardless of not being a extremely projectable prospect, Jones’ capability to each stick at a premium place and make himself a pesky out within the batter’s field provides him a viable path to being a task participant. The Yankees inked Jones to a $150,000 signing bonus and he’ll probably be part of an affiliate quickly.
Iziah Salinas, LHP, Cowley Faculty (KS)
Group: Orioles Spherical: 17 General Choose: 519
Salinas is a left-handed pitcher with plus athleticism out of Cowley Faculty, a JUCO in Kansas that has produced the likes of Travis Hafner, Junior Spivey, and Trevor Rosenthal. Salinas is an excellent athlete with a lean body. Notable hip-shoulder separation in his supply actually permits you to undertaking on his fastball velocity. His fastball sat 88-91 mph, and relying on which begin you caught this spring, you can see him touching 93 or 87 mph on both facet of that vary. Salinas’ curveball is the most important eye-catcher within the combine. It ranges between 70-77 mph, has a unprecedented quantity of depth, and varies between a 12-to-6 and 1-to-7 form. He additionally threw a not often used changeup at 77-81 that tended to lack notable motion.
Salinas’ command was normally effectively beneath common and until one thing drastically improves with that, he’s nearly actually destined for a aid function. There’s extra meat on the bone with regards to Salinas’ body and the rate on his fastball. He’s a enjoyable arm for the O’s improvement crew, however they’ve a tall job in entrance of them by way of enhancing Salinas’ strike throwing capability. Salinas and the Orioles reached settlement on a $150,000 bonus previous to the signing deadline.