Yesterday, I coated among 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 instances over the previous couple of years. This set of notes will cowl some current school draftees (from each four-year packages and junior schools) who I caught this 12 months in Kansas and Oklahoma.
Hunter Cranton, RHP, KansasStaff: Mariners Spherical: 3 Total Decide: 91
Cranton will flip 24 years previous in October and is an almost completed product who might be anticipated to maneuver by means of the minor leagues shortly. 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 appears and touched triple digits a few instances all year long. Cranton doesn’t create a lot extension, however he nonetheless creates plus using motion on his four-seamer due to how properly he backspins it, and he’s totally able to bullying hitters within the zone. At its finest, 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 accountable for it producing whiffs. Cranton is a power-over-precision single-inning reduction sort who signed a below-slot $50,000 deal. He’ll doubtless be assigned to certainly one of Seattle’s A-ball associates, and it wouldn’t shock me in any respect if he had been to complete the common season at Double-A or larger.
Braden Davis, LHP, OklahomaStaff: Cardinals Spherical: 5 Total Decide: 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 properly along with his arm pace. Davis was within the Sooners’ rotation this season, sitting 90-93 mph along with his fastball and touching 95 when he emptied the tank. He throws from a excessive slot and hides the ball properly along with his on-line arm path, which permits his fastball to sneak by hitters, particularly when it’s positioned up within the zone. His breaking ball is a low-80s slider that can present conventional two-plane motion and at instances incorporate extra depth. It’s an providing that profiles to play a lot better towards same-sided hitters; Davis will doubtless have to 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 huge league stage, however we could possibly be taking a look at a strong multi-inning reduction sort whose stuff ticks up in shorter bursts, enabling him to maneuver shortly by means of the minors. Davis and the Cardinals agreed to a deal for the slot quantity of $485,700. He’ll be an arm to look at within the Cardinals system, particularly with that changeup.
Tyson Neighbors, RHP, Kansas StateStaff: Padres Spherical: 4 Total Decide: 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 properly 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 present 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 all the time considerably outpaced his command, and if he’s in a position to hold the walks in examine, he might transfer shortly by means 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, KansasStaff: Phillies Spherical: 6 Total Decide: 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 skill, 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 recreation energy, however his line drive and gap-to-gap method will produce a big variety of doubles.
The query with Shojinaga is and has all the time been the place he’s going to play on the defensive aspect 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, nevertheless it’s all the time been fairly shaky again there and he solely appeared at catcher in a single recreation in his two years of school ball. He has common arm energy, and each his receiving and blocking skill at the moment grade out as properly beneath common. He’s primarily alternated between second and third base, however the fingers and footwork goes to need to take an enormous step ahead in professional ball for him to be a satisfactory defender at both spot.
Shojinaga’s hit instrument provides him a shot, however he’ll have to discover a method to turn out to be a satisfactory defender at a place that may help his below-average energy profile. I don’t assume that shall 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)Staff: Astros Spherical: 6 Total Decide: 193
Powell gained the 2024 Nationwide Junior School Participant of the Yr award at Seminole State, a longtime Oklahoma junior school powerhouse. In his 253 plate appearances this spring, Powell had 56 whole 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 school gamers who later discover their method to the large leagues.
Powell was drafted as a shortstop, however in my in-person appears at him this 12 months, I believed he profiled higher in middle subject as a result of his actions at brief can sometimes get inflexible and his fingers aren’t plus. Powell has an aggressive method on the plate and there shall be some swing-and-miss in his recreation, however the pure athleticism and bat pace he brings to the desk are an excellent 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 includes 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 look at in Houston’s system
Brendan Jones, CF, Kansas StateStaff: Yankees Spherical: 12 Total Decide: 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 middle fielder. Jones has a really flat bat path by means of the zone, but additionally whips the bat by means of the zone with above-average bat pace. Barring a serious swing change, Jones’ path and method aren’t going to yield a lot residence run worth, however his present minimize may be very conducive to spraying laborious line drives to all fields.
Jones shouldn’t have any downside staying in middle subject long-term, as his plus pace permits him to cowl each gaps despite the fact that he tends to arrange very deep in middle. Regardless of not being a extremely projectable prospect, Jones’ skill 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 job participant. The Yankees inked Jones to a $150,000 signing bonus and he’ll doubtless be part of an affiliate quickly.
Iziah Salinas, LHP, Cowley School (KS)Staff: Orioles Spherical: 17 Total Decide: 519
Salinas is a left-handed pitcher with plus athleticism out of Cowley School, 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 mission 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 aspect of that vary. Salinas’ curveball is the largest 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 hardly ever used changeup at 77-81 that tended to lack notable motion.
Salinas’ command was often properly beneath common and except one thing drastically improves with that, he’s nearly actually destined for a reduction position. There’s extra meat on the bone in the case of Salinas’ body and the rate on his fastball. He’s a enjoyable arm for the O’s growth crew, however they’ve a tall job in entrance of them when it comes to enhancing Salinas’ strike throwing skill. Salinas and the Orioles reached settlement on a $150,000 bonus previous to the signing deadline.
