Yesterday, I lined among the Midwest prep gamers from this latest draft class who I used to be in a position to see in individual a number of instances over the previous couple of years. This set of notes will cowl some latest school draftees (from each four-year packages and junior faculties) who I caught this 12 months in Kansas and Oklahoma.
Hunter Cranton, RHP, Kansas
Crew: Mariners Spherical: 3 General Decide: 91
Cranton will flip 24 years previous in October and is a virtually completed product who will be anticipated to maneuver by way 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 to be like and touched triple digits a few instances all year long. Cranton doesn’t create a lot extension, however he nonetheless creates plus driving motion on his four-seamer due to how nicely 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 arduous vertical end that’s most liable for it producing whiffs. Cranton is a power-over-precision single-inning aid sort who signed a below-slot $50,000 deal. He’ll seemingly be assigned to one in all 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, Oklahoma
Crew: Cardinals Spherical: 5 General 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 fee this 12 months and has late diving motion within the low-80s that he sells particularly nicely 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 nicely along 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 instances incorporate extra depth. It’s an providing that profiles to play a lot better in opposition to same-sided hitters; Davis will seemingly have to lean far more closely on his changeup in opposition to right-handed batters. Davis trimmed his stroll fee to 10.5% in 2024 after operating a 15% stroll fee in Sam Houston State’s bullpen the 12 months prior. His command might want to take one other giant developmental step ahead for him to be viable as a starter on the massive league degree, however we could possibly be taking a look at a strong multi-inning aid sort whose stuff ticks up in shorter bursts, enabling him to maneuver shortly 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 look at within the Cardinals system, particularly with that changeup.
Tyson Neighbors, RHP, Kansas State
Crew: Padres Spherical: 4 General 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 driving life when it’s within the higher half of the zone, however he labored on the knees seemingly as usually 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 nicely in opposition to left-handed hitters due to the vertical nature of its form. He’ll additionally combine in a brief cutter at 88-91 mph to offer 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 fee ticked as much as 11.4% this 12 months after he restricted free passes (8.7% stroll fee) in 2023. Neighbors’ management has at all times considerably outpaced his command, and if he’s in a position to preserve the walks in examine, he might transfer shortly by way of the minors. He has the potential to be a high-leverage sort. He agreed to a $600,000 deal, barely under slot.
Kodey Shojinaga, Catcher, Kansas
Crew: Phillies Spherical: 6 General 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 means, which is mirrored in his sub-10% in-zone whiff fee this season, and he posted a .335/.402/.485 slash on the 12 months. He initiatives 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 aspect of the ball. The Phillies introduced him as a catcher, which is the place he performed in highschool and in fall scrimmages every year 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 means at the moment grade out as nicely under common. He’s primarily alternated between second and third base, however the fingers and footwork goes to must 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 have to discover a approach to turn out to be a satisfactory defender at a place that may help his below-average energy profile. I don’t suppose that will likely 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)
Crew: Astros Spherical: 6 General Decide: 193
Powell received the 2024 Nationwide Junior Faculty Participant of the 12 months award at Seminole State, a longtime Oklahoma junior school 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 enjoying shortstop for the Trojans. Powell is a premium athlete who nonetheless has vital frame-based projection and he’s going to a membership that has arguably had probably the most success in plucking under-the-radar Midwest junior school gamers who later discover their approach to the massive leagues.
Powell was drafted as a shortstop, however in my in-person appears to be like at him this 12 months, I believed he profiled higher in middle subject as a result of his actions at quick can sometimes get inflexible and his fingers aren’t plus. Powell has an aggressive strategy on the plate and there will likely be some swing-and-miss in his sport, however the pure athleticism and bat pace he brings to the desk are a superb basis to construct on. No matter the place he finally ends up on the defensive spectrum, you’re shopping for the bat and general 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 look at in Houston’s system
Brendan Jones, CF, Kansas State
Crew: Yankees Spherical: 12 General Decide: 361
Jones walked (55) greater than he struck out (51) for Kansas State in 2024 on his approach to posting a .303/.442/.500 line because the Wildcats’ on a regular basis middle fielder. Jones has a really flat bat path by way of the zone, but additionally whips the bat by way of the zone with above-average bat pace. Barring a significant swing change, Jones’ path and strategy aren’t going to yield a lot dwelling run worth, however his present reduce could be very conducive to spraying arduous line drives to all fields.
Jones shouldn’t have any drawback staying in middle subject long-term, as his plus pace permits him to cowl each gaps though he tends to arrange very deep in middle. Regardless of not being a extremely projectable prospect, Jones’ means 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 seemingly be a part of an affiliate quickly.
Iziah Salinas, LHP, Cowley Faculty (KS)
Crew: Orioles Spherical: 17 General Decide: 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 lets you challenge on his fastball velocity. His fastball sat 88-91 mph, and relying on which begin you caught this spring, you might 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 not often used changeup at 77-81 that tended to lack notable motion.
Salinas’ command was often nicely under common and except one thing drastically improves with that, he’s nearly actually destined for a aid position. There’s extra meat on the bone in relation to Salinas’ body and the speed on his fastball. He’s a enjoyable arm for the O’s improvement workforce, however they’ve a tall job in entrance of them when it comes to bettering Salinas’ strike throwing means. Salinas and the Orioles reached settlement on a $150,000 bonus previous to the signing deadline.
