Yesterday, I lined among the Midwest prep gamers from this current draft class who I used to be capable of see in individual a number of instances over the previous couple of years. This set of notes will cowl some current school draftees (from each four-year applications and junior faculties) who I caught this yr in Kansas and Oklahoma.
Hunter Cranton, RHP, Kansas
Staff: Mariners Spherical: 3 Total Decide: 91
Cranton will flip 24 years outdated in October and is an almost completed product who may be anticipated to maneuver via the minor leagues rapidly.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 appears 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 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 answerable for it producing whiffs. Cranton is a power-over-precision single-inning reduction sort who signed a below-slot $50,000 deal. He’ll probably be assigned to one in every 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 greater.
Braden Davis, LHP, Oklahoma
Staff: 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 yr 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 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 in opposition to same-sided hitters; Davis will probably have to lean way more closely on his changeup in opposition to right-handed batters. Davis trimmed his stroll price to 10.5% in 2024 after working a 15% stroll price in Sam Houston State’s bullpen the yr 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 degree, however we may very well be taking a look at a stable multi-inning reduction sort whose stuff ticks up in shorter bursts, enabling him to maneuver rapidly via 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
Staff: 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 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 provide hitters one other look. In 2023, Neighbors struck out an absurd 46.7% of the batters he confronted, whereas this yr he struck out 36.5%. Neighbors’ stroll price ticked as much as 11.4% this yr 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 capable of maintain the walks in examine, he may transfer rapidly via 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
Staff: 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 potential, which is mirrored in his sub-10% in-zone whiff price this season, and he posted a .335/.402/.485 slash on the yr. He tasks for well-below-average recreation energy, however his line drive and gap-to-gap method will produce a major 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 recreation in his two years of school ball. He has common arm power, and each his receiving and blocking potential presently grade out as nicely under common. He’s primarily alternated between second and third base, however the fingers and footwork goes to must take a giant 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 strategy to turn into a satisfactory defender at a place that may help his below-average energy profile. I don’t suppose that can 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 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 important 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 strategy to the large leagues.
Powell was drafted as a shortstop, however in my in-person appears at him this yr, I assumed he profiled higher in heart discipline as a result of his actions at brief can often get inflexible and his fingers aren’t plus. Powell has an aggressive method on the plate and there can 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 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 observe in Houston’s system
Brendan Jones, CF, Kansas State
Staff: Yankees Spherical: 12 Total Decide: 361
Jones walked (55) greater than he struck out (51) for Kansas State in 2024 on his strategy to posting a .303/.442/.500 line because the Wildcats’ on a regular basis heart fielder. Jones has a really flat bat path via the zone, but in addition whips the bat via the zone with above-average bat pace. Barring a significant swing change, Jones’ path and method aren’t going to yield a lot dwelling run worth, however his present minimize could be very conducive to spraying laborious line drives to all fields.
Jones shouldn’t have any drawback staying in heart discipline long-term, as his plus pace permits him to cowl each gaps though he tends to arrange very deep in heart. Regardless of not being a extremely projectable prospect, Jones’ potential 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 probably be a part of an affiliate quickly.
Iziah Salinas, LHP, Cowley Faculty (KS)
Staff: Orioles Spherical: 17 Total 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 means that you can mission 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 facet 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 normally nicely under common and except one thing drastically improves with that, he’s virtually actually destined for a reduction function. There’s extra meat on the bone in terms of Salinas’ body and the speed on his fastball. He’s a enjoyable arm for the O’s improvement workforce, however they’ve a tall process in entrance of them when it comes to enhancing Salinas’ strike throwing potential. Salinas and the Orioles reached settlement on a $150,000 bonus previous to the signing deadline.
