Each summer season, the Midwest Scouts Affiliation, which is made up of scouting personnel from all 30 main league organizations, invitations 50 highschool gamers from all through the area to take part in a two-day occasion in Kansas Metropolis. The occasion includes a showcase portion on the Kansas Metropolis Royals’ City Youth Academy, in addition to a seven-inning doubleheader the next day at Kauffman Stadium. It’s a improbable alternative to get a snapshot of how most of the prime highschool prospects in subsequent yr’s draft class look going into their senior yr, with a handful of incoming juniors within the combine as nicely. The gamers are listed right here so as of my desire primarily based solely on my look from this specific occasion. With that, let’s check out some 2025 draft-eligible Midwest prep prospects.
Place Gamers
Landon Schaefer, SS, Fayetteville, AR
Faculty Dedication: Arkansas
Schaefer is dedicated to his hometown Razorbacks, however he’s going to get lots of consideration from beginner scouts main as much as the 2025 draft. He has a lean, athletic body that leaves loads of room to venture on each his physique and his instruments. He hits out of an upright, sq. setup, and makes use of an abbreviated leg kick to set off his lengthy stride. Schaefer has a deep hand load that produces a 45-degree bat angle, which generates loft as he whips it by means of the hitting zone with above-average bat velocity. He flashed above-average uncooked energy to the pull aspect throughout batting observe and constantly did a pleasant job of incorporating his decrease half in his hacks.
Defensively, Schaefer exhibits delicate fingers that look greater than able to staying up the center on the filth. He controls his 6-foot-3 body nicely when ranging laterally, and whereas he isn’t overly twitchy, there’s a touch of quick-twitch in his actions, that are clean and fluid general. Proper now, Schaefer has fringe-average arm power at greatest, however given how projectable his body is and the way good of an athlete he’s, it’s protected to anticipate that he’ll have no less than common arm power sooner or later. Whereas there are some considerations to level to concerning whether or not he stays at shortstop long-term, the actions, physique management, and fingers he displayed give me confidence that he’ll be no less than an above-average defender at second base if he finally strikes off shortstop. General, it’s a well-rounded profile that brings worth on either side of the ball, and I believe there will likely be fairly a little bit of buzz round Schaefer previous to subsequent yr’s draft.
Jackson Akin, SS, Lee’s Summit, MO
Faculty Dedication: Oklahoma
Akin has a really projectable, lean, long-levered physique, and it’s obvious his body nonetheless has vital long-term power potential. He hits out of a barely open, semi-crouched stance and makes use of a easy stride to get to a sq. place at launch. Akin has a simple, rhythmic hand load, and a bat path that stays within the zone for an prolonged interval whereas additionally creating loft. His stable bat velocity and path confirmed above-average uncooked energy throughout batting observe, each to the pull aspect and to the middle of the diamond.
Throughout Akin’s dwell at-bats, he was at instances susceptible to increasing out of the zone in opposition to spin, however the projectability of his hit and energy instruments is interesting. Defensively, Akin confirmed common fingers, along with his compact arm path presently producing fringe-average stick with it his throws. He’ll possible come off shortstop sooner or later, however the projection in his offensive profile is the principle attraction.
Cole Pladson, OF, Clay Middle, KS
Faculty Dedication: Oklahoma State
Pladson hits out of a sq., balanced stance with a high-hands setup. It’s a repeatable operation within the field, with a leg carry stride and a rhythmic, medium hand load, and his excessive again elbow throughout his load creates loft in his path by means of the zone. Pladson does a pleasant job sustaining a nonetheless head all through his swing and likewise exhibits really feel for manipulating the barrel within the zone. He showcased solid-average bat velocity and uncooked energy, which confirmed up in sport motion for a pull aspect homer.
Pladson confirmed fringe-average arm power through the defensive portion of the exercise and ran a 6.64 second 60-yard sprint. It’s an intriguing profile that appears to supply a projectable, well-rounded offensive ability set. Pladson is a prospect I believe has notable helium potential. He’s a reputation to maintain tabs on all through this fall and subsequent spring.
Money Williams, C, Choctaw, OK
Faculty Dedication: Tennessee
Williams has an athletic, medium construct with room so as to add power sooner or later, however he doesn’t have an excessively projectable body. Williams will get his cash’s price with each swing he takes, whether or not it’s in batting observe or in opposition to dwell pitching, and although he takes large hacks, his swing isn’t uncontrolled and he isn’t utterly missing in barrel consciousness. Williams makes use of a giant leg kick and prolonged stride to generate leverage, with the quantity of loft in his path geared for placing the ball within the air. It’s 50-grade bat velocity by means of the zone, and Williams already exhibits common uncooked energy that tasks to above common within the close to future.
Williams had agile actions behind the plate, however his receiving can get inflexible at instances and he has hassle sticking borderline pitches. Between how nicely he strikes and the caliber of athlete he’s, there’s loads of motive to assume his defensive profile will development upward. Williams additionally confirmed above-average arm power, and I had a 1.96 second pop time on him throughout sport motion regardless of the throw being a bit off the bag. He’s previous for his class, and fashions will ding him closely for that, however he had an excellent general displaying at this occasion.
Pitchers
Cam Appenzeller, LHP, Springfield, IL
Faculty Dedication: Uncommitted
FB: 89-93 / SL: 77-80 / CH: 82-84
A rangy, lean, and projectable left-hander, Appenzeller confirmed a three-pitch combine from a low three-quarters arm slot. Along with his projectable body, his general supply is fluid, repeatable and really starter-like. Appenzeller additionally has above-average hip/shoulder separation, offering additional motive to dream on how a lot velocity there could possibly be within the tank for a fastball that presently sits 89-93 mph with stable tail and sinking motion. His breaking ball usually took the form of a hybrid curveball/slider providing, with late tilting motion and flashes of above-average enamel. He was additionally in a position to keep correct arm velocity on a couple of changeups he threw, along with his greatest ones displaying common fade and depth.
Given how a lot physique and stuff projection there may be in his profile, Appenzeller will undoubtedly draw lots of appears to be like from groups main as much as subsequent yr’s draft. Regardless of solely getting a one-inning look, Appenzeller’s really feel for command was obvious, as he landed each of his secondary pitches within the zone and flashed really feel for finding his heater on each corners.
Grady Westphal, RHP, Leawood, KS
Faculty Dedication: Texas A&M
FB: 90-93 / SL: 80-83 / CH: 85-87
Westphal is a high-waisted, lean, projectable right-hander who nonetheless has a major quantity of room on his body for future power positive factors. Westphal throws from a three-quarters slot. His medium arm circle has a slight stab in its path, however his barely open stride course is a much bigger crimson flag to me than something about his arm path. His fastball sat within the low 90s, with carry by means of the zone that permits it to play above the speed, and it’s more likely to see additional positive factors because the body provides power.
His breaking ball has three-quarters form with two-plane motion, and he broke off a pair with spin charges north of three,000 rpm. He did present a bent to throw the providing from a decrease slot than his fastball, which is one thing he’ll want to wash up and get extra in step with. Westphal additionally threw a few changeups that mirrored his fastball arm velocity, which produced fade and sinking motion. Westphal’s projectable fastball and present potential to spin a breaking ball make him an intriguing arm to observe this fall and subsequent spring.
Tyler Wooden, RHP, Lee’s Summit, MO
Faculty Dedication: Tennessee
FB: 92-95 / SL: 77-80
Wooden is an athletic, lean two-way participant who shined essentially the most on the mound throughout this specific occasion. He confirmed above-average arm velocity and throws from a excessive three-quarters slot. His 92-95 mph four-seam fastball confirmed stable carry by means of the zone (18-20 induced vertical break), and he did a pleasant job of filling up the zone along with his heater. His greatest sliders had been two-plane breakers that flashed above-average chunk; they shorten up a bit when he will get on the aspect of them. Wooden additionally confirmed a changeup throughout his warmups, however I didn’t have him throwing one throughout sport motion.
The already current athleticism and stuff make Wooden an intriguing pitching prospect, and his ceiling on the mound appears to be like to be considerably increased than it’s within the outfield. He’ll be a enjoyable one to look at all through his senior yr.
Brody Irlbeck, LHP, Kansas Metropolis, MO
Faculty Dedication: Iowa
FB: 90-92 / CB: 74-76 / CH: 79
Irlbeck has a thin, underdeveloped construct that might result in vital velocity/stuff positive factors as soon as it matures. He throws from a low three-quarters slot with a prolonged, fluid arm circle that’s unfastened and fast, which contributes to his fastball sneaking up on hitters regardless of sitting 90-92 mph. His heater additionally flashed notable late tailing motion that generated some whiffs within the zone. A number of space scouts who’ve extra historical past with Irlbeck and have seen him extra instances in individual informed me that his command has been shaky in years previous however has been trending up extra just lately. On this specific one-inning outing, he constantly commanded the ball to either side of the plate and successfully elevated as nicely. His curveball had 1-to-7 form with various levels of depth, but it surely frequently confirmed common tightness. He solely threw two changeups, each of which confirmed late fading motion and had been thrown with high quality arm velocity.
Irlbeck had a pointy inning of labor however essentially the most interesting facet of his profile is the diploma to which you’ll be able to venture on him. Not solely is his body extremely projectable, however his plus hip/shoulder separation and the fluidity in his arm motion make it an excellent guess there’s greater than just a bit velocity on the horizon for him. If Irlbeck’s command continues to development upwards and is constant whereas doing so, this very nicely could be a reputation with helium previous to subsequent yr’s draft.
