Yesterday, I covered some of the Midwest prep players from this recent draft class who I was able to see in person several times over the past couple of years. This set of notes will cover some recent college draftees (from both four-year programs and junior colleges) who I caught this year in Kansas and Oklahoma.

Hunter Cranton, RHP, Kansas
Team: Mariners Round: 3 Overall Pick: 91

Cranton will turn 24 years old in October and is a nearly finished product who can be expected to move through the minor leagues quickly. He has a rangy 6-foot-3 frame and throws from a high arm slot, and there’s violent effort in every pitch. His fastball sat 95-98 mph in most of my looks and touched triple digits a couple of times throughout the year. Cranton doesn’t create much extension, but he still creates plus riding action on his four-seamer because of how well he backspins it, and he’s fully capable of bullying hitters in the zone. At its best, his upper-80s slider is a hard, two-plane breaker with late enough action to generate above-average chase rates, but Cranton also has a tendency to lose the hard vertical finish that is most responsible for it generating whiffs. Cranton is a power-over-precision single-inning relief type who signed a below-slot $50,000 deal. He will likely be assigned to one of Seattle’s A-ball affiliates, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if he were to finish the regular season at Double-A or higher.

Braden Davis, LHP, Oklahoma
Team: Cardinals Round: 5 Overall Pick: 142

The headliner of Davis’ three-pitch mix is a changeup that I’d argue warrants a 70 future grade. It ran a 51% in-zone whiff rate this year and has late diving action in the low-80s that he sells especially well with his arm speed. Davis was in the Sooners’ rotation this season, sitting 90-93 mph with his fastball and touching 95 when he emptied the tank. He throws from a high slot and hides the ball well with his online arm path, which allows his fastball to sneak by hitters, especially when it’s located up in the zone. His breaking ball is a low-80s slider that will show traditional two-plane action and at times incorporate more depth. It’s an offering that profiles to play much better against same-sided hitters; Davis will likely need to lean much more heavily on his changeup against right-handed batters. Davis trimmed his walk rate to 10.5% in 2024 after running a 15% walk rate in Sam Houston State’s bullpen the year prior. His command will need to take another large developmental step forward for him to be viable as a starter at the big league level, but we could be looking at a solid multi-inning relief type whose stuff ticks up in shorter bursts, enabling him to move quickly through the minors. Davis and the Cardinals agreed to a deal for the slot amount of $485,700. He’ll be an arm to watch in the Cardinals system, especially with that changeup.

Tyson Neighbors, RHP, Kansas State
Team: Padres Round: 4 Overall Pick: 118

Neighbors has a medium frame with limited physical projection. He throws from a high slot and has a vertically oriented arsenal in his four-seam fastball and curveball. His heater sat 93-96 mph and touched 98 each time I saw him this spring. Neighbors’ fastball displays plus riding life when it’s in the upper half of the zone, but he worked at the knees seemingly as often as he attempted to elevate, 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 plays well against left-handed hitters because of the vertical nature of its shape. He’ll also mix in a short cutter at 88-91 mph to give hitters another look. In 2023, Neighbors struck out an absurd 46.7% of the batters he faced, while this year he struck out 36.5%. Neighbors’ walk rate ticked up to 11.4% this year after he limited free passes (8.7% walk rate) in 2023. Neighbors’ control has always significantly outpaced his command, and if he’s able to keep the walks in check, he could move quickly through the minors. He has the potential to be a high-leverage type. He agreed to a $600,000 deal, slightly below slot.

Kodey Shojinaga, Catcher, Kansas
Team: Phillies Round: 6 Overall Pick: 192

Shojinaga was a draft-eligible sophomore who I’ve had a front seat to for the past couple of years as he’s played at Kansas. Shojinaga has advanced bat-to-ball ability, which is reflected in his sub-10% in-zone whiff rate this season, and he posted a .335/.402/.485 slash on the year. He projects for well-below-average game power, but his line drive and gap-to-gap approach will produce a significant number of doubles.

The question with Shojinaga is and has always been where he’s going to play on the defensive side of the ball. The Phillies announced him as a catcher, which is the position he played in high school and in fall scrimmages each year that he was on campus, but it’s always been pretty shaky back there and he only appeared at catcher in one game in his two years of college ball. He has average arm strength, and both his receiving and blocking ability currently grade out as well below average. He’s primarily alternated between second and third base, but the hands and footwork is going to have to take a big step forward in pro ball for him to be a passable defender at either spot.

Shojinaga’s hit tool gives him a shot, but he’ll need to find a way to become a passable defender at a position that can support his below-average power profile. I don’t think that will be at his announced position of catcher. Shojinaga recently signed with the Phillies for $257,500.

Caden Powell, SS/CF, Seminole State (OK)
Team: Astros Round: 6 Overall Pick: 193

Powell won the 2024 National Junior College Player of the Year award at Seminole State, a longtime Oklahoma junior college powerhouse. In his 253 plate appearances this spring, Powell had 56 total extra-base hits (1.088 SLG), including 32 homers, and hit .502 on the season while playing shortstop for the Trojans. Powell is a premium athlete who still has significant frame-based projection and he’s going to a club that has arguably had the most success in plucking under-the-radar Midwest junior college players who later find their way to the big leagues.

Powell was drafted as a shortstop, but in my in-person looks at him this year, I thought he profiled better in center field because his actions at short can occasionally get rigid and his hands aren’t plus. Powell has an aggressive approach at the plate and there will be some swing-and-miss in his game, but the pure athleticism and bat speed he brings to the table are a good foundation to build on. Regardless of where he ends up on the defensive spectrum, you’re buying the bat and overall athleticism with Powell. The comp I have on him as he enters pro ball involves another 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 position player to watch in Houston’s system

Brendan Jones, CF, Kansas State
Team: Yankees Round: 12 Overall Pick: 361

Jones walked (55) more than he struck out (51) for Kansas State in 2024 on his way to posting a .303/.442/.500 line as the Wildcats’ everyday center fielder. Jones has a very flat bat path through the zone, but also whips the bat through the zone with above-average bat speed. Barring a major swing change, Jones’ path and approach aren’t going to yield much home run value, but his current cut is very conducive to spraying hard line drives to all fields.

Jones shouldn’t have any problem staying in center field long-term, as his plus speed allows him to cover both gaps even though he has a tendency to set up very deep in center. Despite not being a highly projectable prospect, Jones’ ability to both stick at a premium position and make himself a pesky out in the batter’s box gives him a viable path to being a role player. The Yankees inked Jones to a $150,000 signing bonus and he’ll likely join an affiliate soon.

Iziah Salinas, LHP, Cowley College (KS)
Team: Orioles Round: 17 Overall Pick: 519

Salinas is a left-handed pitcher with plus athleticism out of Cowley College, a JUCO in Kansas that has produced the likes of Travis Hafner, Junior Spivey, and Trevor Rosenthal. Salinas is a very good athlete with a lean frame. Notable hip-shoulder separation in his delivery really allows you to project on his fastball velocity. His fastball sat 88-91 mph, and depending on which start you caught this spring, you could see him touching 93 or 87 mph on either side of that range. Salinas’ curveball is the biggest eye-catcher in the mix. It ranges between 70-77 mph, has an extraordinary amount of depth, and varies between a 12-to-6 and 1-to-7 shape. He also threw a rarely used changeup at 77-81 that tended to lack notable action.

Salinas’ command was usually well below average and unless something drastically improves with that, he’s almost certainly destined for a relief role. There’s more meat on the bone when it comes to Salinas’ frame and the velocity on his fastball. He’s a fun arm for the O’s development team, but they have a tall task in front of them in terms of improving Salinas’ strike throwing ability. Salinas and the Orioles reached agreement on a $150,000 bonus prior to the signing deadline.

Now that the draft is over and organizations are finishing the process of signing their picks, I wanted to share notes on some recent draftees here in the Midwest who I’ve been able to scout in-person multiple times over the past couple of years. I’m going to focus primarily on players who aren’t yet household names, but who have a skill set or tool that caught my eye. This bunch of notes will cover some recently drafted high schoolers, while the next batch will cover players from the college ranks.

Tyson Lewis, SS, Millard West HS (NE)
Team: Reds Round: 2 Overall Pick: 51

Lewis was my favorite high school position player in the Midwest this year despite believing that he’ll slide over to second base long-term. Lewis swings it from the left side and has a well-rounded offensive skill set that gives you reason to project on both his hit tool and game power. Lewis’ swings are aggressive but under control, and his path keeps his bat in the zone for an extended period of time while also having enough loft to elevate; he shows solid-average raw power during batting practice presently and it projects to be plus in the future. There are times when Lewis’ swing will get longer and more prone to swing-and-miss, especially against plus velocity up in the zone. When Lewis is going well, he whips the bat through the zone with above-average bat speed and shows the ability to manipulate the barrel to cover multiple quadrants, though pitches down in the zone are the ones he does the most damage against. Read the rest of this entry »

The 2024 MLB Draft has concluded, and it’s time to make definitive judgments about which teams did the best and worst before many of the players have even signed their deals. Just kidding — while I do have a few team-specific thoughts below, this piece is more about what unfolded across the draft as a whole. I texted folks in the industry (scouts, executives, and agents) to see what they thought of the overall results, and if they noticed a continuation of broad industry trends or observed behavior specific to this year’s proceedings. I’ve incorporated some of their thoughts below. Read the rest of this entry »

The Cleveland Guardians made history at the Fort Worth Stockyards on Sunday night, drafting Oregon State second baseman Travis Bazzana first overall. I planted my flag on Bazzana Island back in February, and noted that he could become the first Australian player drafted no. 1 overall, as well as the first player born and raised anywhere other than the U.S. or its dependencies. Keith Law pointed out that because no. 2 overall pick Chase Burns was born in Italy (though raised in Tennessee), 2024 marked the first time that both of the top two picks were born outside the U.S.

Had the Guardians chosen University of Georgia third baseman Charlie Condon, a different kind of history could’ve been made. Condon would’ve been the third no. 1 overall pick from Marietta, Georgia, after Dansby Swanson and Kris Benson, which would’ve given that city of some 60,000 people the distinction of being the only municipality in America to produce three no. 1 overall picks. Read the rest of this entry »

Below is a team-by-team analysis of last night’s draft activity. Remember that you can find more detailed scouting reports and tool grades for the players drafted yesterday over on The Board. The positions below are what the player was announced as, not necessarily what I have them projected as on The Board. For pitchers, I have a role designated below: starter (SP), or single-inning or multi-inning reliever (SIRP and MIRP). Read the rest of this entry »

Read the rest of this entry »

1. Cleveland Guardians
Pick: Travis Bazzana, 2B, Oregon State
There has been a lot of buzz today about Wetherholt going here and, as I wrote in my first mock, he is the guy to cut an under-slot deal with if you’re going to do it with anyone because his other homes are later than the other candidates. I also have Wetherholt first on my board and would be fine just taking him here on talent. The rumors smell almost too strong today, as if they’re a last ditch effort to drive Bazzana’s price down before taking him. I’m staying disciplined and leaving Bazzana here, but it’s purely on intuition. Read the rest of this entry »

Konnor Griffin is the middle child of a Division III college softball coach. His parents’ names both start with K, as do both of his brothers’.

“If my mom’s trying to get a hold of me, she’ll probably say my other two brothers’ names first and then get to mine,” he said. “It’s kind of confusing, but everybody in my family has K as a first initial. It’s different, but it makes us unique.”

Griffin has a broad smile and an equally broad Mississippi accent, and from the neck down he’s pure muscle. He’s just preposterously big: 6-foot-4, 205 pounds, though he’d have no trouble convincing me he was being cheated another inch and 20 or 30 pounds. At his size, there’s the potential for plus-plus power. He can also run — he stole more than 80 bases in his final high school season — and hit the mid-90s throwing off a mound.

He’s 18 years old and just graduated high school. He says he can play shortstop at the next level, but can he cook and do laundry? Read the rest of this entry »

Clubs have begun their pre-draft meetings, with some teams already about a week into theirs, while the last team to start them (Milwaukee, as far as I know) begins today. The number of people in draft meetings varies significantly from team to team. Some have more than 20 people in the room, others five or so. When any one person in the draft room learns something new, whether it’s from a scout buddy with another team or during a conversation with an agent or media person, the other folks in the room tend to also learn that thing. It is during this window that the dope starts to flow in a way that makes a more specific, full-round mock draft more feasible.

Below are notes I’ve compiled across the last couple of days from conversations with scouts, front office people, and agents. There isn’t intel on every single team or first round player out there in the ether right now. In spots where I’m making an educated guess based on a player’s fit with past team or decision-maker behavior, I try to make it obvious that’s what I’m doing. I let you know when rumors are coming from industry sources, while being vague enough to not burn a source. I also have some thoughts peppered in that aren’t specific to teams’ picks, but instead what the arc of the first round of this draft might look like based on the nature of this year’s class. For more info on the players below, head over to The Board for scouting reports, tool grades, and rankings. Read the rest of this entry »

Last season, the college baseball game of the year was the national semifinal matchup between LSU and Wake Forest. It pitted the first two pitchers chosen in that year’s draft — Paul Skenes and Rhett Lowder — against one another, with a berth in the College World Series final on the line. The two star right-handers obliged, combining to strike out 15 while allowing just eight baserunners over 15 scoreless innings. The game remained tied, 0-0, until the very final at-bat, when Tommy White hit a two-run walk-off home run to win it for LSU.

The closest thing we had to that kind of pitching matchup in 2024 came in the losers’ bracket of the Greenville Regional. The top four college starters in this year’s draft — Wake Forest’s Chase Burns, Arkansas’ Hagen Smith, East Carolina’s Trey Yesavage, and Iowa’s Brody Brecht — all played in different conferences. The only time any of those four faced each other was in a win-or-go-home matchup between ECU and Wake on the second day of the NCAA Tournament, and the contours of this game were somewhat different as well. Read the rest of this entry »