Yesterday, I covered a number of the Midwest prep gamers from this current draft class who I used to be capable of see in individual a number of occasions over the previous couple of years. This set of notes will cowl some current faculty draftees (from each four-year packages and junior schools) who I caught this yr in Kansas and Oklahoma.
Hunter Cranton, RHP, Kansas
Workforce: Mariners Spherical: 3 Total Choose: 91
Cranton will flip 24 years outdated in October and is an almost completed product who may be anticipated to maneuver by the minor leagues shortly.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 occasions 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 arduous vertical end that’s most answerable for it producing whiffs. Cranton is a power-over-precision single-inning aid sort who signed a below-slot $50,000 deal. He’ll doubtless 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 larger.
Braden Davis, LHP, Oklahoma
Workforce: Cardinals Spherical: 5 Total Choose: 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 yr and has late diving motion within the low-80s that he sells particularly properly along with his arm velocity. 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 occasions incorporate extra depth. It’s an providing that profiles to play a lot better in opposition to same-sided hitters; Davis will doubtless have to lean rather more closely on his changeup in opposition to right-handed batters. Davis trimmed his stroll fee to 10.5% in 2024 after working a 15% stroll fee 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 massive league stage, 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 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
Workforce: Padres Spherical: 4 Total Choose: 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 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 fee ticked as much as 11.4% this yr 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 capable of hold the walks in examine, he might transfer shortly by 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
Workforce: Phillies Spherical: 6 Total Choose: 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 capability, which is mirrored in his sub-10% in-zone whiff fee this season, and he posted a .335/.402/.485 slash on the yr. He tasks for well-below-average sport 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 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, however it’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 energy, and each his receiving and blocking capability at present grade out as properly under common. He’s primarily alternated between second and third base, however the arms 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 solution to grow to be a satisfactory defender at a place that may help his below-average energy profile. I don’t suppose that might 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)
Workforce: Astros Spherical: 6 Total Choose: 193
Powell gained the 2024 Nationwide Junior School Participant of the Yr award at Seminole State, a longtime Oklahoma junior faculty 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 essentially the most success in plucking under-the-radar Midwest junior faculty gamers who later discover their solution to the large leagues.
Powell was drafted as a shortstop, however in my in-person appears to be like at him this yr, I believed he profiled higher in heart area as a result of his actions at quick can sometimes get inflexible and his arms aren’t plus. Powell has an aggressive method on the plate and there might be some swing-and-miss in his sport, however the pure athleticism and bat velocity he brings to the desk are a great 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 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
Workforce: Yankees Spherical: 12 Total Choose: 361
Jones walked (55) greater than he struck out (51) for Kansas State in 2024 on his solution to posting a .303/.442/.500 line because the Wildcats’ on a regular basis heart fielder. Jones has a really flat bat path by the zone, but additionally whips the bat by the zone with above-average bat velocity. Barring a significant swing change, Jones’ path and method aren’t going to yield a lot house run worth, however his present reduce could be very conducive to spraying arduous line drives to all fields.
Jones shouldn’t have any downside staying in heart area long-term, as his plus velocity permits him to cowl each gaps regardless that he tends to arrange very deep in heart. Regardless of not being a extremely projectable prospect, Jones’ capability 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)
Workforce: Orioles Spherical: 17 Total Choose: 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 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 may 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 rare 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 properly under common and until one thing drastically improves with that, he’s virtually actually destined for a aid position. There’s extra meat on the bone on the subject of Salinas’ body and the rate on his fastball. He’s a enjoyable arm for the O’s improvement workforce, however they’ve a tall activity in entrance of them when it comes to bettering Salinas’ strike throwing capability. Salinas and the Orioles reached settlement on a $150,000 bonus previous to the signing deadline.
