The top 12 unsigned high school pitchers from the 2022 draft

Earlier this week, we took a look at the top high school hitters to reach campus and before that looked at a rather shallow group of unsigned college players. We'll close it out with incoming freshman pitchers, which bring eleven different schools for the twelve arms. Just like with the hitters, LSU is again the only school with multiple names on their list, and their five combined blows out second place Notre Dame with two combined. Pitchers can be more unpredictable than hitters, but certainly keep an eye on these names as past lists have included names like Jack Leiter, Hunter Barco, Cade Horton, Ricky Tiedemann, Tanner Witt, Thatcher Hurd, Chase Burns, Brody Brecht, and Carter Holton, all of whom went on to become impact pitchers in one way or another. This list also includes my top overall recruit at any position in terms of MLB Draft value in Andrew Dutkanych, who regularly flashed first round potential.

1. RHP Andrew Dutkanych, Vanderbilt. My 2022 draft rank: #37*.
Andrew Dutkanych removed himself from the draft before the event and therefore did not appear on my draft rankings, but he would have ranked #37 and is therefore the top high school prospect at any position to reach campus this fall, well ahead of #54 Max Martin of Rutgers. Dutkanych's stock had been very up and down throughout the draft cycle, so rather than play games with the draft, he'll look for more consistency as part of a Vanderbilt program that could use a boost in the rotation. He looked exceptional at times over the summer and heard his name as high as the middle of the first round, but also had some rougher outings that threw some doubt into the equation. While warm weather arms like Jackson Ferris, Dylan Lesko, and Brandon Barriera got off to hot starts, Dutkanych had to hang back an extra minute while the Indiana weather warmed up, and he slipped a little on boards. Then he came out firing early in the Indianapolis spring, rocketing back into the first round conversation, before his command began to falter and he slipped back down once again. So what is Vanderbilt getting? I'm personally a fan of Dutkanych, who at his best looks like by far the best incoming freshman pitcher in the country. His fastball sits in the low to mid 90's and can touch 97 with some ride, while his short, tight slider looks plus at its best and can miss a ton of bats. He also throws a loopier curveball that shows promise if he can tighten it up in addition to a fringy but improving changeup, giving him the chance for four average or better pitches. The 6'3" righty loves to go right after hitters and pounds the strike zone with intent, throwing all of his pitches with conviction just the way you want to see it. His control is ahead of his command, as he can miss up with his fastball and spike his breaking balls and is overall inconsistent in that department, but that's where you'd rather miss and I have confidence Tim Corbin's staff will get him straightened out. Even with Christian Little gone to LSU and Chris McElvain now in the Reds system, it's a crowded rotation picture in Nashville between Dutkanych, Carter Holton, Devin Futrell, Patrick Reilly, and the litany of talented young arms waiting to step up. Dutkanych will be draft eligible again as a sophomore in 2024, having been born right on the cutoff day just like Stanford's Malcolm Moore and Texas' Jalin Flores ironically enough, so he'll want to earn those innings sooner rather than later. I think he can, and he could challenge Holton for the Friday night spot by 2024.

2. LHP Tristan Smith, Clemson. My 2022 draft rank: #68.
Clemson thought they might land two of the best high school pitchers in the country when both Tristan Smith and Brock Porter slipped out of the top three rounds, but even with Porter signing with the Rangers for a massive bonus, Smith will bring some real firepower to a pitching staff that remains largely intact outside of ace Mack Anglin (Royals). With only Anglin gone, it may be tough to find innings in a rotation that will also add impact transfer Willie Weiss from Michigan, but the 2022 South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year has what it takes to break through. He sits in the low 90's with his fastball and can reach back for 96, with high spin rates that give it plenty of life. His best pitch is a plus slider, again with high spin rates, that comes in with sharp, late break to miss bats in bunches. Smith mainly works off those two pitches and will need to develop his changeup to eventually take over that Friday night role, but it's a very loud arsenal regardless. The 6'2" lefty is athletic and moves well on the mound, though he has some moving parts in his delivery and can lose his release point at times, leading to inconsistent command. It's good enough for now, but he'll want to clean that up quickly because he's extremely old for an incoming freshman and will be draft eligible again in 2024. If he can't take a step forward with either his command or his changeup, he'll project well as a starter in pro ball, but there is some long term relief risk.

3. RHP Riley Kelly, UC Irvine. My 2022 draft rank: #88.
Riley Kelly is a projection play that may not make an immediate impact at UC Irvine with only moderate turnover on the pitching staff, but given some time, I think he could become the next great Anteater ace. He was a pop-up prospect this spring and had some serious draft helium as scouts came rushing in to Orange County to see him at Tustin High School, though he was still just a little bit to raw to command a signing bonus large enough to steer him away from school. His fastball sits around 90 and tops out around 94, dipping into the upper 80's at times. Kelly's best attribute is his curveball, with huge top to bottom break that he can sharpen up for a tighter look if he wants. He commands it well and it might be the best incoming freshman breaking ball coming to campus this fall. The changeup is a distant third pitch for now, which of course he'll want to develop in order to take that Friday night role eventually. The 6'4" righty is tremendously projectable and will almost assuredly add velocity in Irvine as he fills out that big frame, especially as he smooths out a methodical delivery that loses power as he moves through it. That in turn should help his command, which is presently fringy. Kelly has a ton of work to do to reach his lofty ceiling, but UC Irvine has a strong track record of pitching development from Trenton Denholm to Andre Pallante.

4. LHP Levi Huesman, Coastal Carolina. My 2022 draft rank: #110.
Levi Huesman has some work to do before he's ready to take on Sun Belt competition, but Coastal Carolina lost its entire weekend rotation and would love for him to step up if possible. He burst onto the scene last fall at the WWBA Championship, then rode a solid but unspectacular spring to a seventeenth round selection by the Rays. Huesman sits in the low 90's with his fastball and can get up to 96 at best, though he didn't always maintain that velocity last spring and often pitched closer to 90. He also throws an interesting sweeping slider that looks like a plus pitch at its best with plenty of break, but he does need to tighten it up as it gets loopy at times. Lastly, his changeup is well behind and will need to be developed. The Richmond-area native stands just six feet tall and doesn't offer a ton of projection with his skinny frame, but he is very athletic on the mound and repeats his delivery well, pounding the strike zone with average command. His shorter stature also helps him get a lower release height on the ball, giving his fastball great ride and helping the slider play off it. Coastal Carolina will want to help him get stronger so he can maintain his peak stuff over a long college season, and if he can hold his command together while doing so, he has every chance to jump into that weekend rotation.

5. RHP Chase Shores, Louisiana State. My 2022 draft rank: #111.
LSU landed three names on the position player version of this article, and Chase Shores gives them their first pitcher. Last year, LSU was more known for their bats than their arms, but they return virtually everyone from last year's staff save for starter Ma'Khail Hilliard (graduation) and relievers Eric Reyzelman (Yankees) and Paul Gervase (Mets). In addition, they're bringing in a huge class of transfer arms led by Thatcher Hurd (UCLA), Christian Little (Vanderbilt), and Paul Skenes (Air Force), and then there's the freshman class led by Shores and the next man on this list, Jaden Noot. So long story short, it will be tough to earn innings, but he could be up to the task. Standing 6'8', he's already the tallest man in the dugout, and at 250 pounds he's no string bean. Shores comes in with a low to mid 90's fastball that can touch 98, playing up with running and sinking action from a low three quarters slot. That slot and height combination gives hitters a very tough look, and immediately gives him a leg up even on SEC competition. The West Texas native has a full set of inconsistent secondaries that flash average, with the slider the most promising pitch for now with above average grades at its best. Meanwhile, his arm slot can drop when he gets tired, leading to diminished command in those cases, but he fills up the zone when he's at full strength and getting on that LSU conditioning program should help him stay there. It feels redundant to say with a 6'8" freshman that can touch 98, but there is a ton of upside here if Jay Johnson's staff can get him more consistent with his secondary stuff while holding the command together.

6. RHP Jaden Noot, Louisiana State. My 2022 draft rank: #118.
Jaden Noot will jostle with Chase Shores for innings on that crowded LSU pitching staff, and he may have a better shot to win innings right away in 2023. He's also a big man at 6'4", 235 pounds, but he's more physical and not quite as athletic at this point. Noot sits in the low to mid 90's with his fastball and can get up to 97, adding a slider that flashes above average, a loopy curveball with good depth in the low 70's, and a decent changeup. It's a very college-ready arsenal, though he does need to sharpen some things up to get from freshman innings eater to impact Friday/Saturday guy. The fastball has the velocity, but it's fairly straight and he'll need to play it off his other pitches. Meanwhile his curveball needs to add power to complement its depth, while he can slow his arm down on changeups at times. None of that is anything crazy, and there's no reason Jay Johnson and co. shouldn't be able to get him there. The Southern California native has tremendous arm strength and looks like he's just playing catch out there, which makes up for a relative lack of athleticism. If he can maintain his body and refine his offspeed stuff a bit, he has the chance to pitch a lot of big innings in Baton Rouge.

7. LHP Cade Obermueller, Iowa. My 2022 draft rank: #124.
Cade Obermueller draws a lot of parallels to Coastal Carolina's Levi Huesman. He's another undersized lefty that stands just 5'11", though he's thirty pounds lighter than Huesman and clocks in at just 155 pounds. Obviously the first thing the Iowa staff will want to do will be to stuff him full of steaks and protein, but he's already a great athlete and should put any added strength to good use. His fastball sits around 90 for now and tops out at 93, with similar flat plane to Huesman from a lower slot, albeit with some cut as well that makes it a fairly unique pitch. He brings a sweepy slider similar to Huesman as well and a decent changeup, rounding out a three pitch arsenal. Once Obermueller puts that weight on, he'll likely add a tick or two of velocity to his fastball and power to his slider, which will be necessary for him to fill Adam Mazur's shoes as a Friday night starter. Otherwise, his floor is something similar to Illinois' (now the Marlins') Cole Kirschsieper if the stuff doesn't tick up, which is still solid. The Iowa City native is a great athlete who should be able to hold his command together as his stuff ticks up, making it a very interesting profile all around. With Mazur (Padres) and swingmen Dylan Nedved (Padres) and Duncan Davitt (Rays) gone to pro ball, he'll have the opportunity to step into some innings quickly.

8. RHP Kassius Thomas, Duke. My 2022 draft rank: #130.
Duke is losing four of its top five arms by innings from 2022, plus TJ returner Henry Williams, so getting Kassius Thomas to campus will be a huge boon and he'll have an opportunity to earn big innings right away. He and Jaden Noot formed one of the best 1-2 punches in the country at Sierra Canyon High School in the Los Angeles area, and now both are heading way east for school. While Noot is a big, sturdy power arm, Thomas is more athletic and projectable as he trends in the right direction. His fastball sits in the low 90's and gets up to 95, with a quick right arm that promises more velocity as he fills out. He works in a full arsenal of solid secondary pitches, lead by a slider that flashes plus at its best and followed by a solid curveball and potentially above average changeup. The 6'1" righty doesn't always repeat his arm slot and can get around his breaking stuff, losing bite in the process and impacting his command, but he is trending in the right direction and hopefully Duke can keep that progress rolling. There is plenty to work with here and Thomas is a heady athlete with a high baseball IQ, so if he can put the velocity, athleticism, and feel for spin together consistently, he'll be a star in Durham.

9. RHP David Lally, Notre Dame. My 2022 draft rank: #134.
Interestingly, two of my favorite lesser-known names getting to campus are both heading to Notre Dame. Incoming infielder Estevan Moreno is my sleeper pick as a hitter, while righty David Lally is a very interesting one on the mound. The Irish will have significant turnover on the mound, losing most of their go-to arms either to pro ball or the transfer portal while also bringing in a couple of useful transfers, not to mention swapping head coaches from Link Jarrett to Shawn Stiffler. All that upheaval will give Lally a chance to break through, though he is fairly raw and might not be quite ready from the get go. He sits in the low to mid 90's with his fastball and can get up to 96, with running life that can make it tough to square up. His breaking ball hasn't quite found its identity yet, but he does show good feel for spin and with some coaching could make some real leaps int hat area. Additionally, Flint, Michigan-area native shows a very strong changeup for a cold weather arm from an area that isn't traditionally a prospect hotbed, giving him an immediate weapon to use in South Bend. Standing 6'4", he comes with good projection and moves very well on the mound, though his mechanics are raw and will need to be smoothed out by the Notre Dame coaching staff. All together, if they get this right, Lally brings a ton of upside as a hard throwing righty that could end up with two or even three above average offspeed offerings.

10. RHP Jack O'Connor, Virginia. My 2022 draft rank: #142.
Despite losing Friday night starter Nate Savino (Diamondbacks) and swingman Brandon Neeck (Dodgers), among others, UVA projects to bring back a deep pitching staff augmented by a strong transfer class, so Jack O'Connor will have to fight for innings early on. He was inconsistent this spring, but had a little bit of late helium and may be ready. O'Connor sits in the low 90's with his fastball and can get up to 96, adding in a full set of secondaries. His above average slider is the best for now, and he can turn it into a harder cutter if he needs to, while his curveball is a bit looper and his changeup is a fringy pitch at this point. The Northern Virginia native hides the ball well from a very short arm action, though his command has been inconsistent and he'll want to get that ironed out in Charlottesville in addition to getting more consistent with his secondaries. O'Connor is big and projectable at 6'5" with plenty of arm strength, giving him a ton of upside, though UVA has had mixed results with premium arms that have reached campus lately like Savino and Mike Vasil.

11. RHP Grayson Saunier, Mississippi. My 2022 draft rank: #144.
Six different pitchers started at least five games for Ole Miss in 2022, and five of them plus closer Brandon Johnson are gone to either pro ball, the transfer portal, or medical school (props to you, John Gaddis), so there will be turnover on that champion pitching staff. That gives Grayson Saunier a chance to wrestle for innings in the rotation, though I see him more as a long term projection play who may not be ready for extended innings in the SEC until 2024. He has missed significant time with injuries in high school but should be healthy now, giving him the opportunity to build up for the season. Those injuries have caused Saunier's fastball to dip into the upper 80's at times, but he's up to 96 at his best with a ton of projection in his 6'4" frame promising to bring even more. His secondaries all flash big promise, with a couple of high spin breaking balls and a fading changeup making for a very intriguing four pitch arsenal. Being hurt has meant that he hasn't gotten the opportunity to refine those offerings and get more consistent, but now that he's healthy the Ole Miss coaching staff will get to work on that with him. The Memphis-area product has a clean, athletic delivery with the aforementioned ideal frame, so once he gets a little stronger, the sky is the limit if everything breaks right.

12. RHP Eli Jerzembeck, South Carolina. My 2022 draft rank: #153.
South Carolina returns the vast majority of its pitching staff and adds a couple of big transfer arms as well, so Eli Jerzembeck will have to fight for innings.  The good news is that he's fairly advanced coming in and should be able to provide quality innings as a reliever before jumping into the rotation in 2024, when he'll be draft eligible again due to a very early birthday. Jerzembeck sits around 90 with his fastball but has been up to 96, so the arm strength is certainly there. His best pitch is a plus curveball with sharp, late bite that can get SEC hitters out right away, while his slider and changeup are less used pitches. The 6'2" righty does need to iron out his mechanics as a short strider and an upright thrower, and doing so could help him settle closer to his peak velocity than he does right now. Out of the USC bullpen, I can imagine him sitting 93-95 with that power curveball and carving up SEC lineups immediately, then working into the rotation as he gets those mechanics optimized and refines the rest of his arsenal a little more. How well he makes those adjustments will also determine his future role in pro ball.

Honorable Mentions
#158 RHP/QB Sam Horn, Missouri
#160 RHP Tyler Bremner, UC Santa Barbara
#163 RHP Hayden Murphy, Auburn
#167 RHP Malachi Witherspoon, Jacksonville
#185 BHP Jurrangelo Cijntje, Mississippi State
#189 LHP Brennan Phillips, Oklahoma State
#197 LHP Bradley Loftin, Mississippi State
#204 LHP Zach Crotchfelt, Auburn

2022 MLB Draft Review: Texas Rangers

Full list of draftees

You may or may not think Kumar Rocker was a reach at third overall, and personally it's not the pick I would have made even with the discount, but you cannot deny the brilliance of this class as a whole especially given that they did it without a second or third round pick. They found an incredible amount of talent despite not making their second pick until #109, and that means I have to give massive kudos to now ex-GM Jon Daniels. After scooping up all that premium talent in the first five picks, the Rangers went an interesting route the rest of the way by giving just $7,000 to their eighth, ninth, and tenth picks combined, followed by drafting a slew of JuCo and high school players on day three. They got all four JuCo arms to sign, but landed just one of the five high schoolers on day three and let the other four get to campus. In all, it was a very pitching-heavy class that featured only five bats in total, one of which didn't even sign and two of which combined to sign for just $2,000. 
Full index of team reviews here. Full rankings here.

1-3: RHP Kumar Rocker, Tri-City ValleyCats. My rank: #36.
Slot value: $7.59 million. Signing bonus: $5.2 million ($2.39 million below slot value).
We pretty much all know about Kumar Rocker's wild ride to pro ball, but let's recap it real quick just in case anybody has been under a rock. The son of former NFL player and current Philadelphia Eagles defensive line coach Tracy Rocker, Kumar was one of the top high school pitchers in the country in 2018 and had significant first round interest. He wound up at Vanderbilt instead and quickly became one of the most famous players in college baseball with a tremendous freshman season highlighted by a 19 strikeout no-hitter against Duke in the Nashville Super Regional, and entered the 2021 draft cycle as a leading candidate to go first overall. While he was dominant more often than not that spring, he was just inconsistent enough under that top-of-the-draft spotlight to slip to the Mets at tenth overall, who initially offered him a $6 million signing bonus. However, the two sides disagreed over his post-draft physical and the Mets pulled the offer and informed him they would not sign him under any circumstances, effectively barring Rocker from affiliated baseball. He underwent minor arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder in September, then instead of returning to Vanderbilt for his senior season, he opted to train independently and signed with the Tri-City ValleyCats of the independent Frontier League. He got on the mound for five closely watched starts in June and July, posting a 1.35 ERA and a 32/4 strikeout to walk ratio over 20 innings and rocketing himself back up draft boards even as news of his September surgery broke. We all knew that Rocker would be one of the biggest wild cards in the first round, with rumored interest throughout the middle of the round but with many teams being scared off by the shoulder surgery, and he wound up going about ten picks ahead of where most expected his ceiling to be. His $5.2 million signing bonus, while more than $2 million below slot value at third overall, was roughly equivalent to slot value at ninth overall. So where does that leave us now? Kumar Rocker, who turns 23 in November, is naturally one of the most advanced pitchers in the class. His fastball velocity has been inconsistent, hovering close to 90 at times in 2021 but also touching 99 at others, with average riding life that can play a bit true and get hit when it's over the plate. His slider got slurvy at times last year, but at its best, it's a devastating plus-plus pitch that sends even the most disciplined hitters flailing at it. He also shows a shorter, harder cutter that looks like an above average pitch, while his changeup lacks deception and has been hit hard at times. Everything was at its best in his controlled outings in 2022, leading many teams including the Rangers to feel comfortable that his inconsistencies last spring were much more of a blip on the radar than anything representing his long term reality. Rocker also pounds the strike zone and while his control is ahead of his command, both looked very sharp with Tri-City. The 6'5" righty is also extremely physical and moves well on the mound with a competitive demeanor, giving off the proverbial vibe of a staff ace. Now the reason he fell out of the first round range on my board is his shoulder. It looked completely healthy in 2022, but between the inconsistency of his stuff in 2021 and the minor surgery shortly thereafter, it's far from guaranteed to hold up. Shoulders are notoriously unpredictable and if something goes wrong, the fix is often much more complicated than Tommy John surgery, but the Rangers are clearly comfortable with his medicals and are ready to have him join former Vanderbilt teammate Jack Leiter in Arlington sooner rather than later.

4-109: RHP Brock Porter, Orchard Lake St. Mary's HS [MI]. My rank: #16.
Slot value: $560,200. Signing bonus: $3.7 million ($3.14 million above slot value).
Signing Kumar Rocker for well below slot value opened up an opportunity for the Rangers to make a massive splash with Brock Porter, who signed for the highest bonus ever for a player outside the top one hundred picks. In fact, that $3.7 million payday he received to skip out on a Clemson commitment is between the slot values for the 17th and 18th picks, so nobody is mistaking his slide down to the fourth round as having anything to do with talent – there are many teams and most draft boards that considered him a first round pick. Porter has a tremendous combination of arm strength and polish, making him another potential future ace in a system that is getting deep in pitching. He sits comfortably in the mid 90's with his fastball and has touched triple digits on occasion, with enough stamina to hold that velocity deep into his starts. His breaking balls need more refinement but the feel for spin is certainly there, with a loopy mid 70's curveball with plenty of depth that just needs to add some power as well as a harder, shorter slider that looks like a true plus pitch when he snaps it off just right. Porter's best offspeed pitch is a plus changeup with huge fading action that can even work up in the zone, rounding out an arsenal that could, a few years down the road, feature four plus pitches. The 6'4" righty's delivery is clean, athletic, and repeatable, albeit with some head whack, and his average command is extremely impressive given how hard he throws. The main drawback in this profile, at least for some teams, is his age, as he turned 19 more than a month before the draft and is more age appropriate for a college freshman than a high school senior. Still, it's hard to imagine the Detroit-area native as anything but a high end starting pitcher.

5-139: OF Chandler Pollard, Woodward HS [GA]. My rank: #96.
Slot value: $418,500. Signing bonus: $418,500.
This has a chance to really, really pay off for the Rangers. Chandler Pollard had a Washington State commitment in the bag, but surprisingly signed with the Rangers for slot value here in the fifth round. He's an exceptional athlete that moves extremely well on both sides of the ball, with plenty of projection once he gets into the Rangers development system. In the box, he shows extremely quick hands that produce plenty of bat speed, with the long arms and legs to create natural leverage from his 6'2" frame. He does need to get stronger to tap more power, but I definitely see it in him and he could get to above average in time. Pollard's hit tool is unproven, as he rose to prominence more this spring against Atlanta-area competition rather than over the summer against showcase competition, but he has shown the ability to get to balls all over the zone and do damage. On the other side of the ball, he's a plus runner that played a lot of shortstop in high school, where his glovework was a bit raw, but the Rangers drafted him as an outfielder and where he has a chance to stick in center field. Pollard has a lot of work to do to reach his lofty ceiling, but the natural ability is absolutely there and his projection and athleticism make for excellent building blocks. He has played two games so far in the Arizona Complex League, going hitless with a pair of strikeouts in five at bats while adding a walk.

6-169: OF Tommy Specht, Wahlert Catholic HS [IA]. My rank: #122.
Slot value: $314,400. Signing bonus: $450,000 ($135,600 above slot value).
A year ago, the Rangers drafted a catcher named Ian Moller in the fourth round out of Wahlert Catholic High School that stood out on the showcase circuit but struggled in game action. This year, they grabbed another Wahlert Catholic alum who also showed well on the showcase circuit before struggling in the spring. Tommy Specht is a physical, athletic outfielder that draws some parallels to Zac Veen, albeit not quite at his level. He takes big, explosive swings from the left side, with the potential for plus power as he matures. He made a lot of loud contact over the summer, but he wasn't always consistent and that was certainly the case in a slower spring. The Dubuque, Iowa native is also an above average runner with a plus arm, and he has a chance to stick in center field or become an asset in right field. Additionally, he's more than a year younger than Brock Porter in the same class and has a great head on his shoulders, giving him plenty of time to develop and the tools to do so. The Rangers are bought into the explosive tools he showed over the summer, and they hope he'll regain that form once he gets into their development system. There is a ton of upside to be had here at the relatively modest price of $450,000 to sign away from a Kentucky commitment, and Specht has so far picked up two hits in ten at bats with six strikeouts to two walks through three games in the Arizona Complex League. 

7-199: RHP Luis Ramirez, Long Beach State. My rank: #138.
Slot value: $245,000. Signing bonus: $250,000 ($5,000 above slot value).
Thought of as a late day two candidate entering the season, Luis Ramirez came out of the gate red hot with dominant outings against Mississippi State, Sacramento State, and Hawaii, allowing three runs (just one earned) in 25 innings over his first four starts, rocketing as high as second round consideration. However, he went down with a shoulder injury after that fourth start in mid-March, missed three weeks, and wasn't nearly as effective when he returned, allowing eleven runs (seven earned) and walking seven in 8.2 innings over his next three starts. Long Beach State shut him down again for good, and he hasn't pitched since. In all, he had a 2.14 ERA and a 38/11 strikeout to walk ratio over 33.2 innings, but those numbers were 0.36 and 28/4 before the injury. As I mentioned with Kumar Rocker, shoulder injuries are extremely unpredictable, and it's hard to know what to make of the situation. He ranked #80 at Prospects Live, #118 at Baseball America, #138 on my board, and #143 at MLB Pipeline but teams passed him up until pick #199, and they presumably have more information on his medicals than these publications do (certainly more than I do), so I wouldn't exactly take that as a good sign. Still, when Ramirez is on the mound, the stuff belongs well within the top one hundred picks. His fastball sits in the low 90's but can touch as high as 98, with nasty running and sinking action from a high three quarters slot that generates a ton of ground balls. He adds a big slider with deep break and an above average changeup, making for a very good three pitch mix. The Los Angeles native commands his fastball very well but can get a little more scattered with his offspeed pitches, so once he gets back on the mound, that should be a point of emphasis. He has the luck of a durable #4 starter with a solid 6'2" frame, though obviously that's a question mark until he gets his shoulder back to full strength.

11-319: LHP Kohl Drake, Walters State JC. My rank: unranked.
Slot value: up to $125,000. Signing bonus: $175,000 ($50,000 against bonus pool).
The Rangers have quite a few pitchers from DFW in their system, including Cody Bradford (Aledo), Mason Englert (Forney), and Josh Stephan (Grand Prairie), and they'll add another one in Kohl Drake. Drake grew up in Sachse about 18 miles northeast of downtown and attended Wylie High School one town over, but he's played baseball all over the country. After beginning his career at Arkansas Tech, he transferred across the country to San Joaquin Delta JC in California in 2020, then after the shutdown moved all the way back across the country again to Walters State JC in East Tennessee. It was there that he finally came into his own, putting on a show this spring with a 1.93 ERA and a 160/17 strikeout to walk ratio over 93.1 innings. That included three different outings with at least thirteen strikeouts and one against Columbia State JC in which he struck out sixteen over seven shutout innings. Now, the Rangers will bring the well-travelled lefty back home. Drake sits around 90 with his fastball with some riding life, drops in a solid curveball with deep break, and adds a solid changeup as well. He commands it all very well, having cleaned up his delivery considerably at Walters State, and was able to dice up JuCo hitters across the South. Now hitting pro ball, he's going to need to add a few ticks of velocity across the board, both to his fastball and offspeed stuff. Though he turned 22 on the first day of the draft, he remains very projectable at 6'5" and could probably throw a little harder in a pro development program. If he can, he has the ingredients of a back end starter, and one that knows his way around the Metroplex to boot.

18-529: LHP Justin Sanchez, Monsignor McClancy HS [NY]. My rank: unranked.
Slot value: up to $125,000. Signing bonus: $125,000.
Justin Sanchez represents a sleeper in this class, signing away from a USF commitment for $125,000 in the eighteenth round. He only sits in the upper 80's with his fastball, topping out around 91, adding a two-plane slider with deep, late break as well as a fairly advanced changeup. Though he doesn't throw particularly hard now, the 6' lefty doesn't feature much effort in his delivery and can land all three of his pitches for strikes to both sides of the plate, so he's very advanced. With his all-around game in a very good spot to start out, he can focus his attention on adding velocity and power to get pro hitters out. You also don't typically see too many kids getting drafted out of New York City high schools, but Monsignor McClancy in Queens is on a good run lately, also having churned out second rounder Quentin Holmes (Indians) and fifth rounder Charlie Neuweiler (Royals) in the 2017 draft.

19-559: RHP Grayson Saunier, Collierville HS [TN]. My rank: #144.
Slot value: up to $125,000. Signing bonus: did not sign.
Grayson Saunier did not sign in the nineteenth round, which I think was smart on his part, and will head to Ole Miss to try to build his stock. I think he has a very good chance to do so, with an extremely projectable 6'4" frame, plenty of latent arm strength, and present pitchability that he hasn't been able to showcase much while batting injuries. Saunier does not show consistent velocity, sitting in the upper 80's at times but also reaching back for as much as 96 at others, and that's probably a result of those nagging injuries. He shows great feel to spin both a slider and a curveball, and adds an advanced changeup as well to round out a balanced arsenal. The Memphis-area native has a very athletic delivery and repeats it well, leading to above average command when he's at his best, and that combined with his projectability portend to plenty more velocity in the future. If Saunier can get stronger and stay healthy at Ole Miss, I have no reason not to believe he'll be a top three round pick or better in 2025.