2024 MLB Draft Mix Standouts: Hitters

The 2 of us had been a part of the FanGraphs contingent in Phoenix for the 2024 MLB Draft Mix final week. The primary half of the week consisted of showcase occasions like batting follow, infield and outfield drills, and a recreation that includes lots of the excessive schoolers in attendance. The again half of the week consisted of athletic and biometric testing, together with the 30-yard sprint.

Beneath are scouting notes for a few of our favourite hitters from the occasion. Main League Baseball distributes an inventory of the highest performers in a number of of the athletic assessments to the media, however doesn’t share full information. Eric recorded the digital 30-yard occasions by hand as they unfolded; on the very backside of the publish is an entire checklist of these occasions, save for the couple he missed whereas he was schmoozing, consuming, and so on. We’ll have a publish highlighting Mix pitchers, in addition to a draft rating replace, to comply with. The gamers aren’t listed in any explicit order; our initials seem on the finish of the blurbs we wrote.

Kellon Lindsey, CF, Hardee Senior HS (FL) – Florida commit

Lindsey ran the quickest 30-yard sprint on the Mix in his two makes an attempt, at an ice chilly 3.53 and three.55 seconds; it regarded like he teleported from one finish of the stanchions to the opposite. Clemson’s Will Taylor and West Virginia commit Griffin Burkholder had the following quickest couple of occasions at 3.6 flat, and some youngsters ran within the mid 3.6s, however no one was near Lindsey, whose infield exercise suggests he’ll seemingly transfer from shortstop to middle subject in professional ball.

Don’t be shocked for those who hear Lindsey in comparison with Trea Turner in the course of the subsequent month or so. Like Turner, Lindsey is a thin speedster with defensive questions and a swing that should contain his total physique to generate thump. His BP in Phoenix was spectacular and he’s way more bodily than Turner was as a excessive schooler. Lindsey takes a cushty hack, with bodily connectivity from head to toe. He’s quick to the ball together with his prime hand driving contact, and he confirmed he may transfer the barrel round to make constantly flush contact throughout his session. As a result of Lindsey didn’t play a ton of showcase ball, the pattern of dependable information now we have entry to is comparatively small, that means there’s substantial variability in projecting his hit instrument, particularly how he’ll deal with breaking balls. However Lindsey thrived within the Mix’s showcase setting and will simply be somebody’s multi-million greenback man in the event that they imagine he’ll hit. – EL

Aiden Harris, 3B, PDG Academy (VA) – Virginia commit

Harris is a 17-year-old from Virginia who confirmed a number of the best plus uncooked energy of the occasion. It’s a easy stride and rhythmic hand load with important bat velocity by the zone. Harris’ undoubtedly appears to be an operation that’s slugging oriented, and whereas it’s exhausting to get an excellent grasp throughout BP, there didn’t appear to be a variety of adjustability within the bat path. A 17-year-old who reveals the kind of energy Harris did is unquestionably of word, although his swing-and-miss observe report in highschool is regarding. – TI

Chase Harlan, 3B, Central Bucks HS East (PA) – Clemson commit

Harlan is a Pennsylvania excessive schooler with a unfastened, fluid right-handed stroke, and he actually is aware of the best way to rotate. Almost every little thing he hit had backspin and was elevated with authority. He obtained into a number of balls to the pull facet when he was actually letting it eat, and he undoubtedly already has above-average uncooked energy in his recreation. It’s a really environment friendly and repeatable swing that produced among the best prep BP rounds of the occasion. There’s additionally apparent room for projection on the body. Harlan hit 4 balls 108 mph or above throughout BP. He entered the spring with hit instrument query marks that he wasn’t essentially in a position to put to relaxation enjoying in PA. As a result of he’s a nook bat, groups might ask him to go to highschool to show he can get to his energy in video games. – TI

PJ Morlando, 1B/OF, Summerville HS (SC) – South Carolina commit

Insert a Lil Jon GIF right here, as a result of I can’t hear you over Morlando’s BP. He had one of the spectacular energy shows of any participant in Phoenix no matter demographic, depositing baseballs midway up the best subject bleacher seats with ease. It’s cheap to see hit instrument danger right here, however Morlando’s highschool bat-to-ball observe report is a lot better than highschool energy bats who obtained $1 million – $1.75 million final yr (George Wolkow and Eric Bitonti), so we’d venture his bonus to be north of that. – EL

Eddie Rynders, SS, Wisconsin Lutheran HS – Kent State commit

Rynders’ bat path is geared for elevating with out him promoting out to create loft. He constantly will get prolonged out entrance on contact, which permits him to actually get into his juice to the pull facet. It isn’t a high-effort operation, however it isn’t mild on intent both. He generates leverage with an abbreviated leg kick and makes use of his decrease half to provide above-average energy to the pull facet. I’ve seen Rynders in recreation environments a number of occasions over the previous couple of years within the Midwest and stroll away greater on his swing every time I see him. – TI

Tyler Bell, SS, Lincoln-Approach East HS (IL) – Kentucky commit

Maybe our favourite all-around participant from the Mix, Bell is a switch-hitter who confirmed authoritative, rhythmic swings from either side of the plate, together with his right-handed hacks producing extra uncooked energy. He drove the ball into each gaps throughout his left-handed rounds, with occasional over-the-wall pull-side pop. His right-handed rounds had been heavy on exhausting, elevated contact, and he confirmed above-average uncooked energy general whereas hitting right-handed. Each strokes are compact, and he confirmed really feel for manipulating the barrel within the zone. Bell additionally had one of many higher infield periods of the highschool prospects. He’s had bother hitting spin in video games. – TI

Arnold “Jay” Abernathy, SS, North Cobb HS (GA) and Manuelle Marin, SS, ESB Academy (FL) – Tennessee commits

Abernathy will get probably the most out of his smaller body by taking a considerable transfer ahead within the field. He’s robust for his measurement and a moderately explosive rotational athlete. His swing’s a bit of lengthy, however that’s extra acceptable for a hitter his measurement. He has the instruments of a dynamic school leadoff man, and there are groups that give highschool outfielders like this $500,000 or so within the draft.

Marin is rail skinny, however has an aesthetically pleasing swing and controls the barrel fairly properly for somebody who would desperately must placed on power to compete in professional ball. Greater than they’re draft prospects for 2024 (I may see somebody taking a mid-six determine shot on Abernathy), these two are proficient guys to observe at Tennessee, particularly Marin, who may get away with a number of months on an SEC power and conditioning program. – EL

Kale Fountain, 3B, Norris HS (NE) – LSU commit

Fountain is a prep bat from Nebraska who has a really unfastened swing from begin to end. He has a quite simple pick-it-up, put-it-down set off and solely wants a brief, straightforward hand load to generate above-average pull-side energy. He maximizes the rotational section of his swing, which contributes to him producing above-average uncooked energy to the pull facet. Fountain has been one of many premier prep bats within the Central Plains the final two years and in addition had one of the projectable frames on the Mix. – TI

Myles Bailey, 1B, Lincoln HS (FL) – Florida State commit

Bailey reveals spectacular bat velocity and a really steep path by the zone, which permits him to constantly elevate with authority. It has a glance just like Freddie Freeman’s swing, however Bailey doesn’t observe the baseball with that form of precision. He units up and hundreds together with his palms away from his physique, and makes use of his decrease half particularly properly. His already robust body doesn’t have large projection, however there’s apparent upside right here as a power-oriented offensive profile. – TI

Jared Jones, 1B, Louisiana State

Jones is a robust, mature-framed school bat with a rhythmic, excessive back-elbow hand load who scattered plus energy to all fields throughout his rounds. It’s a unfastened swing that doesn’t drive loft whereas having loads of it. Jones has a easy, repeatable stride and makes use of his robust decrease half properly all through his swing. There’s notable size in his swing, which is able to seemingly proceed to lead to pronounced swing-and-miss, however there’s actually eye-catching energy potential right here. – TI

Jackson Sturdy, OF, Canisius College

Sturdy spent the final three years at Canisius College in New York, however will switch to Kentucky subsequent yr if he returns to the newbie ranks. He has a lean, medium body, and he hits out of an upright stance with a leg raise stride. His excessive back-elbow load creates pure loft in his path, which stays within the zone for a very long time, and he has really feel for manipulating the barrel. All of his over-the-wall energy got here to the pull facet, and whereas it wasn’t the loudest uncooked on the occasion, Sturdy produced a number of the most constantly authoritative contact in attendance. He swing is sweeter wanting than it’s explosive. – TI

Joseph Sullivan, OF, South Alabama

Sullivan confirmed a number of the largest energy on the Mix, hitting a number of pull-side homers in extra of 110 mph, together with two of the six hardest-hit balls in play on the total occasion. He’s tightly wound and stiff within the hips however has uncommoon energy for a lefty bat. He’s more likely to come off the board in the midst of Day Two of the draft. – EL

Tytus Cissell, SS, Francis Charles HS (MO) – Missouri commit

Cissell is a tightly wound switch-hitting shortstop who blew up a number of the decrease physique explosion testing on the Mix. He ran a 3.65 second 30-yard sprint (a prime 10 time at this yr’s occasion), had the largest vertical leap (32 inches with use of his palms), and was among the many occasion leaders in floor forces generated when adjusted for the athlete’s measurement. He additionally had a formidable BP, exhibiting a easy stroke from either side and hitting with stunning energy for such a thin man. We all know Cissell has had bother hitting in precise video games and think about him a toolsy dev venture. – EL