It should come as no surprise that the two schools that just played for the national championship – LSU and Florida – are at the top of the draft board and well represented here.
Best Batsman: Dylan Crews, OF, LSU (Class 70)
Callis: Incredible year — he hit .426, he was the Golden Spikes winner, he was SEC Player of the Year two years in a row, he won a national championship. He’s got plate discipline — he’s tied at the top of NCAA Division I with 71 walks. He’s reached baseline in every single game. He makes a lot of contacts, he has a great approach, he draws a lot of walks, he often uses the opposite field. He’s hitting the ball consistently, controlling the strike zone and hitting hard contact better than ever this spring.
Also in discussion: Max Clark, OF, Franklin (Ind.) HS; Nolan Schanuel, 1B/OF, Florida Atlantic; Jacob Wilson, SS, Grand Canyon
Best Achievement: Wyatt Langford, OF, Florida (Class 65)
Mayo: Not that other guys don’t have any usable power, but it’s his combination of raw power and punching speed – and his approach to the record. I mean, he’s a 60-degree hitter, so there’s a lot of confidence that he’ll reach that power, and he certainly has over the past few years. He hit 26 home runs to make his mark last year, batting .719. That year he hit another 21 home runs, hit .784 and had more walks than strikeouts. So I think he got the advantage, that 65, because he’s confident he’ll get that performance at the next level.
Also in discussion: Dylan Crews, OF, LSU; Walker Jenkins, OF, South Brunswick (NC) HS; Brock Wilken, 3B, Wake Forest
Fastest Runner: Enrique Bradfield Jr., OF, Vanderbilt (Class 80)
Callis: The Vanderbilt outfielder would be the most obvious. I actually think Bradfield might have done a little better as a freshman and sophomore than he did this year. He actually stole 46 bases against 46 last year and I think he got caught seven or eight times this year. His speed – and it’s not just speed, but his ability to use it – he’s a wonderful basic steal. He’s a great defender in midfield. He gets a lot of Kenny Lofton contests. That’s the good thing about him. Not only does he have that top speed, he knows how to make the most of it.
Also in discussion: Kendall George, OF, Atascocita (Texas) HS; Dillon Head, OF, Homewood-Flossmoor (Illinois) HS; Adrian Santana, SS, Doral Academy (Florida) HS
Strongest Arm: Cole Carrigg, SS/OF/C, San Diego State (Class 70)
Mayo: I think the interesting thing about him is that he’s played everywhere. Not just during that time in college, but in the summer and things like that. He didn’t catch much at San Diego State. But he caught a lot. I think a lot of teams will be interested because of that 70’s arm. He’s had some three-figure shots from the infield at the combine, and he’s athletic enough to play in the middle infield and outfield. I think there will be teams who want to give him a chance behind the plate.
Also in discussion: Connor Burns, C, Long Beach State; Blake Mitchell, C, Sinton (Texas) HS; Nolan McLean, RHP/OF, OSU
Best Defender: Enrique Bradfield Jr., OF, Vanderbilt (Class 70)
Callis: We’re just sticking with Enrique Bradfield because he covers a lot of areas in midfield – and not just because of his tremendous speed, but also because of his efficient reading and routing. So I think it’s him.
Also in discussion: Maui Ahuna, SS, Tennessee; Connor Burns, C, Long Beach State; Tre’ Morgan, 1B/OF, LSU
Best Fastball: Paul Skenes, RHP, LSU (Class 80)
Callis: Our pick, which would be number 1. He’s transferring from the Air Force to LSU, he’s SEC Pitcher of the Year, he leads NCAA Division I in strikeouts, and he’s breaking Ben McDonald’s school and SEC records. He leads the nation in strikeouts per nine innings and WHIP, and he’s second in wins and ERA and opponents’ average. As a sophomore, the fastball was pretty good, he had a speed of 94-95 mph and he had 99 points per hour. And this year he had a 98 average and a 102 hit. In his first start in the College World Series, he threw 100, about 48 times or so. Crazy. Apart from the speed he also has a flat approach angle with a lot of carry, he handles it really well. That was easy.
Also in discussion: Chase Dollander, RHP, Tennessee; George Klassen, RHP, Minnesota; Travis Sykora, RHP, Round Rock (Texas) HS
Best Curveball: Josh Knoth, RHP, Patchogue-Medford (NY) HS (Class 60)
Mayo: Knoth is a New York native, a high school senior, and he’s the only 60 curveball we have in the draft class—and with good reason. It’s wicked, it’s a plus, consistently high elite-level spin rates, routinely over 3,000/3,100 rpm. It’s a really, really good pitch.
Also in discussion: Alex Clemmey, LHP, Bishop Hendricken (RI) HS; Isaiah Coupet, LHP, Ohio State; Cole Schoenwetter, RHP, San Marcos (California) HS
Best Slider: Paul Skenes, RHP, LSU (Class 70)
Callis: I’m just going to answer Paul Skenes on almost anything you ask in the pitching field — and, you know, it’s Paul Skenes whose slider is pretty ridiculous. Things got better under the tutelage of renowned LSU pitching coach Wes Johnson. He has a speed of 85-89 mph and a lot of braking. Huge swing and miss and chase rates, I don’t know how anyone hits the ball. That’s not one of them: “Just chase it out of the hitting zone,” and you wonder how it’ll fare against better hitters. He can also use that nasty slider for strikes.
Also in discussion: Lebarron Johnson, RHP, Texas; Seth Keener, RHP, Wake Forest; Juaron Watts-Brown, RHP, OSU
Best Substitution: Ryan Bruno, LHP, Stanford (Class 65)
Mayo: It’s his favorite bullpen pitch. The advantage of this pitch is absolutely ridiculous. That year he had a 65 percent miss rate on that field, and the batsmen’s batting rate on that field was .058. It’s just ridiculous.
Also in discussion: Tanner Hall, RHP, Southern Miss; Rhett Lowder, RHP, Wake Forest; Carson Reed, RHP, West Virginia
Best Other: Hurston Waldrep, RHP, Florida (Class 65 splinter)
Mayo: People saw a 63 percent miss rate again in the postseason and a .062 batting average – it’s just an incredibly bad game. Even if he ends up in a bullpen one day, you know, there’s some concern because of the command. Still, this splitter will get the big league players out.
Also in discussion: Ryan Brown, RHP, Ball State (Splinter); Grayson Hitt, LHP, Alabama (tailor); Grant Taylor, RHP, LSU (Tailor)
Best Control: Rhett Lowder, RHP, Wake Forest (Class 60)
Callis: Two-time ACC Pitcher of the Year at Wake Forest. In the semifinals, he faced Skenes in a tremendous pitching duel – Skenes went eight points without points, Lowder seven points without points. But Lowder has one of the best moves. He has three courts: fastball, a much improved slider this year, a great move. And he’s not just throwing strikes, he’s throwing quality strikes too – and he’s been consistent for Wake every time this year. Lowder has good stuff, but it’s not mind-blowing stuff – not the ’70s and ’80s stuff – and like every week he went out and just hit the hitting zone, put the ball where he wanted and won. He took a 15-0 lead and they were 17-0 until the 11-inning loss in the MCWS in his 18th start. As good as his stuff is, and I think it’s pretty solid, it’s his ability to control and master it that makes him who he is.
Also in discussion: Tanner Hall, RHP, Southern Miss; Paul Skenes, RHP, LSU; Logan Van Treeck, LHP, Lipscomb