MLB Draft: 3 Can't Miss College Pitchers
MLB Draft: 3 Can't Miss College Pitchers
We've covered 3 generational-type collegiate position players, now it's time to shift towards the other side of the ball. Here are 3 potent arms that ooze talent.
With 2024 quickly approaching, the snow will melt, the birds will chirp, and the NCAA college baseball season will soon begin. On February 16, the reigning National Champion LSU Tigers are set to open up the collegiate season with a non-conference game against VMI. Buckle up.
COVID-19 5th and 6th-year players, a wide-open transfer portal, and plenty of rising superstars, if the upcoming college baseball season is anything like 2023, it won’t disappoint one bit.
Will we likely see a pitcher as dominant as Paul Skenes next spring? Probably not. However, the arms' depth and quality have not shriveled. Here are 3 top-tier pitchers you should keep an eye on for the 2024 MLB Draft.
1. Brody Brecht
Perhaps the best pure athlete in all of college baseball, Brody Brecht may have the edge when it comes to upside against any player in the 2024 MLB Draft.
The Hawkeyes RHP was a dual sport athlete his freshmen year, catching passes for a nationally ranked Iowa football squad while toeing the rubber. The speedy slot receiver hauled in 9 passes for 87 yards in 2022, before stepping away from the gridiron to focus on baseball.
Brecht posts eye-popping numbers within his first two years of Division One ball. A 3.61 ERA over 99.2 innings, with a whopping 153 strikeouts and just two home runs given up against 443 batsmen. Against Maryland last spring, he dotted up a 104 mph fastball to retire Kevin Keister. Absurd.
So what’s the kryptonite for the Ankeny, Iowa native? Command. The flamethrowing right-hander issues too many free passes. 61 over 77 innings to be exact in 2023.
However, there are tons of reasons to keep faith. Brecht, still just 21, has only ever focused solely on baseball for just one offseason. With another fall and winter comes another opportunity to refine one’s game, and work hard.
Even if Brecht can’t shape out his command this coming spring, his velocity and strikeout stuff alone should channel a top-10 pick. His upside is just too salivating for pro scouts.
2. Chase Burns
Chase Burns is Baseball America’s #1 ranked pitcher in the 2024 MLB Draft class. Not “college pitchers”, but pitchers in general. He’s that good.
The psycho right-hander shocked many when he chose to enter the transfer portal after Tennessee’s elimination last year, but will join a stacked Wake Forest club that just missed out on a National title.
Burns was versatile for the Volunteers, starting 22 career games yet appearing in 35, showcasing his capabilities of being a high-leverage relief arm. While posting a 3.54 ERA and 13 wins over 152.1 innings at Rocky Top, Burns’ most striking variable is his 217 strikeouts in two seasons. He was in the nation’s top 20 in K’s last season despite throwing just 72 innings. Every other member chucked at least 80, with most well north of 100.
What’s scary about Burns isn’t just his 14.3 K/9 (3rd highest rate in D1 baseball), it’s his emotions. The 6-foot-4-inch Tennessee native is known for screaming in celebration after big moments on the bump. That kind of energy and passion can’t be taught.
It will be incredibly fun watching him shove on a loaded Demon Deacons club this spring. Don’t be shocked if his name is the first off the pitching board come July.
3. Hagen Smith
Smith may be the lesser-known arm between the three but don’t get it twisted, he’s the most polished left-handed pitcher in the class.
After receiving Tommy John surgery as a 16-year-old, question marks rose when it came to the Bullard, TX, native’s long-term arm health. The southpaw has assured scouts and his coaches that it’s probably something of the past.
In his first two seasons with Arkansas, Smith has a 4.17 ERA over 149 frames and will be the Razorbacks Friday guy come 2024. His 2.60 K/BB ratio lets us know that he can command the zone while avoiding killer free passes.
It’s not a matter of “if” Smith can pitch at the next level, it’s when. He’s only getting stronger and more complete by the day. While the 6-foot-3 deceptive guy doesn’t throw as hard as Brecht or Burns, his wipeout slider may be the class’s best pitch. Paired with his 92-94 fastball, his slide piece generates more whiffs than the 2023 Seattle Mariners.
Smith is extremely safe, with a good head on his shoulders, and feels like a sure thing. Top SEC competition will only challenge the Ace in a good way in 2024.