Latest news with #Scouting
Yahoo
03-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Driffield's Dylan Austin in Portugal for 16th World Scout Moot
An architectural assistant from Driffield is taking part in a global Scout gathering. Dylan Austin is currently with nearly 500 UK Scouts at the 16th World Scout Moot in Portugal. Around 9,000 Scouts aged 18 to 25 from around the world have gathered for the event. The Moot began on July 25 in Tejo Park in Lisbon, and will conclude in Porto. Mr Austin said: "I'm feeling excited and nervous, all combined into one. "I'm heading out to a coastal town which will be filled with hiking, reflection, and history, and I can't wait. (Image: Supplied) "I'm looking forward to really immersing myself in the Portuguese culture and meeting local Scouts and people." The Moot includes a four-day expedition, during which participants join Scouts from other countries to travel one of 100 routes through remote areas of Portugal. Following the expedition, Mr Austin and others will regroup for further Scouting activities, cultural exchange, and skills development at a camp base in Ovar before the closing ceremony. This year's World Scout Moot theme is 'engage,' with the intention of encouraging Scouts to connect with others in understanding and friendship. Chief Scout, Dwayne Fields, said: "A massive good luck to Dylan and all the UK Scouts who are at the World Scout Moot. "This is an amazing opportunity to discover yourself and the world around us, while exploring how you can create meaningful change. "The true international spirit of Scouting will shine through, with so many chances to learn from other Scouts around the world. "I know each UK Scout attending will grab the opportunity to create memories, friendships, and skills to last a lifetime. "We know that too many young people today grow up unhappy and worried about their future. "Scouts aims to change that. "We give young people a chance to belong and a place to be themselves." The People's Postcode Lottery has helped to make the UK Scouts' expedition possible.
New York Times
18-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
AL Central 2025 draft report cards: White Sox's high-upside class shines; Twins net sure shortstop
With the 2025 MLB Draft now in the books, here's my look at each American League Central team's draft class. I focus on the top 10 rounds, since those are the picks that count toward each team's bonus pool. Players taken after the 10th round may be paid up to $150,000 without counting against the bonus pool, so the best prospects taken in Rounds 11 through 20 rarely end up signing. Advertisement The number in parentheses after each player's name indicates the round in which he was taken; a letter (A, B, or C) after a number indicates that it was a supplemental pick between rounds, either for losing a free agent or from the competitive balance lottery. I do assume that all players taken in the top 10 rounds will sign, although each year there are roughly two to five players who don't for various reasons. I also skipped over college seniors who were probably selected as money-saver picks, agreeing to bonuses under their slot figures so their teams can go over slot for other players, or other players who appear to be more about under-slot bonuses than major-league potential. Finally, I don't give letter grades for drafts. I think that whole idea is absurd. The best I can offer is to tell you that I think teams did well or not well based on what I know about the players available at those picks, and in general I prefer to talk about specific picks than try to sum up months of work for each scouting department in a pithy line or two. (Note: Scouting grades are on a 20-80 scale. Click here for my top-100 draft prospect list.) The White Sox had a really strong draft this year, going for higher upside position players in the first four rounds. They landed defensive wizard Billy Carlson (1), the shortstop for powerhouse Corona High School in Southern California. He's a 70 defender with an arm to match, and he has plus raw power with projection remaining on his frame as well. He bars his lead arm, leading to timing issues at the plate and some inconsistency in his contact quality; it's not an easy fix but it is fixable. If the White Sox loosen him up so that he can both get to the power more predictably and is no longer so vulnerable to changing speeds, he could be a superstar who produces on both sides of the ball. Advertisement Local Illinois product Jaden Fauske (2) is a left-handed hitting center fielder who also caught once or twice a week this spring, although the outfield is his clear destination. There's at least 55 raw power here, but in games he changes his approach, shortening up for more contact and going the other way on some pitches he might be able to pull. He's a 55ish runner and should at least start out in center. If he signs under slot, that would be a Fauskeian bargain. Georgia Tech shortstop Kyle Lodise (3) has above-average power and can hit a fastball, with some swing and miss on offspeed stuff, enough to see him as maybe a 20-homer, low-OBP regular. He's going to move to second as he doesn't have the arm for the left side. Southern California prep catcher Landon Hodge (4) is committed to LSU, like Fauske, and he is going to stay behind the plate, with a plus arm and plenty of athleticism to handle the position. He has a handsy approach that doesn't use his legs enough and he shows just average bat speed. He could have average power if the White Sox can get him to use his lower half more and stay back better on the ball. Oklahoma State right-hander Gabe Davis (5) is 6-foot-9 and can pitch at 93-97 as a starter with an average slider, but he's been hurt constantly due to on- and off-field injuries, with a shoulder problem holding him to 24 ineffective innings this spring. He would have easily been a Day 1 pick had he stayed healthy. Florida infielder Colby Shelton (6) is a junior but is already 22-and-a-half. He's coming off a big year for the Gators where he hit .377/.458/.606 before a broken hamate bone ended his season. He has plus power but it's a 45 or 40 hit tool, and he's going to move off shortstop, probably to second base. It's a really good pick in this spot. Ohio State right-hander Blaine Wynk (8) has been up to 98 but was hurt most of the spring and did not perform at all when he could pitch. He threw 8 2/3 innings, walked nine, allowed 15 hits and 16 runs, and struck out 13 (25.5 percent). Cleveland landed Texas A&M outfielder Jace LaViolette (1) with their first pick, the last one of the true first round, which feels like a coup given how many people seemed to think LaViolette was a candidate to go 1-1 coming into the spring. I wasn't among them, because he struck out way too often as a sophomore, but at some point he became undervalued — he does swing and miss too often, but he has big-boy power, with a 90th percentile EV of 107.9 mph that ranked in the top 5 percent of all Division 1 hitters. He's probably not staying in center, although I wouldn't totally rule it out. Advertisement Tennessee infielder Dean Curley (2) has a simple swing and makes mostly hard contact, but his performance tapered in SEC play this year, which is probably why he was still available at this pick. He controls the zone well, can hit good fastballs and tends to hit low line drives, so he should hit for average as long as he improves some of his pitch recognition. He's not a shortstop, most likely going to third. Arizona outfielder Aaron Walton (2B) transferred from Samford to Tucson this year and hit .320/.437/.589 for the Wildcats, topping out at 111.8 mph. He's hunting fastballs, whiffing on offspeed stuff about a third of the time. He has a shot to stick in center, so even a lower-OBP, 20-homer upside would make him a regular. Canadian high school right-hander Will Hynes (2B) is a deep projection arm, sitting 93-95 now, with some room left on his 6-foot-2 frame, and he can spin a tight slider. The arm action isn't bad but it's not very fluid, something I imagine Cleveland believes they can clean up given their track record with pitching. Oklahoma State outfielder Nolan Schubart (3) has plus power, maybe 70, but can't hit breaking stuff right now, with a whiff rate over 40 percent on sliders this year. If he makes that adjustment, it might be 30-homer upside in right field. Mississippi third baseman Luke Hill (4) walked more than he struck out this year, with a .336/.459/.488 line. He can hit for average and might have 12-15 homer power if he gets a little more loft to his generally flat swing. Vanderbilt first baseman Riley Nelson (5) is a hit-over-power guy with a strong approach but just average pop who'll have to hit for high averages to stick as a regular. One big point in his favor is that he hits velocity extremely well, with just a 13 percent whiff rate on 95+ and eight hits in 105 pitches. Oregon State lefty Nelson Keljo (6) has hit 99 with his four-seamer but sits more 92-95, using a two-seamer as well. He has a plus changeup with hard tumble to it so he can get righties out. He made 11 starts this spring for the Beavers but was much more effective after they returned him to a relief role, as his results dropped off the second time he faced hitters in a game. Advertisement UC Irvine first baseman Anthony Martinez (8) hit just five homers this year without great batted-ball data to point to future power, and he doesn't walk much, either, with a low strikeout rate of 9.7 percent his one strong point. Oklahoma State left-hander Harrison Bodendorf (10) comes back across his body from a low three-quarters slot, working 89-91 with an average change and fringy slider, getting righties out better than lefties. He does throw strikes and could be a fifth starter if the breaking ball improves. The Tigers reached for Florida high school infielder Jordan Yost (1) with the No. 24 pick. Yost seems like a draft-model selection based on his extremely low whiff and chase rates. He has almost no power, with a short swing and no stride, while he's a plus runner who could stick at short or possibly move to center. He's not small and could drive the ball more with a reworked swing, and has some room to fill out as well. Strong Island catcher Michael Oliveto (1A) from Hauppauge High School is tall for the position but could stick back there, with the hands and arm for it, just lacking experience working with better pitching. He's shown he can make contact against good stuff at showcases and has at least average power, although he tends to roll his front foot and may end up pulling some pitches he should try to take the other way. He's committed to Yale, so I assume he'll be an easy sign. Right-hander Malachi Witherspoon (2) is the twin brother of Boston's first-rounder, Kyson, with similar arm strength but lacking Kyson's offspeed stuff or command. His arm is quick and his slider can flash plus, with a wildly inconsistent release point that is going to push him to the bullpen unless Detroit can clean it up. Arizona State lefty Ben Jacobs (3) should have had better results this year, but posted a 4.95 ERA thanks to a 12.2 percent walk rate, in part because he can't land his offspeed stuff for strikes often enough. He's 92-93 with an average slider and a changeup that at least missed a lot of bats when he threw it, and the delivery is clean and simple enough for him to repeat. Maybe this is just a great bet on your player development guys because there's no real reason why Jacobs should be walking this many or giving up so many runs. Maine senior left-hander Caleb Leys (4) missed 2024 after Tommy John surgery, returning to become the Black Bears' No. 1 starter this spring. He's 92-94, up to 96, with an average to 55 slider, coming online to the plate, perhaps needing a third pitch. He could be a back-end starter or a pretty good reliever. Advertisement Georgia prep right-hander Ryan Hall (5) is a Georgia Tech commit with a good delivery who's been up to 96 and has feel to spin two breaking balls. He's still raw as he was also his school's starting quarterback through last fall. He's a very intriguing upside play given the athleticism, delivery and the makings of at least two solid-average pitches. Oregon lefty Grayson Grinsell (6) has a plus changeup and plus control, so he managed to post a 3.01 ERA for the Ducks this spring despite topping out at 92 and pitching more at 88-90. The changeup is deceptive and has big downward movement, so it's going to at least miss bats in the low minors. California Baptist outfielder Nick Dumesnil (8) came into the spring as a potential first-rounder but struggled badly even though CBU had a relatively weak schedule. Dumesnil struck out almost 20 percent of the time even though he barely saw anything over 93. He's a solid athlete and a 55 runner who could stick in center and has at least 55 power to all fields. He raked in the Cape Cod League last summer, so there's some reason to hope this was just draftitis or bad luck, not an absence of skill. He's probably an extra outfielder but could be a regular and is a great pick in the eighth round. They also took Oregon prep righty River Hamilton (11), an LSU commit who hasn't pitched since last summer due to an elbow injury, as a flier outside of the bonus-pool rounds. He's been up to 95 with a promising slider and would be a strong addition to the class if they can buy him away from Baton Rouge. IMG Academy center fielder Sean Gamble (1) is a 70 runner with above-average bat speed who looks like he should hit for 20-homer power, although right now his swing is on the flatter side and he'll have to learn to lift and pull the ball more. He's a premium athlete who's played in the infield and would be above-average at second, with more defensive upside in center. He may take some time but there's 20/40 upside here. North Carolina prep shortstop Josh Hammond (1A) has plus raw power and a 70 arm, up to 95 off the mound, with a good approach for his age other than the common issue with breaking stuff down and away. (Who among us, etc.) He's probably going to end up at third base now, with the Royals rather set at shortstop, and could be a plus defender there. There's a lot to like across the board here. Tulane right-hander Michael Lombardi (2) was a two-way player for the Green Wave, working in a swing role when pitching and posting a 2.14 ERA with a 43.5 percent strikeout rate. He's up to 97 with carry up in the zone and his curveball projects to plus. He did walk 12.5 percent of batters he faced this year, but his delivery is good and he's athletic enough that the walk rate really should drop once he's focused solely on pitching. This is a great front three for the Royals, the second year in a row they've nailed their first few picks under director Brian Bridges. Advertisement Texas A&M lefty Justin Lamkin (2B) has a very cross-body delivery with too much effort to it to project him as a starter. He does have superb control, and there's some deception to the delivery that helps his fringy fastball and average slider be more effective. Northern California prep right-hander Cameron Miller (3) has arm strength and saw his command tick up this year, with a solid changeup but a fringy breaking ball. He hit 97 this spring and gets huge induced vertical on the pitch, which is all the rage these days. I don't love the delivery as his arm can be late, which often leads to problems with breaking stuff, but he goes out as a starter. He's committed to Arizona. Arkansas right-hander Aiden Jimenez (5) pitched for Oregon State in 2023, missed last year after undergoing Tommy John surgery, and returned this spring in the Hogs' bullpen where he was 92-95 on his sinker with an average cutter and slider. Lefties rocked him for a .456 slugging percentage, so while he has a decent delivery and throws strikes, I don't think he's a starter. Right-hander Bryson Dudley (7) walked 14.4 percent of batters he faced this spring for Texas State, as his delivery is totally inconsistent and he doesn't have much rhythm to it at all. He's 93-95 with feel for spin, slider over curveball, from a high three-quarters slot, and lefties destroyed him this year for a .265/.404/.458 line. He's a great candidate for a player development group that believes they can help deliveries. Troy catcher Brooks Bryan (8) has plus-plus power with maybe a 45 hit tool. He had a batting average of exactly .279 in 2024 and 2025, so points for consistency, I suppose. He doesn't hit breaking stuff at all, limiting his ceiling to that of a backup catcher who can hit a handful of homers. UC Irvine closer Max Martin (10) is 94-96 in relief with a plus slider. He throws strikes, all with a fairly short arm action that seems like it should have him behind the ball but somehow works for him. He walked just five percent of batters he faced this spring. Wake Forest shortstop Marek Houston (1) is a plus defender at short who has a short swing that helps him make a ton of contact in the zone, with maybe 10-12 homer upside. He did get stronger this year and started lifting the ball a little more, dropping his groundball rate from 50 percent to 44 percent, so while he's a safe pick — I know Twins fans do not like hearing that — there's some reason to hope for an above-average bat as well. Advertisement Alabama right-hander Riley Quick (1A) returned from Tommy John surgery to sit 95-99, working in short outings as the Tide handled him cautiously, with a 55 changeup and a slider that has high spin rates but that hitters can pick up because he changes his arm slot. He needs to get more on-line to the plate, and there's some head-snap at release, which isn't a great sign for command or for someone staying a starter. There's a chance for three above-average pitches, however, and he has the size and at least fringe-average control to start. Their one prep pick from the top five rounds was shortstop Quentin Young (2), an LSU commit who looked overmatched at summer and fall events in 2024, so he went out over the winter and reworked his swing. He also showed better decisions at the plate, while staying balanced through his swing, so he's hitting the ball more often and for plus power. It's probably a 40 hit tool, which is still above where it was last year, with the hope that he has the acumen and athleticism to keep improving. He has a 70 arm and should be solid at third base. It's first-round upside, with high risk. Dallas Baptist right-hander James Ellwanger (3) has been up to 100 with an average slider, walking way too many batters to project as a starter. He has a spike curve and changeup, neither of which is a good enough pitch to factor yet, although the 13.5 percent walk rate is the biggest obstacle to him being more than a reliever. Oregon right-hander Jason Reitz (4) is 6-foot-11, which would tie him for the tallest pitcher in MLB history if he makes it. He's been up to 98, sitting 94-95, with an average changeup, but doesn't make great use of his height for deception, so there may be untapped potential here just with some delivery help. I tried to see him this spring, but I wasn't tall enough. Right-hander Matt Barr (5) goes to SUNY Niagara Community College, and he's earned some comparisons to Jacob Misiorowski, another JUCO draftee with crazy stuff. Barr is 6-foot-6, has been up to 96-97, and gets huge spin rates, just like Misiorowski did as an amateur. Barr walked 21 in 57 innings, with 94 strikeouts. I didn't think he'd get this far down in the draft just given The Miz's meteoric rise. Shortstop Bruin Agbayani (6) is Benny's kid, obviously, coming from the same private high school in Hawaii that produced Aiva Arquette. He's probably not a shortstop but has some feel to hit, and is roughly a foot taller than his dad at 6-3. He's a Michigan commit. UC Irvine outfielder Jacob McCombs (7) is a draft-eligible sophomore who transferred from San Diego State, where he played sparingly in 2024. He hit .352/.446/.635 this year, getting hit by 28 pitches to cover up the part where he walked less than once a week (3.4 percent, excluding IBB). He doesn't whiff but he chases at a 34 percent clip, without enough power for a corner outfielder. Advertisement Elon right-hander Justin Mitrovich (9) shows the ball really early and his fastball is a little light, but he has enough of a slider and changeup to project as a reliever. (Top photos of Billy Carlson: Ric Tapia / Getty Images and Marek Houston: Saul Young / News Sentinel / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
New York Times
17-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
NL East 2025 draft report cards: Nats do well despite leadership shakeup; Phillies change course
With the 2025 MLB Draft now in the books, here's my look at each National League East team's draft class. I focus on the top 10 rounds, since those are the picks that count toward each team's bonus pool. Players taken after the 10th round may be paid up to $150,000 without counting against the bonus pool, so the best prospects taken in Rounds 11 through 20 rarely end up signing. Advertisement The number in parentheses after each player's name indicates the round in which he was taken; a letter (A, B, or C) after a number indicates that it was a supplemental pick between rounds, either for losing a free agent or from the competitive balance lottery. I do assume that all players taken in the top 10 rounds will sign, although each year there are roughly two to five players who don't for various reasons. I also skipped over college seniors who were probably selected as money-saver picks, agreeing to bonuses under their slot figures so their teams can go over slot for other players, or other players who appear to be more about under-slot bonuses than major-league potential. Finally, I don't give letter grades for drafts. I think that whole idea is absurd. The best I can offer is to tell you that I think teams did well or not well based on what I know about the players available at those picks, and in general I prefer to talk about specific picks than try to sum up months of work for each scouting department in a pithy line or two. (Note: Scouting grades are on a 20-80 scale. Click here for my top-100 draft prospect list.) The hometown team reached for infielder Tate Southisene (1) with its first pick, at 21. I had him ranked 74th going into the draft, and even that was predicated as much on scouts' confidence in his makeup and work ethic as his hit or power tools. He's a plus runner with good instincts but doesn't have the actions for short, probably ending up in center field. He can hit a fastball, but he had real trouble against offspeed stuff last summer and fall (or even this spring at times, including the game when I saw him), and it's probably fringe-average power at his peak. Advertisement Florida State shortstop Alex Lodise (2) nearly doubled his home run total from 2024, going from nine to 17, in a year when power was down almost everywhere. He swings hard and makes plenty of contact on strikes, with a bad habit of chasing stuff out of the zone, especially sliders down and away. He has an average arm and solid hands for short, perhaps lacking enough range to stay there long term. I think to be a regular at second he'll have to cut down on that propensity to swing at stuff out of the zone. East Tennessee State shortstop Cody Miller (3) hit .331/.430/.623 and is currently hitting well in the Cape Cod League, where he's one of 11 players with at least three homers so far. He got quite a bit stronger from 2024, going from two homers as a sophomore to 18 this spring. He stays open even after his stride, producing a lot of groundballs to the shortstop, with real power the other way when he gets the ball in the air. He doesn't whiff much, especially on pitches in the zone, although better sliders are going to be a weakness for him in pro ball. He's a 70 runner who could stick at shortstop and be above-average there if his average arm doesn't move him to second base, where he should be a plus defender. Lefty Briggs McKenzie (4) is a projection high schooler who sits 90-92 with an above-average breaking ball and too-firm changeup. He has a ton of room to fill out and perhaps end up with mid-90s velocity, especially since he'll show 94-95 every once in a while but can't hold it. The arm swing is really long and hard to repeat, which might be the determining factor in whether he can start. He's an LSU commit, so I doubt this one is coming cheap. East Carolina second baseman Dixon Williams (4C) was the best hitter in the wood-bat New England Collegiate Baseball League last year, with a .500 OBP that led the circuit, although that league's level of competition isn't up there with the Cape. He hit .299/.451/.561 this year for ECU, showing a little pull power with too much swing-and-miss, especially on breaking stuff. The batted-ball data isn't great, and it's probably more like 10-12 homer power if he plays every day. I expected to see a platoon split from the swing and that vulnerability to sliders/curves, but he hit lefties just as well as righties this spring. Outfielder Conor Essenburg (5) is a two-way Illinois high school player who homered off a fastball from lefty Jack Bauer this spring. He does have some power and bat speed, but his swing decisions aren't great and he might need some extra time in the Florida Complex League since there isn't short-season any more for players like him. Atlanta announced him strictly as a hitter. Off the mound, he's 90-92 with a fringy slider and comes way across his body. Advertisement Lefty Landon Beidelschies (6) lost his rotation spot with Arkansas when Gage Wood came back, as Beidelschies was very homer-prone and had a huge platoon split. He's up to 97 and the slider should be a plus pitch against lefties. He throws it to right-handers way too often, giving up five homers just on that pitch to them. He has a 45 changeup, enough to try him as a starter, and the fastball/slider combination is going to get lefties out. This might be the best pick of Atlanta's draft. Right-hander Zach Royse (7) posted a 5.17 ERA as a starter for UTSA this spring, sitting 95 with a 55 slider. It's max effort and he doesn't have a third pitch for lefties, so he should be a reliever, where he might still be homer-prone (he gave up 15 in 94 innings this spring) but miss enough bats to get around it. The Marlins went heavy on high school bats last year, but this year they shifted to college position players and didn't take a single high schooler in the entire draft. They landed the best college position player in the class with Oregon State shortstop Aiva Arquette (1). Born in Hawaii, Arquette transferred from Washington to OSU this year, and hit .354/.461/.654 with 19 homers as the Beavers played an independent schedule. He has outstanding hand-eye coordination, rarely whiffing on pitches in the zone, and tends to make strong swing decisions. He's at least a solid defender at short now with a plus arm, although he's absolutely huge for a shortstop at 6-feet-5, 230-ish, and I think it's a safer bet he ends up at third base. He hasn't seen as much elite pitching as SEC and ACC prospects, so we don't have quite the same feel for how advanced the bat is as we do with some other top hitters this year. I see a Troy Glaus-ish upside here. Clemson center fielder Cam Cannarella (1A) seemed like a probable top 15 pick coming into the year, maybe someone who could end up in the mix at 1 if his power took a step forward, but he wasn't fully recovered from 2024 shoulder surgery, so he never threw well and his swing was cut short as well. It's to his credit that he still hit .353/.479/.530, walking more than he struck out, and I think the falloff from 11 homers in 2024 to five this year is entirely a function of the shoulder and whatever the NCAA did to the baseball to cause everyone's homer totals to drop. Cannarella is a plus defender in center, he gets on base and it's at least 12-15 homer power when he's healthy. That's a steal at this spot. Arizona State outfielder Brandon Compton (2) was another buy-low opportunity pick, as he had a tremendous 2024 and collapsed at the plate this spring, then showed off some big raw power at the MLB Draft Combine. His in-game swings don't have the same leverage, and he would be a great fit for some swing optimization work to get him to drive the ball in the air more. He is limited to left field by his speed and arm, having undergone Tommy John surgery two years ago. Florida State outfielder Max Williams (3) seems like a straight data play. He had some of the best exit-velocity data in Division 1 this spring but he swings at everything, including 27 percent of pitches well out of the zone (beyond the 'shadow'). He's a center fielder now with a better than even chance of needing to move to a corner. You can dream on him and see a 25-homer center fielder if you think you can teach him to stop swinging at anything in his sight. Advertisement The Marlins took Williams' teammate, second baseman Drew Faurot (4), to start Day 2. Faurot's big and strong, with plus raw power, although the approach isn't great and he may not make enough contact for the power to play. Virginia first baseman Chris Arroyo (5) is a reliever-turned-first baseman who had great batted ball data, with a hard-hit rate over 50 percent and peak exit velocity of 112, but his swing gets too flat in games and his overall approach is poor. Arroyo started out at Florida in 2023 as a reliever, then went to JUCO for a year, landing at Virginia this spring and becoming their everyday first baseman while throwing 12 innings out of the bullpen. He hit .291/.361/.519, but there's probably more power in there than the line indicates. It's first base-only, other than the mound, so he'll have to make better swing decisions and try to get the ball in the air more to be a regular. The bigger concern is the overall feel to hit, as he'll expand the zone too much and try to pull the ball too often, the latter of which might work better if he got the ball in the air more. They took another Florida State player, left-hander Joey Volini (6), who transferred to Tallahassee from South Florida this year. He's a finesse lefty with solid-average command, sitting 89-92 with an average changeup and fringy curveball. He walked just 7 percent of batters he faced this spring. Florida swingman Jake Clemente (7) missed his freshman year with a shoulder injury, pitching all of 2025 but only finding success when the Gators gave up on starting him. He's a four-seam/slider guy who's been up to 99 with 40 command, and he may need something to get lefties out as he moves up the ladder. Grand Canyon shortstop/second baseman Emilio Barreras (8) had the lowest whiff rate on pitches in the zone among Division 1 qualifiers this year, and struck out just seven times in 196 PA. It's low power, as you might imagine, but he's probably even money to stick at short and would make a great utility player if he doesn't hit the ball hard enough for everyday duty. Texas A&M lefty Kaiden Wilson (9) was age-eligible for the draft as a sophomore, coming off a year when he threw 22 innings as a reliever and gave up 16 runs (11 earned). He sits 93-95 with an extreme cross-body delivery that helps his slider play up a little but doesn't help his command or control at all. Missouri State's Jake McCutcheon (10) played five positions this spring, none of them the one at which the Marlins announced him — second base. He has played it before, but spent most of 2025 in left for the Bears, hitting .358/.444/.647 with superb batted-ball data, including a hard-hit rate in the top 2 percent of the class. He may not have a position, but I'd take this guy in the 10th round all day. The Mets didn't pick until 38 due to luxury tax nonsense. They took Michigan second baseman Mitch Voit (1A) at that spot and announced him as a two-way player, because that's just how they roll — they took two-way players high in 2023 (Nolan McLean, now a full-time pitcher) and 2024 (Carson Benge, now a full-time masher). Voit can really hit, with very high contact rates and more walks than strikeouts. He has solid-average power that would play at second or if he returns to center. He's a plus runner and, of course, has a plus arm. I know a few scouts who thought he was a sleeper and even heard rumors he might go higher than this. Advertisement Central Florida shortstop Antonio Jimenez (3) struggled badly in the Cape Cod League last summer, but after transferring from Miami to UCF, he had a huge breakout year (against weaker competition), hitting .329/.407/.575 with a ton of very hard contact, almost all to the pull side. He hardly ever misses in zone but does chase way too often. He's an average runner with a hose of an arm, probably moving to third base in time. Wisconsin high school right-hander Peter Kussow (4) is 6-feet-5 and very projectable, sitting low 90s now with a slider that has a high spin rate but isn't very sharp. He comes from a three-quarters slot with a long arm action, yet he's very north-south and hasn't learned how to work east-west yet, without a pitch that naturally moves that way. He's a Louisville commit. Florida State right-hander Peyton Prescott (5) is up to 100 with a 55 changeup but gets crushed by right-handed batters, as his slider is fringy and he leaves it up too often. He has an incredibly short arm action with a ton of effort, so he'll stay in relief, where he pitched for the Seminoles this spring and posted a 5.15 ERA with a 27 percent strikeout rate. Central Missouri right-hander Nathan Hall (6) is at least the fourth guy I've come across in this draft who made exactly four starts this spring and then had to have elbow surgery. In his case, it was the internal brace rather than Tommy John, so there's at least a shorter rehab process involved. He's been up to 98 but has barely pitched, as he was a catcher before 2024 and threw just 29 total innings for the Mules in two seasons. Auburn righty Cam Tilly (7) sits 93-94 with a 55 changeup and a slider that has high spin rates but isn't as effective as it should be, resulting in righties posting a .420 OBP off him this spring. He has a good enough delivery to start and did so six times for Auburn this year, so I expect him at least to go out in a rotation. Missouri prep righty Camden Lohman (8) is going to be an over-slot deal, but he could be the steal of the Mets' draft. The Mizzou commit has a super-fast arm and a potentially plus curveball, getting on top of the ball really well from a high three-quarters slot. He wasn't that heavily scouted coming into the year because he didn't do many showcase events. The Phillies completely changed course this year, going heavy on college players, including in the first round for the first time since 2019. Arkansas right-hander Gage Wood (1) returned from a shoulder impingement this spring to throw a no-hitter in the College World Series, shattering the great Eddie Bane's record for strikeouts in a CWS game with 19. Wood has explosive life up on his fastball that reaches 98 and pairs it with a hammer curveball with 12/6 break. He also has a potential plus pitch in the slider that would give him something to pitch more east-west. Lefties slugged over .500 against him this spring as he doesn't have a pitch for them. I imagine the Phillies will try to get him to the majors quickly as a reliever, perhaps seeing another Orion Kerkering here, and given Wood's injury history that may be the prudent course of action — even though I don't love the lower upside of a reliever from a first-round pick. Advertisement Lefty Cade Obermueller (2) was draft-eligible last year but didn't go until the 19th round, so he returned to Iowa and had a much better season in 2025. He's been up to 98, sitting more 92-94, with an above-average slider, coming from a low three-quarters slot that makes him very east-west. His changeup was an afterthought, and between that and the arm slot I think he's probably a reliever. To his credit, he cut his walk rate from 15 percent in 2024 to 9 percent this year, and maybe there are more adjustments to come. Does the existence of a Cade Obermueller imply that of a Cade Untermueller? (I'll be here all ze veek.) Vanderbilt righty Cody Bowker (3) comes at hitters from a low slot that adds deception to his 92-95 riding fastball, and he gets a good angle to his above-average slider. He uses his cutter too much and needs to junk or change it, and he might need another pitch for lefties at the higher levels. At worst, he looks like a good reliever who should be death to right-handed things, but I'd try him as a starter. Right-hander Sean Youngerman (4) transferred from Division II Westmont to Oklahoma State this year and posted a 2.06 ERA as a swingman, making six starts and 14 relief appearances, with a 28.8 percent strikeout rate and 3.9 percent walk rate. It's a shortish arm action and a very rushed delivery, with a fastball around 92-94 that he threw more than 70 percent of the time this year, along with a 50/55 slider and maybe 50 changeup. It's not a starter look, but I'd give him a chance to do it first. Right-hander Gabe Craig (5) is a 24-year-old grad student at Baylor who was drafted for the first time even though he was eligible in 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024. That said, he's more than a money-saver: He's up to 97, he walked three in 32 innings this year (2.7 percent), and his slider is blasphemous, with big tilt and huge horizontal movement. I would drop him in Double-A Reading the moment he signs. The Phillies are probably going to go well over slot for right-hander Matthew Fisher (7), who ranked 46th on my board. He's an excellent athlete and former quarterback with a high-spin four-seamer and excellent extension along with a curveball that might be plus when he throws it at the upper end of its velocity range. He's much more of a typical Brian Barber pick than their earlier ones. The Nationals made the best of a tough situation after longtime exec and former scouting director Mike Rizzo was dismissed just a week ago. They landed three promising high school players in their first five picks. They started off by taking the draft's youngest player in shortstop Eli Willits (1), son of former Angels and Yankees outfielder Reggie Willits. Eli reclassified into this year's draft and won't turn 18 until December. He's going to be a plus defender at short, possibly a 70 in the future, and he has a compact, high-contact swing that puts the ball in play a ton without much present power. He does have some room to get stronger, which probably means more hard contact and doubles rather than much over-the-fence power. I think he has a high floor, rather than a huge ceiling. Many teams' draft models had him ranked very highly because of his youth and ability to put the ball in play. Advertisement South Carolina outfielder/first baseman Ethan Petry (2) is a power-over-hit player who saw his numbers fall off this year from a better sophomore season. His hard-hit rate was 58 percent, near the very top of the class, and he hit over a dozen balls at 110 mph or harder this spring, so there's reason to think he might have 30-homer upside. He's probably a first baseman in the long run and has the power to profile as a regular there, maybe even a 55 overall. Mississippi high school right-hander Landon Harmon (3) is a very good athlete who's hit 100 mph, pitching more often in the 93-95 range, showing an above-average slider with good characteristics on both pitches. He has a curveball as well that can run into the slider, without a consistent changeup yet. He'll need some delivery help to get him more online to the plate and see if his arm can catch up to his huge stride. Brooklyn high school righty Miguel Sime, Jr. (4) has been up to 100 mph and can show an average slider, but it's a rough delivery and he's a below-average athlete who doesn't field his position well. He has some of the best pure arm strength in the class and has that big workhorse build teams like for starters; this just isn't my preferred sort of prospect. North Carolina prep shortstop Coy James (5) was probably going to go in the top two rounds based on what he showed as an underclassman, but the last 12 months weren't as strong for him at the plate, which is why the Nats could nab him in the fifth round. He has a no-load swing with excellent hand acceleration and some loft in his finish, with big power upside, but had trouble with breaking pitches last year at showcases. He's a 45ish runner who'll probably end up at second or third. I thought he was going to go to Mississippi to try to rebuild some value after a down spring, but this might be a steal for the Nationals if he reaches his potential. They went with seniors and fifth-year guys in rounds six through 10, of whom Mississippi righty Riley Maddox (8) is the most interesting, as he can show a plus slider and might be a quick mover in the bullpen. (Top photos: Gage Wood: Steven Branscombe / Imagn Images; Eli Willits: Bryan Terry / The Oklahoman / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
Daily Mail
08-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Guilty, scout volunteer who sexually assaulted 21-year-old student in tent at camp
A volunteer at a major international Scouting event had to secretly text a friend to rescue her from a man as he sexually assaulted her in a tent, a court has heard. Jack MacLean was also a volunteer at the 2024 Blair Atholl Jamborette, Perthshire, when he attacked the girl. Perth Sheriff Court heard how the 29-year-old laughed in his victim's face after first assaulting her at a pub during the event. He later turned up at her tent uninvited and started stroking her leg, which prompted her to discreetly text a friend to come and help her. He was yesterday placed on the sex offenders' register and under supervision for a year as well as ordered to carry out 200 hours unpaid work in the community after being found guilty of sexual assault charges. Sheriff Elizabeth McFarlane told him: 'This was a case where I have heard two diametrically opposed versions of events. 'You gave a very different account to that of the complainer. Unfortunately for you, there were five other witnesses who supported the complainer's evidence.' She said she found some of MacLean's story 'bewildering'. The sheriff said the victim's testimony was credible and reliable and told MacLean: 'I have no hesitation in finding you guilty of both charges.' The court heard MacLean, of Bannockburn, near Stirling, and his 21-year-old student victim had been at Blair Atholl for the biennial event welcoming thousands of Scouts from around the world. She said she was out with other activity leaders at the Food In The Park cafe and bar on the evening of 17 July 2024. She said she vaguely knew MacLean from a previous camp. She told the court: 'He was there with other friends but everyone kind of knew each other. Jack kept on grabbing me. He was touching me inappropriately. I kept asking him to stop, saying he was going too far.' When he touched her bottom, she tried to laugh it off but told him to stop. He then reached round and grabbed her inappropriately again. The victim added: 'I couldn't say anything. 'I was just in shock. I walked away.' When asked how MacLean reacted to being told to stop, the woman said he laughed but did not say anything. MacLean then approached her again outside after closing time. The victim said: 'There was a conversation but I can't remember what was said. I didn't want to talk to him at this point. I just kind of zoned out. Then he grabbed my breasts with both hands.' The woman said she took a step back in shock and told the court: 'I think he was just laughing again.' The woman made her way back to the six-berth tent she was sharing with others and got changed to go to her sleeping quarters. She heard the front of the tent unzip and popped her head out expecting to see one of the people she was sharing with, but instead saw MacLean. She told the court: 'He came to the door of my room. Then he started stroking my legs, up towards my thigh. I froze and panicked.' The woman said the ordeal lasted around ten minutes, and during that time she texted her friend to say MacLean was touching her and she felt uncomfortable. The text was seen by a male Scout leader who went to the tent. He found MacLean 'half in and half out' of the victim's sleeping area. He escorted him out of the tent. MacLean, who denied sexually assaulting the woman, said he cycled to the pub alone and had a pint of lager and a lemonade. He claimed he did not have a direct conversation with his victim but admitted he had rested his head on her back. MacLean was found guilty of sexually assaulting the woman at Food in the Park on 17 July and again at Target Park in Blair Atholl on 18 July 2024.
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
2026 draft scouting first look: Alabama defensive lineman L.T. Overton
LT Overton is a player who is a little more familiar from an NFL draft perspective than most collegians. That's because Overton was often projected to declare for the 2025 NFL Draft, which resulted in a more scouting-centric eye towards his play for the Crimson Tide during the last college season. Overton is an interesting prospect. At this point in his career, which began at Texas A&M before moving to Alabama in 2024, he appears to be more of a talent in search of a position than an easily defined prospect. Some of that owes to his size. Advertisement At a listed 6-foot-5 and 283 pounds, which each seemingly legit, Overton is a little too tall and light to be a full-time interior player, but too big and tight-hipped to play as a full-time DE in most schemes--Alabama's included. As a result, the Crimson Tide deployed him all over the place. Their game against Georgia last September is a great example. In just the first half of the game, Overton lined up at 8 different spots on the line, from a shaded nose to playing over the flexed TE in the slot. As was the case in several other games I watched (Tennessee, LSU, South Carolina), Overton was at his best playing the 4i/5T role and attacking the guard. His best attribute is his length. Overton has long arms even for a 6-5 guy; his wingspan could wind up being the longest in the draft class. He's got power in the shoulders and hands that can really set up inside moves--swats, pulls, rips and swims. Overton is also good at using a long first step to win leverage against taller blockers, which serves him well when playing outside the offensive tackle. Overton has some twitch for his size, but he's never going to win with quickness. His tight hips really show when he has to change direction, and it also leads to issues in corraling tackles in space. Some Alabama fans have been very harsh on Overton's inability to finish what he starts, and that criticism isn't without some merit. That needs to be his biggest point of emphasis during the 2025 college season. Advertisement Out in space, Overton is athletic enough and aware enough to be effective in short drops. He can destroy the blocking and/or timing in a tunnel screen or quick slant--ask LSU. While not sudden, Overton does have decent speed once he's moving, though the body control to gather or change direction is still not an asset. He fights hard and can be violently unpleasant to block with his length and strength. Overton's usage in the Alabama defense will be important to watch this coming season in regards to his 2026 NFL Draft potential. Does he continue to be a more supplementary versatile piece, or will the Crimson Tide ensconce him at one primary position and ask him to thrive in a more defined role? As such, Overton is a player with a very wide potential draft range entering the college season. This article originally appeared on Draft Wire: L.T. Overton: 2026 NFL Draft scouting first look at the Alabama DL
