Brandon Dieter

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #257 prospect in 2018 draft
  Dieter might be one of the best high school baseball players in the class, but the Stanford commit has no carrying tool and because of that he is somewhat of a polarizing figure. There are teams who don't have him on their board and want to see him go to Stanford, where he would be able to prove he can succeed against Pac-12 competition. Other teams are already intrigued by his hitting ability, defensive actions and the overall polish surrounding his game. A two-way player for South Hills (West Covina, Calif.) High and a utility player on Team USA's 18U club, Dieter has advanced strike-throwing ability but is without a plus pitch on the mound. At shortstop, he is solid defensively but doesn't have great range and is a below-average runner. As a pitcher, Dieter throws a fastball that's usually in the 87-90 mph range and has been up to 92 mph at times, though not regularly. He also has good feel to spin and locate a mid-70s curveball, although his most useful swing-and-miss offering is a low-80s changeup with excellent fading life. It's hard to project much more to come on the mound, however, as Dieter is just 6-foot, 175 pounds and without more than average arm speed. Most teams see his professional future as a hitter. He's shown excellent hands and glovework at shortstop and has enough arm for the position, but many scouts believe he'll have to move to second or third because of his lack of quickness. That puts more pressure on Dieter's bat. He's shown great feel for the barrel throughout the summer and spring, but it might not be enough for a team to buy him out of his Stanford commitment. He's a player who could shoot up draft boards after proving he can hit in college. Dieter is also an extremely smart player with off-the-charts makeup and work ethic.