Freshman Spotlight: Texas Tech’s Landon Stripling Poised For Breakout Rookie Campaign
Image credit: Landon Stripling (Brian Westerholt/Four Seam Images)
Even while playing on a loaded Parkview High School (Lilburn, Ga.) team that featured 2023 first-round draft pick Colin Houck and several Division 1 commits, Landon Stripling was able to establish himself as one of the premier prep hitters in the country. The physical infielder enjoyed a fantastic senior season in which he hit .430 with seven doubles, 13 home runs and 45 RBIs. Stripling saw his draft stock rise significantly and was widely considered a top-five round prospect. Even though he had the opportunity to sign and begin his professional career, Stripling decided to honor his commitment to Texas Tech.
Bat-First Second Baseman
A bat-first second baseman, Stripling has plenty of strength in his 5-foot-11, 190-pound frame and a beautiful lefthanded swing. He is incredibly advanced offensively with a professional approach and plus bat-to-ball skills. Stripling has a simple setup in the box with a high handset. He has a minimal load, small stride and uses his physical lower half extremely well. Stripling’s back hip is also very explosive and he does an excellent job of extending through the ball.
Stripling’s innate feel for the barrel combined with his power prowess makes for one of the most well-rounded offensive profiles of any true freshmen in the country. His hit tool and raw power each grade out as plus, and while he is a finished product physically, he is still poised to do damage at both the college and professional levels. Stripling has shown the ability to drive the ball into either gap and does a nice job of creating leverage in his swing. Defensively, Stripling fits best either at second base or a corner infield spot. His above-average arm strength would certainly play well at third base, but this fall he has shown well at second.
Stripling’s Future
Initial reports out of Lubbock regarding Stripling have been quite positive, and he is in the mix to be in the Red Raiders’ opening day lineup. The hitter-friendly environment of Dan Law Field is ideal for an offensive profile like Stripling’s, and he could produce at an impressive enough clip in his freshman campaign to be named a Freshman All-American or the Big-12’s Freshman of the Year.
After his spring season, Stripling will spend his summer playing in the Cape Cod League. As a draft eligible sophomore in 2025, a productive summer would go a long way in solidifying his draft stock. When looking at the 2025 class, Stripling has a chance to be one of the first college bats off the board.
