MLB Draft: Top High School Prospects From The Summer, Fall Circuits (Part 1)

Conner Barth, SS, Woodcreek HS, Roseville, Calif.
Commit: Oregon State

One of the leading hitters on his Woodcreek High team as a junior in 2023, Barth continued to show an intriguing hit tool this summer. Barth has a twitchy, compact swing and makes a lot of hard line-drive contact with impressive feel for the barrel that could make up for huge raw power.

Barth has a compact frame at 6-foot-1, 189 pounds, and he doesn’t offer much physical projection moving forward but his ability to get his hands directly to the baseball and use the entire field fairly naturally gives him potential for an above-average hit tool. There’s some back-foot drift in his swing, but overall he has a simple, relaxed operation in the box with good rhythm and contact skills, though he could improve his swing decisions a bit and is overly aggressive out of the zone at times. 

Barth is a below-average runner with an odd running stride, so he could be a better fit for second base than shortstop at the next level. 

Conner Barth ('24, CA) with a 98 EV LD barrel here. Working short to long and consistently on barrel. #GoBeavs commit #PGNational @California_PG pic.twitter.com/CC6Je88BMg

— PG Showcases (@PGShowcases) July 14, 2023

Boston Bateman, LHP, Adolfo Camarillo (Calif.) HS
Commit: Uncommitted

One of the most physically imposing players in the 2024 class—high school or college—Bateman has an extra-large frame at 6-foot-8, 240 pounds and a pair of swing-and-miss pitches to go with it. Pitching for the SoCal Brewers team at the Area Code Games, Bateman struck out five batters and walked two in three innings, and mostly worked in the 91-94 mph range with his fastball, though he did touch 95 early and dropped down to 88 mph later in the outing. 

The fastball got whiffs at the top of the zone and just above it, and was also his most consistent pitch in the zone. He flashed above-average potential with a high-spin breaking ball that blended between slider and slurvy curveball shape that has impressive downer finish at times, but lacked consistency in shape and with his release point. While the pitch has high spin rates in the 2,600-2,800 rpm range, Bateman spikes it at times and he also showed a tendency to let it leak out of his hand and miss to the arm side at others. At its best, it’s a solid breaker with tilt that should allow it to get misses against lefties and righties, though the consistency and command needs to come. 

Bateman has big power as a righthanded hitter, with a steep path conducive to deep fly balls, though his defensive profile and swing-and-miss concerns should lead most scouts to preferring his upside on the mound. On top of his baseball talents, Bateman also has a fitting nickname: “Sasquatch.”

Boston Bateman is enormous.

He’s 6-foot-7, 250 pounds and one of the hardest throwing lefties in the 2024 class. https://t.co/2OTaHKBnTq pic.twitter.com/xg1e0Ahxpx

— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) November 3, 2022

Charlie Bates, SS, Palo Alto (Calif.) HS
Commit: Stanford

A 6-foot-1, 180-pound lefthanded hitter, Bates entered the summer as the No. 5 shortstop in the prep class and showed a well-rounded skill set this summer. He has a simple and repeatable swing, with a track record of making tons of contact. While his offensive numbers this summer don’t jump off the page, he showed solid swing decisions (12 walks, 13 strikeouts and a 19% chase rate), a mature approach and solid raw power to the pull side. Bates has some strength in the lower half now, but has plenty of room still to fill out and add more. He should stick at shortstop with fluid and smooth actions, solid arm strength and a knack for making off-balance, body control plays.

Caleb Bonemer, 3B, Okemos (Mich.) HS
Commit: Virginia

Bonemer was the single most impressive player this summer who didn’t enter the circuit ranked on our top 100 draft list. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound third baseman is on a rocket ship up draft boards, thanks to his exciting power-speed combination and solid run of hammering the baseball in live games this summer. He homered twice against 93 mph fastballs at PGN, then went 6-for-11 (.545) with three doubles, four walks and three strikeouts at the ACG—including four batted balls hit harder than 93. Bonemer recorded the 10th-fastest 60-yard dash at PGN, the 7th-fastest at ECP and clocked a 4.26-second home-to-first time at ACG. He also made a number of smooth body control plays at the hot corner. 

Bonemer also played in Perfect Game’s WWBA World Championship this fall, but in five games he went just 1-for-12 with five strikeouts and a pair of walks.

Slade Caldwell, OF, Valley View HS, Jonesboro, Ark.
Commit: Mississippi

Caldwell is an electric, top-of-the-order table setter and speedy defensive center fielder. Listed at 5-foot-9, 177 pounds, he doesn’t offer much physical projection or over-the-fence power potential, but he should impact the game in every other dimension. In the box, he has good rhythm, fast hands, a line-drive-oriented swing and also employs a sound batting eye and selectively aggressive approach. He doesn’t head to the plate searching for a walk, but he will take them where they come and lay off pitches outside the strike zone (12 walks, 8 strikeouts, 14% chase rate). Caldwell is a double-plus runner who consistently runs hard down the line and turned in 4.08-4.20 second run times. He covers plenty of ground in center field, where he also has sound jumps and route-running ability.

Lazaro Collera, RHP, Florida Christian HS, Miami
Commit: Miami

Collera consistently showed some of the most electric stuff in the 2024 class and had the best pure stuff of any pitcher at BFAA. A big and physically advanced righthander with a 6-foot-5, 230-pound frame, Collera attacks hitters with a fast arm, shorter arm action and three-quarters arm slot. He was in the 95-97 mph range in shorter stints this summer, and he showed plenty of ease generating swings and misses at the top of the zone. That’s a big uptick in velocity for Collera after pitching in the upper 80s and low 90s in 2022. He’s also continued to improve his breaking ball, which showed solid tilt in the 80-84 mph range and looked like an above-average pitch at PGN and a plus offering at BFAA, with spin rates in the 2,500-2,600 range.

Connor Gatwood, RHP, Baker HS, Mobile, Ala.
Commit: Auburn

Gatwood has had a significant velocity jump in the last year or so. After pitching in the upper 80s in 2022, Gatwood came out with a mid-90s heater in 2023 and has been up to 97 mph. He pitched in the 93-96 mph range at Baseball Factory’s All-America game in a one-inning stint, and the pitch has impressive arm-side run and sinking life that adds to the velocity and makes it a difficult pitch for prep hitters to make contact with, let alone barrel up.

Listed at 6-foot-5, 195 pounds, Gatwood has a great pitcher’s frame with physical projection remaining but solid strength in his lower half currently. He works from the first base side of the rubber and has a bit of crossfire in his landing, but overall has a fairly easy and balanced delivery with a steady landing in his finish. 

At the Baseball Factory event he struck out three batters and walked one, showed solid feel for a firm, upper-80s changeup and also flashed a hard slider in the mid 80s that needs a bit more work. His fastball is the carrying card currently.

Carter Johnson, SS, Oxford (Miss.) HS
Commit: Alabama

Johnson impressed evaluators with his pure hitting ability at ECP. He is the sort of player who won’t jump out at you immediately with raw tools, but he has a steady, reliable presence on both sides of the field. He is a lean, high-waisted shortstop with a 6-foot-2, 180-pound frame and simple, compact swing from the left side of the plate. Johnson won’t punch too many balls over the fence right now, instead relying on snappy hands, good rhythm and standout contact ability to put the ball in play and drive liners into the gaps. In a 233-pitch Synergy sample, Johnson had an impressive 89% overall contact rate. He’s a steady defender with solid actions at the position and average arm strength, though this summer he was a below-average runner. 

Johnson played in Perfect Game’s WWBA World Championship this fall where he went 2-for-8 (.250) with a double, three walks and two strikeouts.

William Kirk, RHP, Ramsey (N.J.) HS
Commit: Virginia

A lean and wiry lefthander with a 6-foot-2, 190-pound frame, Kirk pitched at Perfect Game’s National Showcase and the Area Code Games. In those two outings he faced 19 batters and struck out 12, without allowing a hit and walking just a pair of hitters. Kirk is a good mover on the mound who works quickly and throws from a three-quarters slot with a direct landing towards the plate. 

He pitched in the 87-91 mph range, so he didn’t overwhelm hitters with velocity, but his fastball enters the zone with lots of sink and running action, and during his three-inning Area Code Games outing he racked up nine whiffs with the pitch. It was particularly effective running away from righthanded hitters and he did a nice job attacking the zone with it. 

Kirk showed solid feel for a slurvy breaking ball in the 75-79 mph range. The pitch was mostly fringe-average or below, with 2-to-8 shape and spin in the 2,300-2,400 rpm range, but he did throw it for strikes at a high clip. If he’s able to get on top of the pitch and add power it has more potential. Kirk’s more exciting secondary might be his 77-79 mph changeup. The pitch was a consistent swing-and-miss offering for him and featured nice diving action—like his fastball and breaking ball, he showed nice ability to land the pitch where he wanted.

Chase Mobley, RHP, Durant HS, Plant City, Fla.
Commit: Florida State

Mobley has stood out as one of the most impressive arms in the 2024 class for several years now, and he continued to impress in 2023. Listed at 6-foot-6, 200 pounds, Mobley has an excellent pitcher’s frame with tons of strength projection remaining but plenty of present stuff. 

He pitches in the 93-95 mph range in short stints and has reached 97 and throws from a lower, three-quarters slot with a slightly open landing in his finish and a bit of tilt in his leg lift. Mobley also has a bit of head whack and effort in his finish, though not to an exceptional degree, and he’s also generally located his fastball well. The heater is his best offering currently, and a pitch that racks up tons of whiffs at the top of the zone.

His secondaries need a bit more work. Mobley’s feel to spin a breaking ball is inconsistent. He has thrown a mid-70s curveball and a low-80s slider, though the two pitches can blend together at times and he struggles with the release point of both offerings. He’ll get around it and miss to his arm side, let the pitch pop up out of his hand or spike it, and it too frequently backs up and hangs over the heart of the plate at other times. His more exciting secondary is a low-80s changeup with impressive fade and tumbling action that looks like a potential swing-and-miss offering, but he rarely uses it and will need to refine his command of the pitch when he incorporates it more.

PJ Morlando, OF, Summerville (S.C.) HS
Commit: South Carolina

Morlando is one of the most fearsome hitters in the 2024 class thanks to a tremendous combination of bat speed, raw power and pure hitting chops. He hit three home runs in seven games with USA Baseball’s 18U qualifier team last fall, then won the high school home run derby at the All-Star Game in Seattle. He also was one of the most impressive hitters in the high school all-star game, with a number of hard-hit balls against live competition. Morlando has a physical, 6-foot-3, 200-pound frame and sets up with an ultra-wide stance and a setup with minimal extra movements. He’s a pull-heavy hitter at times, with an uphill path perfect for impact fly ball contact and he’s also shown solid zone skills, swing decisions and the ability to hammer velocity. 

Morlando was one of the top hitters to attend Perfect Game’s WWBA World Championship this fall, where he went 4-for-13 (.308) with one double, two walks and two strikeouts.

Bryce Navarre, LHP, Montgomery (Texas) HS
Commit: Texas A&M

A lean lefthander with a 6-foot-1, 190-pound frame, Navarre showed some of the best feel to spin the baseball this summer and had a few loud performances. At Perfect Game’s National showcase he struck out five of the eight batters he faced in two innings and later in the summer at the Area Code Games he struck out nine of 14.

While he pitches in the 87-89 mph range and has been up to only 90 mph at peak velocity this summer, Navarre’s fastball plays up and gets lots of swings and misses. It’s a high-spin fastball that comes out of a fluid arm action and delivery, and he pairs it with an ultra high-spin curveball in the mid-70s that looks like a real plus offering. 

In the two outings previously mentioned, Navarre generated a miss rate north of 50% with the pitch, which has consistent, 11-to-5 downer shape with excellent depth and spin rates in the 2,800-3,100 rpm range which are elite numbers for a breaking ball. He’s also mixed in a low-80s changeup with soft fading action to his arm side, though the pitch is a distant third offering at the moment. 

Joey Oakie, RHP, Ankeny (Iowa) Centennial HS
Commit: Iowa

A lower-slot righthander who has trended up in velocity over the last year or so, Oakie was one of the most electric pitchers at ACG, where he struck out five batters in three innings of work. A 6-foot-3, 195-pound righthander, Oakie has an athletic frame that still has room for more strength, and in his first inning in San Diego he pumped 95-96 mph fastballs with tons of arm-side running life. He settled into the 91-94 mph range in his next two frames, but his release point and the movement on the pitch should make it difficult for hitters to square up. Oakie’s slider looked like one of the best breaking balls at the event. He generated seven whiffs with the pitch, which came in at 83-86 mph with big spin and hard late biting action, which allowed him to get multiple swings and misses on pitches that hit lefthanded hitters.

Anthony Quigley, OF, Taravella HS Coral Springs, Fla.
Commit: South Florida

Quigley is an intriguing, upside bat with an elite frame at 6-foot-4, 200 pounds. I first saw him at Baseball Factory’s All-American game, where he put on a loud performance in batting practice and then put together a few competitive at-bats in game. Later in the year, Quigley played with Original Florida Pokers 2024 at Perfect Game’s WWBA World Championship where he went 6-for-17 (.353) with a triple. Quigley has a wide stance in the righthanded batter’s box and drives the ball with surprising raw power now, including opposite field home run power in BP. He has a tight righthanded swing with little waisted movement in his hands and has shown an ability to shorten up and make solid two-strike adjustments in game. 

There’s a bit of swing and miss in his operation, as well as some length in his levers, though his lanky frame indicates tons of physical projection remaining. One of Quigley’s most impressive at-bats was a walk at the Baseball Factory All-America game. He swung through a pair of 96 mph fastballs to get into a two-strike count, but did a nice job fouling off 96-97 mph velocity to stay alive before finally reaching base. Quigley looks like a solid runner underway, but he gets out of the box a bit slowly at times. He has a solid arm from the outfield and will be 18.1 on draft day. 

Bryce Rainer, SS/RHP, Harvard-Westlake HS, Los Angeles
Commit: Texas

Rainer is a 6-foot-4, 195-pound shortstop and righthanded pitcher with more experience as a position player. He has big arm strength and showed great carry on throws at ACG, though his size and hands might be a better fit at third base. Rainer is selective at the plate and understands the strike zone, and he has solid power potential, but some contact question marks and length to his bat path. He wowed on the mound in a one-inning look at ACG, where he threw 95-96 mph fastballs with ease and spun an above-average curveball at 79-83 mph. 

William Schmidt, RHP, Catholic HS, Baton Rouge, La.
Commit: Mississippi State

Schmidt is a lean and lanky, 6-foot-4, 180-pound righthander with long levers and extreme physical projection, to go with loud pure stuff now. He shoved at PGN, where he struck out five of the eight batters he faced with a lethal fastball/curveball combination. He pitched at 91-94 mph and generated five whiffs with the pitch, though his 77-79 mph 12-to-6 hammer curveball might have been his best pitch in this outing. The breaking ball spins in the 2,700-3,000 rpm range and features tons of depth and he showed good feel to land the pitch for strikes—though he’ll need to refine his command and spot the pitch down with more consistency moving forward. 

Anson Seibert, RHP, Blue Valley Southwest HS, Overland Park, Kan.
Commit: Tennessee

Seibert entered the summer as a highly ranked pitcher in the 2024 class, and during his first inning at the Area Code Games, he looked like arguably the single best among the prep ranks. A massive, 6-foot-8, 220-pound righthander, Seibert attacked the zone with a 94-96 mph fastball early and struck out the side in his first inning.

His command backed up quite a bit in the second inning however, particularly to the arm side against lefthanded hitters, but he’s shown enough pure stuff in flashes and still has loads of physical projection remaining to dream on. Seibert averaged about 93 mph this summer and will need to maintain his velocity better out of the stretch in the future, but he racks up whiffs with his fastball—including 12 in two innings at the Area Code Games—and also flashes potential with a high-spin slider. 

He throws the pitch in the low 80s and it features early, three-quarter shape and spin rates in the 2,400-2,600 rpm range with above-average potential and two-plane break at its best. He will tip the pitch and slow his arm down at times, which can lead to him not getting fully on top of the breaking ball and showing more fringe-average and he needs to improve his overall command for the slider in general. 

He’s also thrown a mid-80s changeup, but its infrequently used and he spiked it a few times at the Area Code Games, leaving it as a distant third pitch in its nascent stages. Seibert throws from a three-quarters slot and works from the first base side. He has an extra-open landing in his finish and could probably improve his lower half usage with better stacking over the rubber in his leg lift and a more direct path down the mound to the plate, but between his size, fastball and feel to spin the baseball—there’s a lot to dream on here. 

David Shields, LHP, Mt. Lebanon HS, Pittsburgh
Commit: Miami

Shields hails from the same Mt. Lebanon High School that also produced Ian Happ, Josh Wilson and Don Kelly. While those three stood out as everyday players, Shields has impressed for his pitchability on the mound. Originally a member of the 2025 class, Shields reclassified and will still be 17 on draft day.

Shields moves well on the mound and has an extremely loose arm. He works from a lower, three-quarters arm slot and has a slight fall off to the third base side with a crossfire landing, but he repeats well and showed above-average strike throwing ability in brief looks this summer. He was particularly impressive at Baseball Factory’s All-America game, where he stuck out the side in his single inning of work and looked like arguably the best command arm at the event. 

Shields pitches in the 89-92 mph range in short stints and mixes in a 78-82 mph breaking ball that has slurve-like shape and average potential, in addition to a low-80s changeup that has typical fading life and is thrown with fastball arm speed.

Garrett Shull, OF, Enid (Okla.) HS
Commit: Oklahoma State

Shull showed an intriguing all-around toolset at ACG and PGN this summer. A 6-foot-1, 203-pound switch-hitter, Shull showed impressive bat speed and power potential from both sides of the plate and hit a number of balls hard at ACG, where he went 5-for-14 with one walk and six strikeouts. He’s lean and muscular and hit five balls harder than 97 mph at the event, with a low-maintenance operation and solid feel for the barrel. Shull is just an average runner who is slow getting out of the box, so he’ll probably profile best as a corner outfielder. His above-average arm would fit in right field. 

Trey Snyder, SS, Liberty North (Mo.) HS
Commit: Tennessee

Snyder was a standout defensive shortstop at the Area Code Games, where he played for the Northwest-based Royals team despite going to school in Missouri. A 6-foot-2, 197-pound righthanded hitter, Snyder 3-for-11 (.273) with three singles, two walks and two strikeouts offensively, but he was terrific with the glove.

Snyder showed excellent defensive actions at the position, with advanced footwork and glove work, as well as a few highlight reel caliber plays including a diving stop up the middle followed by a quick pop up and strong throw to the bag. He does an excellent job positioning himself around the baseball to make accurate throws, and his actions are both fluid and balanced on difficult in-between plays, slow rollers and difficult balls in the hole to his arm side, with the requisite arm strength and accuracy to make the challenging throw from the hole on the outfield grass. 

Offensively, Snyder has been more of a contact hitter with low miss rates overall, though he has struggled a bit with sliders in 2023 and will also expand the zone more than he should. He has a slight downhill bat path, though in batting practice at the Area Code Games, showed fairly easy pull-side power in an admittedly home run friendly park in San Diego. Snyder has been a plus runner in the past, and he clocked a 6.65-second time in the 60-yard dash at Perfect Game’s National Showcase, though most of my run times on him from home-to-first were in the 4.40-4.50 second range, which are below average times. 

Ty Southisene, SS, Basic HS, Henderson, Nev.
Commit: Tennessee

Southisene entered the summer as a strong performer and left it with no questions about that reputation. In 18 logged games with Synergy in 2023, Southisene hit .432/.576/.500 with eight walks and six strikeouts. At 5-foot-9, 160 pounds, Southisene isn’t the most physical player, and his stature, performance track record and West Coast location lead to some Steven Milam comparisons, though Southisene does seem to have a bit more electricity in his toolset—with power and speed specifically.

While he doesn’t project to be a power hitter, Southisene finds the barrel and hits the ball hard consistently, pairing strong bat-to-ball skills with a solid batting eye at the plate. He has leadoff skills and was excellent in that capacity for the Four Corners Reds team at the Area Code Games, where he went 6-for-12 (.500) with a double, three walks and two strikeouts. Southisene has some moving parts in his setup, including a decent amount of bat waggle with his highly set hands, a deep hand press and a sizeable leg kick. It’s a level path and line drive stroke that might not lead to a many home runs, but his ability to drive the ball to the right-center gap should allow for plenty of doubles.

Southisene showed solid defensive actions at shortstop, and he can make a fine throw across the diamond with his feet set, though his arm strength could be a better fit for second base in the long run. 

Levi Sterling, RHP, Notre Dame HS, Sherman Oaks, Calif.
Commit: Texas

Sterling is on the extreme young end of the 2024 class and will be 17 years old on draft day. He pitched consistently well this summer and showed swing-and-miss traits with a fastball, slider and changeup—with different pitches taking center stage at different events. At ACG, Sterling struck out six batters and walked two in six innings. He sat 91-94 mph with his fastball and showed an above-average slider. His breaking ball was in the 79-85 mph range and showed good bite and finish when he was on top of the pitch, with sweeping action and spin rates in the 2,600-2,700 rpm range. Sterling also has a mid-80s changeup that looks like a real weapon now, and he mixes in all three pitches while working quickly and throwing solid strikes.

Ethan Surowiec, 3B/1B, Gulfport (Miss.) HS
Commit: Mississippi

A 6-foot-2, 205-pound third baseman, Surowiec stood out for his rhythmic swing and raw power this summer. In 28 logged games, he hit .378/.447/.608 with two home runs, three triples and five doubles. He has a solid frame with physical projection remaining, though he already has impressive bat speed and straightaway raw power. In the box, Surowiec makes consistent hard contact and has good rhythm and solid swing decisions, though his bat path is a bit long at times and his impact comes with some swing-and-miss tendencies. He has enough arm strength for third base, and his foot speed should keep him as a corner profile moving forward, particularly as he adds bulk to his frame. 

Surowiec didn’t have loud numbers overall at Perfect Game’s WWBA World Championship, but he did show solid pop, plate discipline and arm strength on the mound.

Zach Swanson, RHP, Toutle Lake (Wash.) HS
Commit: Oregon State

Swanson was consistently impressive throughout his outings this summer and against 54 batters through five games, he struck out 28 and walked eight. A 6-foot-2, 205-pound righthander, Swanson throws a 91-95 mph fastball with high spin rates in the 2,400-2,700 rpm range. While his fastball has a chance to be a plus pitch in the future, his command is scattered, and he showed a tendency to miss to his glove side. Swanson showed better feel for an above-average breaking ball that generated whiffs against both righties and lefties and was also a great backdoor offering against lefties. He occasionally throws the pitch with frisbee-like, sweeping shape and it has the makings of a plus slider with high spin. He’s also mixed in a straight changeup at 84-87. 

Carson Wiggins, RHP, Roland (Okla.) HS
Commit: Arkansas

The younger brother of former Arkansas righthander Jaxon Wiggins—who the Cubs selected with the 68 overall pick in the 2023 draft—Carson has more advanced stuff at the same age and is one of the most high-octane arms in the prep class. He touched mid 90s velocity in 2022 and this summer he has touched 97 a number of times and even gotten to 98-99 mph at peak velocity on a few occasions.

Wiggins can be hot or cold depending on the day thanks to inconsistent control, though I have a positive information asymmetry with the 6-foot-5, 210-pound righthander thanks to a few in-person looks where he was around the zone with loud stuff that overwhelmed high school hitters. The first was at the high school all star game in Seattle, where Wiggins got whiffs with his fastball, an 82-83 mph split-changeup and an 83 mph slider in one inning and the second was at Perfect Game’s National Showcase in Phoenix where he was around the zone with both his fastball and a slider that flashed plus.

Wiggins has a lean and lanky frame with future growth potential, and he throws from a three-quarters slot and gets to his mid/upper-90s velocity with plenty of ease. The pitch has spin rates in the 2,500 rpm range, and his mid-80s slider is another high-spin pitch in the 2,500-2,700 range that has consistent sweeping action, sharpness and occasional two-plane bite that should be a weapon vs. both lefties and righties.