Top Prep Righthander Hunter Ruth To Have Tommy John surgery

After experiencing forearm tightness last week, righthander Hunter Ruth—the No. 52 prospect on our Top 100 draft list—found out today that he had a torn ulnar collateral ligament and will need to undergo Tommy John surgery.

Ruth, out of Buchholz High in Gainesville, Fla., has yet to set a date when the surgery will take place, or who will perform it, but is moving forward and prepared to tackle the rehab process head on. Ruth is a 6-foot-1, 190-pound Florida commit who has a mid-90s fastball that’s popped 97 early this season, to go along with a plus slider at its best. He had also shown improved command early this season.

Another prep righty dealing with an arm injury who’s high on our Top 100 list is No. 42 prospect Joe Perez, out of Archbishop McCarthy (Southwest Ranches, Fla.). Perez is dealing with shoulder tendinitis, and while that is less serious than Ruth’s own injury, Perez is still trying to solidify himself near the top of the 2017 draft class. Scouts have been searching for a consensus on the flamethrowing righty, who also is a talented hitting prospect.

Perez said he didn’t have his best stuff during his one start in last week’s National High School Invitational. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Miami commit sat 91-93 with his fastball, regularly touching 94 and showing 95 on some radar guns, although TrackMan pegged his fastest offering at 94.4 mph.

Perez, a Miami recruit, could pitch again in a week or two.