MLB Draft Notes: Checking In On 2022, 2023, 2024 Pitchers

While the high school season is winding down in other parts of the country, players in colder climates like the Northeast are only a few weeks into the season at some schools.

Below are updated looks, notes and videos from pitching prospects on the radar for the 2022, 2023 and 2024 drafts.

Ben Brutti, 2022 RHP, Rhode Island

Between a Covid-shortened season and a back injury while swinging a bat, Brutti didn’t pitch for his South Kingstown High team last spring. He came back for the summer and touched the low 90s, but the 6-foot-3, 200-pound South Florida commit has taken a significant jump forward this year.

Pitching in front of around 10 scouts on April 25, Brutti sat at 92-95 mph and touched 96 with his sinker, close to his peak of 97 mph. He mixed in a solid but inconsistent slider, flashing as an average pitch through his early innings before his final inning when he snapped off a plus slider with deep lateral break. Brutti has a changeup, but he didn’t need it on this day and attacked hitters with exclusively his sinker/slider mix.

Aside from one inning, Brutti mostly threw strikes in this outing. There’s effort to his delivery and scouts have said his control can waver, leading to a lot of reliever projections. That profile could mean he ends up getting to South Florida, but his draft stock is way up from last year with a chance long term to develop into a power reliever who in short bursts could be mid-to-upper 90s with a promising slider.

 

Thomas White, 2023 LHP, Massachusetts

White ranks as the No. 4 player in the 2023 high school class, the top high school pitcher in the country for next year and the No. 10 player on our 2023 draft list. Pitching for Phillips Academy on April 23, the 6-foot-5, 200-pound lefty showed his typical easy, low-effort delivery from a three-quarters slot, pitching at 91-94 mph and hitting 95. There’s more strength projection left for White to have more velocity in the tank, so he could be reaching the upper 90s next year by draft day or once he gets into pro ball.

Early on in this outing, White didn’t have great feel for his 72-75 mph curveball, which led to some trouble, but it was sharper later in the game when he was able to land it for strikes and get empty swings. White’s changeup might end up being his best offspeed pitch, though he didn’t need to use it in this outing. A recent Vanderbilt commit, White still looks like a potential first-round pick next year.

 

Mavrick Rizy, 2024 RHP, Massachusetts

Connecticut had two high-end pitchers in their recruiting class last year who never made it to campus with in-state lefthander Frank Mozzicato (Royals) and Vermont righthander Owen Kellington (Pirates) getting drafted. They have another intriguing pitching commit with Rizy, a gigantic 6-foot-8, 205-pound righthander who ranks as the No. 45 player in the 2024 class.

Pitching against White’s team that day for Worcester Academy, Rizy came out of the bullpen and struck out five of the eight batters he faced. Rizy operated at 87-91 mph, mixing in a 74-76 mph curveball with three-quarter break that he shows feel to spin and an 83-85 mph cutter. Rizy also broke out a low-80s split-changeup with fading action that he just started throwing and was able to get swings and misses with the pitch. For a teenage pitcher his size, Rizy showed impressive body control on the mound, which bodes well for his future control.