Sam Highfill Stats & Scouting Report

IP	7
ERA	6.43
WHIP	2
BB/9	6.43
SO/9	12.86

Full name Samuel Owen Highfill
Born 11/30/2000 in Cary, NC
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 203 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School North Carolina State

Top Rankings

Draft Prospects

School: North Carolina State Source: 4YR

Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 22.6
Highfill ranked as the No. 341 prospect in the 2022 class, but pitched just six games that season after dealing with a back injury. After going undrafted and returning to North Carolina State for his 2023 senior season, Highfill posted a 4.83 ERA over 54 innings—with most of those coming out of the bullpen. His fastball has always been his carrying tool. The pitch sits in the low 90s and has been up to 95, but what sets it apart is the immense riding life and carry, with more than 20 inches of induced vertical break. He generated whiffs on the pitch 25% of the time this spring. Highfill also throws a low-80s slider and mid-80s changeup. He could be an interesting senior target on day three for teams that value his fastball shape.
School: North Carolina State Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.6
A 6-foot-3, 214-pound righthander, Highfill pitched as a reliever in six games for North Carolina State in 2020 before transitioning to the starting rotation in 2021, where he showed impressive command and posted a 3.66 ERA over 16 starts and 93.1 innings. His 2022 season was cut short after just six games due to a back injury, and he was only able to post a 5.53 ERA over 27.2 innings with 29 strikeouts (24.2 K%) and 10 walks (8.3 BB%). Highfill has a three-pitch mix, headlined by a fastball that sits around 90 mph and gets up to 94-95 mph at peak. The pitch has exceptional riding life and induced vertical break, which gives it an outlier trait that could prove useful at the next level despite its modest, average velocity. He commands the fastball well but struggled more to land his 80 mph slider and low-80s changeup in the zone this spring. Highfill entered the year looking like a safe bet to go somewhere in the sixth-to-10th-round range, but his injury status and lack of innings make that projection more uncertain.