| IP | 97.2 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 4.33 |
| WHIP | 1.51 |
| BB/9 | 5.25 |
| SO/9 | 8.39 |
- Full name Karson McCullough Milbrandt
- Born 04/21/2004 in Liberty, MO
- Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 190 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Liberty
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Drafted in the 3rd round (85th overall) by the Miami Marlins in 2022 (signed for $1,500,000).
View Draft Report
Milbrandt’s journey up draft boards began last summer, as he impressed scouts at the Area Code games. With some rawness still present in his game, Milbrandt is a classic projection arm. At 6-foot-1, 188 pounds, the Missouri native has plenty of room to add size and strength. Pitching this spring with the classic full windup delivery, Milbrandt is deliberate up to his balance point. Once gathered, the loose, quick righthanded arm hits his peak shoulder height in back before releasing from a three-quarter slot. The life his 90-94 mph fastball presents out of his hand is impressive, oftentimes appearing harder than what the radar gun may read. His speedball did begin to touch 95-96 late this spring, perhaps giving a preview of what lies ahead as he continues to develop. Milbrandt’s 75-78 mph curveball has 11-to-5 break to it with good depth. He’s around the plate with it and it shows flashes of a plus offering. His slider tells a similar story. Milbrandt began using it more as the spring progressed and it possesses classic three-quarter break at 80-82 mph, and he will bury it against righthanded hitters. Topping off his mix is a changeup. Thrown with good arm action, Milbrandt is able to induce some downward movement with it to lefthanded hitters. Scouts agree the foundation is there for Milbrandt to mold into something special down the line. His ceiling is extremely high, and a pro organization may decide the profile is simply too good to let slip away to Vanderbilt in the fall.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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BA Grade: 50/Extreme
Track Record: Milbrandt was a two-sport star at Liberty High, starring in basketball as well as baseball. He was named the 2022 Missouri Baseball Gatorade Player of the Year. Milbrandt would go on to be selected in the third round--85th overall--of the 2022 draft and signed for an over-slot deal worth $1.5 million. Milbrandt in 2023 enjoyed a productive first full professional season, working a 5.09 ERA with 94 strikeouts and 51 walks in 97.1 innings across Low-A Jupiter and High-A Beloit.
Scouting Report: At 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, Milbrandt has an athletic build and moves well on the mound. He has an easy, low-effort delivery as well as blistering arm speed. Milbrandt works primarily on the third base side of the rubber and attacks hitters from a mid-three-quarters slot. His fastball will sit in the 94-97 mph range and explodes out of the hand. Most of the swing-and-miss Milbrandt gets on the pitch is when it is located in the top half of the strike zone, where it displays run and ride through the zone. His go-to out pitch is a tight-spinning, low-80s curveball. It flashes big shape at times and has sharp, two-plane break. Milbrandt maintains his trademark arm speed well and it is effective against batters on both sides of the plate. It is an above-average offering and has out pitch potential down the road. Though he threw the pitch sparingly, Milbrandt also has a high-80s changeup in his arsenal that shows promise, showing run and fade to the arm side at times. A key for Milbrandt going forward will be continuing to refine his command, which in 2023 was inconsistent at times.
The Future: Milbrandt is on track to start the 2024 season at High-A Beloit and could reach Double-A Pensacola. He has the potential to be an effective no. 3 or 4 starter.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 45 -
BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
Track Record: Milbrandt's draft stock started rising at the 2021 Area Code Games, where his mix of present stuff and projectability caught the eyes of scouts. He carried that momentum into his senior season at Liberty (Mo.) HS and impressed the Marlins enough for them to select him with their third-round selection, the second in Miami's run of 12 consecutive pitchers drafted after first-rounder Jacob Berry. The former Vanderbilt commit signed for $1,497,500 and made one start in the Low-A Florida State League to get his feet wet as a professional.
Scouting Report: Milbrandt works from a full windup and delivers from a three-quarters slot. From there, he typically delivers fastballs in the 90-94 mph range, though he began touching a few ticks higher toward season's end and peaked at 96 in his only pro start. He backs the fastball with a full complement of offspeed pitches, including a pair of potentially above-average breaking balls. Both pitches have 11-to-5 shape, with the biggest difference coming via velocity. The slider is thrown in the low 80s and the curveball checks in a few ticks lower, typically around 75-78 mph, though it was a touch hotter in the Florida State League. He rounds out his arsenal with a potentially average, fading changeup that he sells well through consistent, repeatable arm action. The Marlins are particularly intrigued by Milbrandt's size and projectability. Once he gets bigger and stronger, they expect his stuff to tick up in kind. The cleanliness and repeatability in Milbrandt's delivery leads evaluators to believe he could develop above-average control.
The Future: Milbrandt's only official start after signing came with Low-A Jupiter, where he's likely to return in 2023. His present stuff and projectability give him a high ceiling that could land him in a big league rotation in a few years' time.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Curveball: 55. Slider: 55. Changeup: 50. Control: 55
Draft Prospects
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School: Liberty (Mo.) HS Committed/Drafted: Vanderbilt
Age At Draft: 18.2
BA Grade: 50/Extreme
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Cutter: | Control: 55
Milbrandt’s journey up draft boards began last summer, as he impressed scouts at the Area Code games. With some rawness still present in his game, Milbrandt is a classic projection arm. At 6-foot-1, 188 pounds, the Missouri native has plenty of room to add size and strength. Pitching this spring with the classic full windup delivery, Milbrandt is deliberate up to his balance point. Once gathered, the loose, quick righthanded arm hits his peak shoulder height in back before releasing from a three-quarter slot. The life his 90-94 mph fastball presents out of his hand is impressive, oftentimes appearing harder than what the radar gun may read. His speedball did begin to touch 95-96 late this spring, perhaps giving a preview of what lies ahead as he continues to develop. Milbrandt’s 75-78 mph curveball has 11-to-5 break to it with good depth. He’s around the plate with it and it shows flashes of a plus offering. His slider tells a similar story. Milbrandt began using it more as the spring progressed and it possesses classic three-quarter break at 80-82 mph, and he will bury it against righthanded hitters. Topping off his mix is a changeup. Thrown with good arm action, Milbrandt is able to induce some downward movement with it to lefthanded hitters. Scouts agree the foundation is there for Milbrandt to mold into something special down the line. His ceiling is extremely high, and a pro organization may decide the profile is simply too good to let slip away to Vanderbilt in the fall.
Scouting Reports
-
BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
Track Record: Milbrandt's draft stock started rising at the 2021 Area Code Games, where his mix of present stuff and projectability caught the eyes of scouts. He carried that momentum into his senior season at Liberty (Mo.) HS and impressed the Marlins enough for them to select him with their third-round selection, the second in Miami's run of 12 consecutive pitchers drafted after first-rounder Jacob Berry. The former Vanderbilt commit signed for $1,497,500 and made one start in the Low-A Florida State League to get his feet wet as a professional.
Scouting Report: Milbrandt works from a full windup and delivers from a three-quarters slot. From there, he typically delivers fastballs in the 90-94 mph range, though he began touching a few ticks higher toward season's end and peaked at 96 in his only pro start. He backs the fastball with a full complement of offspeed pitches, including a pair of potentially above-average breaking balls. Both pitches have 11-to-5 shape, with the biggest difference coming via velocity. The slider is thrown in the low 80s and the curveball checks in a few ticks lower, typically around 75-78 mph, though it was a touch hotter in the Florida State League. He rounds out his arsenal with a potentially average, fading changeup that he sells well through consistent, repeatable arm action. The Marlins are particularly intrigued by Milbrandt's size and projectability. Once he gets bigger and stronger, they expect his stuff to tick up in kind. The cleanliness and repeatability in Milbrandt's delivery leads evaluators to believe he could develop above-average control.
The Future: Milbrandt's only official start after signing came with Low-A Jupiter, where he's likely to return in 2023. His present stuff and projectability give him a high ceiling that could land him in a big league rotation in a few years' time.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Curveball: 55. Slider: 55. Changeup: 50. Control: 55 -
BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
Track Record: Milbrandt's draft stock started rising at the 2021 Area Code Games, where his mix of present stuff and projectability caught the eyes of scouts. He carried that momentum into his senior season at Liberty (Mo.) HS and impressed the Marlins enough for them to select him with their third-round selection, the second in Miami's run of 12 consecutive pitchers drafted after first-rounder Jacob Berry. The former Vanderbilt commit signed for $1,497,500 and made one start in the Low-A Florida State League to get his feet wet as a professional.
Scouting Report: Milbrandt works from a full windup and delivers from a three-quarters slot. From there, he typically delivers fastballs in the 90-94 mph range, though he began touching a few ticks higher toward season's end and peaked at 96 in his only pro start. He backs the fastball with a full complement of offspeed pitches, including a pair of potentially above-average breaking balls. Both pitches have 11-to-5 shape, with the biggest difference coming via velocity. The slider is thrown in the low 80s and the curveball checks in a few ticks lower, typically around 75-78 mph, though it was a touch hotter in the Florida State League. He rounds out his arsenal with a potentially average, fading changeup that he sells well through consistent, repeatable arm action. The Marlins are particularly intrigued by Milbrandt's size and projectability. Once he gets bigger and stronger, they expect his stuff to tick up in kind. The cleanliness and repeatability in Milbrandt's delivery leads evaluators to believe he could develop above-average control.
The Future: Milbrandt's only official start after signing came with Low-A Jupiter, where he's likely to return in 2023. His present stuff and projectability give him a high ceiling that could land him in a big league rotation in a few years' time.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Curveball: 55. Slider: 55. Changeup: 50. Control: 55 -
BA Grade: 50/Extreme
August Update: Milbrandt's journey up draft boards began last summer, as he impressed scouts at the Area Code games. With some rawness still present in his game, Milbrandt is a classic projection arm. At 6-foot-1, 188 pounds, the Missouri native has plenty of room to add size and strength. Pitching this spring with the classic full windup delivery, Milbrandt is deliberate up to his balance point. Once gathered, the loose, quick righthanded arm hits his peak shoulder height in back before releasing from a three-quarter slot. The life his 90-94 mph fastball presents out of his hand is impressive, oftentimes appearing harder than what the radar gun may read. His speedball did begin to touch 95-96 late this spring, perhaps giving a preview of what lies ahead as he continues to develop. Milbrandt's 75-78 mph curveball has 11-to-5 break to it with good depth. He's around the plate with it and it shows flashes of a plus offering. His slider tells a similar story. Milbrandt began using it more as the spring progressed and it possesses classic three-quarter break at 80-82 mph, and he will bury it against righthanded hitters. Topping off his mix is a changeup. Thrown with good arm action, Milbrandt is able to induce some downward movement with it to lefthanded hitters. Scouts agree the foundation is there for Milbrandt to mold into something special down the line. His ceiling is extremely high, and a pro organization may decide the profile is simply too good to let slip away to Vanderbilt in the fall.
