Here are the Statcast standouts from the 2023 Draft Combine
Baseball's top Draft prospects showcased their skills at the 2023 MLB Draft Combine in Phoenix this week, and they did so not only under the watchful eye of myriad scouts, but in view of Hawk-Eye, the camera system that fuels Statcast data.
We have Statcast tracking data for the Draft Combine's batting practice and bullpen sessions at Chase Field on Tuesday and Wednesday, as well as Tuesday's 12-inning game between high school prospects. So we can see which Draft prospects hit the ball the hardest and the farthest and threw it the fastest. The performance they put on in front of big league clubs is the final impression they'll make before the Draft, which will be held from July 9-11 in Seattle.
A total of 323 players accepted invitations to the MLB Draft Combine this year, including 169 members of MLB Pipeline's Top 200 Draft prospects list.
Below are the exit velocity, distance, pitch velocity and spin rate leaders among the prospects at the Draft Combine, based on all recorded data. Top 200 Prospects List rankings are in parentheses where applicable.
Highest maximum exit velocity (batting practice)
116.2 mph - George Wolkow, OF, Downers Grove North HS (Ill.) (No. 68)
113.5 mph - Brandon Winokur, OF, Edison HS (Calif.) (No. 72)
113.5 mph - Joe Vetrano, 1B, Boston College
111.4 mph - Kemp Alderman, OF, Mississippi (No. 62)
111.4 mph - TayShaun Walton, CF, IMG Academy (Fla.) (No. 165)
110.6 mph - Jackson Feltner, 1B, Morehead State
110.2 mph - Kris Armstrong, 1B, Jacksonville
110.0 mph - Jake DeLeo, OF, Georgia Tech
109.8 mph - Sam Parker, 1B/OF, Kennesaw Mountain HS (Ga.)
109.5 mph - Daniel Cuvet, INF/RHP, ESB Academy (Fla.)
Highest exit velocity (game)
100.4 mph - Trenton Lyons, C, Christian Brothers HS (TN)
99.7 mph - TJ Pompey, SS, Coppell HS (TX)
99.4 mph - Isaiah Drake, CF, North Atlanta HS (GA)
98.9 mph - Isaiah Drake, CF, North Atlanta HS (GA)
98.1 mph - Riley Jackson, C, Eau Gallie HS (FL)
97.4 mph - Riley Jackson, C, Eau Gallie HS (FL)
96.7 mph - Duce Robinson, CF, Pinnacle HS (AZ)
95.2 mph - Sam Shaw, SS, Lambrick Park SS (BC)
94.2 mph - Luke Stevenson, C, Wake Forest HS (NC)
94.1 mph - Sam Shaw, SS, Lambrick Park SS (BC)
Highest average exit velocity (batting practice)
(# of batted balls in parentheses)
108.3 mph (9) - Brandon Winokur, OF, Edison HS (Calif.) (No. 72)
106.7 mph (8) - George Wolkow, OF, Downers Grove North HS (Ill.) (No. 68)
102.5 mph (9) - Joe Vetrano, 1B, Boston College
101.3 mph (11) - TayShaun Walton, CF, IMG Academy (Fla.) (No. 165)
100.9 mph (14) - Jonathon Long, 3B, Long Beach State
100.5 mph (16) - Kemp Alderman, OF, Mississippi (No. 62)
100.3 mph (13) - Trent Caraway, SS, JSerra Catholic HS (Calif.) (No. 67)
100.3 mph (12) - Myles Naylor, 3B, St. Joan of Arc Catholic SS (Canada) (No. 59)
100.3 mph (5) - Caden Sorrell, CF, Marcus HS (Texas) (No. 76)
99.7 mph (11) - Gavin Grahovac, SS, Villa Park HS (Calif.) (No. 146)
Longest maximum distance (batting practice)
456 feet - Sam Parker, 1B/OF, Kennesaw Mountain HS (Ga.)
443 feet - Kemp Alderman, OF, Mississippi (No. 62)
437 feet - Brandon Winokur, OF, Edison HS (Calif.) (No. 72)
437 feet - Will Simpson, INF, Washington
435 feet - Andrew Wiggins, OF/RHP, Heritage Christian (Ind.)
431 feet - George Wolkow, Downers Grove North (IL.) (No. 68)
429 feet - Daniel Cuvet, INF/RHP, ESB Academy (Fla.)
429 feet - Sabin Ceballos, 3B, Oregon (No. 153)
424 feet - Alfonsin Rosario, CF, P27 Academy (S.C.)
424 feet - Luke Keaschall, SS, Arizona State (No. 90)
Longest distance (game)
388 feet - Riley Jackson, C, Eau Gallie HS (FL)
366 feet - Isaiah Drake, CF, North Atlanta HS (GA)
358 feet - Duce Robinson, CF, Pinnacle HS (AZ)
355 feet - Luke Stevenson, C, Wake Forest HS (NC)
349 feet - Sam Shaw, SS, Lambrick Park SS (BC)
Longest average distance (batting practice)
(# of batted balls in parentheses)
350 feet (7) - Tai Peete, 3B, Trinity Christian School (Ga.) (No. 53)
347 feet (9) - Isaiah Drake, CF, North Atlanta HS (Ga.)
344 feet (9) - Luke Keaschall, SS, Arizona State (No. 90)
337 feet (9) - Drew Burress, OF, Houston County HS (Ga.) (No. 100)
336 feet (8) - John Peck, SS, Pepperdine
332 feet (13) - Daniel Cuvet, 3B, Florida Virtual School (Fla.)
332 feet (14) - Jonathon Long, 3B, Long Beach State
330 feet (14) - Eric Bitonti, SS, Aquinas HS (Calif.) (No. 65)
330 feet (18) - Quinn McDaniel, 2B, Maine
322 feet (12) - Nolan Souza, SS, Punahou HS (Hawaii)
Most hard-hit balls (batting practice)
(Hard-hit = 95+ mph exit velocity)
20 - Sabin Ceballos, 3B, Oregon (No. 153)
17 - Braden Holcomb, SS, Foundation Academy (Fla.)
16 - AJ Ewing, SS, Springboro HS (Ohio)
15 - Kevin Sim, 3B, San Diego (No. 191)
14 - CJ Kayfus, 1B, Miami (No. 152)
14 - Alfonsin Rosario, CF, P27 Academy (S.C.)
14 - Hylan Hall, OF, Bethune
13 - Kemp Alderman, OF, Mississippi (No. 62)
13 - Garret Forrester, 1B, Oregon State (No. 118)
13 - Jonathon Long, 3B, Long Beach State
13 - Luke Stevenson, C, Wake Forest HS (N.C.)
Fastest maximum pitch velocity (bullpen session)
98.0 mph - Sam Knowlton, RHP, South Alabama
97.5 mph - George Klassen, RHP, Minnesota (No. 181)
97.4 mph - Magdiel Cotto, LHP, Kentucky
97.3 mph - Zach Fruit, RHP, Eastern Michigan
96.8 mph - Hayden Durke, RHP, Rice
96.8 mph - Cameron Johnson, LHP, IMG Academy (Fla.) (No. 40)
96.6 mph - Skylar Hales, RHP, Santa Clara
96.2 mph - Chris Clark, RHP, Harvard
96.1 mph - Adam Boucher, RHP, Duke
96.0 mph - Hunter Owen, LHP, Vanderbilt (No. 64)
Fastest pitch velocity (bullpen session)
98.0 mph - Sam Knowlton, RHP, South Alabama
97.9 mph - Sam Knowlton, RHP, South Alabama
97.9 mph - T.J. Nichols, RHP, Arizona
97.8 mph - Sam Knowlton, RHP, South Alabama
97.7 mph - Sam Knowlton, RHP, South Alabama
97.7 mph - Sam Knowlton, RHP, South Alabama
97.7 mph - Sam Knowlton, RHP, South Alabama
97.6 mph - T.J. Nichols, RHP, Arizona
97.5 mph - George Klassen, RHP, Minnesota (No. 181)
97.4 mph - Magdiel Cotto, LHP, Kentucky
Fastest pitch velocity (game)
96.7 mph - Garrett Baumann, RHP, Hagerty HS (FL), (No. 145)
96.2 mph - Garrett Baumann, RHP, Hagerty HS (FL), (No. 145)
96.2 mph - Barrett Kent, RHP, Pottsboro HS (TX), (No. 150)
96.0 mph - Aidan Knaak, RHP, Bishop Verot HS (FL), (No. 195)
96.0 mph - Barrett Kent, RHP, Pottsboro HS (TX), (No. 150)
96.0 mph - Mac Heuer, RHP, Georgia Home Education Assoc (GA)
95.9 mph - Barrett Kent, RHP, Pottsboro HS (TX), (No. 150)
95.9 mph - Liam Peterson, RHP, Calvary Christian HS (FL), (No. 82)
95.7 mph - Liam Peterson, RHP, Calvary Christian HS (FL), (No. 82)
95.7 mph - Garrett Baumann, RHP, Hagerty HS (FL), (No. 145)
Highest maximum pitch spin rate (bullpen session)
2915 RPM - Mikey Tepper, RHP, Liberty
2904 RPM - Ty Cummings, RHP, Campbell
2888 RPM - Xavier Meachem, RHP, North Carolina A&T State University
2883 RPM - Adam Boucher, RHP, Duke
2819 RPM - Hunter Owen, LHP, Vanderbilt (No. 64)
2776 RPM - Nigel Belgrave, RHP, Maryland
2719 RPM - Carlson Reed, RHP, West Virginia (No. 196)
2667 RPM - Cade Smith, RHP, Mississippi
2666 RPM - Sebastian Gongora, LHP, Wright State
2651 RPM - Case Matter, RHP, Washington
Highest pitch spin rate (game)
3243 RPM - Chase Meyer, RHP, Combine Academy (NC)
3233 RPM - Chase Meyer, RHP, Combine Academy (NC)
3196 RPM - Chase Meyer, RHP, Combine Academy (NC)
3107 RPM - Chase Meyer, RHP, Combine Academy (NC)
3078 RPM - Chase Meyer, RHP, Combine Academy (NC)
3027 RPM - Chase Meyer, RHP, Combine Academy (NC)
2737 RPM - Derek Schaefer, RHP, Cactus Shadows HS (AZ)
2716 RPM - Hiro Wyatt, RHP, Staples HS (CT)
2704 RPM - Weston Moss, RHP, Lake Creek HS (TX)
2694 RPM - Weston Moss, RHP, Lake Creek HS (TX)