10 prospects to watch at the Draft Combine

June 18th, 2024

This story was excerpted from MLB Pipeline's newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

MLB's fourth annual Draft Combine starts Tuesday at Phoenix's Chase Field with a five-hour broadcast of a pro-style workout on MLB Network from 1-6 p.m. ET. Position players will take part in batting practice and infield/outfield, and pitchers will throw bullpen sessions, interspersed with analysis of the prospects and interviews with players and team executives.

Here are the five-highest rated prospects on MLB Pipeline's Draft Top 200 who will participate in the workouts, plus five more to watch on Tuesday:

Kellon Lindsey, SS, Hardee HS, Wauchula, Fla. (No. 30)
Lindsey is arguably the fastest player in the high school class, flashing top-of-the-scale run times and an explosive first step. He may have played himself into the first round by improving his bat and his chances of staying at shortstop this spring.

Carter Johnson, SS, Oxford (Ala.) HS (No. 40)
As an Alabama prep shortstop with a big frame, Johnson draws comparisons to Gunnar Henderson. He's not quite as athletic as the Orioles' star, but Johnson is an advanced hitter with 20-homer upside who likely will wind up at second or third base.

Dasan Hill, LHP, Grapevine (Texas) HS (No. 50)
Hill's projectability dwarfed his present stuff on the showcase circuit last summer, but he has taken off since growing 3 inches and adding 15 pounds. His fastball has jumped to the low 90s while topping out at 96 mph, his low-80s slider with high spin rates has become a plus pitch, and his curveball and changeup also show promise.

Levi Sterling, RHP, Notre Dame HS, Sherman Oaks, Calif. (No. 51)
Part of a Notre Dame program that has spawned 1968 No. 1 overall choice Tim Foli, Hunter Greene, Jack McDowell and Giancarlo Stanton, Sterling stands out as one of the more polished and projectable arms in the high school class. His fastball reaches 94 mph, he exhibits good feel for spinning both a curveball and changeup, and he can miss bats with his changeup as well.

Chris Levonas, RHP, Christian Brothers Academy, Lincroft, N.J. (No. 54)
Part of a deep crop of New Jersey prep arms, Levonas reminds some scouts of Walker Buehler with his wiry 6-foot-1 build. He can run his fastball up to 97 mph, generates high spin rates on his slider and curveball and shows aptitude for throwing a changeup.

Mike Sirota, OF, Northeastern (No. 55)
Once projected to go in the upper half of the first round, Sirota is more of a second-rounder now after a disappointing spring. Nevertheless, the grand-nephew of Hall of Famer Whitey Ford remains a potential 20-20 center fielder with an eye for drawing walks.

Griffin Burkholder, OF, Freedom HS, South Riding, Va. (No. 80)
Burkholder's combination of tools could land him in the second round. He's a plus-plus runner with plus raw power and similar defense in center field.

More from MLB Pipeline:
Top 100 prospects | Stats | Video | Podcast | Complete coverage

Conrad Cason, RHP/SS, Greater Atlanta Christian School, Norcross, Ga. (No. 99)
Gatorade's Georgia high school player of the year, Cason is more highly regarded as a right-hander with a 93-98 mph fastball and a slider and split-grip changeup that both sit in the low 80s. But he's also intriguing as a strong-armed shortstop with solid speed and power potential, and he has opted to showcase himself as a position player at the Combine.

Jared Jones, 1B, Louisiana State (No. 119)
Jones slammed 28 homers in 66 games this spring and offers as much bat speed and raw power as any college player in this Draft, though he does come with significant swing-and-miss concerns. As a high schooler, he put on a show at the 2022 Combine in San Diego, hitting the two longest blasts (462 and 433 feet) during MLB Network's broadcast.

Luke Sinnard, RHP, Indiana (No. 184)
Sinnard looked like a potential top-two-rounds pick last spring with a 91-96 mph fastball and a pair of solid breaking balls, but he blew out his right elbow in June and missed the 2024 season following Tommy John surgery. He reached 95 mph while throwing 20 pitches (all heaters) in a workout for scouts last Monday and will throw again at the Combine.