Each summer season, the Midwest Scouts Affiliation, which is made up of scouting personnel from all 30 main league organizations, invitations 50 highschool gamers from all through the area to take part in a two-day occasion in Kansas Metropolis. The occasion incorporates a showcase portion on the Kansas Metropolis Royals’ City Youth Academy, in addition to a seven-inning doubleheader the next day at Kauffman Stadium. It’s a implausible alternative to get a snapshot of how lots of the high highschool prospects in subsequent yr’s draft class look going into their senior yr, with a handful of incoming juniors within the combine as effectively. The gamers are listed right here so as of my choice primarily based solely on my look from this specific occasion. With that, let’s check out some 2025 draft-eligible Midwest prep prospects.
Place Gamers
Landon Schaefer, SS, Fayetteville, AR
Faculty Dedication: Arkansas
Schaefer is dedicated to his hometown Razorbacks, however he’s going to get lots of consideration from newbie scouts main as much as the 2025 draft. He has a lean, athletic body that leaves loads of room to challenge on each his physique and his instruments. He hits out of an upright, sq. setup, and makes use of an abbreviated leg kick to set off his lengthy stride. Schaefer has a deep hand load that produces a 45-degree bat angle, which generates loft as he whips it by means of the hitting zone with above-average bat velocity. He flashed above-average uncooked energy to the pull facet throughout batting apply and persistently did a pleasant job of incorporating his decrease half in his hacks.
Defensively, Schaefer reveals delicate fingers that look greater than able to staying up the center on the dust. He controls his 6-foot-3 body effectively when ranging laterally, and whereas he isn’t overly twitchy, there’s a touch of quick-twitch in his actions, that are easy and fluid general. Proper now, Schaefer has fringe-average arm energy at greatest, however given how projectable his body is and the way good of an athlete he’s, it’s protected to anticipate that he’ll have at the very least common arm energy sooner or later. Whereas there are some considerations to level to relating to whether or not he stays at shortstop long-term, the actions, physique management, and fingers he displayed give me confidence that he’ll be at the very least an above-average defender at second base if he finally strikes off shortstop. Total, it’s a well-rounded profile that brings worth on each side of the ball, and I believe there will probably be fairly a little bit of buzz round Schaefer previous to subsequent yr’s draft.
Jackson Akin, SS, Lee’s Summit, MO
Faculty Dedication: Oklahoma
Akin has a really projectable, lean, long-levered physique, and it’s obvious his body nonetheless has vital long-term energy potential. He hits out of a barely open, semi-crouched stance and makes use of a easy stride to get to a sq. place at launch. Akin has a simple, rhythmic hand load, and a bat path that stays within the zone for an prolonged interval whereas additionally creating loft. His strong bat velocity and path confirmed above-average uncooked energy throughout batting apply, each to the pull facet and to the middle of the diamond.
Throughout Akin’s stay at-bats, he was at instances liable to increasing out of the zone towards spin, however the projectability of his hit and energy instruments is interesting. Defensively, Akin confirmed common fingers, together with his compact arm path presently producing fringe-average stick with it his throws. He’ll doubtless come off shortstop sooner or later, however the projection in his offensive profile is the principle attraction.
Cole Pladson, OF, Clay Middle, KS
Faculty Dedication: Oklahoma State
Pladson hits out of a sq., balanced stance with a high-hands setup. It’s a repeatable operation within the field, with a leg carry stride and a rhythmic, medium hand load, and his excessive again elbow throughout his load creates loft in his path by means of the zone. Pladson does a pleasant job sustaining a nonetheless head all through his swing and likewise reveals really feel for manipulating the barrel within the zone. He showcased solid-average bat velocity and uncooked energy, which confirmed up in recreation motion for a pull facet homer.
Pladson confirmed fringe-average arm energy in the course of the defensive portion of the exercise and ran a 6.64 second 60-yard sprint. It’s an intriguing profile that appears to supply a projectable, well-rounded offensive talent set. Pladson is a prospect I believe has notable helium potential. He’s a reputation to maintain tabs on all through this fall and subsequent spring.
Money Williams, C, Choctaw, OK
Faculty Dedication: Tennessee
Williams has an athletic, medium construct with room so as to add energy sooner or later, however he doesn’t have a very projectable body. Williams will get his cash’s price with each swing he takes, whether or not it’s in batting apply or towards stay pitching, and although he takes huge hacks, his swing isn’t uncontrolled and he isn’t fully missing in barrel consciousness. Williams makes use of an enormous leg kick and prolonged stride to generate leverage, with the quantity of loft in his path geared for placing the ball within the air. It’s 50-grade bat velocity by means of the zone, and Williams already reveals common uncooked energy that initiatives to above common within the close to future.
Williams had agile actions behind the plate, however his receiving can get inflexible at instances and he has hassle sticking borderline pitches. Between how effectively he strikes and the caliber of athlete he’s, there’s loads of cause to assume his defensive profile will pattern upward. Williams additionally confirmed above-average arm energy, and I had a 1.96 second pop time on him throughout recreation motion regardless of the throw being a bit off the bag. He’s previous for his class, and fashions will ding him closely for that, however he had an excellent general displaying at this occasion.
Pitchers
Cam Appenzeller, LHP, Springfield, IL
Faculty Dedication: Uncommitted
FB: 89-93 / SL: 77-80 / CH: 82-84
A rangy, lean, and projectable left-hander, Appenzeller confirmed a three-pitch combine from a low three-quarters arm slot. Along with his projectable body, his general supply is fluid, repeatable and really starter-like. Appenzeller additionally has above-average hip/shoulder separation, offering additional cause to dream on how a lot velocity there may very well be within the tank for a fastball that presently sits 89-93 mph with strong tail and sinking motion. His breaking ball usually took the form of a hybrid curveball/slider providing, with late tilting motion and flashes of above-average enamel. He was additionally in a position to preserve correct arm velocity on a number of changeups he threw, together with his greatest ones displaying common fade and depth.
Given how a lot physique and stuff projection there’s in his profile, Appenzeller will undoubtedly draw lots of appears from groups main as much as subsequent yr’s draft. Regardless of solely getting a one-inning look, Appenzeller’s really feel for command was obvious, as he landed each of his secondary pitches within the zone and flashed really feel for finding his heater on each corners.
Grady Westphal, RHP, Leawood, KS
Faculty Dedication: Texas A&M
FB: 90-93 / SL: 80-83 / CH: 85-87
Westphal is a high-waisted, lean, projectable right-hander who nonetheless has a major quantity of room on his body for future energy features. Westphal throws from a three-quarters slot. His medium arm circle has a slight stab in its path, however his barely open stride path is a much bigger pink flag to me than something about his arm path. His fastball sat within the low 90s, with carry by means of the zone that enables it to play above the speed, and it’s prone to see additional features because the body provides energy.
His breaking ball has three-quarters form with two-plane motion, and he broke off a pair with spin charges north of three,000 rpm. He did present an inclination to throw the providing from a decrease slot than his fastball, which is one thing he’ll want to scrub up and get extra in keeping with. Westphal additionally threw a few changeups that mirrored his fastball arm velocity, which produced fade and sinking motion. Westphal’s projectable fastball and current skill to spin a breaking ball make him an intriguing arm to comply with this fall and subsequent spring.
Tyler Wooden, RHP, Lee’s Summit, MO
Faculty Dedication: Tennessee
FB: 92-95 / SL: 77-80
Wooden is an athletic, lean two-way participant who shined probably the most on the mound throughout this specific occasion. He confirmed above-average arm velocity and throws from a excessive three-quarters slot. His 92-95 mph four-seam fastball confirmed strong carry by means of the zone (18-20 induced vertical break), and he did a pleasant job of filling up the zone together with his heater. His greatest sliders have been two-plane breakers that flashed above-average chew; they shorten up a bit when he will get on the facet of them. Wooden additionally confirmed a changeup throughout his warmups, however I didn’t have him throwing one throughout recreation motion.
The already current athleticism and stuff make Wooden an intriguing pitching prospect, and his ceiling on the mound appears to be considerably larger than it’s within the outfield. He’ll be a enjoyable one to observe all through his senior yr.
Brody Irlbeck, LHP, Kansas Metropolis, MO
Faculty Dedication: Iowa
FB: 90-92 / CB: 74-76 / CH: 79
Irlbeck has a thin, underdeveloped construct that would result in vital velocity/stuff features as soon as it matures. He throws from a low three-quarters slot with a prolonged, fluid arm circle that’s unfastened and fast, which contributes to his fastball sneaking up on hitters regardless of sitting 90-92 mph. His heater additionally flashed notable late tailing motion that generated some whiffs within the zone. A number of space scouts who’ve extra historical past with Irlbeck and have seen him extra instances in particular person informed me that his command has been shaky in years previous however has been trending up extra not too long ago. On this specific one-inning outing, he persistently commanded the ball to each side of the plate and successfully elevated as effectively. His curveball had 1-to-7 form with various levels of depth, nevertheless it repeatedly confirmed common tightness. He solely threw two changeups, each of which confirmed late fading motion and have been thrown with high quality arm velocity.
Irlbeck had a pointy inning of labor however probably the most interesting side of his profile is the diploma to which you’ll be able to challenge on him. Not solely is his body extremely projectable, however his plus hip/shoulder separation and the fluidity in his arm motion make it an excellent guess there’s greater than just a bit velocity on the horizon for him. If Irlbeck’s command continues to pattern upwards and is constant whereas doing so, this very effectively may be a reputation with helium previous to subsequent yr’s draft.