One aspect of the MLB Draft League that sets itself apart from other collegiate summer leagues is its implementation of technology and data. With the help of each team’s data coordinators, prospects of the league have information and analytics available in real-time to help evaluate, scout, develop their tools and game while it's distributed to the 30 Major League teams. After the first week of the season, we’ve picked out a select group as “data darlings”, players who have shown advanced metrics in what they offer on the field, from an outlier pitch to consistency with driving the ball at the plate.

RHP Miguel Sime Jr.; Trenton

Ranked 93rd in the nation and second in New York for the 2025 class by Prep Baseball, Sime, an LSU commit, came into the Draft League with high anticipation and immediately delivered as the first pitch he threw set a Draft League velocity record at 100.8. Eight pitches later, he would break that record again, by hitting 100.9. Sime’s fastball is the crown jewel of his arsenal, sitting 97-99 mph with 19.3” of IVB and 9” of HB. A whiff and chase machine, his heater generated a 31.4 Whiff%, 26.1 In-Zone Whiff%, and a 34.3 Chase%. Complementing his record-setting fastball, Sime’s curveball looked strong as well, averaging around 83 mph, occasionally getting up to 85. With a movement profile of -11.7” of IVB and -7.6” of HB, he peppers the bottom of the zone which has allowed him to steal strikes early in counts to unsuspecting batters for a strong 36.4 CSW% (Called Strike + Whiff Percentage). Rounding out his arsenal, Sime’s changeup has impressed so far even though he only threw it seven times. The pitch’s shape has stood out as it averages 86 mph (T87.5), generating immense vertical separation from his Fastball with the IVB being around 4.4” while generating 15.7” of arm-side run. Aggressive and attacking hitters, Sime threw a first-pitch strike to 15 out of the 22 batters he faced on Opening Day. At only 18-years-old, Sime’s high-velocity and willingness to attack the zone can help set him apart from the rest of the draft come July.

RHP Sam Cozart, West Virginia

Cozart, who ranks as Prep Baseball’s 265th overall and North Carolina's 16th Carolina in the 2025 Class, is coming off of being named the first Pitcher of the Week for the 2025 season. In his lone start on night two, he threw an efficient six-shutout innings on only 77 pitches while striking out six and walking none. He showcases a deep starter’s arsenal that includes a 4–seam, changeup, curveball and a slider which allows the Texas commit to mix and match pitches to keep hitters off balance and guessing. His four-seam sat around 94 mph and topped out at 96 with seven feet of extension. The Slider is a solid pitch at 86 mph, topping 88.5 and works as a bridge pitch between the fastball and his curveball which has -5.7” of IVB and -8.1” of HB. He threw the changeup one time at 82.2 mph.

RHP Andrew Ronne, Trenton

Coming off of a career year with a sub 2.75 ERA for East Tennessee State, Ronne entered the Draft League after playing a key role in the Bucs’ NCAA Regional appearance. His best pitch, a big sweeper, generates whiffs 45% of the time and 29% of the time in the zone. The sweeper tops out at nearly 86 mph and moves nearly 20 inches to his gloveside. His breaking pitches have been a great way for him to limit damage, as he has allowed zero barrels through four appearances. He also has 0 HHB against right handed batters, a result of his sweeper that he throws 46% of the time to righties. Two big breaking balls combined with a mid 90s fastball gives Ronne the makeup of a quality arm.

RHP Kade Woods, Frederick

After only throwing one inning at LSU this year, Kade Woods came to the Draft League with upper-90s velocity and complimentary curve. His high-octane fastball tops out at 97 mph and carries at 18” of IVB. His fastball must seem harder to batters, as his 6.8 feet of extension gives the impression that it's coming out of his hand much faster. Overall, the curveball highlights his arsenal as commands the pitch with -11” of IVB, -7” of HB, and tops out at nearly 86 mph. Using it in two-strike counts, the hammer of a pitch has folded batters to the tune of a Strikeout Looking % of 75. His arsenal has limited damage on balls in play with only one HHB and 0 barrels so far this season, constantly keeping batters guessing with a 40% Chase%.

RHP Landon O’Donnell, State College

In only one inning for the Spikes, O’Donnell made the most of the opportunity, lighting up the radar gun with his fastball that sat 96-97 mph and topped out at 97.9. It’s a high vert fastball that averages 20” of IVB and 7.8” of HB with the ability to miss bats, especially up in the zone. He threw a single cutter at 89.6 mph with 4” of IVB and -0.5” of HB. In his second season with State College, O’Donnell has shown vast improvement early on.

INF Carsten Sabathia III, Trenton

With a slash line of .273/.357/.455, Sabathia is crushing the ball and even opened up the season with a five-game hit streak. He is tied for second in the league with three barrels, fourth in the league in hard hit balls with five and is top 20 in max exit velo (102.4). He is top 10 in solid contact%, Barrel% and HHB% all while having the second most PAs in the league. His raw power is apparent, as 40% of his base hits have been for extra-bases while also drawing four walks. Sabathia also has no problem dealing with breaking pitches, smoking sliders 50% of the time with a 66.7% HHB% in pre- and two-strike counts respectively.

INF Kendrey Maduro, Mahoning Valley

The Central Florida infielder had a good first year in a Knights uniform, and looks to build upon that in his second season with the Draft League. Through his first two games he has been tearing the cover off the ball with an average exit velocity of 93 mph and a max exit velocity of 102. His 43% HHB has him top 10 in the league with the 4th most PAs. He has good plate discipline with only a 13% whiff rate and a 0% K rate. His xBA is .399, which is good for fifth in the league while also having a top 10 xSLG.

C Matthew Graveline, Williamsport

Through the first week of the Draft League, Matthew Graveline has not only commanded the game from behind the plate, but has proven to be one of the Crosscutters’ best bats. His max exit velo (106.5) is top five, average exit velo is top three (97.6) and his two barrels are good for third in the league. He has the fourth highest HHB% and the farthest HR of Opening Week (384 ft). His five walks are good for first in the Draft League as he brings a strong, yet disciplined approach, along with a top 10 RBI total. With his power and discipline, his ability to put bat-to-ball has stood out with a .285 xBA and a .482 wOBA, top 20 and top 10 respectively.

OF Jonny McGill, West Virginia

Through his first five games Jonny McGill has been hitting everything with emphasis. He is tied for fourth in the league for the most hard hit balls with five and is second in the league with a peak home run distance of 391.7 feet. McGill is an aggressive swinger who is prone to chase as a by-product, however the aggressiveness pays off as McGill makes excellent contact in the zone where he does most of his damage.

For more information about the MLB Draft League, visit mlbdraftleague.com or follow @mlbdraftleague and @draftleaguedata on X, and @mlbdraftleague on Instagram.